I have been trying to come up with something I can make 15 or 20 of to give family and friends for Christmas and I'm not coming up with much.

I thought about the crosses that Pete asked about but I don't have a band saw. I thought about using a hacksaw but I'm not looking forward to doing that.

I thought about trolls from RR spikes but I don't have any punches or chisels to make them with and they are probably over my head anyway...

S hooks? Wall hooks? Leaves? Any other ideas? :confused:

forged leaf key fobs ?
i made business card holders before

Kevin,
I just gave a friend of mine a little horseshoe keychain made from 1/4 square. I punched the little nail slits using a #10 cut nail that I forged a thin chisel edge onto and quenched in water, and included a split-ring style key ring. She instantly asked me to make a dozen more that she would buy from me to give to her "barn-friends" (she's a horse rider) as Christmas gifts.

I will find a picture and post it when I can. The thing is about 2.5-3 inches long when staightened out. I am not overly experienced and did it in about 20 minutes - including wire-wheeling down to silver and heat coloring, then treating with plain old beeswax

as for the cross, it is possible to chisel cut one out.

perhaps a handcrafted signed anvil christmas tree ornament

i know someone that made letter openers out of railroad spikes , he gave me one but i
kept damaging my computer when i tried opening my email
so i gave it back

i hack sawed mine and it wasnt too terrible....i just had trouble keepin the saw straight.....so now i went up to my neighbor and he works at a fab shop and i talked him into letting me come up after hrs and cut a bunch of blanks...I will also get him to cut me some flat stock so's I can make bells too.....jingle bells...ha I used to play santa clause now I got a real set of Bells...ha

hey Pete have you made any bells yet?
bill clemens from bgcm makes a pretty nice one about the size of a grapefruit
i will give it a shot one day

i'm maknig some courting candles. maybe some fobs. ornaments...
random things.

Son

i'm maknig some courting candles. maybe some fobs. ornaments...
random things.

Son

What sort of ornaments?

I havent made one yet but tues i am going to a shop to cut some pieces up ...I have a pattern for the shape of the bell....by th eweekend I will have plenty of do dads....

ornaments by way i mean...little curly cues, ummm stars, maybe a cross or 2, iceciles, small christmas tree outlines from 1/16" stock

Son

Kevin,

A pair of heart shaped wall sconces, (candle holders) will make a big splash with the women. Just couple pieces of strap iron slit at the top shaped into heart scroll the bottom end to mount pipe candle cups. Lots of good ideas in the gallery, and blueprint sections.

Merry Christmas!!!
LarryM

I made a Christmas ornament last year. Take a look at the pictures and text at these URLs.

Blacksmiths Gallery

Blacksmiths Gallery

Blacksmiths Gallery

Thanks for all the suggestions.

Hey Kevin,
Bracelettes. My mom showed me a bracelette that her brother gave her. It was made from a pair of 1/4" rods twisted together, beat somewhat flat, sanded or ground shiney, and bent into a "C" so a lady can put it on her wrist. It doesn't sound like much but it looks nice with the well polished steel with some black scale between the twists. It could also be done with a single bar of a larger dimension.

Hey JD ....looks like your familiar with PA....do you have some kind of blue print for the trumpet vine? or any of the other trinkets?
Nice work ....

P

I'm making everyone on my list a paint can opener ( just a stocking stuffer). My wife needed one, I couldn't find ours and I made one. Stock: 1/4 rd, 8 in. length. Spread one end in a small tapered fan and give it a slight curl on the horn. I've been just making a circle on the other end, but you could make a fancier hook. You could make the hanger end a bottle opener too, for the guys.

My brother in law wants a gaff hook for halibut fishing. I also plan to make my daughter a claw hammer, the kids have liked tongs in the past even though I get really odd looks from grandparents and such. Tools are generally great if you know what the person is into. Try to make something nice enough that 20 yrs. from now they won't think that you were just trying to be cheap.

Not somthing you'd make 20 of perhaps but this WAS going to be a Christmas gift till it went walkabout after an open day. May whoever took it enjoy it till the day they die. Coincidentaly that would be the same day I meet them in a dark alley.

That's a lovely bit of work Ian. I'd gladly help you do who ever took it an injury!
Finnr

I'm Making a stand for a cooking book for my sister this year.

Nutcracker tongs from 3/8" stock looks to be what I'm making. The wife is going to slump glass vessels to hold the nuts. Ran a prototype last night and it took me about an hour including making a smaller punch to make the rivet holes. I think if I go production on it I can shorten that time considerably. Each "move" only takes one heat with the 3/8" square stock... I'll post pix in the next day or two. Gotta stop at the grocery store on the way home tonight and get some nuts so's to see if the design works or if I need to make further mods.

I'm thinking of making some nutcrackers as per the BP for me mum...

Hey mcraigl,
The tongs off the prints work fine. I made a set for fun and realized that the little nubs between the jaws need to be there with relatively sharp edges to prevent the nuts from slipping out

Do you want to smith them out, or can you just fabricate something??