What We're Making

[Steelart99]

Hmmm ... I make folding knives including forging all the damascus blades. I also make jewelry, chain mail, sculptures (clay and bronze), wood turning, and lots and lots of footprints in the woods/snow/etc. Suffice it to say that I do not have enough time for my hobbies ... I need to be FIRE'd soon

 

[Nemo2]

including forging all the damascus blades.

Wow..nice....you have a blacksmith's set-up, anvil & forge? You'll have to change your name to Vulcan or Hephaestus.

 

[Miranda]

I've been off and on teaching myself to play flute for the last few months, and I agree with your decision.

Yeah, that decision was based on feedback from my dog.

 

[Steelart99]

Wow..nice....you have a blacksmith's set-up, anvil & forge? You'll have to change your name to Vulcan or Hephaestus.

hehehe ... yep several forges, hydraulic presses, belt sanders ... etc. To think that I originally got into making knives because I couldn't really afford the ones I wanted (and saw at knife shows.) I could have bought all the knives I ever wanted for what I spent in tools. But then ... you can never have enough tools .. BTW, I specialize in putting meteorites in my knives. I forge iron meteorite into the blades and cut slices of iron and stone meteorite as part of the knife fittings / decoration.

 

[kerik68]

Forgive my ignorance, but how is this done? Do you start with a coil of wire, then form each loop? Are the ends soldered somehow? It looks like very intricate work.

Not ignorance at all! You start with rings (you can make them yourself but that is a ton of work) and you open and weave and close them in different patterns. I haven't soldered any of the rings at all but you can solder your clasps to ensure they don't come off. It's intricate but not too bad once you get the hang of opening and closing each ring.

I make some of my own chain and have tried doing chainmaille but I get lost before I get very far. These are nice. What did you make with them? I learned how to do Viking knit recently and have been having fun with that.

I made these out of sterling silver, gunmetal rings and copper. I always dip my pliers in a plasticy adhesive so I don't mark the rings while I am weaving. Viking knit sounds interesting!

 

[kerik68]

Steelart those are gorgeous!

 

[Ronstar]

Steelart those are gorgeous!

+1. Very impressive!


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[harley]

I've always enjoyed watching blacksmiths work. And knives are what I would choose to make if I was inclined that way. Beautiful work! And then woodturning, too! Way beyond my skillset.

 

[davemartin88]

Hmmm ... I make folding knives including forging all the damascus blades.

Beautiful work- had to google damascus steel, quite a story and history. Thanks for sharing the pictures!

 

[Steelart99]

Beautiful work- had to google damascus steel, quite a story and history. Thanks for sharing the pictures!

Thanks to all. Always nice to hear that the things I create that I think are "cool" ... are to others as well.

 

[splitwdw]

I make some of my own chain and have tried doing chainmaille but I get lost before I get very far. These are nice. What did you make with them? I learned how to do Viking knit recently and have been having fun with that.

I made these out of sterling silver, gunmetal rings and copper. I always dip my pliers in a plasticy adhesive so I don't mark the rings while I am weaving. Viking knit sounds interesting!

What did you make with them, not what are they made of. Necklace, bracelets, handles, trim for clothing?
Viking knit is pretty easy. For tools you need a draw plate (I made mine) and a piece of wood dowel. You can use 24, 26, 28 gauge wire. I use sterling silver or art wire. There's a bracelet in the photo.

 

[TappyGee]

... BTW, I specialize in putting meteorites in my knives. I forge iron meteorite into the blades and cut slices of iron and stone meteorite as part of the knife fittings / decoration.

You should watch the episode of "Avater, the Last Airbender" about Sakka's meteor sword. Good episode.

 

[davemartin88]

Work in Progress- this is a stool I'm cutting on the CNC machine from a plan I purchased. The legs haven't been epoxied in place yet, they are fresh off the machine. Once glued, will sand them smooth. I realized after cutting the blanks for the legs, they were a 1/16" smaller than they should be so there is a gap where the leg and seat join. This is the first one of these I've done plus using the new router so a lot of learning so far. Using Poplar since it's inexpensive but hope to make the next one with a Maple top and Walnut for the legs and the alpaca inlay.

 

[Nemo2]

Work in Progress- this is a stool

Nice...looking forward to seeing the finished item.

 

[Ronstar]

Cool stool!

 

[MRG]

Thanks to all. Always nice to hear that the things I create that I think are "cool" ... are to others as well.

