Stephen Fitz-Gerald
Thank you Will and Stef...
Will,
If you do try this,it helps immeasurably to make your scroll from much narrower material than the rectangular tubing itself.It will encourage the collapse if you make a scroll from narrow dimensional stock but it is also somewhat tricky to keep it properly centered.We had to do a little bit of tweaking to each one after we took them off the scroll.We also found it was actually easier to control if we made the scroll from square stock. Our first one was in round stock and it was too difficult to keep centered.
My scroll is made from 5/8ths square stock.I'll try and photograph it the next time I'm at my partners blacksmith shop.
We have also done this same collapsed and organically shaped scrollwork with SQUARE TUBING which worked just as well...The next effort will be to try this same technique with STAINLESS STEEL tubing for outdoor or bathroom railings where an uncoated non-ferrous material would better suit the application...

I'd like to see that scroll tool if you get time for a photo, Stephen.
I think blacksmiths who ignore hollow section are missing out on a whole lot of interesting possibilities, although I've only scratched the surface myself.

Can be unpredictable though....I'm forging lots of floral buds out of 1 1/2" circular hollow section for my current job. They end up triangular, but begin by forging a neck in the tube, right down till it meets itself, cutting off and forge welding shut to form a nice conical end, then another neck forged right down and drawn out for the stem...
First lot of material I got in, I struggled not to split the tube or accidentally fold it over itself as I forged it down and rarely got the ends welded tight, but I improved with practice...
Next delivery of tube I was sure I'd lost the knack...even worse - cursing my clumsy ass all over the workshop for repeatedly splitting the stuff..
But the stuff I just received, exactly same spec, from same supplier(although the surface scale does look a little different) is infinitely more forgiving - I'm bashing them out in half as many heats, with no splits, and mostly welding em shut very prettily. Think I've got enough of this sweet stuff to complete the task luckily!

Will Jones

Stephen Fitz-Gerald
Hey Will,
I'll definitely take a pic next time I'm out forging.
I'd love to see your tapered tubes.
Are you using 1.5 schedule 40 or schedule 80?
and are you using a swage block?
I need to make a fairly large octopus in the-not-too-distant-future and have to brush up on tapering pipe...

box section can be a great saver in larger pieces ...if forged or pressed you can achieve a solid feel and the panels are a lot easier to handle !! what I also like is that a 16 guage wall can last forever if you use stainless and if it is not polished you get a finish which works well in historical settings...here is a sample from a village in Germany that I am slowly filling with metalwork ....the building is new but most of the village goes back to the 11 th century ...you probably remember the church gates from a couple of years ago ..
forged box section: Upleward,Lower Saxony,Germany

Where to bend next ... www.metalgarden.ca

Stephen Fitz-Gerald
Giusseppe,
Is "box section"the same thing as square tubing?
I love working with .065 wall stainless steel.
You say in this picture it's not polished ,but you must have done something to moderate the heat marks.
Was it wire brushed?
Nice design.
I especially like the spikes on top...

yes box=square
just heated everything to a red to get even oxidation, no brush.
The tops were cut at an angle, capped and forged with a ball or fuller
It has proved to be stable even by the sea.

The only polished metal is the organic part.

Where to bend next ... www.metalgarden.ca

Stephen Fitz-Gerald
Awesome!
And this was SS304 or SS316L ?
Thank you Giuseppe!

304..I think most box section is 304L but you can get round tube in 316.
There are more interesting things to do with sections that have re-enforced corners ....I will try to locate some old pics

You don't half get around, Giusseppe!
The quality and style of your work is explanation enough of how you get such an international client base, but I'm damned if I know how you cope with the logistics of surveying and installing so far from base.
You must be pretty well organized!
Will Jones

It is easy because I do a lot on site with long term projects ....set up a studio where I can and only use the main one for power hammer work.Ship the forgings to the local studio, fly there and carry on, usually involving locals so that at least three people are learning around the world ....that way I have good people in many places who can help when I need them and meanwhile they can use the studios to do their own work.

Where to bend next ... www.metalgarden.ca