May 29, 200917 yr I decided it was time to adjust the balance between thinking, and actually doing. Having spent yesterday sharpening chisels, rigging up a chain hold down and making a copper saddle plate - I chose to follow the instructions for making Lorelei Sims' Gate Pull. I had to deviate a little to suit the scrap mild steel bar I have. Sims uses a guillotine to fuller but in the abscence of this or any fullers, I used a round edge on my anvil and practiced my aim with a staight pein. I am very pleased with how this turned out, and thought I'd share a few pics with you guys. Thanks, Bob Ps. please excuse that rope around the anvil, I was working out how much chain I would need to strap it down. Edited May 29, 200917 yr by Bob JS PS.
May 29, 200917 yr Very nice work. All the extra luxury tools are nice, but I really appreciate a piece forged with just a hammer and an anvil. Thanks for sharing.
May 29, 200917 yr Very Cool! I didn't notice any deviation, I'll have to look a little harder. How did you like the chain hold down?
May 30, 200917 yr I like that. I hope in the next _ _ _ years I can do stuff like that. Finish is nice. What did you use? Thanks for showing us Billy
May 30, 200917 yr That's a good looking job! Normally the chains are not so much for holding the anvil in place (wedges or bent over spikes do that better) as for sound deadening... to soften the ringing.
May 30, 200917 yr Author Thanks guys, Deviations: Lorelei instructs to split the steel and then use convenience bending to draw out the tines. This seemed like a lot of faff compared to a technique she demonstartes later in the book to make a similar finial. So I mixed the two together and drew the bar down to a point and then split it. I think the first way might make the chisel cut easier, with paralel lines to follow - but Im glad I went with the second method because it preserves the chamfer formed by the chisel, which I find visually appealing. I also used slightly different sized stock, thinner, and a bit shorter. The chain seemed to work fine, even on this thin bar it felt secure, but I was only chiseling downwards, and have nothing to compare it to. I used doubled up push bike chain. I didn't like the look of the stirrup used by other people, I thought it might limit where you have to stand to operate, and be tricky to get you foot into in a hurry. Inspired by an oliver hammer on Youtube, I fixed the chain to a length of timber, about 3ft long, to act as a pedal. I found I could move this around and stand in the middle, at either end and even the far side of the anvil and didn't have to fumble around with my foot, just put one foot on the timber. The main downside seems to be having to pick up the chain to get the work under - just have to remember that it gets hot. and the copper plate... Thanks again, Bob here are some pictures of the chain pedal (Im sure I cant be the first to do this) and no I don't normally wear slippers around the anvil :) Edited May 30, 200917 yr by Bob JS pore sperlung 'an Grammir;
May 30, 200917 yr ahhh Lorelie, she sets my heart to a flutter, at quad state she told me a very funny joke about feeling like a rock star when she pulled up in the big buss she was in, what a gal!!
May 30, 200917 yr Author I like that. I hope in the next _ _ _ years I can do stuff like that. Finish is nice. What did you use? Thanks for showing us Billy Sorry Billy, I missed your question earlier. Just simple wire brush and WD40. I also gave it a coat of carnauba paste wax before mounting as an experiment, but in most of the pics its just oil and natural black finish.
May 30, 200917 yr Thanks Bob I have a couple of brackets (braces) that I've forged for some overhang at my small shop. I didn't want to paint them. I like your finish. Thanks Billy
May 31, 200917 yr very nice job on the latch fantastic work very even ,could i please ask is the sledge hammer head connected to the chain hold down device ,or is this attached to the under side of the horn to deaden the ringing thanks for the pics.
May 31, 200917 yr Author very nice job on the latch fantastic work very even ,could i please ask is the sledge hammer head connected to the chain hold down device ,or is this attached to the under side of the horn to deaden the ringing thanks for the pics. The holdown chain is attached to the timber block between the anvil and cast stand. Yes, I normally hang the sledge off the horn, or the cutting table depending on what part I am using. With a full turn of chain wrapped around the horn it just goes clunk. Thanks Edited May 31, 200917 yr by Bob JS forgot to say thanks
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