Daswulf Posted March 26, 2016 Share Posted March 26, 2016 So I made my first real split cross. Found out why a band saw makes life easier. I used a 4 1/2" grinder with a cutoff wheel and a hacksaw. Want to make a bunch before the end of next month. This one will go to my mother tomorrow for Easter Sunday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the iron dwarf Posted March 26, 2016 Share Posted March 26, 2016 nice work das Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted March 26, 2016 Author Share Posted March 26, 2016 Thanks Iron Dwarf. I know I can get them better if I have a straight clean cut. These crosses are brilliant. The first ones I saw before I knew how they were done honestly had me baffled as to how they did it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted March 26, 2016 Share Posted March 26, 2016 Pretty nice especially for a first off. Your Mother will LOVE it, no mother in the history of mothers has ever not LOVED a gift from one of the kids. What size stock did you start with? I made a texturing hammer out of a yard sale ball pein by heating it and beating on my hardy till it was marked up with mostly parallel cuts, crosswise to the handle. It lets me put a nice understated wood grain finish on crosses. Another texturing thought is to use the edge of the hammer to suggest an adzed timber. Cutting the ends on the hardy or with a chisel suggests axe cut timbers as well though Rome used saws a LOT. Spread crosses are also excellent demo projects especially if you have a bunch of precut blanks ready. They wow the audience like twists, it's cool , Cool COOL to see the transformation from square bar to cross just happen. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted March 26, 2016 Author Share Posted March 26, 2016 Thanks Frosty. I'm sure she will love it too. I started out with half inch hot rolled square stock. I'm sure it'd be great for demos with precut stock. just need a metal bandsaw and i'm set. They are also fun to do and there are so many different ways to do em. Thanks for the ideas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave51B Posted March 26, 2016 Share Posted March 26, 2016 They can be cut with a saws-all and proper blade. Just sayin'........ Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted March 26, 2016 Author Share Posted March 26, 2016 27 minutes ago, Dave51B said: They can be cut with a saws-all and proper blade. Just sayin'........ Dave I dont even know why i didnt think of that Dave.......... lol should get some blades and give it a go. sometimes..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwistedCustoms Posted March 26, 2016 Share Posted March 26, 2016 Bench vise, hacksaw, mild steel= perfecto. Nice work Daswulf. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arkie Posted March 27, 2016 Share Posted March 27, 2016 1 hour ago, Dave51B said: They can be cut with a saws-all and proper blade. Just sayin'........ Dave Nice job, Das! X2 on the sawsall!!! First cross I made, I used a hacksaw. That was the last of those. After that, I used the sawsall. Gotta be careful though, they do cut faster than the hacksaw!! Wish I had a bandsaw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpankySmith Posted March 27, 2016 Share Posted March 27, 2016 I use my no-longer-portable band saw for these (it's mounted on a post in my shop). I've not seen the nail-like taper done to the bottom leg of one of these before, nice touch. On the texturing, try a roofing hammer. It has that built-in texture on the head and I've found it makes a quite attractive texture on these. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donnie Posted March 27, 2016 Share Posted March 27, 2016 Nice work.Much better than my first. I've done them using a hack saw. cutting wheel, cutting torch and a slitting chisel. I'm sure a band saw of some configuration would be the way to go. Well done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted March 27, 2016 Author Share Posted March 27, 2016 Thanks All. cool idea Spanky. I'll give it a try. got the idea midway through to make a wood base and that was the simplest way to attach it. once i get some sawzall blades i'll try a bunch of styles and textures. I like the nail end and wood base so i'll do a bunch of em that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seldom (dick renker) Posted March 27, 2016 Share Posted March 27, 2016 Das, Nice job. I do these using 1/4 inch stock and up to 1/2 inch. They go great at demo's.Somewhere on IFI there was a video of a group doing these out of 4 inch stuff I think it was. Took all day and a large group to deal with it that large. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave51B Posted March 27, 2016 Share Posted March 27, 2016 Seldom, I think this is the vid........https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBQlT1z4pbA&feature=player_embedded I went to a Trailer safety seminar in town yesterday and set up my portable kit....sold a few things and made a few...Anyway, I was down to my last set of split cross earrings and a trucker came up and wanted to buy just one earring.....Told him I wouldn't break up the set, but I had 4 cut 1/8" blanks with me and would try to make him one. I didn't have my camera with me, so you'll have to take my word for it. But it came out perfect on my little rivet forge, first try.....Hit with the brass brush and texturing hammer, three coats of clear enamel, a ring and an ear hook....one happy trucker....one elated iron beater Life is Good ( I couldn't cheat this time Spanky) Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted March 27, 2016 Share Posted March 27, 2016 Nice cross, Das. You got a very even 'diamond' there. I do mine like you did with a cut off wheel in a 5" angle grinder, but as you found out, it's tricky getting the full depth you need, even with a new wheel. So for me it's half wheel and half hacksaw for something the size of a rail spike. If you can find any of those old wrought rail spikes, they work really well for crosses because you get a wood-grain finish, specially with a bit of burnishing. I'm sure your Mum liked the Easter gift. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Coke Posted March 27, 2016 Share Posted March 27, 2016 Greetings Das, Thought I would pass on to you an idea for the base. A chunk of pipe and a large ball bearing welded to a handle makes a nice bubble to mount your crosses on. Easy to make tools that adds a little extra eye appeal .. Forge on and make beautiful things Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted March 27, 2016 Author Share Posted March 27, 2016 Thanks everyone. Like the ideas and advise. I'll keep working on them and try some different stuff. Great video, that's one big cross. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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