Finally learned how to upload on Youtube today and had to try it out.........When I get crankin' I can do 15-20 an hour............I do three sizes 1/2''....5/8''....3/4. Different dies for each......
I prefer these to spring spring dies...........




1:52
Forging an iron grape.......
2 views - 1 hour ago

Cool man

That's pretty awesome, how do you get them into a bunch?

It's amazing what you can do with the proper tools. Thanks for posting, that was really neat!

Yes the proper tools!

How do you make a die like that?

one piece of carbon (maybe 4140,) steel, drill a hole half way through the center the size of your desired grape, cut the piece in half along the drilled hole, then radius corners?

And take some more off one side to allow for the stalk

I started with 2 pcs, tacked em together and then drilled the hole so there was no kerf............Milled away 3/32'' +-on the leading edges for the stem and rounded the edges on the drawing portion.
One thing not shown in the video is I always finish where the stem ends on the bar right where I cut it so It's easy to sand a round face for the grape next on the bar.........

Freeman, What I do for starters is draw out one grape with a stem longer than the length of cluster so I can clamp it in a vise......starting at the bottom I begin adding grapes with short stems that gradually grow longer towards the top....The longer top stems get grapes added to them too.
The cluster shown are bronze grapes and the tig welds in back are thicker than with steel (mig)....

nice work I like the combination side on the same die as the ball fuller great tooling

Very nice!