Latest project...tree sculpture | Page 3 | Blacksmith Show and Tell | Forum

Thanks all for the compliments.

I guess with something like this it's difficult for me to see it as it is ... I've been at it for the last few months so only realy see the how it was made.

It was quite good project in that I never really got bored with it. Sometimes there comes a point with larger work where the drudge factor goes up a few notches as you get into it. With this one there always seemed to be enough head scratching, experimenting, reverse engineering etc etc to keep me interested. Also it was quite a stress free project in that there was enough adjustment built into it so none of the measurements were really critical. Going around the drainpipe and curved bit meant a bit of planning ahead

Lewis;10955 wrote: Looks great, David!

I was wondering why we hadn't heard from you lately. Looks like there were some very good reasons.

I guess the work was part the reason, the other was that I took on a workshop next door to do the tree but just couldn't bring myself to let go of that extra space. So .....i've been bogged down with all the usual time sucks that go with being self employed .......plus kitting out a second work shop.

It's only 600sq ft extra but I've been getting by for years in 400. Landlord wont let me do any hammering in the new workshop elsewise I'd have plonked a few hundred pounds of Massey in it.

It both good and bad having two workshops. Bad cos I'm for ever runnning back and forth between them looking for THAT tool .... or was it THAT one. Good cos I can keep all the dirty work like forging, grinding and spraying in the old one and use the new one for assembly and machining

Grant;11006 wrote: Glad to see you making such good use of the induction. Everyone, I mean absolutely everyone, says they never imagined how much they would use it. You find all kinds of ways to make it work and really get spoiled. Have you played with any "pancake" type coils?

I made a flat one Grant but haven't really had much call to use it ..... yet. That said, I do like the idea of the pancake ones you showed that "curl" round a bar so as you can get them on the middle of a bar. Gonna try one this week some time

David Edgar;11130 wrote: Nice work David. My son lives in Manchester so I get up there quite a bit, I will keep my eye out for it. Did you texture it hot or cold? with the press, PH or fly?
What was the largest dia solid you used or the smallest dia "tube"?
I want to try a small "bonsai" version but knowing me, it will likely turn out "giant redwood" and living in the garden instead of the window sill.
Anyway I am interested in your texture dies, I have just finished a hydraulic press and want an excuse to try it.

David, the tree is on a building called "Afflecks Palace" on Tibb st/ Church St near Picadilly

Just about all of the trunk was made from 1.5mm sheet textured hot on a Kinyon hammer ...pilot valve set low to give very rapid light blows. I did start off forging a few bits of tube from 22mm to 42mm o/d but I couldn't get the depth/ type of texture I wanted (and weight became an issue) so I abandoned the idea and went over to rolling up sheet. That said, the leaf stems are 10mm solid withe the occassional bit of 22mm tube

The problem with textureing tube or solid is (even with it supported it a V bolster) is you only get straight line areas of contact so I couldn't get the wavey texture I wanted. I guess I could have made concave textured dies/ bolsters but it was easier to use sheet.

The great advantage of bolt on dies is it's real easy to throw together experimental dies and then evolve them. I used chunks of En24 (4340) welded to backing plates. They were textured with an angle grinder and then refined/ smoothed out using various Dynabrades/ contact arms. Without the smoothing, the sheet tends to "stick" into the grooves in the dies. Because of the amount of use they would get I heat treated the final versions "by the book" using a recently aquired small potters kiln. They've stood up real well.