Just wondering if anyone cant tell me what I am doing wrong. Cant seem to get a leaf to look right. All my leaves tend to look like a weeping willow leaf. Long and slender. Icant get them heart shaped. What is best stock to start with?

Just wondering if anyone cant tell me what I am doing wrong. Cant seem to get a leaf to look right. All my leaves tend to look like a weeping willow leaf. Long and slender. Icant get them heart shaped. What is best stock to start with?

I have had fairly good luck using 3/8 to 1/2 round bar. I also did some with 5/8 threaded rod for serrated-edged leaves.

upset, 2 sided taper leaves? Typically I get those long one when I fuller off to much mass.

can only guess that kind you are making. hope it help!

I have made them from various sized stock mostly small stuff.

When you do the point, don't draw it out very far, it should be a pretty blunt point but a point none the less. When you do your fullering behind the point, the closer you keep it to the point, the shorter and wider the leaf will be.

If your leaves are too narrow, you can upset the stock first so you have more to work with.

The only leaf I have made was as you say, long and weepy.
We had a hammer-in demo where he started with 1/2" square and drew a point but did not flatten much.
He left the point alone and worked on the base of the leaf. Only part I can figure being key.

Hammer-in video
http://www.youtube.com/user/purgatoryironworks#p/u/6/CS9KiGmA-8A

Take a look Here.

Hofi started this and there is a step by step on leaf making. It might help




Brian

A copy of Mark Aspery's book "Mastering Fundamentals of Leafwork" is my Christmas present for this year. It sounds like a really good book, and look forward to its delivery from the author. If you wish to look further at the book: http://www.markaspery.net/Book%202.html

A copy of Mark Aspery's book "Mastering Fundamentals of Leafwork" is my Christmas present for this year. It sounds like a really good book, and look forward to its delivery from the author. If you wish to look further at the book: http://www.markasper...t/Book%202.html


thats what i got ...i got the books and they r great.....he gives a couple of ways to make leaves and a couple of different leaves...
realy nice books...nicely made

Thanks all. I guess the tip of the leaf is going to be thicker than the rest right?

No it can be as thin as the rest. As said earlier a short point leaves less mass at the tip. Have done bunches
using 1/4 round. Base gets out to size of a quarter points about 1/8 wide same thickness base to tip.
Ken

Newbysmith, what size/type of stock are you starting with??? I like to make my leaves from 3/8" square. Forge a short point, neck-in, back from the point for the lenght of leaf you want and then flatten the leaf part on the diamond. Focus your hammer blows in the center of the mass and try to keep the hammer blows away from the edges. Think of your hammer as a rolling pin, pushing metal out towards the sides. Also to get wider leaves, once you have started to flatten, switch to the peen of the hammer and use the peen to push metal to the sides.

Also, I stronly reccemmend the Aspery books. both are outstanding. Read Book 1 to understand hammer control and then Book 2 to learn how to apply that hammer control to leaves.

When you hammer the stock down to form the stem, take your time and keep the shoulder against the anvil. If you do not hold your stock as high it will cause you to work more on the stem and give you more material at the back of the leaf. If you only hammer on two sides of the stock you can reduce the stem easily. If you start with square stock turn the material on the diamond and hammer down this will make it spread further.

http://www.iforgeiron.com/uploads/500/100_2998.JPG

This is probably covered in much of the instruction recommended above, but I have found it helpful to spread the leaf with the pien of my hammer, pien being parallel to the stem.

This keeps the material moving perpendicular to the stem instead of elongating it (like a willow leaf).

try this, when hammering the point, hammer toward the stock. this will give you a short point. slide the stock over the off side of the anvil and make the stem, then start to flatten, as you start to get flat try striking the edges to make the leaf slightly high in the center, this will give you a ridge, like a raised vein in the center (you always have the option of flattening it later) hammer ridges from the center out and ripple the edges and you are done. you can make many different size leaves from the same size stock. if you use 3/8 stock, the part between the point and stem could be 1/2 inch