A Monogram Boot Scraper

I have made and used a number of different types of book scrapers and have developed some opinions about their design features.  But, in a commission project it is the client who gets the final say.

Recently, I was contacted about making a monogram boot scraper which was to be mounted on a large stone from the client’s property and presented as a gift to a friend.  The client had already worked out a design he liked.  I liked it too and it incorporated most of the features I favor.  Probably most people would take such a pattern to a fabrication facility and have it cut out with a a plasma cutter or water jet.  That would, of course, work just fine, but it would be “hand crafted work.”

I took the Client’s drawing and converted it to a SketchUp file where I could work with all the individual pieces.  I selected 1/4” x 1.5” flat bar as the parent stock.  I built the book scraped in the SketchUp file and mounted it on an imaginary rock, did an image capture in jpeg and emailed it to the client for his inspection and got the “go-ahead.”

I made a cutting list with measurements taken from the graphics file.  With coal fire heat I textured the surface of all the flat bar, working with pieces about three feet in length.  The pieces were tumbled then each individual element was cut to size and fire scaled again and tumbled again.

The pieces were fitted on a layout table and MIG tacked in places where the weld wasn’t easily seen.  Rivet holes were drilled.  The rivets were placed and peened.  I wrote about how that was done a short while back.   http://persimmonforge.blogspot.com/2013/12/the-rivet-buck-helper.html

The lettering assembly was welded to the base through two rectangular cutouts, working from the bottom side of the plate.  Finally, the rust patina was developed with hydrochloric acid and hydrogen peroxide, washed, dried and the satin polyurethane and sealer coats were applied.  For outdoor ironwork I prefer this rust patina finish because it is essentially maintenance free and I think the color looks nice with our native limestone.

The end result is a custom item with a rustic, aged look.  The design, in my mind, is clever.  It has individuality and it will have a back story and it should be highly functional.  The edges and open spaces are ideal for scraping every part of the boot, sole, toe, instep, sides, and heel.  If I’m lucky, maybe they will send me a photo of it in it’s new home.

The client's drawing.

The SketchUp version.

The finished monogram boot scraper.

Pretty Side Down?

It occurred to me that over time there has been a change in my thinking about forming. This is something akin to the gestalt of seeing positive space or negative space.

It seems I used to think mostly about the forming process as how the work piece would have to move rather than how the radius of the tools would move the work. Today I spend more time thinking about how I want the surface too look - emphasizing the process marks or eliminating them.

The anvil is usually smoother and flatter than the hammer face. And too move metal quickly a short radius hammer such as a ball peen or rounding hammer is used. As the final form is approached a long radius forging hammer is useful if the chunky surface is to be worked to a smooth surface. Finishing the presentation face with a nearly flat planishing hammer can leave a very smooth surface.

I was taught that because the anvil face was the flattest and smoothest the surface toward the anvil was the “pretty face”. Today I often prefer more visible texture so the interesting side is up and the plain side is on the anvil face. Pretty side up.

The surface facets can be accentuated by hand sanding with 60 or finer grit sand paper or light filing and I do some of that but not much. Like with other surface accents of brass brushing or Guilder’s paste, I think a little goes a long way. I have spent a lot of time studying how I can use fire scaling followed by light tumbling to create the surface appearance I like best. I don't commonly use a wire brush to remove hot scale unless forge welding.

In the final analysis what shows in the work should be intentional so carefully picking the tools and making sure they are well dressed so they don’t leave unintentional marks is good craftsmanship.

Check out Care and Maintenance of a new or old anvil at:

http://www.blksmth.com/care_and_maintenance_of_anvils.htm

http://www.persimmonforge.com/

Too Short? Not a Problem

From time to time I have an experience which reminds me of my woodworking days and why I like ironwork better.

Last week I was assembling pieces of textured flat bar for a chandelier frame and found one of the vertical pieces to be short by a strong 1/16”. If this was a wood frame I would cut another piece and that would be a hassle to set up because both ends are cut on a 14º angle. However, in this case it was just a matter of running the piece back over the texturing die in the power hammer without heat. Two passes did the trick and the bar was then full length.

The ability to adjust length by subtle drawing is nice property of iron working. Shortening by upsetting is possible occasionally but usually trimming is easier. It takes a while to really understand forging dynamics but eventually it is intuitive.

Mentioning the chandelier brings up another issue. I don’t do wiring. I’d do it for myself but when dealing with clients I make all the components and let them arrange for their electrician to finish the work. They are the professional experts in that field.

http://www.persimmonforge.com/