Here is a new element to me. It is something like the split cross but only split on one plane. I just thought about it a couple of days ago. It may have been done before, but I haven't seen it. There could be many different applications for this, and I'm going to explore it more. Some of you may want to take it in your own direction, so here is what I've done so far, but I see so much more room for embelishment.

that's awesome Brian,thanks alot.

Glad to see a new post from you Brian! I know you've been busy on the very successful road trip, i have missed your tutorials. So you slot punch the bar, drift, slit the middle, and draw out the piece to size, and finish with accents? Is this easier to control than slitting a portion the same size as the two holes plus the piece in the middle?

I get it, you have more material left in the middle areas with this method?

And after you twist the two halves, it's easier to open them up because you have the staight sides on the inside instead of the bevels from the chisel cut. I think this could be used quite nicely to embelish pickets and such.

Brian,
Very good work, Imagination used to it's best end result.

John

It looks straight forward and simple... is it really? and how many tries did it take to get it to look like that? (I ask this with humor and to see how an idea like this gets worked out)

Well done! I wonder what mine would look like...
Cliff

one more item to add to my list of things to do today,I am going to fire up the forge eairly this morning thanks for posting this brian and you guys have a happy thanksgiving

I'd like to come up with a quatrifoil idea with this in mind, just can't wrap my head around it yet, any ideas?

thats really cool brian! could be used in so many ways.... hope youre enjoying yr trip?

Thanks Brian, another great design! Hope you make it to New England someday.

Dick

It looks straight forward and simple... is it really? and how many tries did it take to get it to look like that? (I ask this with humor and to see how an idea like this gets worked out)

Well done! I wonder what mine would look like...
Cliff

Yes,it is that simple. It worked on the first try. I thought of it because I have done alot of slit fish before and never liked the hassle of opening up the split with the bevels left inside, and the half twists solved the problem and opened up a whole new can of worms.

Thanks, everyone, and Happy Thanksgiving!

I have seen steps 1,2 & 3 used to make a square for a large piece of bar stock to pass through but never anything like what happens after that. Nice piece of work with the heron above getting ready to eat it !:D

I did a couple of more yesterday to leave with Peyton Anderson of Yesteryear Forge. One was like the first and the other was drifted square on the diamond with 1"x 1/4". The second one was Mike Tanner's sugesstion. I didn't have my camera with me, but Peyton said he'd take some pics. The way it's drifted, the width of material, the length of the split, the direction of the twists, whether or not or how much you open up the split, and whether or not you hammer it back to plane all influence your final results.

OK, so I am finding it hard to believe that no one else has posted an attempt at this.
I was working on some BBQ tools for an order today, and between sets got to thinking about the fish.
Ran to the stock rack and grabbed a rusty piece of 1/8" x 1" and had at it.
Learned that I need a proper slitter because a 3/4" cold chisel don't cut it.
Need more practice!

Nice job, rlarkin! I like to see people try this stuff out.

Pictures Brian took yesterday...

Thanks for taking the time to update these pics!

Where did you get that funny gadget to lay out the center line?

Just funning around...Have a great day


Carry on

I got that tool from the president of the Mississippi Forge Council. He's a pretty good guy. He also made one for all of the Young Smiths this year. His name is David Gaddis.

Wow! I wish I could be a young smith! How do I join???

O_O here's my newbie amazement! ;-) I have MUCH to learn. I did a project using punch and drift when I took a blacksmithing class a couple of years ago. the bug has festered since and I am anxiously awaiting the parts for my forge/burner... I guess I will practice on some clay.