Forged in Kendal Posted February 11, 2022 Share Posted February 11, 2022 Hi everyone, I am a 15 year old blacksmith and would love to have some more moderate difficulty projects to make. I forge a lot, and have done a large amount of the projects in my books, I am looking for some slightly harder projects. Thanks everyone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George N. M. Posted February 11, 2022 Share Posted February 11, 2022 Welcome aboard from 7500' in SE Wyoming. Glad to have you. It would help if you put your general location in your profile. A lot of our answers are controlled by geography and we don't know if you are in Tasmania or Lapland. Also, there may be IFI folk within visiting distance which can be a help on projects. As to moderately difficult projects, one of the problems beginning smiths have is repeatability, the ability to make multiple copies of the same object. So, try to make a matching pair of candlesticks or knives or anything else. Also, experiment with projects that use multiple techniques such as elaborate twists and different methods of fastening such as welding, riveting, banding, mortise and tenon. etc.. Another skill that is necessary to develop is a sense of what steps have to be done in what order, e.g. you have to do X before you do Y because after Y the area to do X is no longer accessible. This can get interesting on more complex projects. Look through Artist-Blacksmith Association of North America website and archives for inspiration and I'm sure Pinterest and Etsy have lots of examples. It will all depend on what direction you want to go into, art, blades, armor, practical objects, gates and railings, etc.. Finally, browse through the back pages of "Member Projects" or "What I Did In the Shop Today" pages for ideas. Alexandr, a member from St. Petersburg, Russia does some magnificent work that may inspire you. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted February 11, 2022 Share Posted February 11, 2022 Another way to increase difficulty and skills is working with larger stock---if everything you have done was done with smaller than 1/2" stock, doing a gate with 1" stock will be a whole level of difficulty! Or "go different". Try tool making, or repousse, sculpture or historical reenactment. (Doing all at once is advanced!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted February 11, 2022 Share Posted February 11, 2022 I have found making trivets is a step up from easy beginner projects. Here is one I made from RR spikes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWISTEDWILLOW Posted February 11, 2022 Share Posted February 11, 2022 Lol, Thomas now you got me thinking about building a arbor with a gate to go over the sidewalk out of sucker rod hmmm…. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted February 11, 2022 Share Posted February 11, 2022 Gothic? Art Nouveau? Art Deco? Sooneresque? Sucker rod would lend itself to a lot of nice flowing curves in Art Nouveau.... Of course "early nightmare" style comes to mind too. Lot's of large bugs, arachnids, monsters from the id.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anvil Posted February 11, 2022 Share Posted February 11, 2022 Your skill level and your direction have a lot to do with the answer. 10 hours ago, Forged in Kendal said: I forge a lot pretty vague. If your direction is architectural, can you forge an upset right angle bend? Can you forge a right angle bend to dimension? can you forge weld to dimension? If so, out of half square, forge 4 right angle bends to dimension and on one side, do a forgeweld to dimension so you end up with a square, all sides equal length, no wasp waste at the weld and 4 right angles To do this, figure out your starting length, center punch the inside of your right angle bends, create 2 scarfs for the forge weld, then get after it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWISTEDWILLOW Posted February 11, 2022 Share Posted February 11, 2022 13 minutes ago, ThomasPowers said: Sooneresque Bah hahah! I am in Oklahoma ya know! I’m leaning towards art okie! maybe put a crowing rooster weather vane on top! I’d put lots of scrolls up the sides and then plant morning glories around it so half way through the summer it’s a big green blob with flowers an a chicken sticken out the top! that sounds about right lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted February 11, 2022 Share Posted February 11, 2022 My mother was born down near Altus and in a family of Arkies, took quite a bit of ribbing about that. I've lived in OKC and worked in the oil patch so, yes, I am familiar with the state. You know you really need a modified 1926 Hudson Super Six sitting under that arch...(I'm sure John will get the reference...) Add a couple of windmills to power the chickens to peck and perhaps a mock oil derrick with a windmill powering a "gusher" every now and then...we can get something that will have the tourists "flocking" to see and you neighbors showing them the way after dark with their pitchforks and torches! Have you looked at Stephen Kings fence for ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWISTEDWILLOW Posted February 11, 2022 Share Posted February 11, 2022 Grapes of wrath? much more common to a Chevy 350 block settin under a shade tree around here lol, your talking about out west of here, I think the closest pump jack is probably around muskogee, not any oil derricks around here, neighbors? You mean the angus herd across the fence? Lol, I have not looked at me kings fence but now you have perked my interest so I’ll do an image search real quick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted February 11, 2022 Share Posted February 11, 2022 We're not talking "common" we're talking "Old School"! (Of course my Mother's old school has trees big enough to log growing out of the classrooms now.) And you were spot on with the Joad's. Ok skip the derrick and have the windmill turn a spit that will take an angus... I have cousins that have a summer place on Tenkiller; but we sold our share of the farm down by Altus to kinfolk who farm down that way. Held tight to the land in Cedarville AR as that's *nice* country! