Scott NC

Heres a six legged dragon fly I made a while back, good and rusted, compared to my horse shoe version. I suppose it just goes to show you can use different styles and materials in your art/sculpture. It also shows how one can change and adapt to new ideas, like my next dragon fly I'm working on that may reflect some great input I found on IFI sculpture forum. Scott.

What, no batteries to install?? Those are wonderful, lasting gifts for a young boy and useful as well. Your craftsmanship shows in your work, both wood and metal! Scott.

If you drive it with a pinion gear, make sure to size it right to generate enough speed to make it exciting. Say, you could probably sell tickets to ride on it.... ummm... nevermind. 8-)

I see a face in that gear. You know, the hub for a nose... cover up a couple of those "spoke" cut outs and you'd have eyes and a smile... Set It out front! Yard art... If nobody else can see it this post will self destruct in ten seconds....

Last fall, my mother had her knee replaced and she was home the next day. I know what it's like to worry about the person you love, my prayers are with you. Scott.

They do have some kind of abrasives/grit of some kind on the business end.

Large drills with trigger locks can be dangerous too. It's easy to inadvertantly engage the lock. With a bigger sized bit that can bind up in the hole, look out. This happened to a co-worker and he recieved a nasty crack on the back of his wrist and the drill wound its cord around and around and eventually unpluged itself. Safetywise, you must look out for the unexpected!

I shall snoop around IronWolf, I've helped change them and they come with a lot of papers in the box, but I never thought to see what matr they are. I think theres more like 50 on a bar, not per mochine.

I do not know das, but they wear out the steel bar they ride on. Theres roughly 50 of them per mochine.

These are all great ideas, thanks for the comments. Thomas, I dont have a plasma cutter and they kind of melt in all directions with a torch, but, Jim Coke, I do have a rosebud and will try flattenung them out that way. I just burned two brushpiles this winter so thats out, but I will keep that idea in mind for the next one. ede, nice picture and I agree the lighting idea is a good one. Thanks daswulf, for the sculpture ideas as well as lighting. And ausfire, I now I have an idea for an ossilating casting sand sifter... Alan, flat surface. But I might find a rut in the lane and try again. A whole flat one might make good shelving matr for welding bench. Heres a worn out hammer from the same unit.

Ok, seldom, I will do some checking around and see what I can find. Maybe I can find one that likes beer, or, as I've read elsewhere on forums a box of donuts... 1000 shoe sculpture. Biggundoctor, that sounds very interesting... I have a pile of rr spikes I've been adding to. I'm thinking about welding them all into one BIG spike.

What could be made of these? Or uses? They are 5'x3' and 1/8 to 1/4" thick. The holes are 1/8". They are grinder screens from a hammer mill. I have permission to take the old, worn out ones from work as they become available. And there are a lot of them. I tried making fire-pit rings but they are really springy, and dont think I'd like to be around if the weld ever broke. I did make wings out of some of it for a butterfly sculpture but its hard to torch cut to shape. I tried flattening one out by driving over it with the truck but it just sprang back to its original shape. They scrap a lot of them and it seems a waste. Any ideas would be welcome 8-). Scott.

Just remember to unplug that drill before you take a bite... Nice!

Having the grinder rest set correctly is important with wire wheels. They tend to grab and pull things in. Corded hand grinders with wire wheels can be pretty lethal as well. A trigger lock and cup wheel on a 4.5" grinder can be a bad combination. But I'm sure I wouldn't know that from a close shave...

Hello seldom. Yes those are new horseshoes, unfortunately i dont have a source for used ones. I have ten or so old ones that I tacked up on the sheds for luck but I'm not taking them down, I need all I can get. . They look nicer hanging there than new ones too. Scott.

Well thanks Frosty. Most of my metal sculptures have been made with "structural" materials like pipe, bar, etc., with some heating, bending, crushing, that sort of thing. Using materials that others can identify and pick out lends interest to the piece and now I have to really start using my imagination! Always room for change and improvement...

No Ausfire, I'm afraid I left him with only four legs, but I agree six would look better. I will try adding a set. You make a good point about about using recycled things. People like to identify the different pieces and parts in a sculpture. Me too!

That's a fine looking project. It has a great old timey, rustic look about it.

Lol, if those ear plugs are foam, and most are, a red hot one will burn right through them. I had to go to a specialist for the one in the eye, and it left a itty bitty "crater" for lack of a better word. I'd like to shake the hand of the guy that invented those eye numbing drops they use. I had a hood and glasses on at the time. Word to the wise, look out for those little dremel wire wheels as well as the big oones. Those tiny wires fly off at 10,000 or so rpm. I think they must be made overseas.

I used to do a lot of air arcing and quickly learned a quality pair of metatarsal boots were a worthy investment. They help with burning up laces too. I once had a weld bb bounce up under my safety glasses. I dont know how, but it did, and stuck right to my eyeball.

Yes, Das, I like to use horse shoes on projects like these for the market and they are easy enough to straighten. I finally got an anvil yesterday, so think I'll be working on some bug wings tomorrow. Just to test it out 8-). Those eyes are roller bearings that I tacked on underneath. Thanks 58er.

Heres a dragon fly I made. I get a lot of ideas and inspiration from visitors to my garden.

That is an awesome sculpture. I love how you have him perched up there, ready to swoop down for a meal.

Heres a couple of sad sack skulls I cast last halloween for some young spooks I know. They are pretty small, thats a chunk of rail they are sitting on. I do create in other subjects than "bones" but I'm stuck in a rut. LOL...... No. More. Fish.

Hi 58er. That comb over is probably his "gathering unit" for his mystical powers... most people call them a tin-foil hat. Not sure why... Would it be possible for you to post a picture of your die that you made? I confess I know nothing of this and am very interested in it. Im aware of dies used in industry and mfg but not this purpose. Is this for producing them faster/easier for sale? Do you hammer or press your die into your material and then finish it by hand? Is your aim to have the die produce a detailed finished wizard/whatever? Sorry for so many questions at once but Im very interested. And if it's common knowledge my ears are burning already .