February 10, 20251 yr Hey guys, looking to brainstorm some ideas with yall, Our county show is coming up & im trying to figure out something nice to make for a Project show. I thought about a knife set from the forge, (but i know how shoddy my metal work is) Also thought on remaking a concert table i made my sophomore year (photo attached) Basically just a bunch of brainstorming on what yall think would look nice for a show i aint got the most creative mind & ive found no inspiration (i have tools, welder, wood, etc i jsut aint got the idea...) Show rules attached as well ECYE_RULES_-_2024(2)-pages.pdf Thought about a bit of furniture then selling after words but i just cant imagine someone buying a $500+ dollar chair set?
February 10, 20251 yr "Easy" furniture is a plant stand or stool or small coffeetable thing. 3 legs and a wooden platform. A nice example is in "ambachtelijk smeden" by robert thomas. My wife wants me to make it. When I order my next steel supply, the material for it will be included. Sorry titel is in dutch, don't know the english title of it, but the book is original from the usa so try by author to find it.
February 10, 20251 yr Title is The Art and Craft of the Blacksmith: Techniques and Inspiration for the Modern Smith
February 10, 20251 yr Can't open the pic Ebin, it's the wrong file format. Save it on your computer as a .JPEG and attach or cut and paste from what you see on the screen. Reduce the file size to under a couple hundred KB. I don't know what the forum file size limit is right now so it might be higher. However, if it bounces try reducing file size. Is refurbishing an existing item permitted in the rules? Get the project as planned out ahead of time as possible, if there's time I highly suggest you make at least one for practice. Do it under the same time limit and rules. Your patience will be rewarded. Stretching your skills is a good thing, just don't push them too far in this one. Still, win lose or draw you WILL benefit. So, what you have for ideas so far? Forget knives till you've acquired the skills sets. Camp cooking tools and a convertible tripod to spit cooker. Thomas Powers had a terrific design, pics are archived here somewhere I can't remember. I'm sure someone with a functioning memory remembers and can link them. Hopefully that primes the deluge of ideas. Frosty The Lucky.
February 11, 20251 yr The Cosira series of books (as referenced in this post: may be worth review for inspiration. You can always "jazz-up" a basic design, and if I recall correctly there are a lot of projects aimed at farm and home.
February 11, 20251 yr Oh YEAH, double dito for the Cosira series! Lots of good projects from very basic to master works. Frosty The Lucky.
February 11, 20251 yr Author Thank you all i will do some reading i like the ideas from everyone, show rules below (fixed) Id like to do something cool, the last few shows ive gone to have punished me for "simple design" which i kinda understand kinda dont... (only so many ways to build a table and such?) But basically the project has to fit one of the categories below, I thought of a cook set but dont know what spot to put it in, outdoor cooking equipment is full of smokers & such but maybe misc cooking? (sect. 32) Im not the most tech savvy & had to get a friend to do it this way (sorry frosty)
February 11, 20251 yr Ebin, please don't keep posting the contest rules unless you have a link. Once is enough, more and you'll hear from a moderator. Don't take the judge's comments personally, you are NOT being punished, you are being "CRITIQUED." It is part of the judge's JOB to grade your work, explain why and maybe make suggestions for improvement. In many maybe most judged shows the judges won't say a word to the maker. You won't find out anything until the results are announced. Nothing personal from the judges is exactly what a maker wants, I've been sneered at by judges a few times at live demo/shows. The coat hook I'd just finished (in under 7 minutes) was too hot and sticky. Ewww! I'd just finished forging, brushing and wiping it with bees wax so . . . yes it was warm and kind of sticky. The audience was making faces behind her back. I loved doing demos, my favorite kind of smithing. Frosty The Lucky.
February 11, 20251 yr Computer tablet holder. Something to hold a cook book open and at an angle. Small rack to hold a remote or pencil and paper. Small salt and pepper holder,wall mountable or not. Closet broom and mop holder. Sliding door hardware. Evidentally I am on a roll.
February 20, 20251 yr I really struggle to think of things that aren't the typical Blacksmith "stuff" What about one of these? (not mine, Pic from the internet)
February 21, 20251 yr Looks alright, maybe a bit much for a beginner who is having trouble thinking of a basic project. What's wrong with typical blacksmith stuff? The above pic is typical blacksmith stuff arranged that way. Take the same 4-5 elements, rearrange, shrink or stretch them and make an end table for the lawn, a hot plate, warming tray, candle holder of many types, etc. How many things have you forged while you look for THE contest project? Frosty The Lucky.
February 21, 20251 yr Nice simple legs, wooden tabletop and done. The one in the book is doable, simple design, clean lines. Looks less blacksmithy than the birdfeeder with the scrolls and leafs and stuff. The more twists, scrolls, leafs, ... you add the more blacksmithy it will look. Clean lines, tapers and nice transitions between the components give it a nices look and feel without the blacksmithy thing.
February 21, 20251 yr I don't k now about that Gewoon, nice clean transitions between different cross sections, say straight square to twist or to round taper, etc. shows the blacksmith's craft nicely. Seriously under the hammer is how we do that stuff. Frosty The Lucky.
February 21, 20251 yr I know what you want to say, but for most people a nice transition is craftmanship, not nessesairely blackmanship.
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