anvilfire iForge Demo Colonial Candle Stand

J-J : `02:40:44`	This is the 1790's candleabra from Colonial and Early American Lighting, with a modern natural hardwood burl base.
J-J : `02:41:38`	Skills needed: drawing, pointing, bending, twisting, forge welding, making threads with a die, fullering and swaging.
J-J : `02:42:03`
J-J : `02:43:05`	I've not seen these drawings tonight...looks like we have some degredation, but those are supposed to be straight lines the software is turning to jagged ones.
J-J : `02:44:22`	we'll need a pc of 16" x 3/8" sq stock and 2 pcs of 6 1/2" x 1/4" sq stock and a small hardwood burl for the base...I used a huckle berry root ball here.
J-J : `02:45:21`	upright: draw a 3 1/2" round, tapered point on one end of the 16" piece.
J-J : `02:46:18`	roll a tight "c" scrool on the last 1/4" of the tip, then roll a ring of about 1" diameter and it'll look like the picture below right.
J-J : `02:47:24`	I know i'm not showing all the forge positions for these operations, but it's only because we've covered them so many times already. If you need a refresher, look in iforge and it'll be there.
J-J : `02:47:48`
J-J : `02:49:09`	Working across your anvil face, round the bottom 2" of the upright, by first taking the square to an octagon, then to the round. Keep it a cylinder. No taper.
J-J : `02:49:45`	Later on, we'll run a series of threading dies onto this cylinder for screwing into our base.
J-J : `02:50:20`	The upright now resembles the drawing lower right.
J-J : `02:50:37`
J-J : `02:51:35`	On each arm section, draw a 1/2" long square tapered point on one end.
J-J : `02:52:21`	on the other end, draw a tapered 1" long rectangle and make it 3/8" wide to match the upright.
J-J : `02:53:04`	Using bailing wire, wrap the arms tightly around the base 7" from the bottom, and YES, the arms reach toward the top :).
J-J : `02:53:26`	Now for the forge weld...
J-J : `02:55:36`	Heat the section to be welded to a red heat, remove and wire brush the oxidation off and borax (20-mule team) flux, back into the fire. Turn occasionally and heat slowly to a yellow-white heat. If you see any sparks get it out right now and tap it a couple times (not too hard), wire brush and flux and back into the fire. Repeat again striking with the hammer from the opposite side.
J-J : `02:56:43`	Don't get carried away with the hammer in making the weld and hit too hard. If so, you'll deform the thing and never get the taper shape back.
J-J : `02:57:24`	Dress the section to insure squate edges and the gentle taper onthe sides, after making the weld.
J-J : `02:57:35`
J-J : `02:59:02`	The drawing purports to show your arms spread and the jointed section locked into your vice, a twisting wrench in place and ready to put about a 6 facet twist in the top section of the upright.
J-J : `02:59:54`	Next, reheat, put into the vice upside down and put about 3 twists in the lower section, between the arms and the rounded cylinder base.
J-J : `03:01:33`	Be sure your flat sides are aligned after twisting. If you think you bunged up a beginning twist or ending twist, reheat that section only, use a pair of tong reigns for a fuller and groove the upright slightly to hide the problem.
J-J : `03:02:52`	Now, we shape the arms, this is asimple s curve shaped over the anvil horn. I didn't do any drawings of this simple curve. Just make sure the left side and right side are matched.
J-J : `03:03:45`	My only word of caution is to use a wooden mallet for the bending of the curves over the horn. A steel hammer will damage the edges of the twisted arms.
J-J : `03:05:05`	oops, I forgot one thing...the twisted arms. Before the arms can be curved, heat one at a time, placing the welded joint into the vice and the twisting wrench out near the tip, and make one tight, continual twist.
J-J : `03:07:19`	Next, get out a 7/16" treading die and run it up the 2" long base cylinder..it'll go on easy and not leave much thread, but it's actually setting up the 3/8" treading die operation you will next run on. The 3/8" die will go on snugly and form a nice set of coarse threads (use a course threading die :) )
J-J : `03:08:36`	Now, take an undersized (slightly) as copmpared to the threads you just made, drill and drill the base. Then thread the base into place.
