Feet 'n Inches
Out of the rat-race at last
- Messages
- 544
- Location
- Devon, GB
When I was working in the industry, ornamental work was something you did after hours or during lunch break. The rest of my time was spent building chutes, screens, conveyors etc. for the quarry industry. Now that I've retired, I'm devoting much more time to making items that often involve forming scrolls. If you're like me, you'll hate the scrollwork you find on cheap gates etc. found at most D.I.Y. stores, where the first inch or so of the scroll is a flat, not a curve and the end has not been rounded off. I was shown this method back in the 70s by an ex-blacksmith.
1. Remove all sharp edges and round the steel off.
2. Put the first 5/16" (8mm) or so of the steel in a vice and with the help of some light hammering close to the vice, bend it to about 20 degrees.
3. Clamp the bent end of the steel into the scroll former and draw it round to the desired distance, making sure the steel makes contact with the former throughout the entire process.
Annoyingly all the steel I use is at my local Men's shed and none in my own workshop at the moment but, once things improve and life returns to normal, I'll try and take some photos of the process steps and edit this post accordingly.
1. Remove all sharp edges and round the steel off.
2. Put the first 5/16" (8mm) or so of the steel in a vice and with the help of some light hammering close to the vice, bend it to about 20 degrees.
3. Clamp the bent end of the steel into the scroll former and draw it round to the desired distance, making sure the steel makes contact with the former throughout the entire process.
Annoyingly all the steel I use is at my local Men's shed and none in my own workshop at the moment but, once things improve and life returns to normal, I'll try and take some photos of the process steps and edit this post accordingly.