Author Topic: Miniature Tool Collection (Read 128469 times)

ieezitin · « **Reply #200 on:** January 31, 2014, 06:54:22 PM »

Ralph....

looking good.

Question... tell us a little more on the furnace setup you have going there, I for one am interested because i would like to smelt small amounts of bronze for little projects and I never have smelted anything but i see your doing it in a small scale.

Anthony.

flyingtractors1 · « **Reply #201 on:** January 31, 2014, 07:30:34 PM »

Hi Anthony.

I don't have a smelting furnace nor anything that fancy.
Below is a small oven that I use to bake the molds. It is basically a small pizza oven that I picked up when my wife threw me out of the kitchen.
It can generate up to about 900 degrees, but that's not enough to melt even aluminum. It is used only to bake molds.

Pictured below is the casting machine I use to centrifugally cast metals that are melted in the ceramic crucible attached at the middle of the machine, but even this machine is not essential.

For many years I did "gravity casts" and didn't have a casting machine nor a ceramic crucible. I just melted lead in an iron ladle with a fashioned wood handle extension using a butane torch to melt the metal. Then I did aluminum and even silver, but at that point I had trouble generating enough heat and ultimately found a used oxy / acetylene unit which I still use today to apply heat directly to the metal in the crucible, although I do now use ceramic melting crucibles which I found at a jewelry supply store. Just be safe. wear goggles and leather gloves, etc.

flyingtractors1 · « **Reply #202 on:** February 01, 2014, 11:41:59 AM »

Some progress every day. The metal casting went well, and the parts cleaned up nicely. Now alot of other details to put it together. Ralph

Stilldrillin · « **Reply #203 on:** February 01, 2014, 05:24:37 PM »

More beautiful castings Ralph!

David D

flyingtractors1 · « **Reply #204 on:** February 02, 2014, 06:02:43 PM »

Thanks David, All went well - not easy, but well.

Thank you all for following the build process and for encouraging me along the way. I will post a few preliminary pictures today as I continue to document the process and hope to have more and a video up soon, although I am not as handy with a camera as with a saw and file. Ralph

For comparison - the final and the original after which it was patterned.

and just for fun

micktoon · « **Reply #205 on:** February 02, 2014, 06:17:20 PM »

Hi Ralph , another top class project, it looks better than the one you based it on .........thanks for posting , keep up the good work

Cheers Mick

flyingtractors1 · « **Reply #206 on:** February 02, 2014, 10:04:09 PM »

The miniature vise action video is up on YouTube. Ralph

flyingtractors1 · « **Reply #207 on:** February 08, 2014, 11:19:52 AM »

New miniature chisel plane. Ralph

This may not be such a useful plane,but it made for a nice miniature.

Manxmodder · « **Reply #208 on:** February 08, 2014, 02:18:17 PM »

Hi Ralph, lovely job on the miniature vice,it looks about the right size to grip a mouse by the thumbs and

I,m planning to order some carving wax this week to make a pattern of one of the cast iron railing finials I mentioned in an earlier post. I'll then be taking a silicone mould from the wax master.

Have you any advice on grades or types of wax most suited to the job?.....OZ.

Meldonmech · « **Reply #209 on:** February 08, 2014, 02:30:41 PM »

Hi Ralph

Love the portable vice, but feel the square nuts and bolts look out of place. Some nice round head rivets would look more authentic. Chisel plane is fine.
Well Done
David

flyingtractors1 · « **Reply #210 on:** February 08, 2014, 02:44:26 PM »

Hi OZ.
For carving and filing, I like to use the Ferris "FILE-A-WAX" from Rio Grande in Albuquerque - it's on Google. But most jewelry supply stores carry it. By doing a silicone mold you save a laborious step of rubber mold making. I need to learn more about silicone molds. Good luck to you.
Ralph

flyingtractors1 · « **Reply #211 on:** February 08, 2014, 02:54:36 PM »

Thanks, David.
An old vise I have in the barn has square nuts and bolts in this arrangement, so I took my cue from that and spent a whole day hand making the miniature square hardware of silver. So I think that I'll just leave it as is and let it cast an antiqueish look.

Ralph

flyingtractors1 · « **Reply #212 on:** February 19, 2014, 11:11:49 AM »

Axes collection. Ralph

A comparative scale. Cast in silver with carved hickory handles.

Stilldrillin · « **Reply #213 on:** February 19, 2014, 02:18:50 PM »

I keep on saying it, Ralph. And, it's still holding true.......

They're beautiful!

David D

Manxmodder · « **Reply #214 on:** February 19, 2014, 11:52:35 PM »

Wow Ralph,they're mighty pretty looking.

What next, a miniature wood stove to burn the miniature logs in?.......OZ.

flyingtractors1 · « **Reply #215 on:** February 20, 2014, 08:40:11 AM »

Thanks, David. I always do appreciate your thoughts.

Thanks, OZ. Well, here ya go.

Ralph

That shiny thing on top is a Lincoln penny.

Manxmodder · « **Reply #216 on:** February 20, 2014, 01:22:14 PM »

Ralph,that is a real beauty,a full size one would also be equally desirable.

Is it the sort of thing that a foundry apprentice would make and is it cast iron?

Also,I'll pop a few photos onto this thread when I finish my pattern piece and get round to doing a silicone mold of the ornamental iron finial I referred to earlier.

Keep doing what yer doing.........OZ.

flyingtractors1 · « **Reply #217 on:** February 20, 2014, 03:23:48 PM »

Thanks again, Oz.

There is some debate as to whether the little stove is a salesman's sample or an exquisite toy.?? It is cast iron and designed / built to work. I don't think that it was designed for children to play with as such even in the olden days?

By all means, please do post your experience pattern making and mold building. I need to see how silicone molds work.

Ralph

MBgoneAK · « **Reply #218 on:** April 17, 2014, 12:59:31 PM »

Incredible detail! Your collection is fantastic!Thankyou for sharing!

flyingtractors1 · « **Reply #219 on:** April 22, 2014, 07:10:43 PM »

Thanks, MBgoneAK.
Here's a recent build based on a picture that I saw on the net. First, some of the component parts were fashioned.

Then assembled in its rough state,

and polished to sterling silver luster,

and toned with a black patina as was the old original wrench. Ralph

A comparable scale. It is 1/4 scale and 2 inches long:

flyingtractors1 · « **Reply #220 on:** April 25, 2014, 12:40:13 PM »

Here is the second model - this one with the offset diagonal jaw done in polished sterling silver and left untoned. Ralph

tom osselton · « **Reply #221 on:** April 25, 2014, 02:08:57 PM »

You sure do nice work alway's a pleasure to see your projects.

flyingtractors1 · « **Reply #222 on:** April 29, 2014, 08:09:57 PM »

Thanks, Tom. I appreciate your thoughts. Ralph

flyingtractors1 · « **Reply #223 on:** May 15, 2014, 01:01:12 PM »

I typically work in 1/4 scale but thought I'd do a piece in 1/3 scale based on an actual wrench that is 8 inches. The 1/4 scale is posted above, and here is a pic of both and the wooden prototype for comparison. Ralph

vtsteam · « **Reply #224 on:** May 16, 2014, 04:46:55 PM »

In catching up with this thread I happened to open it at the vise above, and was amazed at the coincidence! Yesterday I saw the very same type of iron miniature vise and even picked it up to look at it better. I'd never seen one before like that, though I once owned a full size blacksmith's vise.

News:

Author Topic: Miniature Tool Collection (Read 128469 times)