J-J : `03:09:08`	(If you are worried about damaging the base, it's best to leave it until dead last to screw into place)
J-J : `03:09:27`	We are almost through now.
J-J : `03:09:54`	All we have to do is make the candle cups and mount them into place.
J-J : `03:11:53`	Before i bring up the pictures of making the cups, I'm going to show how to do them over the anvil. Some guys like to use just a ball pien hammer or a lug wrench as a swaging die. That's good if you don't have to roll the tips back over to a full 90 degrees. In this case, the design calls for a full 90 degree roll back on the tip, and we'll do it the old fashioned way :).
J-J : `03:12:30`
J-J : `03:13:39`	I'm using a 3/4" dia section of EMT conduit (electrical conduit) and i hold about an 18" or 2' long section in my hand and heat just the first few inches.
J-J : `03:14:53`	CAUTION!!!!! emt conduit is zink coated. I take the zink off before i start forging, by dipping in swimming pool acid for about one mionute, then flushing with water.
J-J : `03:16:17`	OK, lthe tip is heated and we begin the cup form with a small ball pien hammer working (hammering) from the outside of the pipe about 1/4" back from the tip, while holding the pipe up at about a 45 degree angle from the horn.
J-J : `03:16:59`	This may take a few heats, but don't hit it too hard and don't work it cold. It'll crack or get kinked.
J-J : `03:19:07`	Now we've got a bit of a rool all the way around the tip, and it's very even! Reheat and lay the slightly rolled tip over the back side of the anvil and positioned over your 1/4" dia radiused edge of the anvil. With the small ball pien, hammer from the inside of the pipe downward, continually turning the pipe.
J-J : `03:20:27`	Now to complete the smooth roll to 90 degrees, reheat, place the rolled tip of the ripe face down on the anvil face, and tap gently with your hammer. Take it up and eye-ball it. make any corrections needed.
J-J : `03:21:01`
J-J : `03:22:48`	Reheat a section about 2 1/2" from the rolled tip. And begin using your spring or hinged fuller with light blows and continually turning the pipe, as we begin the fuller down for the rounded cup base.
J-J : `03:24:32`	I strike the fuller about 50 fast, light times before losing my heat, which goes real quick on the light pipe. DO NOT keep hitting once it's cold. It will have a tendency to cruch or cruple the pipe. It'll take 4 or 5 heats to make the rounded base and it'll finally cut all the way through, leaving you a cup almost 2 1/2" long..
J-J : `03:25:37`	There will be a ragged edge from the fuller cut. Hot rasp it off, then use a small ball pien on the heated base to do any smoothing necessary for symmetry.
J-J : `03:26:29`	In that last operation, it'll be easier for you if you reheat the entire cup, then quench the rolled tip and place that face down on the anvil bvefore tapping the base with the ball pien.
J-J : `03:27:06`
J-J : `03:28:24`	This drawing represents the candleabra and it should show it being held in place at the welded junction in the vice. The point is we are going to now set the cup.
J-J : `03:29:11`	Excuse me, it should be held in the vice just below the cup.
J-J : `03:30:36`	After fullering the cup, you'll see a small hole where the fullering operation pinched the pipe together. Heat this end and quickly hold it over the square tapered tip of the arm and put a 1/2" pipe down the cup for a monkey tool.
J-J : `03:31:45`	Tap the 1/2" pipe monkey tool substitute lightly (!) with a small hammer to set it tothe base of the tapered section. If you strike it too hard, you'll drive it right on down the twisted section of the arm.
J-J : `03:33:23`	Complete the attachment of the cup to the arm with flux and solder or a penny weld with copper. I do this with a torch and leave the candleabra right in the vice until this operation is complete and the weld has cooled. If you don't know what a penny weld is check iforge in one of Bill Epps last demos for the how to.
J-J : `03:33:49`
J-J : `03:34:55`	Apply your favorite finish. I've found that with these natural bases or with granite or marble bases they sell much better than straight blacksmithing. Multimedia, some folks call it. I just know out here they sell better.
