Branding iron

[easilyconfused]

To prevent resurrecting an old thread, I'll post the finished pics of the branding iron I talked about in the other branding iron thread a way back when. The brand itself was from 1/4" angle iron cut in half to give it some mass before tapering into 1/8" Can't remember the width though.

The center of the 3 was forge welded and drawn into a tip. I'm still nervous I didn't take enough out in the notch to keep if from blobbing. Getting the W to match the 3 for height was the hardest part. I know, I didn't clean up my welding slag and spatter but it was for my sisters boyfriend and he didn't care and I was short on time with paying orders.

[Mike Ameling]

Nice little project.

Any significance to the Rafter Three W brand?

I take it that this is just for branding wood, not for use on cattle. The "edge" design ain't right for branding cattle - too thick.

Making branding irons do force you to be ... creative ... in their design.

Mikey - that grumpy ol' German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands

p.s. Just don't get caught with a "runnin iron" in some territories!

[easilyconfused]

He's the 3rd generation W last name. It is for cattle. The edge is actually rounded and <1/8" and is thinner than any of the ones we use in our area due to complexity and we haven't had any problems with smudging or anything. His dad is a brand inspector in Alberta so I think it should be good when he gives the specs and he wanted 1/8" contact surface and gave the size for the calves too. The back side is 1/4" for heat retention. The angle iron naturally tapered in to 1/8" from 1/4" and I thinned it a bit more with an angle grinder when I went to notch it. The shingle was partly to show him what it looked like and because he's just getting started I figured a shingle to hang would be good luck for the farm.

Edited April 21, 2009 by easilyconfused

[Mike Ameling]

Ah, I see. The angle in the pics made it that edge look thicker than it was.

Too many people don't understand that working edge when actually branding cattle. They end up with something that will mark wood OK, but blotch on a hide.

Now, if I ... re-work ... a little bit ... an old Rocking B ..... um ... aaah ... never mind!

Mikey - that grumpy ol' German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands
- with a small modest herd of poor "slow elk" that have lost their way ...

[David Einhorn]

Mike has a point, all the elements of the brand should be welded into one branding iron, so that the bent line is not mistaken for a "running iron", ie an iron designed to change other people's brands. Also, so that you don't have to brand the animal twice, once with each part of the element.

Secondly, I have seen a lot of brands either attached by bar(s) running across the back of the various design elements, with the handle attached to those bar(s). That way you don't have to worry about the connectors being too close to the branding edge as it wears.

....... p.s. Just don't get caught with a "runnin iron" in some territories!

[easilyconfused]

I was going to go with all one piece but it would have been way to heavy to maneuver on the end of a handle. Easier to get all the brand done if you lose heat in one part too. All one piece and you run the risk of the center not being hot enough sometimes. I'm the neighborhood brander so I've had that happen a few times at the neighbors.
You'd be hard pressed to call it a running iron. It's a definitely half diamond which, incidentally most people call a rafter. Up here there's no rafter, it's only half diamond. I didn't know that until I got the job and did some research. Don't know about the USA though.

The connectors are welded to the backside anyways, so a bar would have gained me at most 1/4" on I think it was 2-3".


Problem is, now dad wants me to remake our calf iron because it's getting worn out and too much rocker to it. Which is saying a lot because I hate perfectly flat irons on calves. Especially big ones like this which is why I gave it a slight rocker to the 3W. No more than 1/16" but enough it rolls side to side.