Feather Damascus Knives

I've been doing several of these each year, usually when I'm needing to challenge myself for a week.
Called "Crushed W Feather Pattern", or, "Feather Damascus".
All fluxless forge welded in the blown ribbon burner propane forge, thanks J Emmerling for introducing me to fluxless forge welding!
These things are a pile of work, with many different steps in the process, but quite pretty upon completion.
Ebony handles, I started using .22cal rimfire cases for the rivets, like the look.

Custom BBQ Smoker Grill with Artwork

This bbq started out as a 200 gallon fuel tank, 3 ft diameter x 4 ft long. The hand wheel on the end runs a cable system inside to raise and lower the grill. The wheel spokes and sun rays are made from 'unfolded angle iron'. Copper repousse work by Thomas Laman from Fiddle around Forge. Thanks to Dick Fedder, who made the wheel spokes while visiting my shop, and inspired the process for me to do the sun rays.
Photos by Gina Janelli.

Retro Industrial Door Pulls

Overall size 2 x 10 x 4-1/2 inches deep.

Grab handles made from 3/8 x 1, and 1/4 x 1 flat bar, punched and drifted with 1/2 inch holes.  Brass bolts and nuts with copper flat washers. Mark Werst and I made a 60 degree swedge tool for forging the custom 3-sided mounting bolt heads, and then figured out a 3-sided wrench for tightening the bolts. Wax finished.  These handles finished out real nice, and feel great in the hand. They would be a great accent to a mancave, restaurant, or tavern.
Photo by Gina Janelli.

RR Spike Knife San Mai

This knife started as a track spike. After forging the handle, I split the end open and inserted a chunk of tool steel, surrounded by 2 pieces of high nickel content saw blade. This was all forge welded together and drawn out, resulting in a 5-layer laminate with a tool steel cutting edge in the center.  The blade was ground to shape, hardened and tempered, and finally etched to reveal the different metals in the construction. Not only is it a great conversation piece, it has a hardened steel blade, and is quite capable of field dressing a deer.

Display Stand

I made the Iron stand for this display case. 3/4 inch square stock, split/drift tenon joinery, waxed finish. Photos by Madeleine Graham Blake.

Fireplace doors

Fireplace doors with textured iron, custom hinges and latch.

Joist brackets

Artsy joist hanger brackets. 2x3x1/4 angle, 1/4 inch thick forged elements. 12 x 19 inch overall. Decorative  rivets on the base plate for some industrial texture. Handmade square nuts. Full penetration weldments with preheated 7018 rod, blended and textured. Finished with beeswax, pastewax,linseed and turpentine mix. Beats the hell out of galvanized Simpson brackets, tell you what. The extra bolts up the run satisfy earthquake code, and eliminate the need for another ugly galvinized strap. These brackets add a personality to an already unique open beam house.

Dragon Curtain Rods

I've been working lately outfitting a house with, in my opinion, fairly unique curtain rods. Heads and rods forged from 1 inch solid square. Wings from 22 ga sheet metal, textured on my newly aquired  and rebuilt 1952 High Speed Rivet Hammer. These pictures are mocked up on a closet door, it's really hard to photograph iron work when installed. Still evolving the curtain rings.

Revolving Wall

A local horse trainer needs convenient acess to his saddles and tack, he had me build a 10 foot wide wall on a center axle. The equipment is safe in the tack room, until he unlatches and pivots the wall, then everything is suddenly in the main aisle of the barn, only a few steps from the horse. It works extremely well, the wall pivots with just a couple fingers of pressure. It's plumb nifty. Axle made from drill stem pipe, framework from 2 inch sq tubing.

Camp Axe

Small axe made from 1 inch square ag shaft. After hardening, I heat the eye drift in the forge, and use the heat of the drift to run the temper colors to the edge. The process is called mandrel tempering. It makes a great product, and is kind of pretty, I reckon.