Tools

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Copyright 2002-2006
www.fergusonsculpture.com

Tools are very important for any artist or craftsman. Unlike most artists or craftsmen, people who work in metal often make their own tools. On this page, I will show a few pictures of tools that I have made, and tell a little bit about them.

Portable Propane Forge

This forge has a single burner, with no fan or moving parts. It produces enough heat to make steel bars red hot so that they can be shaped with hammer blows, like the blacksmith did 100 years ago. Yes, that is a 5 gallon metal bucket which is the shell of the forge. Firebricks are used to close each end of the forge.

Sheet metal stakes

To form sheet metal, it is common to have "stakes" to use to bend the sheet metal. In many cases, these stakes are used in conjunction with a hammer to form the metal into the desired shape. These are some of the stakes that I have made. Sometimes they are made for a particular project. In the world of custom auto body panels, the stakes may be called "post dollies".

Helve Hammer

This is a small power hammer used primarily to form sheet metal, and save my arm and wrist for other work. Click here for the technical details.

English Wheels

English Wheels, sometimes called Wheeling Machines, are commonly used to form custom sheet metal panels for autos or airplanes. They work by squeezing the metal between two wheels. These wheels can smooth rough surfaces, or even create shapes. These E-wheels are small compared to those used for automotive work.