Christmas cards

[Polarbear]

I got my first one today. and still November.

From the postcode lottery. Is that ?

Unless wifey remembers to buy me one that's probably the only one I'll get as any that come for both of us are usually addressed to Penny and family as if they can't remember my name

Anyone else had cards yet?
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Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[RhynoCZ]

What year does it say it's from?
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'87 Honda XBR 500, '96 Kawasaki ZX7R P1, '90 Honda CB-1, '88 Kawasaki GPz550, MZ 150 ETZ
'95 Mercedes-Benz w202 C200 CGI, '98 Mercedes-Benz w210 E200 Kompressor

[Sister Sledge]

No cards but I've ordered my family ones - a local artist makes a small batch each year and I buy mine from her. More expensive but always liked by those receiving.

Not cards but I'm currently making as much stock as possible for next year to sell at village fetes etc. Metal things - the stuff I usually make anyway. Friends and contacts have gotten wind of this and I'm struggling to keep up with demand. They're wanted now as gifts for Xmas. Mostly recycled metals turned into flowers or other bits.
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CCM 404 DS

[Easy-X]

[Sister Sledge]

Currently making (copying from net) frogs and owls made from horse shoes. Absolute nightmare because I don't have a fireproof workplace to be able to weld indoors away from the sh*t weather of late. Come Saturday I have 9 frogs, 20 owls and an Xmas tree to weld up - all cuts are made so they should be straight forward. Painting can be a nightmare too as horse shoes sometimes have molasses on them from their feed and it reacts with paint if not fully cleaned off.
This is a small commission for a friend for a friend in Manchester:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49134478712_08bf3a2d3c_b.jpga by Craig David, on Flickr

No forge so extra bends are done cold.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49134480077_caed6d3f4c_b.jpgb by Craig David, on Flickr

Painted as she wanted them.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49133801543_8960c396d5_b.jpgc by Craig David, on Flickr

These are actually meant for going onto a stall for village fayres and the like. I'm simply building up a stock of them for when such events happen. The weather has delayed me too much for any Xmas events.
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CCM 404 DS

[Polarbear]

^^^ Very nice. ^^^

I have bags of horse shoes courtesy of my daughters stables that I plan to paint up as traditional bargeware but your artwork has given me ideas. I might try some roses and castles creations with them, paint them up in the typical barge colours and see if they sell at the floating markets along with the tiller pins I make.
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Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[Sister Sledge]

I'm only really doing these because like you the shoes come free and actual metal stock prices are climbing anyway.
I had to stop asking farriers for shoes because I was inundated. One day it took two car trips to carry what had been dropped off!
Once I get through this more recent heap (using them for smaller bits like above) I'll be making some garden furniture. I've seen ideas for it but can vastly improve their durability.

The result of this stuff is that those nice winged things I make are being ignored. I really do need to start back at them and finish what I've started - for what I do those are the real money makers.

I really do encourage everyone to try clagging bits together with a stick welder. They're cheap enough to buy and run from a household socket. One thing though: Buy decent quality welding rods. Sure old shoes are scrap metal and Chinesium rods cheap but those rods are pure w*nk.

Turtles drying in the shower! Kinda sick of making them but they're very popular.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49136080731_9392167611_b.jpgTurtles by Craig David, on Flickr

Tulips drying in a rack in the living room. I'm massively limited with space for this lol. I'm also single so have no winging wife. The tulips are easy enough to weld up but painting is a multi-stage process so I won't be doing more of them (and I think they look naff)

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49136079246_6fabeea91a_b.jpgTulips by Craig David, on Flickr
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CCM 404 DS

[Polarbear]

I have to agree with the Tulips but it's amazing what sells.

I made a couple of the boot racks like the one below (not my picture, I copied this as the model for mine).

The first one I stuck a £50 price tag on at a floating market and it sold in minutes. The next one I was really cheeky and stuck £100 quid tag on and sold it for £80. I'll probably make some more for next season but to do a really good job I need a sand blaster or a washing tank for the horseshoes.

The trouble is time for me, I never seem to have any plus as you said earlier it's bloody freezing outside and I have a wifie who would have a hissy fit if her bathroom sprouted tulips or turtles.

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1596/1017/products/51uuep-NczL_530x@2x.jpg
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Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[Polarbear]

My main pocket money maker though is converting brass ornaments to tiller pins. I buy the brasses on ebay and use either stainless steel or brass pins drilled and tapped into the brass item. If the ornaments are not solid brass it's silver solder

https://scontent.flhr3-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-0/p206x206/32419267_10212036161965682_3405712747067867136_o.jpg?_nc_cat=109&_nc_ohc=XhnZDnhzMhgAQnR8IyXlAY-yF25wsxCTs2cvpSD-OuZVTBeeoXg5eTVHA&_nc_ht=scontent.flhr3-2.fna&oh=8fc267706bf36742a5ffd81d8d1d1da6&oe=5E428567
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Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[Sister Sledge]

Boot rack is now on my list haha!

As you say it's amazing what will sell. I have some other horse shoe commissions to weld too (one's another style of fish but it's a Christian style).
I've a friend who picks flat rocks up at the seaside when walking her dog. Once home she paints pretty scenes on them - she's not trained at all - and they sell by the dozen.
The main thing is tapping into that market.

Edit: Easy-X has itched and shuffled over learning to weld and I keep telling him to. Hopefully this will spur him on.
(I've had 'dates' with women where they want to do something unusual - I teach them to weld!)
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CCM 404 DS

[hellkat]

I don't really do Christmas cards. I buy a pack from the Friends shop at the hospital but I don't really send many any more.
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Not nearly as interesting in real life.

[hellkat]

Those are cool, Sledgipoos.
How do you sell them? Like Etsy or what?
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Not nearly as interesting in real life.

[Polarbear]

[Freddyfruitba...]

[MCN]

[Sister Sledge]

Blimey lots of questions..

These appear to be selling through word of mouth. People are genuinely interested but I also think I have the gift of the gob (buy this or I'll tickle your ribs..)
The initial intention was to make a large stock and then come Spring time selling the wares locally on village fayre stalls. They will definitely sell at them because most village fayres I've seen locally have 10 stalls selling home made cards. They have nothing different or interesting. The fact I can blag a stall locally for free (contacts) or pay a tenner at most for others is a bonus too.
I also know of gift shops on the Northumberland coast which will allow me to use a shelf in their shop to sell things. £4 a month for a 4 foot long shelf is a price I've been quoted at one of them. Other artist friends do the same.

Teach someone to weld? Of course!
I'll show you how to hold my rod, where to place the tip, how to position your body and should you become competent I'll show you how to do it upside down - splatter gets in your hair that way though..
Yes - I will show people. Always a good laugh!

Horse shoes and farriers?
The majority around here just buy new shoes from a supplier.

https://www.farriersupplies.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=776

Like humans shoes they come in styles and sizes. They then adjust to fit once at the horse.
You can still buy shoe bar stock too and some farriers carry that with them. Must admit that I've never seen them making shoes from basic bar. The last time I saw that was when I was 16 at a coal mine in the blacksmiths shop.
A small furnace is high on my list of needs. I even had the fire bricks but they were thrown in a clear out. I'll get more - I know of a brick factory which specialised in making fire bricks and other refractory materials. The factory is gone but dig around on the waste land and you'll find suitable materials.
Shoes are quite tough if bending cold. They also want to fold if bending along the wider flat surface.
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CCM 404 DS