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forged in Kendal Posted February 11, 2022 Author Share Posted February 11, 2022 thanks everyone, Im in the uk so my time is different and wont be able to answer at the same times as all you in th us, thanks for all the ideas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted February 11, 2022 Share Posted February 11, 2022 Last thing I sold to a UK couple was a tool for dragging ashes out of their wood stove. They had been using one they bought in Cornwall and would schlepp back and forth between their house there and their house here. They asked me if I could make one for Socorro NM, USA. Well the one I made was fancier and they paid me double what I had asked and ended up taking it back to the UK when they moved back for good... Find a market, fill it, do better work than anyone currently is doing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted February 12, 2022 Share Posted February 12, 2022 2 hours ago, Forged in Kendal said: Im in the uk We won't remember this once leaving this post, hence the suggestion to add it in your profile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWISTEDWILLOW Posted February 12, 2022 Share Posted February 12, 2022 3 hours ago, ThomasPowers said: I have cousins that have a summer place on Tenkiller Tenkiller is over some hills and through the woods about 25-30 minutes west of me, it pretty nice in some areas over there, I went through elementary at the oldest school in the state that’s still operating today, the original was sometime in the mid 1800s? but the building I went through I think was built in 1911? the high school I went through was originally built in 1904 but burned in 1907, an was rebuilt later that year, then they got a new building built by the WPA in 1937 that’s the building I went through high school in, it was in ruff shape then, so im sure it’s worse now! but they still use it today lol, there was a wind powered grain mill a few miles north of Westville that was still standing in the 1970s but it was gone by the time I got here, the foundation an stone parts of the wall are still all there though, I like the angus spit idea though! But I probably won’t include it on a sidewalk arbor, it would make me hungry every time I went to an from the house! Lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forged in Kendal Posted February 12, 2022 Author Share Posted February 12, 2022 Hi, my skill level is intermediate, as you may have guessed. I am looking for forging projects instead of knives. If you check my page, you will see what I can make repeatable . Currently I've made quite a lot of things from the Nicholas Wicks book(the everyday blacksmith). I'm saying half inch stock because it's an easy to acquire size for me to work with, but I've not used a large amount. I have made multiple leaves from it, as well as a rams head. I have also made a knife. Stock removal if you were wondering. Attached are pictures of a few of my projects. Thanks everyone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forged in Kendal Posted February 12, 2022 Author Share Posted February 12, 2022 19 hours ago, George N. M. said: It would help if you put your general location in your profile. A lot of our answers are controlled by geography and we don't know if you are in Tasmania or Lapland. ok have done that now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George N. M. Posted February 12, 2022 Share Posted February 12, 2022 I would say that you need to pay more attention to details in your work. For example, veins in the leaves, more detail and "facets" on the rams head, a tapered tail on the rebar snake and a more defined head, etc.. It's being able to do the details quickly and fairly automatically that mark you as a more advanced smith. I know that details can be boring but they really improve the work. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted February 13, 2022 Share Posted February 13, 2022 Hmmm, might check your profile because location didn't take, it should show up with every post below your avatar picture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forged in Kendal Posted February 13, 2022 Author Share Posted February 13, 2022 13 hours ago, George N. M. said: It's being able to do the details quickly and fairly automatically that mark you as a more advanced smith. thanks, I will definitely work on that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluerooster Posted February 13, 2022 Share Posted February 13, 2022 I've had fun with the fireplace poker challenge. While not especially difficult, it's got several elements rolled into one project; drawing, tapering, folding, scarfing, welding, and scrolling. If you want an ambitious project, Forge yourself a post vise. Handles, latches, and hinges are some projects that seem to be pretty straightforward. It seems that every time I set out to make something I've never made before, I spend more time making the tools for the project, than on the actual project. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyBones Posted February 14, 2022 Share Posted February 14, 2022 Not only here but i find a lot of inspiration from youtube. Black bear forge did i think a years worth of "Hook of the week" videos you may want to look at. Also what he does is mostly not real difficult stuff usually. Somewhere in the forums is a list of "IFI approved" youtube channels, may want to look at a few of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted February 14, 2022 Share Posted February 14, 2022 One thing that can make a nice project is a "showpiece" gate. Make a simple garden gate that you can weld or rivet ornamentation too and then work on your leaves, dragon heads, flowers, etc. add them starting at the bottom so as you get better they are higher up on it. When you get to the top; sell it and start another one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forged in Kendal Posted February 14, 2022 Author Share Posted February 14, 2022 thanks, any single piece forge item ideas?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted February 14, 2022 Share Posted February 14, 2022 You really need multiples so you can see your improvement and how the changes you make impact the finished project. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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