Hey folks, can anyone suggest some easy to find pre-patterned steels that are good for forging with?

 

I've got a dark/industrial bird skeleton sculpture in mind that's going to need a lot of feathers and I thought I might experiement with some pre-patterned steels to see how they come up. They don't have to be steels that will produce a true to life feather pattern, it's going to be a fairly abstract sculpture.

 

On my list so far:

 

Rebar

Rasps and files

Wire rope

Threaded bar

 

 

Thin Checker plate, cut into strips? There are also pre rolled strips that have patterns rolled into them, have a word with Brundles.

What about Diamond Plate? (methinks its the same thing as checker plate) several variations of that around.

http://www.industrialmetalsupply.com/products/diamond-plate-tread-plate

 

have you experimented with using angle iron to make feathers?  built in spine when you flatten them out, you could probably make a combination swage and texture stamp if you make the swage fairly thin like a guillotine die (or just make it a guillotine tool in the first place...) so as the die flattens the angle it intentionally mars the work with grooves that make it look feathery :)

I take it you want a texture kind of pattern, NOT a pattern welded pattern. Right?

 

Expanded or perforated sheet might do. The expanded comes in lots of sizes and already has an elongated "diamond" shape that might do to represent feathers. "Expanded metal" is a good search term, gobs of hits.

 

Frosty The Lucky.

Cheers for the ideas. Yeah that's right Frosty.

Expanded metal sheet comes in a variety of patterns and can look really cool when you stretch it even more.

 

Too bad you can't just use feather-pattern damascus.  That would absolutely rock if made into bird sculpture.  Probably really pricey, though.

Vaughn,

 

I guess it'd really depend on the size of the bird.  Hummingbirds are pretty small.  I think that'd be a really neat project.

Look up embossed, or rigidized sheet metal. Ryerson used to offer some neat patterns.

something like a Simpson Mending Plate might provide an interesting texture if you hammer all the little teeth back into the holes they were punched from, or just knock it down so they stand out a little like fur or small feathers.

http://www.strongtie.com/products/connectors/mp.asp# 

 

or a Simpson Cam Plate could provide an interesting set of circles for pattern

http://www.insulationplace.co.uk/Simpson-Strong-Tie-Cam-Plate-CP-41x152.html

http://www.mcnichols.com/index.html

This Co carries all kinds of perf metal and expanded, woven and in mild, stainless, alu , bronze etc.
It's expensive.

Cheers for the ideas, lots of people suggesting flat products which is interesting.

Nice pattern on that stuff Chinobi but I've only ever seen it in galv.

This is when I wish my engineering/mechanical knowledge was better, (or actually existed at all), I keep wondering if there's tractor parts or boat parts that might be suitable. Would be nice to salvage something.

Farrier's rasps?   Be a bit heavy though

that's true, most of the construction products are galv. forgot about that =/

 

what scale is this project anyway?  some small textured bits might not work for a huge project, and vice-versa.  boat parts brings those perforated metal steps/decks that hang off the back of speedboats for people to sit on or climb in/out with, but im afraid that anything made for a marine environment will be worse than galvanized, maybe chrome plated, might be straight stainless if you are lucky but I don't have a lot of knowledge in the marine equipment field.

Joel,

 

If you find only a small piece of pre patterned stock good for feathers, you can use it as a master pattern and sink it into hot dies.  Then use those dies to crank out lots of feathers.  Pictured are my feather making dies and the odd farrier's rasp? I used to make the pattern.  Die material is 4140.

Judson those type rasps are often used by body shops as they do not load up so bad when shaping Bondo!  I believe they are called a "float".

Clever idea Judson. I reckon each wing will be about 3 feet wide, Chinobi. It's not going to be anotomically accurate in any way. Dystopian is probably the right word for what's in my head.