norman1990 Posted September 27, 2017 Share Posted September 27, 2017 So this is my first bigger project. So far i've been making knives for hobby, maybe about 3 in a year. Now i'm putting more time into my blacksmithing path and triyng to do more practical stuff and see if I have hand for it. For this mirror frame i was really pleased that the end product matched my initial drawings and I managed to put it together accuratly since it was a little tricky to measure out the overlappings. What I am not pleased with is how the rivets came out and the branches could have been a bit more symmetrical. It took about 30 hours in total. Hanging hooks  Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlasterJoe Posted September 27, 2017 Share Posted September 27, 2017 Looks great norman.What kind of hanger does it have? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted September 27, 2017 Share Posted September 27, 2017 Very nice. The asymmetry of the leaves doesn't bother me (one expects asymmetry in nature), but I see what you mean about the rivets. Did you do them freehand, or did you use a rivet set? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norman1990 Posted September 27, 2017 Author Share Posted September 27, 2017 BlasterJoe the Hanging hooks are on the picture below. JHCC I made a hole in a block to form the rivets but was too eager to get the frame together so I rushed forging the heads and settled with them. But now it bothers me. Next time I know not to rush even the little things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted September 27, 2017 Share Posted September 27, 2017 IFI member @Joel OF has some great videos about the hot riveting on his Art Nouveau gate project, such as this one: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted September 27, 2017 Share Posted September 27, 2017 Beautiful frame and hooks Norman. I say well done. As far as more symmetrical on the branches, I think they look great as is. I'm sure the rivets will be better on the next project but this one looks great and is very practical. Only thing I'd be mildly concerned about is if 2 screws would be enough to hold it. Not so much in regular wood but if it didn't space out to meet the studs in a house wall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norman1990 Posted September 27, 2017 Author Share Posted September 27, 2017 Beautiful frame and hooks Norman. I say well done. As far as more symmetrical on the branches, I think they look great as is. I'm sure the rivets will be better on the next project but this one looks great and is very practical. Only thing I'd be mildly concerned about is if 2 screws would be enough to hold it. Not so much in regular wood but if it didn't space out to meet the studs in a house wall. Actually I made a third hook for the bottom because the mirror ha anged in air away from the wall. The third one supports the bottom of the frame and keeps it from swinging. Also they have some play room. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobS Posted September 27, 2017 Share Posted September 27, 2017 Looks great. My own personal opinion, leaves/branches/"nature" should not look symmetrical. That way it has the wild and natural look to it. The only thing I would have done different is curl the stems in behind the frame to make it look like the branches are growing from something. Instead of looking like branches cut off a tree and stuck on the face of the frame. Nice work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted September 27, 2017 Share Posted September 27, 2017 Very nice Norman: Branches, leaves and such shouldn't be symmetrical, even opposing symmetrical leaves like Mtn. Ash aren't terribly symmetrical. Your's are beautiful, well done. Ah, you're missing the whole point of abbreviating blacksmithing BS! If ANYBODY noticed and were so gosh as to SAY anything you use the opportunity to make them feel like an out of touch bumpkin by describing how much practice and time it took to produce rivets just like THAT. <SHEESH some people> Truth is we're our own worst critics, if not we wouldn't be doing work worth the doing. Rivet sets aren't hard to make. Round heads are nice for shaping after it's headed. Well done all round, you get a FROSTY star! Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joel OF Posted September 28, 2017 Share Posted September 28, 2017 IFI member @Joel OF has some great videos about the hot riveting on his Art Nouveau gate project, such as this one: Ooh I'm glad someone enjoyed them. You could drill out & redo the rivets if they really bother you. I had some great advice Re: symmetry a while ago from a master blacksmith - things can look symmetrical without every detail needing to be a mirror image or repeated, e.g trees. Many trees look symmetrical, but if you look at their branches they're anything but. It's now a design "trick" I use reguarly in things like gates, having small variations either side keeps things visually fresh whilst still appearing even. Pure symmetry can be visually stale quite quickly IMHO as your eye easily reads the image as there's no variation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfootnampa Posted September 28, 2017 Share Posted September 28, 2017 Joel has the right idea! In my own work I strive for what I refer to as "dynamic symmetry"! The more complex the relationships between the parts are, the longer it will hold a viewers interest! Simple, literal symmetry is too sterile to elicit optimal interest from viewers. An example might be rivets headed in tree shapes... or leaf shapes, but with each tree or leaf either slightly different or of a different species. This is symmetry, but with dynamic and lively variations! I like your work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted September 28, 2017 Share Posted September 28, 2017 I like it too, and agree with the above comments about symmetry. And I wouldn't be bothered about the rivets either - if they are set tight and holding well they are fine. The leaf hooks are great too. Nice items on their own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John in Oly, WA Posted September 28, 2017 Share Posted September 28, 2017 "I was really pleased that the end product matched my initial drawings" - That alone is quite a feat. Mine never quite do. I agree with the comments on symmetry. While near perfect symmetry can be a technical achievement, IMO it's not as interesting as asymmetry, or "dynamic symmetry" (asymmetry with balance). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tzelik Hammar Posted October 1, 2017 Share Posted October 1, 2017 Beautiful. And symmetry really is strange. Look at people, very few are symmetrical and the ones that are kinda stick out, usually kinda oddly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
58er Posted October 1, 2017 Share Posted October 1, 2017 Any suggestions on where to buy rivets in bulk? I have a need for more than the 1 or 2 to make out of 3/16 round stock..... maybe 1-200?? I've done the obligitory google search..... thanks in advance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted October 1, 2017 Share Posted October 1, 2017 May I suggest searching or asking over at armourarchive.org as folks their use a lot of rivets and post places to buy them fairly regularly (for example R J Leahy company) I generally pick up rivets at Quad-State when they are available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted October 2, 2017 Share Posted October 2, 2017 Any suggestions on where to buy rivets in bulk? I have a need for more than the 1 or 2 to make out of 3/16 round stock..... maybe 1-200?? I've done the obligitory google search..... thanks in advance You might try these folks, I've bought from them before. http://www.blacksmithbolt.com/store/c/52-Rivets.aspx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
58er Posted October 2, 2017 Share Posted October 2, 2017 Very good. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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