Nice Demo Piece

[primtechsmith]

Here is one of the items Chris Winterstein demonstrated at our last guild meeting. Chris did a great job not only describing the techniques in forging this but also the theory behind the use of negtive space and options in layout.

It has 4 forge welds in it, 9" dia., and the material is 3/8" round.

I can see why Yellin has contracted him, and how is knowledge of the trade makes him suitable for the ABANA president position.

It was a really great day.
Wish you all could have been there!

Photos are by guild member: Steve LaPaugh

Peyton

[newbiesmith]

That's pretty awesome Peyton. Yeah from the pictures Chris seems fairly young. It's good to see younger guys showing craftsmanship like this.

-Dan

[Don A]

That is simply beautiful.

Peyton, could you give just a brief play-by-play on the steps he went through to forge that piece?

Work that clean boggles my mind.

Don

[yesteryearforge]

im still looking for the 4th forge weld

Mike Tanner

[jeremy k]

Or the third weld?

[BT]

I'm guessing that the outside ring was made of two pieces with a scroll forgewelded to one end of each piece and then the two outside pieces forgewelded together. So in other words each weld that you see is actually two welds. Or . . . I could be all wet.:)

[primtechsmith]

Forge welds are as follows:

Step 1: make the leaf ends on two pieces of 3/8" round.
Step 2: Cut 3/4 of the way through each bar back from the leaves.
Step 3: FORGE WELD(1 and 2) each bar to itself where they are folded over.
Step 4: FORGE WELD(3) The two bars together.
Step 5: Bend the now forge welded bar around and then FORGE WELD(4) the piece together.
Step 6: Make the ring as round as possible, and tweek your inner scrolls.

:-)
Peyton

[primtechsmith]

This may help with my above attempt at describing it....the numbers go with the welds listed above...

Peyton

[newbiesmith]

Now the big question? Flux or fluxless? If flux, anything special?

-Dan

[tzonoqua]

simple, elegant, beautiful.. although I suspect not so simple to attempt getting that completely round....

and i like the sound of "tweek your inner scrolls" sounds like some sort of new age blacksmith speak for who knows what!:)

[primtechsmith]

He used regular 20 mule team borax, and whatever they call the borax they evaporate the moisture out of...too scientific of a name to remember or spell at the moment! LOL!

Peyton

[Dave Leppo]

Why couldn't it be welded from two pieces, w/ two welds?

[Travis Covington]

Peyton,
I shure wish I had been there, mabey next month. Steve sent pictures.
Did you broudcast this one.
Travis

[primtechsmith]

Travis: Yeah this one ran on the webcast...it was limited room in the "webcast room", we are still waiting on word on how to accomplish moving this to a bigger arena. There are a couple of options and we are waiting for word from one individual source before we go back to the original people and request more room....I am hoping this can get done before the next meeting with Clay Spencer demonstrating...

GOATMAN: I would say that the reasoning behind 4 welds instead of 2 is because it is more impressive in a demo...

Peyton

[Travis Covington]

I wasn/t ready yet either. I've got a notebook running networked to my PC so that I can work it from my recliner. I've got my demo table set up in front of me so I can see to use it.
Travis

[Frosty]

Why couldn't it be welded from two pieces, w/ two welds?

There's a good chance this is an example of more welds is simpler in execution than fewer.

Handleability of the piece as you make it is important. A piece might be so awkward in only two pieces it takes many times as long to finish and increases the chance of a failure.

That's just a thought though, it could've been for the show too.

Frosty

[keykeeper]

That is a very nice piece.

It has somewhat of a yin/yang -ness to it. Beautifully done. Wish I could have made it to that meeting.

-aaron