TWISTEDWILLOW

Forgot that I’d gave away my bending fork so I had to make another this morning, just got done with the third bell, this one is the medium size blank, 1/4” tapered an twisted for a handle, threaded the end of it drilled a hole an put a nut on the inside, tried doing the final closing with a torch with the bell mounted in a vise an it started unscrewing so I welded the nut in place, finished closing it up with a torch an hammer, took it inside to show ash an max pitched a fit so I gave it to him an he ran off through the house ringin the bell i guess after lunch I’ll make another one lol im gonna try one of the big blanks next,

Followed me home today from the hardware store, an old steel display rack that was settin out back of the store, I asked the owner an she said take it!! There’s already to much junk back there! Lol so I got it home an started moving some of my shorter stock into it, the longer stuff will stay out on the 20’ pipe rack,

Okay I’ll admit it does kinda look like a turkeys fan, lol I remember seeing a old picture onetime, showing how a North American tribe baited an trapped birds for their feathers, I think old headdress were made from eagle an hawk feathers, but I don’t remember, I would imagine they probably also liked the colorful blue, red an yellow feathers from smaller birds to but i dunno for sure

I’ll have to send ya some bell blanks when I get a big batch cut out! looks like you had a ball at class today! I really like your S hook! You did a really nice even twist on that dude!

Jerry, What’s your point? The feathers help keep the sun off!

I love makin rolled roses! yours look great! Only thing I’d suggest is using a straight peen when their still flat to give ‘em some texture on the outside of the petals, thanks Rojo! Sleigh bells are new to me so it’s gonna take me a few days to tune em in,

Thanks Jerry, that’s the first one I ever tried I’ll try workin em from the outside on the next one, i kinda felt the suggested ball size was to big so I dug around the shop an found a jar of ball bearings and took a smaller one an welded it to a pole saw drive shaft (unknown steel type) an I started on a second one an got about half way through when ash got home so I got caught up talkin an then the sun made it over my canopy and Blazin right in my firepot so I can’t see my color so I guess I’m done till sunset, anyways this second one is already lookin more round usin the smaller punch But I’ll try your idea workin from the outside on my third one When I get a little more fine tuned on these imma thinkin bout buggin the ag teacher up at The high school, I found out the ag class has a fancy CNC plasma cutter table setup, and I already fix stuff for both him an the school so I’m gonna ask for a favor an see if they would use their machine to cut me out a hundred or so of each size sleigh bell blank, never heard tell of a monster bell, I wonder if there’s a market for Halloween themed bells?

Made a sleigh bell turned out lookin more like a acorn but it has a nice ring to it!

I don’t need one but I’d sure like to have one Close to 5 foot tall,

Thomas did ya get a picture of the mandrels?

We do!!!

Yeah they had a neat Halloween setup the last few weeks at the Wally World here an then last weekend I walked in an they had started taking it down and half the store was setup with Christmas stuff, We like to space our holidays out so our turkeys have time to grow bigger!

Yeah A friend of mine got 3 phase to his fab shop an it cost him a chunk of money, the normal property in my area though is ran on 200 amp meters,

Awesome! I’m glad to hear y’all got it worked out, sorry the first one showed up with some problems, I knew from tired iron when she was looking at mine that she said she wanted to order one, I know every time I’ve emailed hollands they always reply quickly to an questions I’ve had

I just got home a little bit ago from teaching up at votech and had me a set down on the porch, this time of year it’s dark out so no pictures but there’s a symphony of crickets chirping backed up by a pack of howling coyotes an a half dozen bard owls hootin

That was long ago on an ocean far away

Oh that’s a bummer Rowan’s is a nice place I didn’t know they were closed yesterday, I had a lunch meeting there today and ate way to much Okie Joes BBQ is pretty good too, im glad y’all enjoyed it, you an your compadres were lookin like y’all needed a good set down an a bite to eat, im still tryin to figure out what kinda work these crazy lookin 3 finger tongs you brought are for? Lol

Lol yeah y’all kinda looked like the Albuquerque hillbilly’s when y’all pulled out on 59 with stuff piled 6 foot above the cab! did y’all find some good eaten down in stilwell?

Howdy Thomas! I’m glad y’all made it back safe and sound, I’ve been wondering since y’all pulled out yesterday how that fan was gonna do riding down I40 it was a good visit im glad you stopped by an brought your band of southwestern blacksmiths! wish y’all had more time to visit while y’all was passin through

Yeah yer prolly right George, I just wanted to say my piece Incase he’s lurking in the visitor section reading, Jerry, better leave the lights on!!! At thing ya need is to have a few an then turn the lights off in a blacksmith shop! i walk into the anvil horn even with the lights on! Or a ol warship for that matter…. Not that I would know anything about navigating through the pways in a ship while intoxicated…

On a side note, I think paint that pre dates the 70s can sometimes contain lead in it so I’d feel more comfortable with it in the cabinet then on the work bench with a grinder if ya have that setup, can’t be to carful ya never know!!!

Good grief dude why ya hatin on my neighbor? Why on earth do you even care what he spends HIS money on? ive made fire pots, I’ve bought old used firepots, an I could buy new fire pots if I so choose, it’s not anyones business what I do or what you do or what he does with money… everyone does their own thing, whatever works for every individual person is the right way to do it for them, spouting unsolicited an foul language filled advice at someone who didn’t ask for your OPINION on how to do something isn’t likely to win them over to your idea, or anyone else for that matter… an FYI you must not actually know him, because if you did then you would know that he does infact fabricate his own firepots depending on the forge and it’s application… last time he was at my shop a few weeks back, him an Ed were showing me pictures of their current designs they use on their travel forges… you should really do your homework before talking nonsense at or about any blacksmith an especially on a international Blacksmithing forum where a lot of said blacksmiths actually know each other an how they do things

Didn’t really follow me home but it flew by a little bit ago, i was unloading a customers machine and my dogs kept barking an I looked up just in time to see the Goodyear blimp pass behind the tree line This is the second time in four years it’s passed by my property

I’m thinking I’m gonna do some wreath hangers for thanksgiving that way they can carry over to Christmas

I’m gonna be working on sleigh bells primarily for Christmas this year, but I’m gonna try some different icicles then I’ll did last year, an my regular split crosses,