FireCat Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 Ok so the last couple times i have been at the forge i have been getting frustrated and cant figure out what i want to make...gotten to the point were i am getting really ticked off to put it nicely...been looking at other projects people have done and trying to get ideas, but have had no luck...has anybody had this prob..? any ides ..? thought maybe i just need to take a brake from it for a little bit....any thoughts or ideas would be appreciated... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John McPherson Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 Today's Life Lesson: Fail to Plan = Plan to Fail, otherwise know as &#!+ happens, everything else takes lots and LOTS of preparation. Sit down with a pad and pencil* and figure out what skills that you want to learn or improve, and what tools are missing from your forge kit. Start with punches and chisels, and work your way up to tongs and hammers. That will teach you how to maintain a fire, judge heat colors, hammer control, punching, drifting, riveting and heat treatment. Along the way you will find you need to make a cut off hardy and a rivet header set, and a few dozen miscellaneous tools. The ABANA website has a complete set of printable, downloadable lessons called Controlled Hand Forging (CHF). Mark Aspery, the new editor of The Hammer's Blow, has a wonderful set of books and youtube videos guiding you thru the steps. "The Backyard Blacksmith" and "new Edge of the Anvil" have plenty of projects to get you going. Once you have a basic kit and basic skills, you are ready to tackle bigger projects. *This part is important, a tangible record of goals, something that you can look at daily to keep you on track now, and keep forever. I have gone from punch cards and 300 baud modems to today, and the only records I can count on are hand written notes, copies and printouts. Websites can disappear overnight, data can be corrupted or unrecoverable. Backups can be incompatible with new systems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francis Trez Cole Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 here here KISS (Keep it simple smith) basics is the key. I draw out everything I do. One of the best lessons I got was from Brian Brazeal all his horse heads, sea horses all go to the basic of making tongs. make one section and cut it off and do it again. do that 10 times and then you will get it. I draw out ideas every day I keep a note book. When I see a project I like I draw it out and then when I get time I make it. Print outs are great but I am a visual person and I have to have my hand in it so I draw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marksnagel Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 Use the 6 P's Proper, Prior, Planning, Prevents, Poor, Performance. I use my spare time away from the forge mulling over provects that I want to start or try. I also hit a wall and ask for ideas from friends but I really try to have a plan prior to lighting the coal and wasting time and fuel waiting for inspiration. A lot of my ideas/inspiration comes from others here that post their projects. Looking at things in stores that I can make better also helps. Don't waste your spare time. Keep a note pad with you to write down notes and drawings while you are out and about. Like John suggested, I keep a notebook/binder with all past projects and future plans and drawings. Mark <>< Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old N Rusty Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 A great book full of forging ideas is " catalog of drawings for wrought ironwork" published by the rural development commission of England I.S.B.N. 0 854070 28 1 . It is all drawings of projects, published in 1973. I do not know if there is still full size plans available but at one time you could order them from the commission by the numbers of each drawing, no matter, the drawings are detailed enough to forge ahead. As stated next to fire,a pencil is a smiths best tool. Start sketching. Endeavor to persevere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francis Trez Cole Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 A great book full of forging ideas is " catalog of drawings for wrought ironwork" published by the rural development commission of England I.S.B.N. 0 854070 28 1 . It is all drawings of projects, published in 1973. I do not know if there is still full size plans available but at one time you could order them from the commission by the numbers of each drawing, no matter, the drawings are detailed enough to forge ahead. As stated next to fire,a pencil is a smiths best tool. Start sketching. Endeavor to persevere. you can down load the book for free on metalwebnews under blacksmithing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 I have a few "go to" books when I want to find a project to fill some blank forge time. Mostly historical ironwork. I'll flip through it until I see something that catches my interest and then sit and figure out how I think it should be made and then go try it---why I once forged a kettle tilter for example. If you start getting frustrated perhaps it's time to work on something simple and get really really good at it---like nails or leaves or even the lowly S hook. Having a box full to overflowing of any of those things can be quite useful on down the line... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheftjcook Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 For me, the piece I work on means more when I am doing it for someone specific. I will talk to my family or friends "sometimes even in-laws"lol... and see if they would like something special for home, shop or garden. it now gives a direction to move forward and of course to see the look when you give someone a hand made gift is fantastic. On the back side, I get to practice and try to create an item to a "clients" specs. And sometimes they show someone who passes on a paying gig based on what they saw. It's a win win. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fe-Wood Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 I've been there (recently) and will most probably be there again. I started writing in a journal. Just random thoughts and inspirations. This was all done in preparation and activation of the creative flow. Now I have the opposite problem (not a problem really), not enough time in the day!!! Museums, people, books, nature- Inspiration is all around us! Go out and take a look. Sometimes one needs to step off the "regular" path to find a new one.... I wish you luck in your quest... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 Another good way to find the fire again---Teach someone! Now this doesn't work so well if you are a tyro to the craft; but teaching someone who's got the beginner excitement always seems to transfer some of it to me as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willis Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 I'm with cheftjcook and thomas powers here. I either spend an afternoon looking thru my books or talking to friends and family to see if they want anything special. Around where I live most folks usually want one of three things, a meat turner for the grill, an oyster knife or some type of railroad spike knife. Simple and easy and keeps me busy while I think up a long term project to learn on or complete. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bentiron1946 Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 Sometimes it is just not a matter of having a "project" to do, especially if you are a working artist, just ask Danger Dillon or some of the others that make art for a living. There are times when your mind is just up against the old blank wall and no matter how many of these "projects" you find in books, magazines or now on-line it just does not get your creative juices flowing again. So what to do? For myself the internet has been a God sent gift as far as sculpting ideas. I would have loved to have had this resource when I was doing art full time. I didn't always have time to go to the library during the day to peruse the stacks for ideas and when I got a spider of an idea up my butt they were usually closed but the internet is never closed so now I can cruise the "stacks" to my hearts content. I never was much of one to draw out these endless sketches like some folk, maybe a few lines, but I usually had the whole thing in my mind when I started the sculpture and when I was finished it was all sucked out and transformed into iron, steel or bronze. I did sometime make a wax sketch and cast that in bronze to keep me on track if it were a complex object but if you need to make a model out some material like wood first then your final product. Also there is nothing wrong with just going out to the forge and banging out some shapes and see where they take you, they sure took me in some unusual directions and taught me some hammer skills that I put to good use. Just forging out shapes, punching holes, riveting them together, twisting tendrils and the such will build skill and eventually it will light the fire in your mind to make something worthy of the skill you have developed. At first this may seem like a waste of fuel and time but it will pay off. Don't fret so much about this it's just all part of the process of becoming a very good artist blacksmith. B) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FireCat Posted July 25, 2011 Author Share Posted July 25, 2011 To all that have given advice i thank you.....i got back in the forge today and made a couple steak turners for a freind of mine. I started thinking of other things i want to try while working at the forge..I will press on and keep coming back to iforge for advice and inspiration. again thank you to all of you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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