Well, I've decided to make a new years resolution to make 100 animal heads this year. Mostly to give me practice forge welding, but the sculpting practice it gives me won't hurt. Here is 1 and 2 for this year (4 and 5 of my total animal head count)

It'll be cool to see the whole collection when you're done! This is an area that interests me from a sculpting point of view as well. Can't hardly wait to see them! 

My New Years resolution is to break every one I made last year.

Thanks. I'll keep posting them here as I make them. I can already see that I'm going to need to make some different shaped punches and chisels. I used my whole sculpting arsenal on the bulldog/lioness/circus bear? A large ball punch, a small ball punch and a not as sharp as it could be hot cut.

I try to set attainable goals for myself, none of the vague "eat healthier" or "go to the gym more". I figure ~2 a week should be in my grasp as a hobbiest.

Post photos of the punches etc you make so we can see how the impressions turned out.

A double photo of the punches used and the end result head would be nice. (grin)

I’ll second that!  

Motion seconded. All those in favor?

Aye!

Aye!

The Ayes have it. Motion to show punch heads with finished head adopted. 

As requested, here are the 3 punches I used for the first 2 heads

The chisel is just over an inch wide, not sure of diameter of the punches. I'm guessing 1/16 inch and 1/4 inch. 

Here's numbers 3 and 4. An owl letter opener and a longhorn. Same punches as before. Both from 1/2 inch square bar.

Edited January 23, 20206 yr by Shabumi
Added stock size

Pretty cool, cant wait to see the progression. I love the owl, may have to steal that. 

Those are both nicely forged.

Nice job. Thanks for sharing the punches

would be awesome to see their stamp on a flat bar next to them

Thanks everyone. The owl started as a Brian Brazeal 3d horse head, but I messed up and made the cheek way too long and I used the wrong edge for some of the half face blows, so I just winged it. The lips of the horse became the brow of the owl, and the cheek became the body.

 

Way to go! Make lemonade out of lemons 

I like the owl it would make a good bottle opener among other things.

 

On 1/22/2020 at 9:08 PM, Shabumi said:

 but I messed up

You didn't mess up, you just realized that you were thinking about making the wrong thing.  Great looking owl and longhorn.

"There are few mistakes in blacksmithing; just lots of mid process design changes!"

18 hours ago, BillyBones said:

may have to steal that. 

To quote a high-powered international business guy I met with last week: before graduation, stealing ideas is cheating; after graduation, stealing ideas is "Best Practices".

#5 is another owl, tried it with a new eye punch I found at a yard sale with a center punched pupil. The eye punch just so happens to be the same size as my large round punch, so I set in the socket with the round, then the eye punch to define. Also tried defining the neck more, though I think it looks too stretched out for my tastes. I prefer the shallower cut for the wings on the first one too. Somtimes simpler is gooder.

 

And as requested, here is each chisel I have next to it's mark. Haven't used the rock chisel? yet, but I want to use it as is before I decide to alter it.

That worked out good. The eyes look great

Thank you for the stamp display.  Loving this thread!

Your welcome, and thanks for the support.