ausfire

Nice idea, Jim. Spreading the jaws like that would make for some neat wall hooks, with one rein twisted and scrolled as a lower support. A bit like your roll holder side-on. Hmmmm.

Let's see some more fire pokers.

Speaking of old tongs, I found an old pair in the scrap with one broken rein. I had a *thought* that the long intact rein would make a really good neck and head for a bird sculpture, using the rivet hole for the eye. Only trouble was the offset. Got it really hot in the forge to take off the offset and sure enough - wrought!! Even at almost sparking heat it just fell to bits. End of bird project.

Das, the snail looks great painted. Now you need to create a scrap art gnome in matching colours to complete the garden combo.

Nice work, Hunterbow. It would serve its purpose well. Simple is good.

Yep, thoughts and best wishes sent. Will ring the anvil with the Hofi - the most comfortable hammer I own.

Sorry I missed this post, Dale. I think it was on the All Australian News (Channel 7) late one evening.

Yes, cadmium is best avoided. Anything with a gold look should be considered suspect. Bugle head screws and a lot of aviation stuff have cad plating. Rusty old bolts are the best option, but I am fortunate in having an endless supply of them in our scrap. Unfortunately they are old and most are wrought. I would like them for lizard tails but they always end up like toothbrushes.

Looks like you were making a longhorn and changed your mind! Another pic after the paint please, Das.

Yes. I usually make the snakes look a bit fierce and the heads of these lizards are still a bit snake-like. I'll make future lizards with a flatter head and more of a gape (mouth open perhaps) so they don't look like taipans with legs. And thanks, Rashelle. These are fun things to do when you get tired of hooks and handles.

'mm' measurements are millimetres. We are a metric nation, although many of us still speak in feet and inches at times. As a rough guide, 10mm steel equates to your 3/8" and 12mm is roughly 1/2". We changed over to the metric system back in the seventies and children today have no concept of inches, feet, yards, pounds, ounces, gallons, pints and so on.

A couple of skinny lizards made from old bolts.

Forged a couple of wall hooks today. One longhorn and one ram. For ease of handling, one on each end of a 700mm 10mm square bar. Then cut and hook. Less tongs time.

A minor burn from a careless mistake today … one of those things that just shouldn't happen. Twisting the handle for a ram's head fire poker, set up the piece in the vice and reached back for a lump of rebar for a twisting bar. Grabbed the cold end (as you do) but the other end had been near the heat for some time. Slipped it through the loop and all was well until I grabbed the other end to make the twist. That was a wake up call. Not much contact, but enough to blister the webbing between forefinger and thumb. Not serious, but uncomfortable. What's worse is that I play competitive table tennis and that point is exactly where the hand contacts the bat. Grrrr.

That's a great bolt, Mud. Neat chamfers. Now you need to forge a nut and a washer and you have the whole deal.

I reckon it's harder to weld in wet weather, when using a stick welder anyway. Seems to me the rods have a tendency to absorb humidity and they are harder to arc. May be just my imagination, but they seem to weld better in arid weather conditions.

Very elegant, alexander. Love the flowing lines of that stair railing. Beautiful work.

Don't hold your breath Frosty, but it will happen.

Yes, indeed. Just an update on the big scorpion. Not long after these photos I exhibited the scorpion in a metal sculpture section at a local show. It won me a nice blue ribbon and a bunch of dollars, so it is now on permanent display near my forge at my workplace (historical museum). It does attract a lot of attention and photos. Das, I never did make a second one from those parts, but the idea of the crocodile is still circulating in my mind. In fact, I have made a start on it but I suspect it will be a month or two before I get near the end of it. Perhaps I will have it ready for this year's show. I'm underway with the head, and I envisage a life-size body (about 2-3 metres). That's the plan anyway.

Nice anvil, mate. You did well. Now put it to work!

What Frosty said x 10. You can tell the difference between a beginner blacksmith and one of experience. A beautiful anvil like that, generously given, would be highly valued and any thought of selling it on would not be contemplated for a moment. I think the previous owner would be less than impressed, and rightly so, if that were to happen. You are indeed fortunate to have a superb anvil like that. It's an heirloom piece. Use it, respect it, become experienced by its use, and as Frosty said, pass it on to your children and theirs.

Nah. The ratchet in the socket wrench was seized up and unserviceable. Frosty, you know I would not sacrifice a perfectly usable tool for such a purpose!

The cutting end looks like it has the right curve to work well as a veining tool. I think I would like a bit more mass on the struck end.

Perhaps your location is a bit like mine. Not many smiths around here either. Sometimes you just have to teach yourself and learn as you go along. Make plenty of mistakes but try not to make the same one twice. Don't believe everything you see on the internet. You are better off finding a couple of good books written by real smiths who know what they are talking about. And of course, IFI is a site that can provide you with lots of inspiration. I know it's not the same as having someone with experience to show you how, but sometimes we just have to make do. Good luck with your endeavours … and keep safe.

Thanks, Jeremy. I have most of those, except the large curved chisel. Speaking of bottle opener tools, I use a small ball peen hammer to make the lifting tab in a loop opener. After a while they get a bit flat, so I thought the ball on the end of an old socket wrench might work. Welded on a handle and gave it a go for today's ram demo piece. Gives a smaller tab, but neater. I guess it is some kind of high carbon steel so perhaps it will keep its shape longer. Not very neat welding, but does the job: