Whats on your bench? Other projects and creations

Mark, amazing work you just posted. Glad to see you're still around. I'm sure you're very busy (by the photos its obvious), but its good to see you posting. This place is better when you're sharing your work.

(P.S. you're PMs are full.)

beautiful wood work there

I've got a ton of projects on my "needs to do" list...but I've been seriously slacking lately. And most of it is car work....nothing that necessarily fits on a work bench LOL

Obiwan said:

Mark, amazing work you just posted. Glad to see you're still around. I'm sure you're very busy (by the photos its obvious), but its good to see you posting. This place is better when your sharing your work.

(P.S. you're PMs are full.)

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Ditto, amazing work.

Stunning.

mycarver said:

A variety of carvings for several kitchens and the restoration ( finished here) of 14 stations for a Church among many other things. The last photo isn't how the carving appears as it's actually three carvings in one photo.

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I haven't worked on these in a while now, but have been thinking about getting back into it. I ran out of wire for the bracelet in the first pic, and just sort of never went to get more


"Dragonscale" pattern chainmaille bracelet, coated copper wire


"Mobius Flower" chainmaille bracelet, stainless wire. These look really neat in anodized aluminum, but I was just testing out the pattern here


"European 4 in 1" chainmaille bracers, stainless wire and some heavy black fabric cut from an old coat. These were a lot of fun, made them for my son a couple years back as forearm bracers for a Halloween costume. Just a real simple sheet of 4 in 1 chainmaille glued into fabric strips on 2 sides with velcro strips to make them adjustable.
Nothing fancy, but there's no better feeling than showing your kid what can be done with a spool of wire, scraps of cloth and a bit of creativity and having him think it's cooler than the rest of the store bought costume

That is pretty darn cool!



-Xander

You guys are amazing. I live in a condo and have no workshop or space for one.
I'd be even sadder if I actually had the talent and skill to do work like that.

thanks Xander

Greybeard: I'd kill for a workshop like some of these other guys here have....but there's always some project you can find, regardless of the size of your space. All I've got is an apartment, with very little useable workspace. The projects I showed only required a couple small spools of wire, a variable speed drill with different sized metal rods (I used mostly knitting needles actually lol) to turn the wire into coils, a pair of wire cutters to turn the coils into split rings, and a couple pairs of jewelers pliers to bend the cut rings into closed rings. All my supplies fit into an old laptop case. If you at least own a drill, you could get all set up with tools and some supplies for like $50, and if you have a couch to sit on and a cookie sheet on your lap, you've got enough room and a work station. Now, no more excuses, get out there and find a creative hobby!

I think it is kind of neat the common interests here, I like to play with forging copper and steel. this is a copper bowl forged from 1/4" copper plate and is about 6 1/2" diameter

Trenton, that's a really cool looking bowl

Is that an expensive process? On a smaller scale I see a nice little lather bowl there, complete with a place to rest the handle of the brush

I also see a VERY nice cigar ashtray! I think I will give that one a try.

Kavik79 said:

Trenton, that's a really cool looking bowl

Is that an expensive process? On a smaller scale I see a nice little lather bowl there, complete with a place to rest the handle of the brush

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Peter, I use very minimal hand tools for my razor blade restoration and do it all indoors with a fan blowing particles away from me. Mostly sandpaper, files and SOME dremel work.

Jim

Greybeard said:

You guys are amazing. I live in a condo and have no workshop or space for one.
I'd be even sadder if I actually had the talent and skill to do work like that.

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Trenton, that's beautiful by the way. Excellent craftsmanship.

Jim

that bowl is great looking, i am impressed.

those carving are inspirational.

I"m always amazed at how many great craftsmen there are on the forum.


Some great looking stuff and what a great idea for a thread.

Thanks for the kind comments everyone

Kavik79 said:

Is that an expensive process? On a smaller scale I see a nice little lather bowl there, complete with a place to rest the handle of the brush

Click to expand...

It is a bit time consuming and I don't think it would stand up to soap, it would most likely start to turn green. Maybe one could make a mold of it and make it in ceramic with a nice glaze. I should talk to a potter to see how one would go about doing it.

For workshops I have built a 8' x 12' shed at the cabin, it has 8' walls and 8/12 pitch roof, it is insulated and have sleeping loft, so it can qualify as a guest cabin with my wife. When looking for razors at garage sales and I don't find any, there usually are great deals on tools. I figured if it was full tools it has become a workshop and it is mine

In addition to knives I also like to build custom rifles. I currently have this US Rifle, Caliber .30 Model 1917 in progress. Normally they are called just a 1917, or P17 or American Enfield (incorrectly).

Here is the '17...in progress

AA grade quilted maple (rosewood tip/cap) monte carlo rollover, custom LOP, 1" decelerator pad. (Still unfinished)
Bolt body, extractor, mag follower custom jeweled
Travel take-up custom done by a previous owner in the 50's
Receiver milled flat, NOS Redfiled Jr. one piece base for P17 milled flat (score on that one!)
Barrel cut to 23 1/2" and recrowned

Still need to finish metal work and then bead blast and blue. The trigger could use some stoning as well.





You can see some of the quilting here, it is only roughed in right now and 60 grit finished



simple adjustable trigger take up




-Xander

Very, very cool Xander. Please post pics when its done.

Xander, amazing work. Love the kid holding the rifle, never too young IMO