Made my first rose today. I think it turned out alright.

Looking good!.If I might make a suggestion, you should draw the edges of the petals out a bit and make them a little thinner. Then you could roll them back just a little to make a ruffle.Otherwise for a first attempt...good job!

Ditto what TASMITH said. Just beat the tar out of the thing , the thinner it is the easier it is to roll up and finish out. But a good first rose. Keep up the good work.

Highlander,
I like your rose -

But what I think I enjoy more is the fact that the next two comments were able to give you good feedback as to how to possibly improve your rose in the future.

Such feedback is hard to get.

In the UK we used to put a piece of work on the table and let all the participating smiths offer feedback. If they wanted to shoot it down they could _ BUT they had to defend their comments with a WHY they didn't like it.

The second round of feedback was where the maker could give the crowd the design brief from the client, as that could effect the way a piece was made - again the smiths could comment... changing view points if they saw fit.

The third and last round was design brief and budget constraints given - again the smiths could offer comment. At about this time the comments could and often did differ from their original views now that they had more information.

It was sometimes a bit harsh but not cruel. You could always run to the bathroom to cry if you needed. The end result - on reflection - was an improvement of the smiths design and build skills.

Thanks to those who offer constructive feedback!

Sorry to twitter on, but I gave my last posting a bit of thought and wanted to add to it.

I agree with the comments about Highlander's rose. I would like to see the edges thinner. BUT

Supposing Highlander came back to us and said -

"This rose is one of 50. They are to be placed on an overthrow to a gate and will be about 7 feet from ground level"

That may change my view point somewhat.
What then if Highlander added

"This work is to be placed outside in a New England environment (read wet and possibly salty)"

That would definitely change my viewpoint considerably.

2 feet above eye level -in a group of 50 -and in a wet environment. Thin edges wouldn't last very long.

What then if Highlander said that each rose had to be finished in 'X' amount of minutes or dollars to come in on or under budget.

Alas I am starting to ramble on.....

i appreciate all the feedback including yours, mark. the rose was a first, and i decided to go with a thicker closed petal. if you have ever had a rose bush, you know that the flowers don't all look the same all of the time. sometimes they are closed. sometimes they are open. sometimes they are partially open. i am still learning this blacksmithing thing and i will be learning every day until i can't swing the hammer anymore. first rose and first try. next one will be better. i promise.

I like the rose, when I first saw a rose demonstrated, it was a multiple disk rose, I was just amazed, and immediately set out to make one. Then Bill Epps showed us one at Campbells folk school rolled like yours. Of course I tried to do that one as well with varying degrees of success. The fact is however, had I not seen it done, I would never even have attempted it. After several now, my main problem is to properly texture the stem and leaves, I am planning on grooving an old ball peen hammer for that, any better ideas out there?

Nice first rose Highlander.

Good suggestions.

Nice lucid ramble Mark. It always takes on a ramblin tone when one starts trying to allow for contingencies in advance. Part of the art is in evaluating and allowing for the variables as we go.

Frosty

The fact is however, had I not seen it done, I would never even have attempted it. After several now, my main problem is to properly texture the stem and leaves, I am planning on grooving an old ball peen hammer for that, any better ideas out there?

Harbor freight sells a chipping hammer for welding (two faced - |) ...if you grind the sharp edges off and round up the new faces you get a dandy two faced hammer for doing that job

Harbor freight sells a chipping hammer for welding (two faced - |) ...if you grind the sharp edges off and round up the new faces you get a dandy two faced hammer for doing that job

the only issue is that its a harbor freight and its probably made of mild steel. It wouldn't hold its edge as well as if you were to use an old chisel or something

Like Mark Aspery said in his second message, things like where an item ends up, or staying on budget influences the form of the product. Critiques are great, but how is this for a personal guideline for anything you make: If it turns out just how you intended then it's darn fine work.

I vein small leaves cold and use small rounded chisels made for the purpose. I do one side on the workbench, then do the other side on top of an old welding glove. The give of the leather allows me to imprint and bend in one operation and gives me a veined, concave leaf.

As for the stems: For a lot of texturing work a set of clapper dies could pay for themselves, but for what little I do hammering is fast enough. I'm not condoning inefficiency but for some items there's a certain appeal to something that has been lovingly slaved over.

As for chipping hammers: I've never shopped Harbour Freight, but have recycled many chipping hammers and have yet to run into one that was mild steel. Maybe I'm lucky?

I guess Harbor Freight is not the store for some..I judge the tool by the job it does not how much I spent!
the rose is nice looks a lot better than my first try...they get better as you go!

Edited December 16, 200817 yr by jimbob