If you'd like to try your hand at a Miner's Lamp, go here:
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I like demonstrating this project to the public, because it is one of many things one can do that show the extreme shape changes that the blacksmith can make from the raw stock to the finished product.
Maybe I am simple minded, but I am still "wowwed" when I see these things happen, right in front of me. It's not beating my own chest, rather the wonder; that someone devised such a capable craft, that is: blacksmithing.
I cut a few blanks so I'll have to do a few more for practice. I didn't know which way to curl the candle holder, and decided I did it the wrong way after it was done. I'll do it the other way next time.
The project has a few interesting and challenging aspects for a beginner like me. Spreading the end for the candle holder while trying to keep it mostly square and while keeping the bottom edge in line with the shaft is a fun challenge, and getting the vertical handle upright and squared off was also a challenge. I'll have to see if I can do both better and faster next time. It took me 4 1/2 hours to do the whole thing on this first attempt.
I saw a demo by Mark Aspery this past weekend at the Yesteryear Hammer-in and he used a simple vise fixture that would have been useful for this project I'd never seen before. It would have helped getting that vertical handle squared off. It was simply two plates (1/4 inch maybe - about the same width as the vise jaws) welded into a T joint. It was placed in the vice so that the top of the T was vertical in the vise, with the shaft of the T extending back over the jaw. In that configuration you could place the miners lamp so the main shaft was vertical and the extension for the handle extended out towards you. From that position, you could hammer down with the correct type of rounded chisel or bar turned side wise to square off the corners. I'll have to make one and try it on the next lamp I make.
Other funny story related to this...
When I went into the Guild's forge (BGOP) today to work on this project, one of the other guys showed up with a print out of your web page as well even though we hadn't talked about it!
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