craft My Valentine's Day gift

[deadprofile 1,122]

This year, I got an amazing idea for a Valentine's Day gift while browsing for ideas to make and sell at demonstrations. I found a design similar to what I made on Etsy, but it's all plasma cut and pretty much machine done. BUT I am blacksmith, and what better way to expand upon my skills while making something meaningful using my own exertion of energy by making my own heart for my husband. 

It being Valentine's Day, I've gotten him big chocolate candies in the past, since it's not as $$$ needy as birthday's and Christmas, but I guess when I thought of idea, I thought it'd be wise to go with it since I haven't done much active stuff, especially blacksmithing, all winter.

Here is the gift I made for my husband this Valentine’s Day. <3

It is a heart, hand chiseled out of some steel plate. I dished it outwards by heating up small sections, and hammering it into a small swage block we have. I then just too an angle grinder to a piece of plate that was already the size I needed for the banner and just needed to cut some excess off and did not see a reason to go through the hard work of chiseling it apart.  I then chiseled out a small hour glass shape at the ends to make the banner curls more pronounced, and proceeded to curl over the ends. To get the wave shape of the banner, it was hard to bend on end, so I ended up just pounding the heated areas against the horn of the anvil, letting the impact and gravity do the bending for me. After flattening the part once bent, I just used my husband’s double diagonal peen to make the other end congruent with the bend. Once I was satisfied with the banner, I found some bolts that I felt were big enough, and drilled holes for their placement, which was annoying because bent pieces are hard to drill through because your cannot properly clamp them down. Then, I took that bolt heads, rounded the head and pound on them in the pritchel hole to make them look more rivet like. Bolted it all together and viola!

What made this project difficult was hiding the fact that I was doing anything in the shop from my husband.  Our shop is at his parent’s place, and his dad is quite the gossiper.  So I mostly did my work between 3-7am, because no one was up (and my husband goes to work at 3am). I started the project the weekend of the 1st, but then last Friday, I had surgery that was unexpected, so I scrambled to get it done by then. This week it stayed in hiding, but I was so antsy to give it to him because i don’t like hiding things from him. 

The one thing left to be done on this project is having our anniversary date welded to the banner.  I am not an aesthetic welder like my husband is, so want him to do that part. Ironically , welding numbers and letters properly takes some artistic skill and pre-planning because welding strokes really matter.

There is a quarter besides it to give you an idea of how big it is. I am really proud of this project.  It’s the first blacksmithing project I did completely on my own without help or input. I am still just a novice, but I want to keep at it being my husband’s striker and helper. I love him so much, and what better way to show how much I love him then by making something that without his teaching and knowledge, I would have never known about at all, let alone learn. <3 I am so grateful for him. <3

.

Edited February 14, 2014 by Treble Bolt

[Serbon div 386]

Awesome! You really put a lot of effort to it

[repsol rave 2,963]

it looks awesome! really cool gift. 

even more so because you made it all yourself, by hand. most people just buy a box of chocolates XD

[FlickerHush 46]

Wow amazing! I looks beautiful! Way better than the chocolates, and stuffed puppy I got for my boyfriend xD

[Candlewick13 32]

Way cooler than a box of chocolates. xD

 

That looks amazing. Great job even though you're novice.

[deadprofile 1,122]

Aww thanks everyone!

I have been thinking of posting more of blacksmithing projects of this forum, and since I have mentioned this project in a few status posts, I figured I should post it after my husband gets it. I am the blacksmith brony, I might as well show some of my work....Though, one of my grander idea that I really want to do is 3D metal pony. But I need to get better at artistic welding, and need to learn blueprint work....I am good at drawing hearts so, chalking and chiseling this heart was pretty easy (although time consuming and tiring).  It's because of the brony fandom that I am really working at getting better at my metalworking, because I have some ambitious pony related ideas.  I can never hope to be as good as of artisan crafters on EQD, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't try, plus I haven't seen metal ponies yet

 

My husband got me a giant Hershey's bar with the funniest card (he is so cute). Chocolate isn't a bad gift at all....I mean how awesome would it be if this was a chocolate heart and banner, not metal?!?

Edited February 14, 2014 by Treble Bolt

[Candlewick13 32]

Aww thanks everyone!

I have been thinking of posting more of blacksmithing projects of this forum, and since I have mentioned this project in a few status posts, I figured I should post it after my husband gets it. I am the blacksmith brony, I might as well show some of my work....Though, one of my grander idea that I really want to do is 3D metal pony. But I need to get better at artistic welding, and need to learn blueprint work....I am good at drawing hearts so, chalking and chiseling this heart was pretty easy (although time consuming and tiring).  It's because of the brony fandom that I am really working at getting better at my metalworking, because I have some ambitious pony related ideas.  I can never hope to be as good as of artisan crafters on EQD, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't try, plus I haven't seen metal ponies yet

 

My husband got me a giant Hershey's bar with the funniest card (he is so cute). Chocolate isn't a bad gift at all....I mean how awesome would it be if this was a chocolate heart and banner, not metal?!?

You could eat the whole thing if it was chocolate. xD

[Mandizeen 21]

Wow, it looks really great!

[deadprofile 1,122]

You could eat the whole thing if it was chocolate. xD

 

I think we'd all get sick eating that much chocolate...

[Dsanders 5,747]

I'm impressed Treble Bolt. It is certainly a nice piece of well-crafted metal. Your husband must have been really proud of you. Overall, I think you did an excellent job here.

 

Are you planning on using it as a decoration? Perhaps hanging it on a wall where it can easily be seen?

[Kallisti Imani 40]

This is magnificent. How wonderful that you could create such an expression of your love!  You put your heart into it (pun intended...sorry) and I hope he really loved it!

[Wingnut 7,000]

Beautiful job, sugarcube!  I remember you talking about your blacksmith skills when you first joined and this is a wonderful example of your talent.   

[deadprofile 1,122]

Are you planning on using it as a decoration? Perhaps hanging it on a wall where it can easily be seen?

 

 

We are planning to tack weld some hooks to the back and hang it above our bedroom door frame.  It'll have to be shined up to properly weld our anniversary date on the banner, but I hope to put beeswax on it afterwards to give it the "natural" look.  I am not worried about it falling on our heads, we have lots of super heavy things hanging on our walls. We just use super fat nails