John Galt Posted January 6, 2016 Share Posted January 6, 2016 Well, it was actually in the 30's today . . . No excuse to NOT fire up the forge . . . Beating on red/orange/yellow hot steel with a 24 oz hammer will warm me up after a short while anyway. So I like to make Crosses out of antique forged nails. I have a bucket full of 200 year old Wrought Iron forged/cut 6" spikes . . . I like to ~tweak~ them to look older. So I put them in the forge, get them Orange to Yellow hot and draw them out longer. And then via a secret process . . make them look like ancient Roman forged nails . . . . . . older, beat, pitted with age. These are then used to make crosses. Before and After. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted January 6, 2016 Share Posted January 6, 2016 33 minutes ago, John Galt said: Well, it was actually in the 30's today . It was in the 30s here today too ... Celsius. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Galt Posted January 6, 2016 Author Share Posted January 6, 2016 1 minute ago, ausfire said: It was in the 30s here today too ... Celsius. Har!!! Go ahead . . gloat. We are tougher up here in the NE of North America . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted January 6, 2016 Share Posted January 6, 2016 No gloating intended! 35 Celsius and high humidity would be just as uncomfortable forging as your near freezing temps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Galt Posted January 6, 2016 Author Share Posted January 6, 2016 2 minutes ago, ausfire said: No gloating intended! 35 Celsius and high humidity would be just as uncomfortable forging as your near freezing temps! LOL! I actually thrive in the heat and humidity . . better than most up here. The winter months are very difficult for me . . it gets below 20 degrees F and I pretty much shut down. BTW . . I would give up a testicle to visit Orstraylia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lloe01 Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 So you took four and turned them into three? I know you all wanted to ask this That actually is pretty neat. I never thought about taking something like that and aging it. Kewl! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flemish Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 I want to see the cross's you make. Ed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Borntoolate Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 In south Louisiana I am not happy when the temps get in the 30s Fahrenheit! I like warm! Yeah... where are the crosses??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianinsa Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 4 hours ago, lloe01 said: So you took four and turned them into three? I know you all wanted to ask this That actually is pretty neat. I never thought about taking something like that and aging it. Kewl! I'd guess it's a very corrosive process, that's why I didn't Ask and yes ...Where are the crosses??? Mid 30's Celsius here too, less than ideal forging weather. P.S. why is the process secret? And do you have to wear a pointy hat and funny cloak whilst doing it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 We want the crosses!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Galt Posted January 7, 2016 Author Share Posted January 7, 2016 Thanks for all the kind and wise-guy comments corrosive process . . LOL! good one. It's not a secret, I learned how to do it here on this great forum. Here are a few crosses I did a few months ago . . I will post up some pics of this new batch when I finish them up . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrDarkNebulah Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 Very nice. Sorry im so ignorant, but how do you go about making the cross? Ive seen a few made out of railraod spike as well, and it seems as if they were split. That along with the fact its called a split cross seems to say that, but i cant see how you'dgo about doing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Galt Posted January 7, 2016 Author Share Posted January 7, 2016 33 minutes ago, MrDarkNebulah said: Very nice. Sorry im so ignorant, but how do you go about making the cross? Ive seen a few made out of railraod spike as well, and it seems as if they were split. That along with the fact its called a split cross seems to say that, but i cant see how you'dgo about doing it. I usually start with antique forged nails. All sizes, but I prefer the 6" - 10" spikes.Then, depending on the nail, I may draw it out a little and put a more pleasing taper to it. Some crosses I actually pierce the vertical nail with the horizontal nail then tack weld it on the backside. Some I weld the horizontal to the sides of the vertical . . . using the top half of nails I have cut. Then I put a head on the leftover ends and use then to make smaller crosses out of. I also distress the nails to make them look much older, some times by actually burning the steel. I may also try an acid etch at some point. But usually by putting them through this while at orange to yellow heat: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 Have you tried forge brazing for the horizontal nails mounted in a mortise? I find it a better look than arc welding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Galt Posted January 7, 2016 Author Share Posted January 7, 2016 15 minutes ago, ThomasPowers said: Have you tried forge brazing for the horizontal nails mounted in a mortise? I find it a better look than arc welding. That is my goal eventually, I just starting at this "blacksmithing" alchemic esoteric and arcane voodoo pseudo-science stuff a few months ago. Before I try Forge Brazing i would like to try brazing with torches . . . I have a great set of torches with all the tips that was given to me by my awesome neighbor. But I have no tanks or hoses and being retired, sometimes cashola is short. Meanwhile I use my MIG welder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 Cool distressing rig. I texture my split crosses with an old ball peen hammer whose face has been carved with an abrasive cutoff disc: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 (Deleted double post) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 So why wait for a torch? Forge brazing is a lot more like hard soldering; clean the joint. Flux (with borax) Place a piece of brazing rod or random brass if you are feeling adventurous at the joint. Heat till it runs. Let cool. You can get some neat "gold effects" from the brass that might work well with that usage... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 Which gives this effect: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 So why wait for a torch? Forge brazing is a lot more like hard soldering; clean the joint. Flux (with borax) Place a piece of brazing rod or random brass if you are feeling adventurous at the joint. Heat till it runs. Let cool. You can get some neat "gold effects" from the brass that might work well with that usage... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrankS Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 16 hours ago, lloe01 said: So you took four and turned them into three? I know you all wanted to ask this That actually is pretty neat. I never thought about taking something like that and aging it. Kewl! It's a miracle! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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