I want to forge a chalice, for a traveling religious service.

 

I have a few ideas, I would like expert opinions!

 

My first thought is to take a piece of pipe, of 1" or larger ID, and flare the edge, fuller the middle for a stem and weld it shut. Then I would flare the base of it. Is this a good way to go about this? My research has proven to be fruitless. Has anyone tried this previously?

You want an iron chalice? How large an opening?

 

No, even if I wanted an iron chalice I wouldn't start with 1" pipe. I might, MIGHT start with stainless exhaust pipe and swage it down but ss exhaust pipe is darned tough stuff and hard to forge.

 

Were I seriously considering a chalice I'd start experimenting by sinking halves and silver soldering them together till I got the hang of it.

 

This is a darned advanced project.

 

Frosty The Lucky.

Don't know if this helps much, but....flip a chalice over and you've got a bell shape, so it might. Saw it a month or so back.

 

that's my first question: Stainless or Silver?  (If silver make one from copper first as a trial)

i've never forged a chalice, but i did cast three at one point. they turned out way heavier than i expected (bronze), but if you're dead set on forging them then i have no experience to speak from. i would like to see the results if you get one made though!

Hi Frosty, how about trying the metal spinning way?

Hi Frosty, how about trying the metal spinning way?

 

That was my first thought John but it's not something I usually recommend to folk who don't already have experience with dangerous machinery and techniques.

 

It's probably been a spun product since the birth of metal working except for cast chalices or in guild bound places.

 

Frosty The Lucky.

Best bet would be metal spinning, taking a large stainless steel mufffler, roughly bigger than the final shape of the challiace, and use the tool to spin it while you form it to the desired shape.

Fred Fenster, metals Prof at UW-Madison, made many a chalice from pewter.

 

 

Ric

Vert informative, Ric!

 

My first thought for making a chalice, at least at my skill level (low) would be to make an aluminium casting and clean it up on a lathe. Probably isn't what you're going for, but just thought I'd throw it out there.

I understand that this method is not going to be strictly practical, but as it is a hobby for me, I don't mind experimenting with non-practical methods. I want to use steel, and would like to forge it. However, it will be either plated or enameled after forging. (in those areas I have no experience. I assume it can be done). There are, in my mind, two different ways of doing this.

 

I could take the pipe, like I said, fuller down and weld shut the center of it and flare both ends to make a very small, shot-glass sized chailce. Or, if I were looking to make a bigger cup, in my mind I could dish out a cup shape (inverted bell shape more accurately), rivet or weld to a stem (perhaps a basket twist as a decorative element) and then forge a sheet metal base and rivet or weld to it.

 

Besides this all being highly impractical and not often if at all done, is it possible? 

 

I certainly could take up casting, but prefer working in steel. I suppose food-grade copper would also be an option, after I try once or twice.

I can't see why you couldn't fuller down a piece of pipe and do this. I've done enough candle cups that way with my little guillotine fuller.

 

Personally if I was going to do this, I'd go with copper or stainless vs steel. I'd be tempted to either braze or solder the base to keep it simple, or just wimp out and tig it.

I would recommend raising the bowl of the chalice and then planishing it.  Start with a flat disc of 14 or 16 gauge sheet, you could give it a slight dome over a dishing form, and then hot raise it.  Forge a stem and base, with pipe or sheet or whatever seems best to you, and then braze or solder the two parts together.  That way you're still hammering it into shape.

You could also rivet the top and bottom  sections together

Thank you all for the advice and recommendations; I will sit down and do some more research and figure out how I want to proceed from here. Nevertheless, this has been an informative read for me. Thank you all!

Might consider 3 peice construction. Forming a foot, stem and bowl. This would alow you some leeway as to stem design. Infact you could get a much more artistic product (say a grape vine for a stem). "Penny" welds would be a classic way of coneting the peices. Allowing you to braze additional eliment a if you wanted (grapes or leaves) to the finished cup.