NTBA Home
 

Instructions PAGE TWO:
After the basic shape is formed, an oval eye punch helps to stamp the seed shapes. A Strawberry Basket, shown below, will hold a peck of berries! Instructions continued below. The Strawberry Quicktime Movie shows the finished, forged piece

(See Strawberry Page One for previous instructions.)

 

3b Oval Eye Punch

  
4. Calyx Pattern
3 b. To make seed shapes, (see illustration on top of this page), lay Strawberry on soft plate such as aluminum. Use an Oval Eye Punch to make a grid-like pattern. An oval eye punch can be easily made by first forging a round eye punch. Then heat the tip and carefully hammer the opposite sides into an oval shape. The edges should be filed round to create a seed shape. 4. Cut calyx pattern from 16 ga. sheet. Torch heat the center of the pattern and with the same Round End Punch (shown on Page One), hammer the calyx into the top of the Strawberry indention. Tack weld under the calyx to secure it to the strawberry. Shape the calyx with rounded needle nose pliers. Weld on a stem hook. Remove the temporary handle, grind and file the point smooth. See finished Strawberry drawing on top of this page or in the Strawberry Quicktime Movie.

 
5a. Exploded view of Strawberry Basket parts

 

5b. Finished Strawberry Basket
5a & 5b. Strawberry Basket, (a wooden version is illustrated in the Eric Sloane book, A Reverence for Wood), is produced by bending sheet metal and applying a small strip to the top edge. Rivets and cross peen marks simulating wood add the realistic look. Forge a peck of Strawberries to fill the basket, just don't bite into them!
Back to top of page

This page was created by David W. Wilson
Illustration/Design http://www.flash.net/~dwwilson/
Last updated 12/7/00
AABANA chapters are encouraged to use this information for their publications, please credit North Texas Blacksmiths Association.