Daswulf

Really nice chair. You could do well making more. The mosaic layout is great let alone the stool/chair. Good work all around. Change "i did" to "I do". Then charge money to compensate your time.

Nice tables. I have some somewhere. I have tried to clean, I Need to do some work but lately Im just to tired or exhausted. Little by little. Then maybe there will be a boom of work. But first this mess needs organized. There have been periods of organization and messes but at the moment I blame having kids on the state of my shop lol. Wouldn't trade them for the world, tho. sometimes they test my resolve on that. I title these, "what work table?"

I'd say use your time to build inventory. You can work on those for the next show. Each show may be a little different, and every one is a learning experience. Build up as you do them with what you learn. Oh, Don't forget to have cash for change.

Excellent pointers from George and Shainarue. Also with the heat from being in direct sunlight and the metal getting hot, I bought a bunch of cheap battery tea lights to display in the holders. I had a couple times where my display candles melted. Not a fun time. The fake candles are cheap enough that I give them with the item if the want it. Try to get some handled thicker paper bags for items that will fit in them. Some bubble wrap for items that are a bit pokey will help prevent them poking through the bag. I like to put a business card in with the purchase as well. I like to use the stringed price tags that way they can be tied on the items where possible. As mentioned small cards work for multiple items and add a description of what an item is. You know what it is but they might not. Good advise on raising things up, you'd be surprised how much people miss seeing on your table while looking down at it. But then I've had times it seemed they don't look up if something doesn't lead their eyes up. People are looking in at your tables from the outside. Set it up so it flows and is visual from the other side. Best advise there is to go out and look from their side of the table and adjust things so they are best viewed and seen. You'd be surprised all the tidbits of ideas and info you can get in conversations with people. Keep a notebook and pen with you. I keep a log book of events and what sold and the price for future reference. Lastly from what I can think of at the moment is don't worry and have fun.

I have a feeling they wouldn't want you heating the metal with torches while in their very expensive testing machine. Very careful forging might get you what you are looking for aside from fabrication. Probably a combination of both. You know what Does melt and deform more nicely without just burning ,like carbon steel, is aluminum. Any places that could cast you some replicas of the tools in the sizes you want to use in aluminum? Just an idea. Be even better for a wall hanger.

It could do some weird stuff in trying to stretch it. Plus you would have to have a strong mechanism to clamp and pull. I think actually trying to stretch them would be more trouble than it is worth. You could cut it and weld in a section. The key word is "visable" marks. If you are good with the finish work no one would be the wiser. Might take various flap discs, sand paper and maybe even soda blasted after but it can be done. Blemishes could be lightly hammered in to match the rest of the wrench. If forging just take extra care in your finish hammer work. I like the concept idea of the Dali melted clock. Not sure what the actual idea is with the wrenches but I like it already.

Thanks guys. I will miss her rolling around on the walk way when I get home from work and her gently treading on my bed to lay beside me at night time. Our furry family has a shorter life span and we have to accept that. I will always remember her as the others that passed before. All pet family are different. We still have 4 indoor cats. They seem to miss momma cat as well. They all had treats tonight as momma Sophie liked and asked for. Zora who usually paws at them and barely eats one before Sophie would come and take it even ate them in a timely manner. Scott, I understand the phrase and it seems to keep going. Teaches some patience eh? Frosty, my best mouser is gone now. The other cats would sit along side mice eating my food. I have an up and coming (taken in stray) black cat that needs fixed. She has some personality. A bit too much at the moment. Kind and appreciated words. An era seems over but on to the next as long as I keep going. As all the pets before, I will miss and remember them fondly.

We lost our Sophie today. She was the last of my original cats before I met Liz and had my two daughters. She was the only in her litter to survive a ride and fall from on a truck engine. I found her and saved her. She gave us fleas in return but we eradicated those. She loved sleeping beside me when she wasn't out hunting and eating smaller mammals. Then she gave us much comfort and love. I've had her around or over 14 years. She lived a long full life and has crossed over. She will be missed. She also taught the kids about life and death. We all said our goodbyes with teary eyes. Then I took her up the hill to bury her and my older daughter came running up wanting one last goodbye. We lined her grave with grass and little wild flowers and let her go back to the earth. rest in peace my sweet Sophie.

