I am very busy producing my standard craft show items, but this year I am trying to get a few special pieces made to display and sell at shows as well.
First of all, here are some pictures of some standard products, laying around the shop, getting their final coats of finish before being put in inventory and packed away.
Leaves and crosses!
"Welcome" signs, made from horseshoes.
Here are some dinner bells, horseshoe napkin holders, horseshoe hearts, and horsehead bottle openers. Lots of all of them!
Here are a few hammers! I have gotten behind on hammers, because about two weeks ago, my belt grinder burned up. The belt grinder plays a critical role in hammer making, allowing me to quickly and properly grind the faces of the hammers I make. The grinder I built was underpowered and did not have the ideal type of motor on it, and after a year of grueling service, the motor gave out.
I immediately started a frantic search for a replacement motor. Replacement motors, especially the one I need for this application, are very costly. After some searching, a friend of mine, located a brand new, name brand motor, with all of the specs I needed, for about $100 less than what I would otherwise have paid. Now I just need to get the grinder frame built for the new motor, and I'll have the back up and running.
In the mean time, I have forged a few hammers, so I'll have some ready as soon as the grinder is back online.
Also a couple weeks ago, my old touchmark broke. A touchmark is a blacksmith's way of signing his work. Just like an artist signs his paintings, the blacksmith likes to put his stamp on items he produces. My company name is Fiery Furnace Forge Blacksmith LLC, thus my touchmark has always been "FFF." Custom machined touchmarks are expensive, so I have always used a simple "F" stamp to stamp my three F's. A few years ago, I made my own touchmark. I have stamped literally, thousands of products with the stamp I made. It was a good touchmark, though it may have lacked the clean finished look of a custom mark. Well, like I said, my touchmark broke a few weeks ago. I have reverted back to the old "F" stamp as a "emergency" fill in, but I decided it was time to order a new custom touchmark. I did some research, located a company, and placed my order.
Here is my new mark. It is nice a clean and looks great!
In true blacksmith spirit, I had to make my own pair of touchmark holding tongs.
Back to products:
For several years now, I have had a 6-inch diameter piece of steel pipe laying around the shop. It was some left over piece of something for some job past and gone.
I have long desired to make a bell from the piece of pipe, but it has been stubbornly decorating my shop floor day by day, week by week, month by month, and year by year.
Finally, I have taken the time to make the bell. It was a successful project and it rings well, like a bell.
Here is a bracket I made to hang the bell from.
Another item I made recently, is a candle holder for pillar candles. This candle holder is free-standing. It is 40 inches tall, and 20 inches wide. It is designed to hold four pillar candles. Each holder is located 90-degrees to the previous one, and a little higher, creating a sort of upward spiral configuration. Also each holder bar is oriented to be 45 degrees to each leg, so that when viewed from above, you have eight equal divisions.
Here is an unfinished abstract piece forged from a large piece of left over hammer material.
Well this has been a long, picture saturated blog! Hope you've enjoyed it!
