Branching Scroll

To fit Inside a 6” x 10” Frame

Tool List

Anvil
Vice

Hammer

Hot cut hardie

Scrolling wrench

Bending fork

Center punch

Tongs to fit 1/4” x 1/2” mild steel

Hacksaw

Files (6” single cut, 8” or 10” double cut)

Length of wire (to measure the length of the scrolls)

Wire brush

Materials

Flux

Soapstone or a silver pencil

1/4” x 1/2” bar stock

Step 1

To begin with, take a length of wire and measure the bar from point “A” to point “D” and uncoil it.  Mark out how long that particular segment is supposed to be. Repeat this step for the section “A” to “B” and “A” to “C.”  See Figure 1.

Step 2

On the 1/4” x 1/2” bar, using either your soapstone or silver pencil, mark the length of “A” to “B” and “A” to “D” with approximately 7” between the two sections.  Put a center punch on the edge of the bar as shown in figure 2.  Make a mark on the bar with the cold cut hardy equidistant from the two center punch marks.  Then cut the bar off at the end of the still attached to the parent bar.

Step 3

Take a long heat around the cold cut mark.  Cut 1/2 way through on the hot cut hardie, then fold the bar at the cut.  The two center punch marks should line up.   Heat the end of the bar to orange and flux.  Now take a welding heat and weld the bar up to the two center punch marks with fast light blows.

           
Draw the welded bar down to 1/4” x 1/2” while tapering to two bar thicknesses at the end of the weld.   Start each heat at welding temperature to improve the weld as you draw the bar down to approximately 5 1/2” – 6” long.

Step 4

Forge a sharp taper on the end of the welded section of bar.  Roll the end of the bar about 3 inches towards the longer length of unwelded bar, leaving no gaps.  See Figure 3.

Heat the roll to orange and flux.  At a welding heat, hit the side of the roll, smashing it flat.  It is IMPERITIVE that the roll not be worked below welding temperature or it may come apart.  To keep the nib round, hammer the edges, but never keep the bar in one position on the anvil or it will cause a flat spot to form.

Step 5

Begin rolling the nib into the scroll.  Leave the shorter bar strait beyond the weld.  Continue the scroll until the long bar and the short bar run parallel to each other.  See Figure 4.

Cut 1/2” off the end of each bar, to compensate for a one inch taper.  After putting a 1” taper on the end of the bar, scroll from “B” down to “A.”  Taper the other end as shown in Figure 4.

Step 6

Pre-curve the scroll on edge about 4 inches as show in Figure 5.  After bending, heat the pre-curved bar to orange, then clamp the bar in the vice 5” from the end, and grabbing with a pair of tongs, twist it 90º.  See Figure 6.

Step 7

Finish bending the scroll, starting from the twisted scroll end moving towards the branch.  Use the bending fork and scrolling wrench or the hammer as necessary, checking the fit in the frame until the final shape has been achieved.

Step 8

File the nibs so that there are no flat spots or elbows.  Next file a light chamfer on all edges of the branching scroll.  Finally heat the scroll to a red heat and use a wire brush to finish it, so that all surfaces are covered with black oxide.