Gayle Brooks Posted July 7, 2010 Share Posted July 7, 2010 I have been making some more metal bowls. Here is the latest one. Its currently in the little local gallery for sale. I try to make these as fast as I can to keep the price affordable. I use a 50 ton press and a ring, I think it has a 5 inch ID and is 1 3/4" deep, I would have to double check that measurement. Forged out of a 10" diameter, 1/4" thick Plate. With this bowl I particularity was going for some contrast in shape and design. With the weight of the steel, rivets and color it had an industrial feel. I decided to forge a simple organic stem that starts from the bottom and runs up the side, wrapping its self around the lip. This bowl has the natural colors of the steel with a bees wax finish. Enjoy This one was a result of sinking to far. I did this in one heat and didn't control the steel. It was a fun experiment but am not going to repeat this step unless I am going for the look. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted July 7, 2010 Share Posted July 7, 2010 I like the second one better myself. It reminds me of the ceramic bowls I have made with the "organic" edges. Embrace your asymmetrical side RoryMay :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim McCoy Posted July 7, 2010 Share Posted July 7, 2010 Both bowls are great ... what's the going price? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beth Posted July 7, 2010 Share Posted July 7, 2010 yeah i like them both too - they have very different feel. i really like the rivetted edge on the top one and the fluid look the gone wrong one has. cool stuff mr may :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gayle Brooks Posted July 9, 2010 Author Share Posted July 9, 2010 Glad you guys like em Man I always go through a struggle on pricing this stuff. I typically work on this on my lunch break, so I am husslin tryin to get it done. Lets say I would be happy if I got $200 for the first one and $50 for the second. If they dont sell, I have the option to lower them. I made some candle holders for $15 a piece and the crowd there isn't really movin fast lol. here those are Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bentiron1946 Posted July 9, 2010 Share Posted July 9, 2010 They are both nice, so don't go dissing yourself about the second one. Just because you don't like it doesn't indicate that it isn't a fine piece of art. I have found that out from my past in making sculpture, things I thought were really nice often didn't sell and things I thought were a pile of scrap sold first thing, so don't ever underestimate the buying public. They are fickle and perverse group of folk who don't know good from bad, only what they will spend their money on. :blink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gayle Brooks Posted August 13, 2010 Author Share Posted August 13, 2010 Well the asymmetrical one sold so that was some good news. This one was an failed attempted and experiemnt at some chainsaw chain and wrought iron. The etching didnt go to well. It has a rubbed brass and bees wax finish. I am working on a copper bowl and another "experiment" with mixing some of the non ferrous metals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfootnampa Posted August 13, 2010 Share Posted August 13, 2010 Well the asymmetrical one sold so that was some good news. This one was an failed attempted and experiemnt at some chainsaw chain and wrought iron. The etching didnt go to well. It has a rubbed brass and bees wax finish. I am working on a copper bowl and another "experiment" with mixing some of the non ferrous metal WOW! For one that didn't go too well that's quite nice! I like it best so far! MORE... YES more of this stuff! You can always eat at home. Probably be thinner and live longer this way anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gayle Brooks Posted August 18, 2010 Author Share Posted August 18, 2010 thank you sir! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bentiron1946 Posted August 19, 2010 Share Posted August 19, 2010 It may not be exactly what you wanted it to be but slap a good high price on it, sign it and put it out there for sale and it should go pretty quick, man, it's nice looking to me. You're doing good on them bowls! You should take a look a some of Tom Joyce's work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beth Posted August 19, 2010 Share Posted August 19, 2010 yeah that looks saleable to me rory - i really like it - you got style man! keep the pictures coming :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gayle Brooks Posted October 23, 2010 Author Share Posted October 23, 2010 There was a previous post of a smith making a similar bowl. It was pretty inspiring, I changed a couple of techniques and added some of my own ideas. Finally got some time to finish it. Messed around setting up the picture. Enjoy! Its about 7 1/2" wide, 3" tall. Copper with steel rivets and a steel base. I squished a piece of hex bar for the base. The color was done with heat painted with a clear lacquer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianinsa Posted October 23, 2010 Share Posted October 23, 2010 Good looking stuff! I think your prices are a tad