J-J : `03:35:18`	That wraps it up, questions/comments?
Tom-Stovall : `03:35:37`	How do you remove the soder flux?
amarda : `03:36:08`	Why don't you twist before you weld, and what heats do you need to dress the weld and spread the arms?
Paw-Paw : `03:36:21`	JJ, two questions. 1. Would a lead hammer work as well as a wooden mallet? And I missed how you start the cup. Over the horn of the anvil?
J-J : `03:36:38`	I wire brush any that dribbles out Tom, but if it's pretty tight fit there isn't much. And i wipe it with a rag as soon as it dribbles down.
Hael : `03:36:53`	Do you mount the arms 7" above the top of the thread or from the very bottom of the upright?
Steve : `03:36:54`	about how long does it take to make it
bbb : `03:37:30`	when you heat up the pipe, duck tape the cold end or you will get steam or hot gases up the pipe, burn hazard
Ntech : `03:37:35`	Nice piece JJ. The pipe be pluged on the end before heating. Gets very hot otherwise.
J-J : `03:37:46`	If you twist before you weld the pieces won't lie flat against one another and that means I have to do a time consuming one at a time, drop the tongs weld.
BenThar : `03:38:52`	Verry nice JJ, Thanks, another excelent demo How much do you get for one?
J-J : `03:39:48`	Paw-Paw, i've had mixed results with a copper hammer, I don't have a lead one. Wood always works. And the cup is started over the tip of the horn, held up to about a 45 degree angle from the lhorn, light taps with a small ball pien about 1/4" back from the tip, continually turning the pipe.
J-J : `03:40:49`	I'm afraid i couldn't answer as fast as the system replaced the questions, if yours didn't get answered, please repost it.
Hael : `03:41:43`	Do you weld the arms 7" above the threads or the bottom of the upright?
BenThar : `03:41:49`	How much do you get for one, I suppose it depends on where it is being sold
amarda : `03:41:56`	What heats do you use to dress the weld and bend the arms? Do you have to be careful to avoid the weld popping off?
J-J : `03:42:13`	BTW, this is the last project in my Basic I classes. It covers most of the skills. Sometimes, we do a 4 legged base that required forge welding and swagging out the feet.
J-J : `03:42:57`	7" above the bottom..i sold fifty last spring at $50 each.
J-J : `03:44:17`	OPnce it's welded the second time i immediately begin any reshaping required while still at a yellow heat. I only do light repacking at a red ot it. You will find out how good your weld is!
Tom-Stovall : `03:44:42`	JJ, when you're doing production, do you tack instead of wire?
J-J : `03:44:52`	I use an orange heat for bending the arms.
J-J : `03:45:38`	Your first try at this may take you a day, 4 hrs maybe. Eventually, one hour tops.
J-J : `03:46:30`	If there is any interest, I could do a demo sometime showing how to make marble and granite bases (very popular) and where to get the material for almost nothing.
amarda : `03:48:24`	It looks like the twists on the arms are really tight, do you just do them as tight as they'll go?
J-J : `03:49:16`	The picture i saw of a 1790's version of this had them this tight, i just matched what it looked like. I counted them...25.
Ntech : `03:50:51`	JJ is that 25 flats of twist?
Gordon : `03:50:57`	JJ, you quarrying the granite yourself?
J-J : `03:50:58`	Before i learned about living on a budget while blacksmithing, I trained by living on a budlet as a tile contractor. That's why I can show you had to do the marbleand granite on the pretty cheap.
J-J : `03:52:46`	Gordon, therfe will be a granite and marble distributor somewhere near most of us. It only takes about a 6" triangle of granite for a nice base, or any guarried stone for that matter, and they throw them away as nusiance pieces. Aslo, any fabrication shop will be overflowing with small pieces they have to pay to get rid of.
amarda : `03:54:16`	Could you also explain more about using tong reigns to groove the upright?
BenThar : `03:55:30`	Just use the reigns like a spring fuller
J-J : `04:00:21`	I probably should have said that a fine wire wheel will take all the crud off a small root ball and nearly finish it in just a few minutes. Paste shoe polish is a great quick finish to apply and buff.