[TheForge] Leaf forms

[calvinjean2 at comcast.net]

I have started with angle iron and heated the two outer edges, away from the angle, then open the angle by tapping on the spine from the back side.   The ones I did didn't require the degree of believability obtained by tapering them the long way.  They were welded one behind the other flat against each other at the bottom. 



CraigS 
Gresham, OR 
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Andy Gladish" <gladish at cablerocket.com> 
To: "Blacksmithing List Sponsored by ABANA" <theforge at mailman.qth.net> 
Sent: Wednesday, February 23, 2011 10:36:19 AM 
Subject: Re: [TheForge] Leaf forms 

Well, you could always use plug welds.... 

-----Original Message----- 
From: Dan Armstrong 
Sent: Wednesday, February 23, 2011 10:22 AM 
To: theforge at mailman.qth.net 
Subject: [TheForge] Leaf forms 

I am doing a railing and want to incorporate  fairly realistic looking iris 
leaf forms. No flowers, just six or so leaves growing out of a common bud, 
if you will. The iris leaf is generally longish, tapering to a point and 
roughly 90 degree angled in cross-section for those who can't picture it. 

I expect that if I tore one of these plants apart (which I may do when the 
snow's gone), I would discover that they are rounded at the bottom and 
interleaved, as it were, with one another from a common stem and branching 
out from there. I would like to achieve the look of the leaves emerging from 
a central bud but will have a 1 1/2" horizontal flat bar running at the base 
of this plant element which could hide welds and such. 

Any thoughts on how to attach the leaves at the bottom, more or less as 
happens in nature, which will then allow them to bent, curved, etc., to 
approximate the actual plant ?  I have to do 5 of these so also any 
suggestions re: tooling to make and shape the leaves, to curve them and give 
them life would be appreciated. 

Thanks. 

Dan A. 
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