Frank B Posted June 16, 2013 Share Posted June 16, 2013 Hi, Here is my first attempt at forging a vase,calla lilies and leaves. I saw in the CBA journal last year an article about the steps on making a vase, so I thought I would give it a go. After it was finished I figured it needed some flowers and leaves to go with it. While the calla lilies came out ok , the leaves could definitely be better. I knew I need a thin stem on all of them to fit into the vase and this is what I ended up with. Frank Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senft Posted June 16, 2013 Share Posted June 16, 2013 Very nice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoCal Dave Posted June 16, 2013 Share Posted June 16, 2013 Very nice job. I just tried a calla lilly in bronze. My first try with bronze. After getting the bar to hot and having the tip brake off, I started to understand how much to heat the bronze. Your lilies, leaves and vase look great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
windancer Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 Good work! Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Coke Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 Greetings Frank, Super work... Nice detail on the flowers and the vase... Just for fun lower the leaves by two inches and take a look.. I think it would add volume.. Carry on and make beautiful things Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DKForge Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 Very nice Frank what are the dimensions of your sculpture? Keep up the good work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank B Posted June 17, 2013 Author Share Posted June 17, 2013 Thanks Guys, It was tough trying to get the arrangement to look right as far as the height and spacing because of the narrow width on the inside of the vase. They are all welded in at the bottom of the vase so there is no changing it now. After all the stems were welded along the bottom rim of the vase I welding in a steel rod in the center of the bunch. The rod was turned on the lathe to about 3/4" dia on one side and 3/8 on the other and 1 inch long. This allowed me to pass the 3/8" end though a hole in the bottom (Brass) plate for welding together. I need the bottom plate attached for stability as it was top heavy with the metal flowers. I made the bottom plate out of 1/4" sheet and used the brass brush method to plate it. This was also the first time I used that trick and it worked real well. The plate looked so much like brass it was hard to tell it was steel. I then antiqued the plate to match the color of the rest of the piece a little better. I am sure a lot of blacksmiths might like the look better if the entire piece was all plain steel, but since I didn't have any experience with coloing steel also, I figured I would try it out and see. The leaves are done with 2 shades of gilders paste, and the flowers are done with a solvent dye incase anyone wants to know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank B Posted June 17, 2013 Author Share Posted June 17, 2013 The dimemsions are 18" tall by 6" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 Very nice Frank. Naw, we often brass or copper brush steel to give it color, as well as use gilders paste, plate and even <GASP> paint. We're all pretty independent folk and express ourselves as we wish or the customer wishes. Seeing how other folk do things is why we like pictures so much. The only suggestions I have have been covered, positioning the elements could use some refinement but the components themselves are outstandingly well done. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank B Posted June 17, 2013 Author Share Posted June 17, 2013 You guys are right, placement could of been a little better. Next time....... There are so many other project I want to try, it might be awhile. Today since I got my lock jobs done early , I going to head out to the shop and try and forge a "round back flatter". I saw Toby Hickman make them at a power hammer class, now just to try and remember the steps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fe-Wood Posted June 18, 2013 Share Posted June 18, 2013 Hey Frank, Great work! Glad to see you using what Toby showed us in his class! Pipe vase looks really good too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank B Posted June 19, 2013 Author Share Posted June 19, 2013 Thanks Peter, I got the round back flatter almost done before I ran out of time. What took so long is tring to forge the die to make it. Trying to get a 1" round bar to make a impression in a 1.5" block of steel on the power hammer by myself was more than I could do by myself. I switched to my little 20ton press and it worked, but took forever. Do you remember the name of the name of the wedge tool? I need to make that next but I don't have the die that everone was using at the class. Any sugestions on making one without the die. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FIT BMX Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 That looks wonderful! How did you do the centers of the flowers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank B Posted June 22, 2013 Author Share Posted June 22, 2013 I made stamens out of 1/4brass rod that I put a slight taper on them with the lathe, then I knurled them and drilled a hole on one end . I made the stem out of 12ga copper wire which went into the brsss rod Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.