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SHARON
EPPS
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Wow, I am getting all dry spit in my mouth. Oh, my, hope I can hold up to the "Heat" (grin)
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SHARON
EPPS
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I want to give credits here, cause credits are definitely due. First to Bill Epps, my husband who has allowed me to learn any and all things I know about blacksmithing over the last 17 years. I can't say he has ever been a patient teacher w/me, but when I have ever wanted to try a new project he has allowed me to do so and given me instruction through the years. Now I want to thank Jock for suggesting I try this project I told him I had in my mind. In fact he more or less pushed me into doing it. The "Art Project Candle Holder" evolved because we had some 5" glass globes that we bought years ago and have not ever used. I wanted to make something that looked like a tree w/vines all over it cause I make brooms out of these objects (treelimbs and vines). Lastly, thanks to all of the "smiths" who through the years have shown me things and had patience to teach me things about blacksmithing. I'm grateful to you all.
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Figure 1 |
Figure 2 |
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SHARON
EPPS
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I haven't, of course, shown all the tools that I used in this project, because at one point in time I had lots of various tongs I used and different hammers, but these were some of them. I used one piece of 1/2" round stock, several pieces of 3/8" round stock, 1/4" round stock and a 3/16" round stock that we use. I had a "Vine Texturing Die" for our power hammer, and I realize most folks don't have this, but to begin the project I textured all the stock. I can't be specific about the exact lengths of the stock, because I figured out the lengths as I went along. The 1/2" round piece which serves as the center support post for the whole project was probably about 18 " long once I decided on how long I wanted it to be.
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Figure 3 (click) |
Figure 4 |
Figure 5 |
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SHARON
EPPS
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After I had all the pieces of stock textured, shown in Fig. 3, then I started working the stock on the anvil to begin tapers on the ends of the pieces, usually on both ends and making the bends I needed for the trunk and roots. The tapers are drawn out to fine points depending on the stock size.
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Figure 5 |
Figure 6 |
Figure 7 |
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SHARON
EPPS
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You take the heated stock and hit on one side then rotate 90 deg. and rotate your tongs back and forth until you have the point drawn down, then you knock the edges down to round it up because at this point it is squared and you are after the rounded taper. Heat it and go to side of anvil edge, hit it one blow on the end. Put it back up on the anvil and start it to curl towards you. Sometimes I only brought it around to a "C", other times I brought it on over its self, to form a curl. I purposely didn't want any of the "4" pieces that I intended to use out of the 3/8" round stock to be exactly the same. These 4 pieces which ended up about 4 1/2"-5" after I cut them all off to be the exact same length from curl tip to bottom
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Figure 9 |
Figure 10 |
Figure 11 |
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SHARON
EPPS
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After I cut the "Globe Holder Pieces", I laid them on the welding table and welded them w/a tac in the 4 corners where they touched each other in the corners. I used a Mig welder for this. I purposely laid them where the curls were going in different directions in order to simulate how vines and limbs would be in nature, in other words not symectrical (hope I spelled that right). Then after I had them welded, being sure to leave a hole in the middle about 1/4" round, I really got a work out in the heat of the forge. I had to open up the front of the forge to accommodate the 4 point star I had formed. I began to work each piece in alteration around the horn of the anvil to bring the pieces up. This just about made me quit the project cause it wasn't easy to keep the bottom flat to accomodate the bottom of the globe, but perserverance is needed here. I rounded the edges up and had to keep the ends near the same over all length
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SHARON
EPPS
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Then I took the rattail, scroll tongs and twisted the ends some more to give a "Curling" effect, again in different directions. Whew, I was glad to set this piece aside.
