March 8, 201016 yr Hello all, I am new to blacksmithing. This weekend I had the opportunity to try my hand at it. Here is a pic of a couple of trinkets that I managed to hammer out. Please feel free to critique these items. Thanks, Zach
March 8, 201016 yr Looks pretty good Zach. The last piece, laying on the heal, is it a cable twist or a welded bundle for another basket twist? All in all, a good showing for someone new to the craft. Well done. Frosty the Lucky.
March 8, 201016 yr Try to keep an even heat all along the section that you are twisting, pour water on the areas that are deforming too fast. You need to upset the square corner a bit more. Before scrolling the ends, thin the stock evenly to a ribbon end and try to turn the scroll without any flats.
March 8, 201016 yr Author Thanks Guys! I bought a 330 euroanvil a few months ago and this weekend was the first chance the weather was nice enough to get out and play. All the pieces with the exception of the basket twists were hammered out of some 1/2 rebar. The basket stock was some 3/16 round I had laying around. Frosty, Thanks! The piece on the heel is another welded bundle for a basket twist. Rob, Thanks! Billy, I tacked the pieces together with my MIG then hammered the welds out. I will try to forge weld a bundle this weekend. Sam, Thanks for the compliments and the tips! The flat in the scroll is the result of using a pair of needle nose pliers to get the scroll started. I don't have a pair of round nose pliers or scrolling tongs as of yet.
March 8, 201016 yr You don't need pliers, just creep the metal over the far edge as you tap it downwards, when it's well started move onto the face and refine the scroll on the face. This shows how:
March 11, 201016 yr Author Thanks Beth! Sam, Thanks for the link I will give that a try. New2BS Thanks! Zach
March 13, 201016 yr Zach: check out this Youtube video by Dave Custer. It shows a good technique for forging finial scrolls and larger scroll elements with hammer and anvil. The technique for forging a large scroll element is the same as for a finial scroll. A finial being the end treatment on a piece of stock from the fleur dlis, spear point or flame on the top of a fence post to the delicate finial scroll on a coat or "J" hook like Dave demos. Frosty the Lucky.
March 17, 201016 yr I recently ran across some of the first things I ever forged. No one was watching so I buried them. The hurt my eyes. It's not right that a beginner starts out like this.
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.