Simple Brackets, but not simple making three the same.

I've put up a nice row of pegs in the laundry using dog spikes and some slabbed timber from a friend. A shelf on top was requested so a piece of timber was purchased and then into the forge to make some brackets. First I cut three lengths of bar and tapered the ends.

 

Next job was to make a form to bend the tapered bar into a uniform curve.

 

So far so good!

 

 

Then scroll the ends, some fun trying to get uniform scrolls without upsetting the original curve but perseverance pays and in the forge it can always go back in.

 

 

Hard to photograph the long shelf with the three brackets, but it looks rather fine to me. 

 

The beauty of repetition - The Gate

I picked up a couple of nice gates from a friend who was moving house. The only problem was that they were a little short for keeping our dog in.

 

Should be a simple fix for a blacksmith, just decide what should go on top.

 

Some leaves seemed just the ticket. Lots of good practice with hammer and anvil, shaping and lengthening pieces of 12mm bar.

 

 

A little bit of cheating with the drill stand and welder to set them in place.

 

 

Then some paint and a happy meeting with the latch made earlier (see previous post).

 

 

 

Sorry about the washing!

 

Winter time - and time for a log stand

It's been a while as the rest of life has interfered with forge time but finally found time for a productive day in the forge. This time working with some heavier guage square bar to make a log stand.

 

Making the legs was my first attempt at upsetting (making the metal thicker).

 

We needed some book ends for our CD's

 

 

Now I need to make 7 more!

We also needed a latch and hinges for a new gate.

And then there were three (for the Genesis fans)

 

The third ended up a little longer than planned, due to a mistake in the calculations; all part of learning!

The second version took a couple of goes to get right. Wrapping the vine in the same direction as the twist on the shaft didn't look right at all. Fortunately for a blacksmith a mistake is only a little heat and a few blows away from perfection. Well perfection may be a bit strong but certainly very pleasing. When you twist the poker the effect is quite striking.

 

 

 Seeing the two of them on the hearth has lead to a suggestion we should build a collection!

Whilst the fire was hot it made sense to make the most of it so a hose stand was fashioned with a Leunigesque feel to the curl.

 

The first commission!

Great excitement at recieving the first commissioned piece from Jindery Forge. A short poker for a very small English fireplace. The first practice version was pleasing, with room for refinement.

 

I think the leaf can be finer and the handle smoother, roll on the weekend.