[powerrodsmike]

Originally Posted by BoneHeadCustomz

I really expected more feed back, but oh well.

Here is some feedback from me.

Being as how this is a website that encourages the sharing of knowledege, in order to enable others to achieve similar results, and you choose to only display your product and answer a "how'd you do it" with a vague statement like this:

Originally Posted by BoneHeadCustoms

I can't give you a play by play of my secret recipe, but I can tell you that on some of them I hand shape the metal to what I need.

OK...



Show us how you do it.

Like Home Brew, your fabrication of The Skull would interest me.I really like the drizzled line effect that you got on the jaw and around the details. It looks like you pulled your tig rod along while holding an arc right above the rod, heating it just enough to fuse it into the base metal without creating a puddle, or melting the rod completely. I'm sure it took many years of practice, however you did it.

The teeth and other globular protruberances almost look like lost wax castings that you affixed to the structure, or possibly they were droplets created by regular old hammer and anvil work.

So whip it out..





Otherwise, I will view this thread as just another advertising thread. Seeing your websites posted in your thread really makes that clear.

Yes I have an automotive fabrication business as well. It is not part time, and it is my only source of income.
I came here to share my knowledge with those here, without worrying about losing or getting business. Many of us share our working knowledge, that in the normal course of business, we get paid for.

I have no interest in copying your product, or your art, but I am always on the lookout for new techniques for forming steel.


later, mikey

[home brew]

powerrodsmike makes very valid points. Advertising your website in the forums is not allowed. You can place it in your public profile and refer the members to it in the forums. I understand that you had not referred to your website until you were asked but it is still not allowed for you to post you own website in the forums. Other members can do that but not you.

I also think it is time that you shared some of your techniques with the members. Your art is not just your working knowledge of working metal and technique. Otherwise it would be put in the "craft" category. It is how you use your mind to combine your metal working with your thoughts to produce a piece that is interesting and says something. How it combines form and in your case function. The archway and the seats in that rod are very good examples of that.

Sharing your techniques will not put you in competition with our members. If someone does "steal" those techniques and starts copying your work they will be known as being a copycat with no imagination. Those type of people will never be YOUR competition.

[BoneHeadCustomz]

Yes, I agree you guys are right on. Sorry for being vauge. I have been working steel for over 30 years. That's really where you start. Understanding the basics of forge work and combining that with the basics of mig welding, (not tig), however you could tig this, but a better alternate approach would be to use a torch, then you combine the heat control with welding at the same time. I use a mig welder for speed. Basically I am sculpting much like an artist would add clay to a piece. I am adding shapes of metal, be it flat, or pieces of pipe, for curves, or curves of flat steel shaped on an anvil. I add these small chunks of shape, and grind parts off that I want to re-shape. If a curve is not what I want, I can add or take away from that until I like what I see. Some of these pieces have 50 or 60 pieces
Okay, I explained it. I know, it probably still sounds vauge, but if you would ask a painter how he did his work of art, he would say he applied paint onto a canvas with a brush.
I am not trying to really hide anything here, but if a person has the skill, they could do this.


I'll dig up a picture to help you guys see this better.

[BoneHeadCustomz]

Okay, start with these basic shapes. This starts out as a 5/8 square bar. Split it in two about 1-1/2 deep. Heat that in your forge, or with a torch. split the two halfs to a 90 degree bend, so what you have looks like a 't'. Hammer those to outer bars to points. Texture hot with a chisel. To be continued........

[BoneHeadCustomz]

The breakaway from tradition comes at this point. The old time black smith would thin the section down where the nose will be. Then bend it back upon itself. It is much easier to cut the section off just above where the nose goes, then weld the cut off piece coming off for the neck. Then go back and re- heat the whole thing. Shape the nose, eyes, and neck, centerpunch the holes. Grind off the welds, heat and hammer the area afterwards.
(Maybe I should move this from the art section to the tech section.)
On this knife stand I twisted the rest of the bar and shaped the rest for the butt of the knife.

I know this is not how you make a skull, but you have to get past this point to continue.

[powerrodsmike]

That's what we're talking about

Thank you...I'm sorry if was a little forthright in my last post.

Sharing is where it's at,Here is a wiki that Jon and I wrote detailing a process using a material that I like to work with. The process itself is not the art, using the process to create what you want is. Homebrew said it well.

Using the information in that wiki a guy could create a part for himself that could be as small as a cupholder for his console, or as large as a complete car body..a few more techniques and specialized materials and you could build a 120' sailboat or an airplane. A guy is only limited by his imagination. (not you Boneheadcustoms...your imagination is very well developed. )

I look forward to seeing your process.




Later, mikey

[BoneHeadCustomz]

Moving on. This is a picture of a mig weld. I used .025 wire here. After you have mastered basic welding, the key is being steady, and acurate. Again, don't move on until you can do this, at this size every time. Being able to place molten steel where you want to every time is important. Besides being able to weld.

[BoneHeadCustomz]

Originally Posted by powerrodsmike

That's what we're talking about

Thank you...I'm sorry if was a little forthright in my last post.

Sharing is where it's at,Here is a wiki that Jon and I wrote detailing a process using a material that I like to work with. The process itself is not the art, using the process to create what you want is. Homebrew said it well.

Using the information in that wiki a guy could create a part for himself that could be as small as a cupholder for his console, or as large as a complete car body..a few more techniques and specialized materials and you could build a 120' sailboat or an airplane. A guy is only limited by his imagination. (not you Boneheadcustoms...your imagination is very well developed. )

I look forward to seeing your process.




Later, mikey

Thanks Mikey, I read your wiki. Good stuff. I'll try to add more info to my posts. Years ago I had some of my work "knocked off" in china. That may have ruined my attitude a little.

[BoneHeadCustomz]

Here is a better picture of Slim. His head is made from the inner fender from an old Ford pickup. I heated, and shaped the head. ( with a torch, and a hammer) The rest of him is justs bits and shapes of metal. He has a spring on his jaw that holds it shut. Something like this is just a matter of making the metal look like what you want. Not really much how to on this one.

[Chevrolet4x4s]

Did you make the knife too?
Shane

[BoneHeadCustomz]

Didn't make that knife, My Dad put that together. I have made a few though.

[Chevrolet4x4s]

Can we see them? Ill post a pic of the ones I made if you dont mind me putting it in your thread.
Shane

[BoneHeadCustomz]

Sure, I don't have any digital pics of mine, they were pre digital. They are in color though. Now to find them.

[Chevrolet4x4s]

Heres the ones that I made,need to do a little more buffing on them though,I need to finish up some of the other ones I have started
Shane

[BoneHeadCustomz]

Still looking for the knife pics, (yours look great though).

In the mean while let me show you my grill, and skull,the lights are also turn signals.