Tonight’s demo was shown to me at the last NTBA meeting, and I apologize to the man who showed me this little Scorpion at his shop in Arlington, TX, I can’t remember *his name. But anyway here goes:)
* James A. Ryan, Artist-Blacksmith
Dreamsmith Metalworks, 410 Lillard Road, Suite 204, Arlington, Texas 76012

Start with a 3/8″ X 3″ Lag bolt. (Non-Galvanized) Put a short point on the end.

After you get a short point on the end, let the point hang over the edge of the anvil about 3/8″ to 1/2″ and set down on 2 sides 90 deg apart.

Now round up the edges after you set it down.

Now we are going to flatten down the rest of the threaded part until it’s about 3/16″ to 1/8″ thick.

Now flatten out the head of the bolt and split it using a hot cutter past the step that the head forms.

After we split the head, we taper it down. This is going to form the pinchers.

Now this is the part that I do different. I use a blunt chisel and 1/2 round bottom fuller on the back side to round up the body

Using the horn of the anvil, and a ball pien hammer, after I round it up, I pull his face down by tapping it w/ball pien and rotating the piece downward, this pulls his face down. Use a center punch and mark his eyes.

I put a couple of little marks to make him a beak to give some personality, then using a hot cutter, and put a line in the pinchers to make them look real, you can go through, but I didn’t.

The picture that didn’t come up, step #5, is where this end that we set down and form the knot on the end of the tail, I flatten it, and pinch the end of it on the horn of the anvil to draw out the little stinger.

 In this picture we move the claws back forward and roll the tail up and then you have the stinging scorpion

Was fun but gotta go! Keep the iorn hot.

It should look something like this. Pictures came out a little dark. I brush it w/brass brush at a black heat, and it gives yellowish hew which makes it look sort of realistic. Any Questions???

This is the Arizona State Pet:)

Any questions?

Gasman said he thought they had 8 legs, well this one doesnt:)

 Guess you can turn a galvanized bolt to a non- galvanized one by putting it in an acid bath ??

 Bill, if you didn’t split the bolt head for pincers you think it would make a cool stingray?

Yeah, that would be neat. It could also be a mini lobster if you flatten out the tail rather than point it.

Great demo Bill how long did it take to make this one

carriage bolt for the sting ray???

Allen yes on acid bath 🙂

yeah..maybe dovetail the tail..:)

Bill , What is the selling price?

About 30 minutes, but that was the first one. Should go quicker from here on out:)

Bill, I think I may have found a use for all the little short pieces of TIG rod that clutter the shop floor. Scorpion legs.

Ntech, don’t have the foggiest notion. Abouot $20 I guess, haven’t sold one yet:)

Bill why not galv. it will burn off anyway

Steve- Galvanized gives off fumes when it burns. I don’t recommend forging any galvanized metal

 Zinc is poisonous i believe

in that form, yes

Steve, if you do forge it, don’t breathe. 🙂

Tom, those little mig wires are better for mosquito legs when you make the Texas Sceeter, which is a later demo.

I know that for sure I used to have to weld it and it will make you sick if you breath enough of it

any galvanized metal even dropped in the fire will prevent any forge welds also

Steve, asprins won’t touch them galvanized headaches, but, for some reason, drinking milk would help.

I was just asking the ? I think that I can find non-galv. here