Today I got some time in the forge and forged out a a flower as a gift for a neighbor:

Keep it fun,

David

That is a very nice calla lily and a great gift.

I can't control the wind, all I can do is adjust my sail’s.~ Semper Paratus

Threading and tapping isn't that hard Shaina you just need to know how to do it correctly and practice. The biggest trick to tapping holes is keeping the tap straight to the hole. Once you have it in about 3 turns it keeps itself straight.

Frosty The Lucky.

Another "trick" I've picked up is to use fine threads whenever you have the choice.  There's less material to remove (so less force on the tap), and tap itself is stronger.  (But coarse threads are usually better for non-ferrous and other soft materials, and if you're matching an existing fastener, of course.)

Well I'll be making another of these for the January meeting trade item so thank you everyone for the tips. I'll be putting them to use!

When i was running a Davenport we would tap right handed threads by spinning the tap left. The tap spins at a slower speed than the spindle rotating the work, when it got to depth the tap would overrun the spindle, go faster, and the tap would back itself out. 

Cutting/forming threads can be a deep rabbit hole. 

As for cutting oils, i use Tap Magic, easily available and we have gallons of it at the shop, so cheap. But lard, yes that stuff grandma used for cooking (and i still do, cant beat lard and bacon grease) is a better tapping lube than machine oil. 

What's neat about fine threads is, that while they are usually easier to tap, they are a stronger hold, with less chance of stripping due to the gripping surface area.  Now Acme threads and all bets are off.     Oh, and if you should happen to snap a tap off in the hole, Don't Panic. taps are brittle. Use a relatively hard punch, and break it into little pieces that can be fished out with a magnet, or poked through, if the hole has no bottom..

 Goods, that's a good lookin' lilly. ;d

  Got some forge time in today. Figured I'd take a little time and make a fireplace poker for the guy I work for.  What I found out is that I need to spend more time at the forge.  It normally takes me about 45 minutes from striking the match, to a fire poker. Took 2 hours today.   I thought everything went pretty smoothly, except the basket twist kept wanting to get wonky.   And somehow, I didn't do one of the twists far enough, and the hook is 90 degrees off.  But it will work.  All the welds took on the first go, so there is that.   I did have to re do the basket to shaft weld, but that was a non event.  I didn't get them just where I wanted them when I touched them together.  And They stuck, tightly. I had to put it in the forge and separate them, then re stick them.   With the drop tong weld, you can tell if it's going to be a good one or not when you put them together.  You can actually feel them stick together.

Nice Lilly and nice poker, I would be super happy if I could make that in 2 hours or if I could even make it at all. 

 Shainarue,

One other thought, now that I've read your post more carefully.  Ordinary hand taps (I think the only kind you can get at Harbor Freight) need to be backed off 1/4 turn after every 1/2 turn to break the chips.  You can't do that under power in a drill press.

A drill press can be useful for making sure you start your tap straight, though.  Just take off the drive belt and turn the chuck by hand, backing off as necessary as described above.  Once the tap is started, you can either keep going the same way with the drill press, or unchuck the tap and go to a hand wrench.

Nice poker Blue. Of course the hanging hook is offset 90* so the hook on the poker can't mar a wall if hung against one. It's a masterful refinement of ordinary poker design.

Good tip Mike. I tap holes in the drill press like you describe when things fit. Unfortunately I have a cheapy "Bob's Closeout," drill press and the table wants to tilt so I'm always checking it for square. It's also a PITA to raise and lower. Sooooo, I have a set of squares in the drawer with my drill indexes, taps, dies, etc.

I REALLY miss the big drill press in Dad's shop, it was monster powerful with an infinitely variable torque converter drive you could set the rpm from 0 - 3,000+rpm. Dad and one of the other machinists in his shop Glen, would routinely set the rotation and feed to tap holes under power. It didn't reverse to break chips it just powered to depth and stopped. Press the reverse button and it backed out. All the operator had to do was keep it lubed. Dad never hooked the fluid feed up, it was unnecessary for what he needed. 

Frosty The Lucky.

The cabinet/shelf thingy saga continues.

Well aint this a (insert language not suitable in polite company), measure twice, maybe 3 or 4 times just to make sure:

2 of my brackets are 1/2" off. Ended up just redoing all 4. So that sets me one more day behind. I am kind of glad though, i rushed the supports and was not really happy with them from the beginning. 

