My Latest Bit of Bashing...

[julianthegypsy]

Thought it was about time I showed people what I do, since I've just commented on ironwork....comments, good and bad are welcome. so here goes...


It's a custom made piece, most of my stoves are ahem...less ornate. For anyone interested, i's about 4kw on full bore, and turned right down will easily stay in overnight.

 

[knoba]

That's beautiful!

You could have done a full start-to-finish write-up on it!

Nice job...

Any bits of it that were particularly hard, or that you really enjoyed doing?

 

[gordsgarage]

You could have done a full start-to-finish write-up on it!

I agree with knoba, don't leave us hanging! Love to here the details on the build. The work looks great, well done.

Gord

 

[Drains]

That's lush. But doesn't the wee window usually go in the door?

 

[cumbriasteve]

I agree...looks well nice, what is the window out of..pyrex dish??...we would enjoy seeing more photo's and any more info would be good.

Other's project details are always welcome, many of us get ideas to incorporate in our own work from them

 

[chunkolini]

Like that, unusual and original, I am not one for fancy bits but in this case I would have had more of the planty bits.

Drains, why would you want to wee through a window into the fire?

Chunko'

 

[julianthegypsy]

Wow. well thanks for the nice comments. I suppose I could have done a blow by blow, but it didn't occur. The basic firebox shape is the same as all the other ones I make. I always try to make them look nice anyway, but this customer specifically wanted something really ornamental. I don't normally put a window in at all, it's a woodburner and a window in a stove this size makes things far more complex, but I wanted to give him something good for his money. I didn't put the damper in the door because that's where the damper goes, as you'll see in the next photo. The windows are stove glass, I had a local glass supplier cut them for me, it's not that difficult. Here's a tip, if you have a woodburner, don't buy replacement windows from the stove shop, go to any good glass supplier and get them to cut you a piece to size, you'll save a fortune.
The stove body is steel plate cut on a gullotine, fortunately my landlords are happy to help and have the mother of all guillotines. Likewise the door is folded on their huge press. I weld it up then cut the holes for the flue and the windows, it's a bit heart in mouth but otherwise the plates distort.
The hinges and legs are beaten out from 8mm round over the anvil. The legs start off as a pile of pieces of 8mm which I forge leaves on, then I bundle them together, tack them and twist them. They are then set in place using an oxy torch to heat them and bend them to where I want them to go. One thing I had a problem with was the door, I put so much heat into it that it warped and it was a great deal of sweat to get it straight again. In future, do all the bending first then marry it up. D'oh! The damper is made out of the piece cut out of the flue, which means cut carefully...
Forgot. There are six holes in the door and damper, done on my pillar drill, then a bolt welded through to hold it and 6mm handles welded on to the damper and locknut. And there you have it...

 

[Cris B]

The looks are unusual - certainly not something you see much of in the UK where big black stoves see to be the norm. In france you do get more colourful and ornate ones. Finished work goes to show that a lot of work went into it. I hope the client was happy!

Did you get a spec for the location it was to be used in? Both our wood burners are in inglenooks so we opted for forward facing windows when choosing. The only reason I say this is that if the stove above was put in an inglenook you wouldn't really get the pleasure of watching a good fire due to the side windows.

 

[julianthegypsy]

Thanks Cris. Yes, happily the client was delighted, and yes, I knew where it was going. In fact its in a converted furniture van, which will be wintering in the Alps. The van layout means that you will get to see the fire through the windows. I'm currently building another one for a boat, less ornate, but it will have a window in the front, due to the internal layout, which means I've had to put the damper in the back and extend the handles. It should work well as it means the air will flow very well, as there is a large internal baffle, so the air will travel back to front, round the baffle and back to the flue exit.
Here's a photo of a simpler one for Chunko, minus the flowery bits. I still use forged hinges etc but it's hopefully a bit more elegantly simple, if that makes sense?

 

[knoba]

I love those feet... They're the first thing that grabs my eye! Fabulous object, like something out of Jules Verne...

Funny, if it didn't have a fire in it, I'd be wondering what it was... ...but, I like that in an object. Even now, that I know what it is, I'm savouring the curiosity, in me, that it provokes.

You've "gone way beyond the call" there. It smacks of glorious munificence.

----

Furniture van? It's not a mk 4 transit luton by any chance, is it?

 

[penetrator]

Thought it was about time I showed people what I do, since I've just commented on ironwork....comments, good and bad are welcome. so here goes...
View attachment 21562

It's a custom made piece, most of my stoves are ahem...less ornate. For anyone interested, i's about 4kw on full bore, and turned right down will easily stay in overnight.

How much would you charge for something tike this, looks like a lot of time spent.
The only thing is you let yourself down on the finished product by laying big welds in plain view, i'm not bagging you but you know what i mean.
Pics 1 and 2 if your doing it as a passion, theres nothin under 40 hours so don't rush on the last 2 hours
I know about this sort of stuff, if your not happy grind it off, you know your pleasing your self not the customer.Stand back and look and don't say that will do , My motto is if they don't like they don't pay. I've always been paid.

 

[pidgeon chit welder]

How much would you charge for something tike this, looks like a lot of time spent.
The only thing is you let yourself down on the finished product by laying big welds in plain view, i'm not bagging you but you know what i mean.
Pics 1 and 2 if your doing it as a passion, theres nothin under 40 hours so don't rush on the last 2 hours
I know about this sort of stuff, if your not happy grind it off, you know your pleasing your self not the customer.Stand back and look and don't say that will do , My motto is if they don't like they don't pay. I've always been paid.

A very good standard as well for it often gets you repeat business and lots of free advertizing.

 

[julianthegypsy]

How much would you charge for something tike this, looks like a lot of time spent.
The only thing is you let yourself down on the finished product by laying big welds in plain view, i'm not bagging you but you know what i mean.
Pics 1 and 2 if your doing it as a passion, theres nothin under 40 hours so don't rush on the last 2 hours
I know about this sort of stuff, if your not happy grind it off, you know your pleasing your self not the customer.Stand back and look and don't say that will do , My motto is if they don't like they don't pay. I've always been paid.

This one was actually a bit cobbled in the end, the original customer got himself in a spot of bother and ended up not being able to take it, not that he didn't like it, he did. Someone else saw it and loved it but wanted the back legs the same as the front. They were originally twisted bar like the one on the second page. So...I had to modify the back legs to match the front ones. Maybe I should have done them all the same to begin with. I also added an extension plate which they wanted to give them extra stovetop space. That's what the little loops are for under the stovetop, it slots in.
After all that, I charged them £450 and did them a deal on all the other stuff they needed to fit it into their van.
You are absolutely right about the welding, it drives me nuts. I have a Fronius 317 running on 0.8mm wire, it is perfect for welding up the firebox but for the life of me I can't figure out how to get the hinges etc welded on firmly without looking like a piece of chewing gum stuck on there. It looks better when I work with square bar, but welding 8mm round onto 5mm plate, I'm really not happy with it.