Charlotte Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 (edited) Well my dears, I have a solution for you. The universally admired and lusted after copper S scroll plant hanger. Go to your local hardware, scrap yard, friendly neighborhood, electrician and lay in a supply of the largest diameter solid copper ground wire you can find. Cut it up into convient lengths, bend some scroll ends, Begin meditating on Mr Hofi's hammer technique, flatten enough hold the curves. pass a little steel wool across it et voila a ready sale item. This is I admit, cold work at its lowest level, but with spring here I'm getting requests for plant hangers. The faceting produced by using a rounding hammer seems to attract like sparkels on a fishing lure. The amount of labor invested in these is minimal. The materials are available where ever electricity is sold and even those who think iron is nasty will buy a copper plant hanger with no finish on it and think it is lovely. Edited April 23, 2009 by Charlotte spelling Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Dean Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 OK, how much $$ do you get for one?;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlotte Posted April 23, 2009 Author Share Posted April 23, 2009 Sold a pair today for $16. If I had 15 min in them I was being careful. Point of fact the post is in part in fun and in part, about teaching your self to scroll and hammer. I make them at odd times and never seem to have any stock. I went to several demos where the only things that sold were blacksmith puzzles and S hook hangers. Copper sells better than Iron. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DKForge Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 Hey Charlotte I'm not quite picturing what you are making do you have a photo of one? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dablacksmith Posted April 24, 2009 Share Posted April 24, 2009 twisted coppe bracelets go good also... and cloak pins . you square up the copper and twist and scroll comes out pretty... have fun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlotte Posted April 24, 2009 Author Share Posted April 24, 2009 Sorry, I don't have a picture of one but it is easy enough to think about. An S hook that is formed by two scrolls one to the right and the other to the left. Just a big S hook with the spaces top and bottom filled with an extra turn of scroll. I just hammer the copper flat on the anvil until it is work hardened enough to hold the shape. Different Hammers yield different effects. It gives practice at eye balling scrolls, burns no propane or coal, and lets you think about your hammer technique. Kind o like doodling while waiting for dinner. (Of course since I'm the cook, bottle washer, etc. I do it while waiting for the washer to shut off.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlotte Posted April 24, 2009 Author Share Posted April 24, 2009 twisted coppe bracelets go good also... and cloak pins . you square up the copper and twist and scroll comes out pretty... have fun I've though several times about making some twisted bronze bracelets out of atlas metals bronze. That would be a more work but would also be a xxxx of a lot more interesting. I think you just motivated me to buy some bronze. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted April 24, 2009 Share Posted April 24, 2009 Copper forge welds easily too and should make some very pretty basket twists and such. Good idea, good practice and if it sells. . . WooHoo! Thanks for the idea. Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kasper Posted April 24, 2009 Share Posted April 24, 2009 Hey Frosty i hope all is well,i see you have made it home with your new hammer looks great and congrats ,speaking of forge welding copper is it the same process as forge welding common steel .Take care all..chow for now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Ameling Posted April 25, 2009 Share Posted April 25, 2009 (edited) I've though several times about making some twisted bronze bracelets out of atlas metals bronze. That would be a more work but would also be a xxxx of a lot more interesting. I think you just motivated me to buy some bronze. Over the years, I've made a bunch of the Celtic cloak pins (also called blanket pins) from brass brazing rod. I cut the main part to length, chuck it in my drill, and the "taper" it on the bench grinder. It's quick and simple to do a long taper that way. Then I will heat up an end and use scroll pliers to put a little curl on it. And then I heat up the whole piece and bend into a circle. I often use the kitchen gas stove to heat up the brass rod. And for the "pin" I use some very small diameter brazing rod, file a quick point on one end, heat the other end and make that "eye loop" with scrolling pliers. Tweak it open a bit, slip it onto the large "c" part, and tighten the eye. A little emery cloth shines them up nicely. And sometimes I heat them up and "forge" them square, and then twist them before bending into that circle. Plus you can flatten/flair the ends as well. A ... light ... rubbing with emery cloth shines up the high points while leaving the low parts darker. The only point to remember in making them is to leave enough gap between the main ends so that the rotating pin can pass between them - and having that pin long enough to go all the way across and extend a bit past the other side. They are a good project to do some "mass production" on. Make up the pieces for a half dozen or a dozen at a time. Just do each step on all the pieces, then move to the next step - cut to length, taper the ends, scroll the ends, heat and bend into the C or Oval shape. Then do the same for the rotating pin part. They are a fun ... tinkering ... project. Mikey - that grumpy ol' German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands Edited April 25, 2009 by Mike Ameling Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted April 25, 2009 Share Posted April 25, 2009 Hey Frosty i hope all is well,i see you have made it home with your new hammer looks great and congrats ,speaking of forge welding copper is it the same process as forge welding common steel .Take care all..chow for now Thanks Kasper, I'm still almost giddy. Forge welding copper is just about the same as iron or steel but not nearly so hot of course, bright red is usually enough. Brush it clean, flux with borax and be gentle with the hammer. Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kasper Posted April 25, 2009 Share Posted April 25, 2009 Thanks for the come back Frosty,i have several feet off copper grounding wire which i been adding to projects stand by strand.So today im going to try forge welding copper,thanks again and those pics of you and your buds unloading your hammer are great,thats how things are done around her tractors,come longs and friends,....Best of luck.....over and out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blacksmith Jim Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 How much weight can these hold. It seems like copper grounding wire wouldn't really hold a hanging plant? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlotte Posted April 28, 2009 Author Share Posted April 28, 2009 How much weight can these hold. It seems like copper grounding wire wouldn't really hold a hanging plant? The point of cold working heavy duty copper grounding wire, (4 gauge), is to stiffen and make it possible for it to support a hanging plant. The S curve become much stronger and able to resist the weight of the plant and reasonable wind forces. A litte experiment would demonstrate it for you. I have two hanging on my front porch at the moment but unfortunately I don't have a digital camera to show you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Ameling Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 (edited) Plus you can heat-treat the copper wire. It works the opposite from iron/steel. You heat it up and then let it air-cool. This "hardens" the copper. If you heat it up and quench it in water, this anneals it - making it soft. Sometimes when working copper you need to anneal it a time of three - as you feel it starting to stiffen up and work-harden. Otherwise it might crack/split on you. Brass works the same way. Years ago I got a bunch of thick electrical wire from an old farm place - the overhead power lines for the farm. Thick heavy stuff! The main wire is 3/16 inch in diameter. The lighter version is 1/8 inch in diameter. It originally had a coating/cover on it, but that is/was mostly rotted away. I also use that wire for my "layout tool". If I need to forge up a scrolled sign holder bracket, I will bend that wire to the approximate size and shape needed. That gives me the "look" when compared to the sign, and also gives me something to measure against. When forging, I lay my pieces against that wire to check the curves/angles - instead of getting hot iron next to a finished sign. When done, I just roll up my copper wire and stash it on the shelf for the next "design" project. Mikey - that grumpy ol' German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands Edited April 28, 2009 by Mike Ameling bad typing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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