Did get the side supports put on though. The ones i am remaking are going in the enclosed part. 2 will hold up the bottom shelf while the other 2 have a shelf hanging. 

Your cabinet project is coming along nicely I'd say Billy. Some time back I decided that "measure twice" wasn't sufficient, so at this point I'm up to "measure thrice, cut once" and some days three ain't enough...in other words, I get how you're feeling about the brackets! I think the extra set of horizontal bars that you have in the middle support are a nice touch.

--Larry

Billy, the technique I use to make multiples like yours is to make them all at the same time sequentially. Cut 4 bars. Draw tapers on one end of each and match them. Draw tapers at the other ends and match them. Twist and match them. Bend one end on all and match them, bend the last end and match them. 

Sounds complicated but not nearly as complicated as trying to make them separately and come out matching.

I really like your twists, very fluid and have an organic look to my eye.

Frosty The Lucky.

Well made from this  axe with unskilled work that someone tried to use concrete chisel to push out leftover form wooden handle.

First I had to push this out with drill fire (didint used blower maybe a bit, so I don't ruin temper of eye, let it burn ) then I used some chisels to push it out.

I drawn out, heat treated , sharpened and made new axe handle

 

Frosty, yep that is exactly how i do things as well. Cut my bars, marked them where i wanted set downs and my twists to begin and end. Did all the set downs, then twisted, then upset the corners. I for the life of me can not figure out where i went wrong. With the marking step i mean, obviously i failed to check the length after set downs and bending. 

That is provably my favorite way to twist a bar. I find it more aesthetic that just a long twist but is quite subtle that most people do not see it until they pay attention. That one is 1/2 twist, i actually prefer 1/4 twist when i do those. Like i said in an earlier post i think it comes out looking like waves so i call it a water twist. 

Speaking of subtle these are the screws i used for this. Slotted "pyramid" head. I know no one will ever pay them any attention but they are much more aesthetic than a modern phillips or Lord forbid a chrome screw. The side pieces are held on by squared lag bolts. 

 

This year is the finish. Completely finished the project. Installed 2 more lamps. The chandelier, lantern, fence were made earlier. Several works from resin are almost ready.

You are amazing with all that you accomplish Alex! Doubtless you have many happy customers. I think you've earned a long winter's nap!

--Larry

That's a fine end to the year Alex. Is This your place? I remember different pieces as you made and installed them, some I don't. As I recall the resin castings were the ends for book cases / shelves and such? 

Enjoy your holidays, you more than deserve some time off and fun.

Frosty The Lucky.

Spent a good chunk of time today cleaning all the blown-in leaves out of the shop. I just got a commission that will require a lot of torch cutting, and it would probably be best not to set the place on fire. 

Always a good day when you do not burn down the shop. 

Took Sunday off so i got to play a little. Some of the ends of these boards have interesting features so i am turning one into a hook rack. I will put at least 1 more hook, maybe 2. Then played with some twists. I like the "water twist" and have always liked a rope twist, so i combined them. I am sure i am not the first to do this but i can not recalled seeing it anywhere. 

I like your "water twist", very appropriate name, combination with rope is very nice. Hooks are quite handsome as well.

--Larry

Update: the customer at the brewery sent me a photo of the gate I’d made from pieces of a couple of old railings, shown here installed and awaiting paint. Sometimes a bodged-together piece turns out to be just as good as (and much more affordable than) a purpose-designed custom masterpiece.

Billy, I really like that rope/water twist combo!

John, not bad at all for something "bodged together".

I haven't been able to get out to do any forging since my last post and I'm getting itchy, lol

All the best for next year folks!  Looking forward to 2025, this year has not been great.  Back problems and family stuff.  I was asked to 'make something' as a gift for an 80 year old farmer who does nothing else but fish in his spare time, so I took the advice from here on boot jacks.  10mm square bar (harvested from wonky animal head pokers). So, it needed to work, needed to look 'OK' by the door in the porch and easy to put out of the way, and comfortable for feet in socks for the second 'pull off'.  It can stand on its side or tail, the dorsal fin is a handy handle and I got to cover my welds with paint.

Larry, Shainaru, thanks for the compliments. 

The hooks i only use 1 screw hole so when installed it will look like knot or branch broke off. They have been really good sellers the past couple years. 

JHCC, the gate looks nice. 

MacLeod, i like that, the wife says "that's cute".