March 17, 20251 yr That's even more impressive! I love the effect the texturing has on the fine edges of the petals.
March 18, 20251 yr My wife and I went to Rome last November. She bought some beautiful watercolor paintings from a young, female artist at the bridge that crosses the Tiber River onto Tiber Island. Wife asked if I could build frames for them. Sure! No problem, honey! Yesterday I took my hammer to a local welding shop. Today, I could have worked on other parts of the power hammer, but I decided--since it had been almost four months--to crank out her picture frames. Not the reception I expected. You know how the wife asks you for years to install a toilet paper holder, and you finally get around to it, and it takes you less than 5 minutes? You expect praise for finally doing it, but the wife gives you some scorn because such a simple job took so long. The frames: First I cut a slight bevel on the face, but due to irregularities in the wood and blade wobble, it wasn't a crisp edge between the bevel and the flat, so I cut a kerf to define the transition. Second, I cut a rabbet in the back inside edge to accept the painting and cardboard backer. The miters turned out pretty nicely considering I don't have a miter-cleaver-thingy that picture frame pros use. I set my Hercules sliding, double-bevel miter saw on the left 45 stop and left it there while I did all the cuts. BTW, I've used Dewalt and Hitachi miter saws. This $300 Hercules is an outstanding miter saw. Best I've ever used in 30 years of doing this stuff. I made a jig and cut a kerf in the corners to receive a reinforcing spine. I'll paint these with alabaster conversion varnish. Got some leftover from a cabinet facelift job. I'll post pictures of the finished product with the paintings installed.
March 19, 20251 yr The trade item for the March Free State Blacksmith Club meeting was to attempt to recreate Hook #109 from the book "Hooked" by Matt Jenkins of Cloverdale Forge. This particular hook did not include any instruction or guidelines in the book so it was up to each of us to figure out starting stock, length, steps etc. It was a great turnout and we all had wonderful discussion of what aspects we found challenging or what we learned from it. Some of these were done by very new smiths and I think they did great especially being the first time turning flat "the hard way". I came home with the massive one on the far left. It will work wonderfully to hold some extension cords as soon as I drill some mounting holes. Group pic, my item, and the pic of the book page
March 19, 20251 yr I'll bet that was fun and you done good Shaina. I like the hook it brings to mind an extraterrestrial dark world antelope. I could have a good time making up stories about it. It was one of my favorite parts of doing demos, making up fun stories about things I had or was making. Kids are the best, they "see" some great images and inspired some of my best pieces. For example, you're going to hang hoses, it must be a "hosealope," if you had horses you'd need a "ropealope," maybe a herd of them. I gotta stop, I'm having too much fun and don't want to get in trouble. Frosty the Lucky.
March 19, 20251 yr If it is big enough for a hose i would paint eyes in the round parts after i hung it. The rest i would juts put googly eyes on.
March 19, 20251 yr It is large enough for a hose but I don't think it's strong enough. I think the weight of the hose would pull the bend down. Besides that, I prefer a wide surface for my hose hangers to prevent creating folds/dents/weak points in the hose wall. I like the idea of googly eyes though. That's fun!
March 19, 20251 yr Made a quick shamrock from some horseshoes last night. Get just about dove and decided to try a flat twist or weave on the stem. I like how it turned out and my try to do something similar on a longer piece.
March 19, 20251 yr It shoe came out nice Chad. I haven't had any luck enameling but that seems to be me and not the products. I think one of the enamel companies, Thompson maybe sells shamrock green enamel even. Frosty The Lucky.
March 19, 20251 yr Thanks guys! I think I may try that hook you made Shaina. It looks like it was fun.
March 19, 20251 yr Snow is melting nicely so I'm hoping it all gone same time next month. I don't have a shop like many of You thus I need nice weather to fire up my charcoal forges.
March 19, 20251 yr 15 minutes ago, The Forest Ninja said: Snow is melting nicely so I'm hoping it all gone same time next month. I don't have a shop like many of You thus I need nice weather to fire up my charcoal forges. I used to operate “under the spreading chestnut tree” or whatever the poets prophesied. A shop, even if it is a small roofed area, is a game changer for being able to work effectively. that being said, if I had to do it again, I would be just as happy with my first shop, which was 10x10, dirt floor, no sides- just a pavilion of sorts. Maybe one day I’ll go back to basics.
