I Weathered the Storm

Here's Hugh Demonstrating a Technique

I wasn't sure if I would make it the the metal shop today...but I ventured out and actually the tropical storm was not too bad. The only downer is that it was extremely humid working outside under just a porch roof...and I was wearing jeans and boots today. So I was miserably hot. It was probably the hottest day working there so far.

I didn't make anything in particular today. No horse for my cowboy. Instead I learned a little more about hammering and shaping steel. I started with a railroad spike, cut off the knob shaped end. Then heated it up in the metal furnace. It's the first time we've used the oven since I've started my lessons. Previously I had used the acetylene torch to heat things up, but this time I worked on several different pieces of metal at once...so we lit the oven.


Just Look at This Blazing Hot Inferno!!

I heated the railroad spike to a fiery red, then Hugh and I worked together to score the spike on each side. We pulled it out of the oven using long-handled tongs, and set it on the anvil. Then he would hold the chisel in place...say go...and I would strike it with a large hammer. Each time, he would move the chisel a little further, say go, and I would strike it again.

We continued in this way until we had scored the spike lengthwise on all four sides. Then I heated it again, put it in the vice, attached a two handled wrench...and turned it several times while it was hot to make it into a spiraled piece. Next, I hammered the end into a chisel. Now, I can use it for a wood chisel or a large screw driver...and it's a pretty neat looking piece. The best part? I made it myself!!

I also heated up a couple pieces of re bar and twisted them. First I twisted them one way, then heated them again, turned them around and twisted them from the opposing end. By doing so, the ridges in the re bar made a cool cross hatch pattern. Next I heated one of the re bar pieces again, and hammered the end into a circle.

I can't think of any purpose for my hook shaped piece of re bar, but it gave me practice in shaping steel. I was just learning to use the anvil and learning to strike metal over a mandrill to perfect the circle shape. A mandrill is a large cone shaped piece of steel, and it's perfect for reaming out circles, or hammering metal into a circle shape of different dimensions.

So it was just another practice day for me, but the principles I learned today will lend themselves nicely to making sculptures. And now I'm really anxious to do something of my design. Perhaps next Saturday I can set off independently and REALLY be creative. I may start out making something totally abstract using scrap metal...or whatever else I find to inspire me!!