Forged Lilly Candlestick

Demonstration by Genia Burch
March 19, 2003

I must profusely appologize for the delay in this demo. I have had the files on hand for nearly two months and have not had time to set it up.

Tonight’s Demo is by Genia Burch a protege’ of Bill Epps. Genia is an accomplished smith and equally at ease with the hand hammer or power hammer. This is her first iForge demonstration. Our 156th.

Hi guys…hope I’m not here by myself.
This figure I am at the anvil and I have gotten all my tools together. I am using a gas forge, cross peen hammer, power hammer, rounding hammer, top/bottom, & half round fullers, a mounted vice, sander/polisher and 5/8″ square bar.

I am using a 5/8″ sq bar approx 18″ long you can use 1/2, 3/4,or 3/8″. I prefer the 5/8″.
Start by taking a good heat to one end and hammering 2 sides to a short point @ 90 degree intervals

Laying the bar on the front side of anvil face put a notch approximately 3 to 4″ back from point and working 2 sides 90 degrees apart (hit, turn, hit, turn) same sides as point.

It will look something like this and now i have stared tappering the stem.

I got tired on the anvil and switched to the power hammer and finished tappering the stem.

Getting ready to flatten petal out.

With the cross side of the hammer in the center of petal put a fuller groove going the length of petal.

Flip over and put 2 fuller grooves on the out sides of petal. It will look like figure 9 and 10.
I do this to help spread the petal more evenly

Center fuller

Side fullers

I used the power hammer to help put fullers in and now I am straightening up my stem and petal.

With the top and bottom 1/2 round fuller I placed my petal in the middle (only half of my petal is in fuller) and while hammering I am pulling away from hammer. Then I flip it over and repeat this step by pulling it away from hammer. It will help keep it uniform.

This is how it looks when I have done both sides to my liking.

I have placed the petal on the step of the anvil and I am tapping it to start a roll.

Still tapping and rounding out petal to where it over laps slightly to make a small cup.

I changed to a rounding hammer and using a 1/2 bottom rounding fuller in my hardy. . . I tap on the petal to get it uniform and rounder.

Using the horn of the anvil I am curling the tip of my lilly.

Here I am using a polisher( this is not an angle grinder it is a low RPM sander polisher)
I like my hands and eyes too much to attempt to use a grinder with a wire brush on it. LOL

I have heated the opposite end of my bar and am putting a point on it to roll in to a cute little curl as seen in figure 20.

Finishing my curlyque.

Little past center of my bar in the middle I heat and bend 90 degrees and this is where I am going to start my curl for the base of the candle holder.

Here it is bent at 90 degrees

Heating the center of my bar I am using the cross ping hammer to start rounding the curl around the horn of the anvil.

This is the start

Working around the horn of the anvil i am making my base spiral

Finishing the base on the horn.

All done!

Finish with clear coat after polishing.

Have you ever tried forge welding on a stem to save from drawing out?

Grate job Gina. I always enjoy wacthing you work

Very nice Genia.

I’ll fix the broken images.

Nice job!

Very cool,Genia,see,ya did great!Lookin’ good too.:)

nice job Genia, great work

Genia, very well done!

Thank you all for being patient with me.

Genia: Nice work; thanks.

Darlin girl you did a great job in your outline as well as the work. Mom is sooo proud of you

Genia, I am so proud of the presentation as well as the piece. You and Dad do good work together:)

Great Demo Genia

Thanks for the demo — neat project.