ausfire Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 Not strictly blacksmithing, but the forge was useful in creating this bit of junk sculpture, and I thought it may be of some interest. I have a blacksmith mate who calls this use of the forge 'cartoon blacksmithing'.This lizard is based on a bearded dragon lizard - pretty common throughout Australia. I call them 'shifty lizards' because the starting point is a shifting spanner. I think in the U.S. you may call them adjustable wrenches.I have done close on a hundred of these things of all sizes - from the little 4 inch shifter to the larger 18 inch ones which make a lizard a metre long. They are very popular at my demos and sell well. Great garden ornaments and the small ones are good paper weights. The kids love them. Often I will make the parts in the forge after doing the more serious stuff, before closing down.I usually anneal the spanner first and then make a bend which raises the 'head'. On a big wrench I need to make some cuts on the belly to allow the bend. Usually put in a lateral bend too - as that is the pose these lizards often have.The front legs I make from an old exhaust clamp or similar u-bolt, heated in the forge and the feet flattened and chiseled into toes. The rear legs are old gutter brackets bent to shape. Tails are easy - they can be forged out of round bar or better still, old garden fork tines save a lot of tapering time. Reo bar works well too, as it already has a scaly look. Same with old round files, suitably annealed to bend.Eyes are done with the mig - held vertically for about 4 seconds. That way, you get a little crater in the middle. Or sometimes I'll heat the whole head in the forge and punch the eyes. A drilled hole fitted with a brass round-headed screw looks good too. A bit of brass burnishing on the head gives some colour, especially on a newish spanner.I'll attach a pic or two. There's one pic there of a 'frilly' lizard. The frill is an old circular saw blade annealed.P.S. No living tools were harmed in this project - all recycled broken stuff. You'll notice this spanner has no adjusting ring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the iron dwarf Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 nice work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SmoothBore Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 I think one of those bit me when i was a baby ..... . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ted T Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 This is a wonderful, Nice, Fun, and Creative piece of art for sure.We need to keep this kind of ingeniously inspired thinking in the metal working craft.I see this work as a small but necessary antidote to offset the serious and sobering world we live in.You put a smile on this old (but pretty :rolleyes: ) face this morning! :PThank You! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodge Posted January 28, 2014 Share Posted January 28, 2014 Very cool, ausfire. I may have to re evaluate the contents of my broken-tool bin :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Sells Posted January 29, 2014 Share Posted January 29, 2014 Ausfire, you had too much time on your hands mate, but its nice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K. Bryan Morgan Posted January 29, 2014 Share Posted January 29, 2014 Those are wonderfully whimsical, I love them. Well done sir! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted January 29, 2014 Author Share Posted January 29, 2014 Steve's right, maybe I have too much time on my hands. As a retired teacher, it's nice to have that time. I enjoy thinking outside the square and making fun things from what others discard. Here are a few more: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ted T Posted January 29, 2014 Share Posted January 29, 2014 Please keep on having too much time on your hands. That means "EYE CANDY" for me! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan C Posted January 29, 2014 Share Posted January 29, 2014 These are great! Thanks for sharing!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Camero68 Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 Totally cool and fun sculptures! Very creative use of scrap materials. My favorite is the frilled lizard and the rooster. Awesome work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old South Creations Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 nice job! I really like the rooster! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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