Seriously great blades. I recall seeing my first Damascus steel shotgun as a kid. Always been impressed, thanks for posting.

 

[kerik68]

What did you make with them, not what are they made of. Necklace, bracelets, handles, trim for clothing?
Viking knit is pretty easy. For tools you need a draw plate (I made mine) and a piece of wood dowel. You can use 24, 26, 28 gauge wire. I use sterling silver or art wire. There's a bracelet in the photo.

Oh read too fast! I make bracelets and necklaces and haven't branched out from that yet.

Your Viking Knit is amazing!

 

[Lsbcal]

I don't know if paintings qualify here but I've done some that include framing. The process:

1) Buy masonite piece and cut to sizes.
2) Gesso both sides. I like to leave it rough i.e. no sanding
3) Go out in the field (like to a winery here) and paint the scene. I use Duo Aqua water soluble oils.
4) Cut boards to size to create backing
5) Glue boards and maybe paint sides or leave bare if you like that

Here are 2 hanging in the bathroom, a small and intimate space . Both were done around Kenwood California with views of Kunde Winery.

The second photo shows the sides and some of the brush work.

.

 

[Ronstar]

Very nice paintings, Lsbcal! How long are you out in the field painting? Can you get one done in a day, or does it take multiple trips?

 

[Lsbcal]

Very nice paintings, Lsbcal! How long are you out in the field painting? Can you get one done in a day, or does it take multiple trips?

It will depend on size but for these it was around 2 to 3 hours to finish. I might do a few touch ups at home but the aim is to do it all in one site in one sitting. The light changes encourage one to do these fairly quickly.

Typically I'd start at 10AM and finish by lunch. The morning (or evening) light is most dramatic and in the afternoon the light gets flat i.e. the angle of the light is such that foliage on grasses and plants does not get that glow from backlighting.

 

[Nemo2]

I think this thread should be closed immediately........it gives us totally no-talent people inferiority complexes!

Moderator, Moderator!!

 

[Lsbcal]

I think this thread should be closed immediately........it gives us totally no-talent people inferiority complexes!

Moderator, Moderator!!

Cute
But seriously, there is no such thing as lack of talent. Just lack of patience to develop your talent.

 

[splitwdw]

Cute
But seriously, there is no such thing as lack of talent. Just lack of patience to develop your talent.

My sisters could paint and sculpt from an early age. I tried and tried to paint but I have no ability. I thought my talent was working until I took a metal working class about 10 years ago. Turns out I was good at it. I've tried a lot of different crafts since then but it's almost all metal or wood crafts. You have to find the craft that speaks/works for you.

Your paintings are wonderful!

 

[Lsbcal]

My sisters could paint and sculpt from an early age. I tried and tried to paint but I have no ability. I thought my talent was working until I took a metal working class about 10 years ago. Turns out I was good at it. I've tried a lot of different crafts since then but it's almost all metal or wood crafts. You have to find the craft that speaks/works for you.

Your paintings are wonderful!

Splitwdw, thanks. It's nice to occasionally get some encouragement.

Perhaps you did not develop your drawing which is the foundation of painting. I have a lot of very bad paintings that I did and disposed of. One needs a tons of patience and eventually progress happens. Everyone develops their own style even if it is not immediately apparent to themselves. Some learn better in a class with the social element thrown in.

At any rate, I'm glad you found your forte!

 

[splitwdw]

Splitwdw, thanks. It's nice to occasionally get some encouragement.

Perhaps you did not develop your drawing which is the foundation of painting. I have a lot of very bad paintings that I did and disposed of. One needs a tons of patience and eventually progress happens. Everyone develops their own style even if it is not immediately apparent to themselves. Some learn better in a class with the social element thrown in.

At any rate, I'm glad you found your forte!

When we were young, a artist friend of my father's would give us among other things, drawing lessons, almost all through grade school. I can still remember the projects and the fun we had. It wasn't just drawing/painting/sculpting, we made a room divider out of copper wire, copper cutouts and crayons with a frame of wood, we made a lamp for each of us out of paper mache, we made mobiles from sticks and stones and dried animal bones. I remember enjoying making things rather than painting or sculpting. One of the things that I enjoy about going to a class is the feedback you get from other classmates and the things you can learn from them. I learned how to cut glass, do lampwork, forge spiculums, Viking knit and many other techniques from classmates. By the way, all of our childish art is in my father's wood shop in the carriage house.