Nice work all. Scott, that's the first I've seen one made from the end of a pick. I like the ring on the point of it.

Frosty, that isnt reserved to Alaskan people. I like it Scott. We all get older and rougher. We all have a best by date and it is all a miracle from there. Things fall apart, out or to pieces. Enjoy what you do have.

Looks like a Trenton in great condition. Also looks like one that is welded at the waist and should have a full tool steel upper half. (I have one and it is an excellent anvil.) Wire wheel it and coat it with your preservation preference, many are listed on here, and get to using it. Congrats, great find.

Prayers for him and his family and friends.

Most times the body is wrought iron. The jaws might be steel. Spark test would tell you more. If it works fine clean it and use it. If you are concerned about the crack and not sure of wrought iron vs. other steel types you could clean it up and braze it. That would make it more solid and much less likely to break in use.

From the sounds of it you are probably at High risk of severely warping the blade if you try to heat treat now. And who knows what success you might even get from it. Might want to finish it up and call it a wall hanger, then call it experience and move on to the next one with Steves advice and more knowledge. Hate to see 10 hours turn into a severely warped blade. Least you could have something that looks nice and get some experience from what you did. Just a conservative view of hours of work. Its probably good the motor oil is missing. That stuff has some real nasties in it.

Should have had a hand on Each handle. It is now a two handed tool.

There truly is no real normal. There is only average and not average. Typical and atypical. Normal is an idea.

Beautiful work! Hand fluting isnt a commonly known thing? The rest sure isnt. Great to see and inspirational. Nice work.

Thanks Scott. Good video from BBF John. Lots of good info all. It is good to realize the potential good and bad in any case.

How do you quote that cost before taking said item and going through the actual process to ship it?

Well, if I were to be able to make the kind of fine art money for my work, I might be able to afford the help of the tech and business savvy. Besides, I haven't found that person or people yet to hire. Most just want me to pay a little to sell at small shows or encourage me to pay big for big shows. A few love my work and invite me to set up for free.

Either a Trenton or Hay Budden. Both had similar weight and serial number stamps on that front foot.

Really appreciate it George. I have seen similar styled works go that high online. I have considered starting an etsy account at least to list some stuff. Perhaps I am missing the boat. I tried having an actual website but it was beyond me to navigate and work. I let it go as I was paying for essentially having my name and some old pictures on a dot com. I've thought of starting a squarespace site but Etsy may be user friendly enough to manage and maybe could promote the pieces from my instagram. Being not so tech or business savvy doesn't help me one bit. And shipping and logistics make my head hurt but I might just over think that stuff. The right people are out there that love one of a kind quality art, I just need to find out how to get seen. I have seen similar actually sell for high prices just not in my local area that I know of. Thank Madelynn for me for the kind words and advise. I may start an etsy.

Agree, Nice work. The flower looks fine.

I have run into over pricing, under pricing and also investing too much time in an item that only bears a price lower than the investment in making it. The latter is something that in time would eventually sell at the right price, but the time and effort of lugging it to show after show diminishes that. So I find it best to just sell that one off and not make another. That doesn't include really unique sculptures but more the larger decorative pieces that I try out to see if there is interest. And that is rare. With such a broad array of people at this show it certainly was an eye opener as to what people are drawn to whether they purchased or not. Many mentioned never seeing something like it there. I really think the home and garden show would be a bit more broadly interested in all I make. The next one is too soon to have enough to make the investment in stock. Maybe next year. Thanks for your perspective Latticino. I agree those focused shows would be good for sales. I have wanted to do the pittsburgh or 3rivers art show as well as some others. In all honesty I haven't made enough stock to make the price of the spot worth selling. But with my new focus I might work towards it in the future. I agree commissions need to priced right. I try to avoid some at the moment due to lack of shop time but it will be inevitable. I haven't looked into any galleries yet but that is good advise as well and I will keep it in mind.

Thanks for the great advise as always George. It is well recieved. The guitar I had priced at $700. I sold it for $650. The jellyfish I sold for $220. These are prices that I feel are fair to me for my work. In the right setting I feel they could be worth more. Thank you Gewoon.