jmeineke Posted September 30, 2010 Share Posted September 30, 2010 Been working on some crosses lately, experimenting with different finishes / textures. I know these don't qualify as traditional forge / anvil / hammer only projects, but they were fun to make. I've been giving them away as gifts. The cross arms are mig welded and blended and the bases are spot welded to give a rocky / rough looking texture. I'm using a traditional beeswax / linseed oil coating and then very lightly go over the bars with a 120 grit flap disk to bring out the highlights. I think I'm going to try copper plating one sometime down the road. I tried tempering them to get some colors but haven't had much luck with getting a nice looking color pattern. The last 2 pics are the same piece just at a different angle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Dean Posted September 30, 2010 Share Posted September 30, 2010 Good looking work. To get a nice color with heat I will soak the part in vinegar over night and wire buff it with a stiff wire wheel on a 4 1/2" DeWalt grinder. Once this is done the metal will look all nice and shiny. I will then take the torch and heat until it turns blue, keep moving the torch so not to allow it to get too hot in one area. You can watch the colors start to run. Takes some practice but I really enjoy the effects. I have gotten blue, purple, bronze, and everything inbetween. I then allow to cool some and apply a coat or 2 of wax. One note to remember, if you are using a SS wire wheel it will cause the metal to be a little ruff, just take a piece of fine grit paper and wipe it down some, do this BEFORE you color it as the sandpaper will take the color off. If you want to highlight some of the texture you can sand after the color and it will 'polish' the high points of your texture. You may want to try some sample pieces before you start messing with something you have put a bunch of time into! Good luck and again, nice work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trying-it Posted September 30, 2010 Share Posted September 30, 2010 Look nice! Another finishing option I use a lot here is to force a rust finish which can vary in colors depending on methods used. After the rusting, neutralize all the process leftovers, dry well, and coat with a little paste wax or spray a little clear enamel/laquer. Been told that with the wood grain texture I forge in, combined with the force rusting, makes the crosses look almost like real wood. Most of my crosses are the 1-pc Fredrick's cross style. Keep up the finishing R&D and post more pics of your end results. BE safe and have fun! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted September 30, 2010 Share Posted September 30, 2010 Those look similar to split crosses, you cut the bar in half except for the center, then separate and straighten the arms. They look good how you made them. I like the diagonal texture pattern best. (pics 2 and 3) I have mixed feeling about the base...it looks like a lot of effort to make it look like hammered finish paint. I hope that is just the picture not doing justice to the effect. Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmeineke Posted October 1, 2010 Author Share Posted October 1, 2010 Those look similar to split crosses, you cut the bar in half except for the center, then separate and straighten the arms. They look good how you made them. I like the diagonal texture pattern best. (pics 2 and 3) I have mixed feeling about the base...it looks like a lot of effort to make it look like hammered finish paint. I hope that is just the picture not doing justice to the effect. Phil Thanks - I like that pattern too. I made that one for the deacon at my church. Here's a closer look at the base. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmeineke Posted October 1, 2010 Author Share Posted October 1, 2010 Thomas Dean & trying-it: Thanks for all the tips - good stuff to know. Do you guys have any pics uploaded here? I'd like to see the different finishes you're talking about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Dean Posted October 1, 2010 Share Posted October 1, 2010 Thomas Dean & trying-it: Thanks for all the tips - good stuff to know. Do you guys have any pics uploaded here? I'd like to see the different finishes you're talking about. I had about 3 pages once upon a time....with the "new" updates and such pictues went to never-never land. I'm not the only one that lost pics. I need to put some up, just haven't done it yet. My day job keeps getting in the way! Working 12hrs 5 to 6 days a week and looks like that until the first of the year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmeineke Posted October 1, 2010 Author Share Posted October 1, 2010 Working 12hrs 5 to 6 days a week and looks like that until the first of the year. Ouch. Hope you're getting OT for that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted October 2, 2010 Share Posted October 2, 2010 Thanks - I like that pattern too. I made that one for the deacon at my church. Here's a closer look at the base. That does look interesting, thanks for the closeup. Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strube1369 Posted October 2, 2010 Share Posted October 2, 2010 Really pretty work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tinker2 Posted September 11, 2011 Share Posted September 11, 2011 use three large horse shoe nails to weld into a cross then drill a hole to attach a chain of your choise. the longest one vertical and the two shorter ones horizontal . a inexpensive neck chain cross for sale or presentation to friends or whom ever. thank you Jerry waite Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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