Building anything interesting right now?


We've talked a ton about anvils, and scrap prices and a gob of other topics, but there has been a lack of stuff people have made.

Insipired by the picture that Glenn posted on the front page and in hopes of being able to give something cool to a girl I was gonna on a date with I made up this little flower.

Sat. project is a damascus knife, the first and I hope only one. I just want to do one so I can say I did one....

Being a part time archery tech. I have just finished some bow vises. I am now working on a spider web trelliss.

Building 7 side draft forges complete with the hoods and duct work / 7 anvil stands / 7 post vise stands / 2 layout tables and numerous other tools etc.
Will get around to forging some day

Mike Tanner

AW, Mike, the joys of getting new school supplies!!
My last project was the collaboration work I did with the stonecarver. Finished the work 2 weeks ago and they are now in her art show until May 12. Check my gallery for pics. this stinkin' dial up slow-mo computer gets on my bad side when I try to put pics with posts...

Work has put a big crimp in my style.

New house, rebuilding forge and shop......

It's market season again - here's a few o' the items I have for my booth at the open-air market I sell at.

I was making some leaf key rings the other day and happened to drop one on the anvil. It made a nice tinkling sound, and I thought "Ah-Ha! Wind Chimes!

Also, by varying the sizes, I get different pitches.

The little dome top and the center piece were just after thoughts. Necessary to make the chimes work.

All the pieces are just wire brushed to a dull luster.

The experiment is waiting to see how long the shine holds up and rust begins.

Sorry I couldn't get better pics..(They kept turning on me!)

James

If the wind is from the south this weekend I have a lot of welding to do in my coal forge:

Welding a twisted wrought iron core for an anglo-saxon spearpoint---already did the first weld and drew it out, nicked it and cleaned up the sides and now need to cut, stack, weld (to get //) and then start foging the wrought iron I blistered into steel for the edge. (This is for a thesis being done by a lady in the UK)

I also need to weld another cycle or two on the pattern welded pizza cutter that is my wife's Mother's day gift. The disk is finished forging: 400 layers of BSB & PB that was then squished lengthwise into the disk. The handle is the same stuff but lower layers and twisted, needs a fold/weld cycle or two and the twist and forging to shape.

I have a pipe hawk that needs the High C edge welded to it too.

South wind blows the smoke *away* from my nice shop and I;ve been waiting way too long for one on a free weekend! the 19th I take the forge to an SCA demo so I may do some of the welding there.

Other than some small items for the live steam train club, here is the dragon I made in one of Steve Williamson's classes....

I still have been focusing mostly on tongs and other forge tools but I finished a wall mount toilet paper holder last night that has a leaf for a tail and a snake head for the roll stop. I'm also working on some hardie tools but MIG welding the shank from 1" angle iron then I'll add the desired tool to the shank.

Now that I've figured out my welder and have a little more experience, I am enjoying the additional project ability.

Also I welded a new stand for my propane forge.

i made up three more pairs of tongs yesterday and started four more, iv manly been working on a few powerhamer dies and tooling , making the tooling that will let me make bowls and sunken shapes .

Wow, Mooseridge, nice dragon!

Jayco- I made some leaf chimes last summer- they make such a sweet sound! I strung them on some components I had lying around and they sold really well... I have been meaning to make more, but never the time!



I have been busy with a set of double gates for a cottage called the 'grain store'.

Sweet gates Darlin!

you have some lucky customers!

Frosty

I will be getting started on a set of railings for a local church next week. It will be a scroll and hoop design. When finished, I will post pictures for comments(pos. or neg.).

Frosty, why thank you Sir!

My customers are very, very patient, actually! These gates are taking such a long time, partially because I don't get out to the workshop full time because of my wee demanding daughter. And partially because at this stage I am forging the leaves and 'weaving' it all together. Funny, when I made the drawing I thought, "this won't be too difficult!". The design has actually strayed a lot from the original drawing and I have made it a lot more complex, but I can't help it. I am in no way a perfectionist, but if I see something is going to look better another way than I originally planned, then I go with it, even though now its taking twice as long as I thought it might... which is probably a result of me being inexperienced in large architectural work, so this is a good learning experience anyway. I have just been approached now for another bigger set of gates and am slightly trembling at the prospect...but I do like a challenge!
Colleen

I made these fire irons for my fire commisioned piece,lol, no really a guy at work found out i was smithin and he begged me to make him a "tripod for campin" which I did but thought I'd save us both some $$$ so in my infinate greenhorn wisdom thought I'd use 3/4" round bar that i got at the scrapyard... well that was before I knew how hard it was for my puny arms and my small forge and inadequately supported anvil to work that size stock into those bends but I persevered and learned alot doing it and improved my smithy and knowlege... and I made that nifty little hook as I want to make a few bucks back so I can buy s'more steel.

Here are pictures of my new TP holder. I haven't been able to get a good view of the stopper, it is a snake head but the focus just won't work!

full time setting up shop! soon producing work; for now island time getting refractory materials...but scored mines of metal...double edged sword of hawaii- no suppliers but lots of people who give up materials and tools and such when they leave.
i just spent a few days hauling lots of great material for both forging and building the forge!
for pics of what i was doing before moving to hawaii, see rawblacksmith on myspace

I'm working on fullering tools. One to help in forging tangs on knives and another one to set the ricasso on the blades. I bought some steel for the project from my usual supplier a few days ago and the price for mild steel has gone up. I think this trend will continue as long as the fuel prices keep going up. Sad. Wish I was rich so I could afford a full tank of gas in my pickup.

I`am trying to get stuff built & get ready for a demo. at the courthouse saturday. Also working on a C-Frame Guillotine Tool and my gas forge.

Hello,
Thought I'd post a pic of the gates, nearly finished now!! Just another leaf to forge, drop bars, latch and a couple of mice to sit amongst the grain.



And also been filling orders for local shops/galleries for flowers and some flower and leaf candlesticks.



-Colleen

Nice gates Colleen.
I have been working on a stairway railing lately which I didn't quote nearly enough money to do. Also I have been working on some tooling for my power hammer to make animal tracks on flat bar with, I am happy with how that is going but am to inept to post any pictures.

metalmangeler- apparently one of the 'sins' (not charging enough) that I am often guilty of too!! Definitely with these gates I underpriced myself, oh well, live and learn.

Animal print tooling sound very interesting!!