March 19, 20251 yr Today in the forge I made a beautiful nail header… and promptly miscalculated the last few steps, leading to both a failure and a lesson!
March 19, 20251 yr 46 minutes ago, Frosty said: How so Ridgeway, too small? What happened? I have been rereading some older blueprints on IFI, and found one in particular that advised creating a domed head for the nail header by setting a ball bearing on the flat header and pressing or hammering it into a corresponding depression. This piece was from a piece of leaf spring, so it already had a round hole on one end, which I made square PRIOR to making the depression. When I squished it with my 12 ton press, the darndest thing happened! The hole, which was almost perfectly sized, became a giant opening by this process! time to make a new one- I have never made a good nail header! It’s really quite amazing to have tried 7 or 8 times and always come up short.
March 20, 20251 yr I've aways domed a header by punching it from the back with a SLIGHTLY tapered punch over the pritchel hole. The header is pressed into the pritchel doming it. I ground a couple concrete nails to make the header punches. Concrete nails make great small punches. Do NOT heat treat them. Frosty The Lucky.
March 20, 20251 yr Update on something I did in the shop a little while back: the tap handles I made for my friends Sam and Abbie were put to use today at the practice opening of their brewpub Haven Brewing!
March 20, 20251 yr The image I had in my mind when you said, "tap handles" was of turning a tap, threading a hole so when I scrolled down a little the old memory snapped into position. They look great John but I thought I'd share the big fat grin I'm wearing right now. Being my own straight line and laughing at myself is a precious thing. Looking at the pic once again stirs mental images and the voices are saying those shelves need some iron work or they don't deserve to be in a "Craft" brewery. Frosty The Lucky.
March 20, 20251 yr 10 hours ago, The Forest Ninja said: I don't have a shop like many of You My shop is called The Punkin' Patch Forge & ironworks. When i was starting out i had my set up in the backyard by the garden. I used a big umbrella for shade in the summer. Having not been doing much work for a little while i came out one day and pumpkin vines had grown all over my anvil and forge. The name started as a joke between me and the wife and just stuck. When we bought the house, Dog Slobber Estate, we got a 30x30 barn and one of those small 1950's garages that my truck will not fit in. That garage is now my shop.
March 20, 20251 yr Nice job on the frames Melted, though I was wondering when you suggested the initial reaction was a bit tepid. Fun hooks Shaina! I agree with Frosty, John, your friends' pub is going to need more of your ironwork!! --Larry
March 20, 20251 yr 12 hours ago, Frosty said: I ground a couple concrete nails to make the header punches. Concrete nails make great small punches. Another great idea! I'm remembering that one. 15 minutes ago, LarryFahnoe said: Nice job on the frames Melted, though I was wondering when you suggested the initial reaction was a bit tepid. Thanks! Now I have to put them on the wall above our bed. I'll get to that in a few weeks. It's a running joke between my wife and me, to the point that she doesn't even have to say anything before I bilge myself. She just gives me "that look." The easiest/quickest jobs always get put off the longest by yours truly. 11 hours ago, JHCC said: Update on something I did in the shop a little while back: the tap handles I made for my friends Sam and Abbie were put to use today at the practice opening of their brewpub Haven Brewing! They look great! I always overlook the names and skip right to the second column.
March 20, 20251 yr 6 hours ago, LarryFahnoe said: your friends' pub is going to need more of your ironwork!! They also have a gate I made to divide the brewery from the pub (a legal requirement for their license). This was actually cobbled together from a salvaged railing cut in half, the halves stacked one on the other, a decorative element from another salvaged railing inserted in the middle, and the whole thing welded together with an improvised lockable bolt. A low-cost solution that actually turned out to be quite practical and reasonably attractive! Oh, and the brewery just posted another image of the taps in use!
March 20, 20251 yr I remember the gate. Being repurposed is nicely blacksmitherly and making it attractive is pro. Frosty The Lucky.
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