July 27, 20232 yr First repoussage project, mostly completed. Need to adjust the shape of the thumb, and then on to planishing. Here’s my temporary workspace setup. I need to figure out a way to move the workpiece higher, as my lower back is feeling it this morning! (Ooh, an idea strikes immediately after I post. More to come….)
July 27, 20232 yr The metal chair is not an ideal working platform. Find a comfortable chair with back support and then tilt the anvil, work station, to match your supported and comfortable position. Adjust the anvil, work station, height to your arm position.
July 27, 20232 yr Yes, I'm thinking of making a shop stool, and I've got an idea for a workstand that isn't plastic buckets.
July 27, 20232 yr John - nice work. Clean lines and great depth. I've only worked stainless so far, but seeing your work makes me think I should try other materials.
July 27, 20232 yr Really nice John. I've never heard the term repoussage, though I'm always learning. If that's a first, it will be interesting to see your skill develop.
July 27, 20232 yr "Repoussage" is the noun for the technique, "repoussé" is the adjective for an object formed with the technique, and "repousser" is the verb for doing the technique. Most people use "repoussé" in place of "repoussage", which is just how language evolves, especially when using a loanword from another language (in this case, French).
July 27, 20232 yr Guys, thanks for your ratings. Finished another project today. Connected 2 railings on the stairs.
July 27, 20232 yr IIRC Repousse is French for, "Pushed from behind." Exquisite as always Alex! These railings bring something new to my mind with every new angle. A fishing net into the surf, wind and clouds, undersea scenes. What a treat it would be to walk up and down the stairs every day. Frosty The Lucky.
July 27, 20232 yr Парни, спасибо! The customer is passionate about yachting and fishing. His wish was the presence of a fishing net and a sword. I coped with this task, it was more difficult to find a solution how to connect the fences to each other. The stairs have a very small turning radius. After a long "brainstorming" suggested to make a spear and add some algae. There is a small child in the house, it was necessary to close all the holes. The customer's wife sent a video. 1.MOV
July 28, 20232 yr Alex, do you cold-twist the spiral into the pole of the spear the same way you do your square bar twists? It looks great! Jono.
July 28, 20232 yr Fixed the thumb, but tore the copper. I’ll do the planishing and see how it looks; I might be able to pull off a repair. Also made an adjustable-height chasing stand out of a bit of gear I’d picked up cheap and had been thinking about using in a striking vise. This is better. All the way up: All the way down:
July 28, 20232 yr Well, it didn't turn out to be as hot as expected. Just mid 90s. So I lit up the forge to twist the bar I had scored up yesterday. Then I twisted one too far and snapped it. Oops. So I made another that didn't need any scoring. Then decided to try texturing on the round bar and twisting that. Kinda looks like a vine. The one in the middle is my least favorite. I saw it on Black Bear Forge. He took a square bar and drilled holes all the way through, then twisted it. His bar was thicker than mine though so that probably makes a difference. Initially, I just twisted but it looked really bad. So then I squared up the twist and tried to upset the bar to smash the holes closed. Then a slight twist again. I'm not loving it. I'm gonna have Ashley pick the 4 she wants me to use for her orifice hook handles. The one left over will be the test piece for tapping and adding a set screw. These are all 2" to 2-1/2" long in 3/8" square bar. And the one 1/2" round bar.
July 28, 20232 yr Wasn't too hot today either, so I fired up the forge for the first time this summer and started making my first pair of tongs! (don't have pic yet, will post later)
July 28, 20232 yr I have been wanting to do something like your bowling ball thing from the first time I saw you post about it. I just haven’t come across a ball yet. I had thought I might weld a table to a trailer hub and axle to make it easy to turn. One problem I have with chasing (haven’t done the other yet) is vision. My old eyes just can’t see the fine details. I tried some clip-on magnifiers for my bifocals, but they didn’t help.
July 28, 20232 yr I got my bowling ball for a few bucks from a thrift shop. The ring it’s sitting on is made from strips of inner tube. Some people use leather sandbags, which can also be used when shaping hollow forms with a mallet.
July 28, 20232 yr 13 minutes ago, Donal Harris said: I just haven’t come across a ball yet. I had thought I might weld a table to a trailer hub and axle to make it easy to turn. Just to try out the process, its easier to start with stake repousse. All you need for that is a good size log stood on end. Don't get me wrong, John is doing it right. I don't know if I will ever get set up like he is, but this is something done with just a log, rounded chisel, a rounded drift and a ball peen. Admittedly, it doesn't have the fine lines and detail of John's work, but its meant to be seen from the road.
July 28, 20232 yr 20 hours ago, Hefty said: Alex, do you cold-twist the spiral into the pole of the spear the same way you do your square bar twists? It looks great! Jono. Hi! This is a rolled pipe. I buy them ready made. There are different diameters.
July 29, 20232 yr My ankle is progressing. I can stand and walk in my boot without crutch or cane and shop sessions are longer. I finished welding two consolidated cable billets together with a strip of high nickel alloy between them with my induction forge. This is going to be a billhook with a chopping edge. I’m not sure my TIG cooler is working as it should. It took two sessions to make the weld-2 to 3 inches at a time. About half way done the machine overheated and shut down. Then again, ambient started at around 90 deg F.
July 29, 20232 yr Finish the hammer work on the first repoussage piece, which still needs pickling and finishing: And started a second practice piece: I think the next project will be a flower, but I’ll need to make a few more tools first. I like the workstand, but it is a bit low, even at its highest setting. I have some more of the pipe I made the legs from, so I’ll probably splice in about 18” on each leg. I think I may also add a rim around the top of the bowling ball, to keep the pitch from running down the sides.
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