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Figure 12 |
Figure 13 |
Figure 14 |
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SHARON
EPPS
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Actually, I probably should reverse Fig. 12 and 14, but this is just to give you the idea of how the curling process went. I started the curls around the horn of the anvil, then put each of the 4 sizes of stock (while they were really hot) in the vice and w/pair of Vice Grips and or scroll tongs grabbed the metal and began to make twists. Some tight, some not so tight. The one 1/2" center piece, I would have to take back to the anvil to straighten up a bit because it had to be curley, yet straight so the whole thing wouldn't be "Wobbley". This was a trick. I did not put a curley end on this piece, put left the ends sort of pointed to be able to fit into the top globe holder piece (about 1/3" round, and the same w/the bottom to fit into the disk that will be discussed next. Anyway, you curl all pieces of stock, some of the 3/8" and 1/2" round pieces I cut in 1/2 when I decided how long I wanted them to be
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Figure 15 |
So now I got a pile of curley stock on the floor, and I proceed to next step. I used a piece of 1/4" X 6" stock that had been cut out w/plasma torch in a rough round shape. Had to grind it to smooth it up and get it nice and round.
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Figure 16 |
Figure 17 |
Figure 18 |
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SHARON
EPPS
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Ok, now after you got the disk cleaned up, I heated it, however many times it took to get it to look like I wanted it to, and went to the anvil, and let me tell you, I work all around an anvil, and began to use a cross-pien hammer and started to texture and then the edges all the way around it, then textured the center of the anvil using one side of the cross pien to make dents. All this is just to give dimension. This disk has a 1/4" hole drilled in the center of it. I had to keep it level, then took I took it over a cupping part of the "Salt Fork Craftsman" swedge block. I used the rounding part of the hammer on the back side of the textured disk to accomplish this.
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Figure 18b |
This one is where I am smoothing up the concaving edge of the disk from the back side. After I got this to suit, removed the swedge block from anvil and heated the disk one more time and flipped it over and worked it all over the face of the anvil just lightly hitting edges until it sat flat once again. Indentation gave the piece about 3/8" rise in center, just enough to make it look right and to be able to accommodate the stem.
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Figure 20 |
Figure 19 |
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SHARON
EPPS
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I had to do some fine tuning so to speak on the pointed parts of the 1/2" round center part to make them fit into the globe holder part. Used tongs to hold it where it was standing upright and at correct angle and tack welded it from the back first then turned it over and filled in the center from the other side. Didn't want this to go all the way through the center, just be inside it enough that it would hold. Then put the opposite end in the disk, but wanted it to go through the disk sticking out on the bottom about 1/4" so I could make it like a rivet head. 2 tacks on the outside. Then put in vice and heated it up w/torch and using a ball pien hammer made a rivet on the back side. Well, that was the intention, but this was really hard cause I didn't want it wobbly at all so had to do a little tacking on it too
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Figure 21 |
Figure 22 |
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SHARON
EPPS
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Here came the "fun" Part. Taking 4 pieces of 3/8" round, textured stock and making the fit both the tree trunk and the base and be "Knarley" and Twisty, and still symetrical. I wanted these 4 pieces which were varying lengths to look like roots that are exposed, sort of like Swamp trees look. (Just my personal concept). These are tack welded around the piece. Then once they look like, truly welded in place to make them look like they grew that way. Next I took pieces of the 1/4" and twisted around the tree trunk and around the roots to look like "Snake" vines do when they grow up a tree. Then took the 3/16" textured and twisted pieces and began to tack, heat w/torch and bend and tack to give the effect of smaller vines creaping around the globe holder and around the trunk.
