Pipe Critters

[irnsrgn]

Anybody besides me make critters out of ordinary black pipe or tubing? I have made snakes, komodo dragons and attempted a frog so far.

[Brian C.]

Jr. that looks pretty neat. Any chance of doing a blueprint on the critters? :D

[oakwoodforge]

Nice Critters 8) how are the feet and toung attached ?

[irnsrgn]

Tongue is forged with a bulbous end that is put in the mouth and the mouth closed around it


3/8 inch hole is drilled thru the body for the legs and another drilled between them on the belly, rods the right length are slid in half way and plug welded with mig. then feet are formed in forge and finally bent to shape with torch heat.

[ThomasPowers]

I've been making a lot of Rasptlesnakes lately from old farriers rasps; two varieties the first uses the tang as the tongue, bent under and then back out and the tip forked with the other end of the rasp tapered and then chised to look like rattles; the body is folded into a tube with the rasp section as the scales.

The other type had the tang end forged out and tapered and then bottle caps are threaded onto it to make the rattles (and keep the campsite clean---had folks trek over from long distances just to make sure *their* bottle cap made it on the rasptlesnake!) The head it tapered down with the eyes, nose punched in and the body is forged into a tube.

I have a nice bottom swage that the rasps fit into to start the curling for the body; but when I started I used to use the step of the anvil to start the bend.

Thomas