on the low side and the $50 was a give away! I sujest that you either emboss or etch your name and a number in your work and add 25% 'Rory May' is also quite catchy. My $0.02 cents worth. Ian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mick C Posted October 23, 2010 Share Posted October 23, 2010 To add my tupenny worth, I think these are really nice and would like to have a go at this one day myself. Keep up the good work and keep posting the pics please. Mick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rawtiron Posted October 23, 2010 Share Posted October 23, 2010 Great work Rory!! I like it very much. Jason Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gayle Brooks Posted November 5, 2010 Author Share Posted November 5, 2010 Thanks for the replies. Dont worry about the $$ I have charged appropriately! So I took a 10" circle, textured it by hammering scale using the 100lb little giant. I put a aggressive wedge tool on the press and stood the plate on edge and pressed the tool in. Was surprised I could actually control which side the steel upsetted to. None the less, here is the plate version of the bowl before it is sunk. I did a rubbed brass finish and used some gun bluing to get different values. Sealed it with some paste wax. Here are some studio pictures for it. Its about 9" wide, 3" tall. Looks different at every angle. Thanks for looking! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fosterob Posted November 5, 2010 Share Posted November 5, 2010 Beautiful is all I can say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fe-Wood Posted November 5, 2010 Share Posted November 5, 2010 I really like were your work is going! Have you thought about adding texture to your work before shaping? I find this man's work very inspiring http://www.stevelopesblacksmith.com/store/doorhardware1.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gayle Brooks Posted November 16, 2010 Author Share Posted November 16, 2010 Thanks guys As for texture the copper one was done with the help of a top fuller under the power hammer and a clean up with my cross peen. The rest were done by forging scale into the steel. With the bees wax finish it looks and feels like leather. Once I get some of the tooling I have in mind I will mess around with a more patterned texture. Right now its mostly shape and form. I recently just made a spike hawk and some aspen leaf Christmas ornaments. Put them on my website and delivered them to the gallery. The aspen leaves are always a hit. At the studio we have some projects with short deadlines, as always right before the holidays, so Im not sure when Ill be able to make some more bowls. Hopefully no later than January. The next one will be have a design that is chased in it. Thanks again for looking! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beth Posted November 16, 2010 Share Posted November 16, 2010 really love the new bowls rory - the shapes are fantastic - they look beautifully organic and maleable ( is that the right word?) i wonder what the copper one would look like thinned towards the edges...? te steel one seems to work better with thick edges. love the rivets in the copper and the base - all llooks very groovey scuse the typing rrors i have veyr cold hands!! thanks for posting rory :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gayle Brooks Posted November 27, 2010 Author Share Posted November 27, 2010 Thanks Beth! And as always you comments are quite pleasant to read Latest one, though I think Im gonna make it into a pot with a lid and handles. Its about 7" wide,3 tall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gayle Brooks Posted December 11, 2010 Author Share Posted December 11, 2010 Used a 250 LG to squish this into a plate. It gave the pipe a little belly with some love handles. I will put a belly button in there and open the top a little mroe so a beer can fit in. Call it "Beer Belly" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dillon Sculpture Posted December 11, 2010 Share Posted December 11, 2010 mmmm... I like beer... Nice work, site looks good as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gayle Brooks Posted December 12, 2010 Author Share Posted December 12, 2010 Thanks Danger Dillon! There alot of time in that website, hope it navigates well. I try to have a decent presentation and make it entertaining. This was an experiment with the challenge of combining the non ferrous with the steel. We had a bunch of drops from some threaded pipe. I welded them together to make a pattern. Then using drops of brass, copper and bronze I used a torch and melted each drop into a void. At which point I soaked the whole thing in the gas forge until it was a decent red and forged everything flat. My welds held, the non ferrous didnt burn up and really looked interesting flat. I sunk it, mounted it and yeah...technically it was difficult. Design wise Im not to thrilled about it. weighs 4 pounds and is 10" long 6" wide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrispy Posted January 1, 2011 Share Posted January 1, 2011 Brilliant! stunning work Rory May Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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