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SHARON
EPPS
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I had been pretty well happy w/the piece at this point, but Bill and David Levitt, who was here from Nevada, said "Oh No, you need some leaves". We argued about this cause I didn't want the leaves to overpower it, but Bill said Cudzue and Snake Vines have leaves on them, and I should make them out of 1/4" round. I didn't think I could, but he showed me how. You make the leaves by pointing the end a bit, then after you do this, you put it over the side of the anvil and "set it down" on 2 sides a little over 1/2" inch. Then you draw the stem down a bit working back towards yourself to make it thin at the base of the leaf and work it back to yourself to round up the stem part
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Figure 23 |
Figure 24 |
Figure 25 |
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SHARON
EPPS
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Making little leaves is harder than making bigger ones, cause you don't have the mass to work with, of course. Anyway, after you have the leaf tapered,, stem drawn down some, then you flatten it out just a little on the anvil face. Put back in forge and get a good heat, and if you have a leaf veining hardy, like we use, you put the leaf in it and spread it out some more and put the raised leaf texture in it. If not, then you could texture your leaf w/chisel, you need the veins I think for the dimension and texture effect. Once you do this, then cut the leaves off the stock and heat the stem part and taper and thin it down to suit
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SHARON
EPPS
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I had to do this to appease these guys, so I made 12 or 13 of the leaves, and said that was enough. I took each leaf stem and curled each some w/"Offset" Rattail Scrolling tongs and bent the stems to give the effect of nature again. The leaves were also cupped, and I didn't show that detail w/small ball pien hammer in a spoon cupping hardy, and the tips of leaves were bent upward just slightly. All of this is done to give 3 dimensional look. Well now I had a dilimena cause I knew that these leaves needed to be "Tig" welded on the vines at varying places, and I ain't any good at Tig welding yet. Dave Levitt is real good at it, so he gave me a "Welding Lesson" repeat by making me wear a helmut and watch him as he did it. I didn't want to mess up this piece, so I was sure grateful for his help
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Figure 26 |
Figure 26a |
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SHARON
EPPS
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And Here I Am - (96 hours later) w/finished piece. I am pleased w/how it came out, and need to get a whole lot faster to make these to sell. Thanks for letting me show ya'll this piece. It is fun to try pieces that are different and "Artsy/Fartsy".
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SHARON
EPPS
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Questions?
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PPW
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Lady, you do nice work!
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Steve C
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Great Job Sharon, It looks like you have been holding out on us!
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Shepherd
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Sharon, how do you get the hole in the globe holder in Picture 9?
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SHARON
EPPS
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Aw shucks, I'm blushing. I didn't mean to be a show off, but it was really a pleasure to envision something in my mind, and finally force myself to make it. I appreciate you all putting up w/me tonight.
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JOCK D.
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Did you paint this piece when you finished it. The one photo looks green and brown.
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P-F
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Applause!...great piece Sharon
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jamgusmc
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beautiful..nicely done!
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R. Guess
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Miss Sharon, that piece is truly a beautiful work of art. Great demo too
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SHARON
EPPS
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Shepherd, I thought I stated that when I welded the 4 pieces together, I left a hole in the center about 1/4" round. Didn't weld it shut in other words.
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David England
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Sharon, I am Impressed! but we gotta talk about those tiny leaves>:)
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PPW
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We're grateful that you were willing to share! You're more of a blacksmith than you admit to! You and Bill together make one heckuva team, cause you're both good at what you do!
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Milt
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Thanks for the demo.Interesting design.
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Mills
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Very nice, Sharon.
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kiwi
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Sharon, Very Nice!
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SHARON
EPPS
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No, jock, just the way the light hit it. I forgot to say that I wire brushed this piece w/electric wire brush, a bunch, to give a sheen, then went over it again w/ hand wire brush, and finally used a "rusty wire brush on it" and of course used a torch to color all the places where it was welded. Then after about at least 1 hour of all this wirebrushing, yada ya, I sprayed it w/clear Acrylic to give a sheen.
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SHARON
EPPS
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Ok, I will talk to you David. Bill just explained to me the "Inside Joke".:)
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SHARON
EPPS
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Jock, I hope I didn't work you to death getting all these pictures, etc. resized. The photos were taken by Bill w/ the new digital camera that he claims he bought me for my birthday present. I said "Huh" I can't wear it around my neck, or on my finger, so you must have bought it for yourself, but I am glad he did. I'm not much good at drawing, and it saved me a lot of time. Thanks to all of you. Now lets get back to the Chat.
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JOCK D
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Great demo Sharon! Thank you.
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