Pineapple Twist

This is a twist that gets a lot of interest from non-blacksmiths. Most of them can not figure out how you did it. Many will think that you filed the grooves into the steel to get the effect.

Step 1. Using square stock. Lay out where you want the twist to go and mark all 4 sides with the start and stop marks. Chisel in a groove down the center of all four sides. The deeper the groove, the more dramatic the twist.

* Step 1:

Step 2. Twist the bar clockwise.

* Step 2:

Step 3. Hammer the bar back to square.

• Step 3:
  

Step 4. Again, put grooves down the center of all 4 sides.

* Step 4:

Step 5. Twist again, but go the opposite direction from the first twist. Watch carefully as you twist and stop twisting when the diamonds line up; roughly about ½ as many twists as the first time.

* Step 5:

This project takes some home work. You will want to make some test pieces. You can get different effects by twisting more or less for a given length of twist. For all of the examples in the pictures shown, the bar was ½” square and the twists were done over 4”.

Notice in the last picture the top example was originally twisted 3 complete revolutions; The bottom example was only twisted 1 complete revolution. So by twisting 1 revolution, or 2 revolutions, or 3 revolutions over the same 4” you get 3 different results.

* Variations on a theme:

If you are putting in the grooves with a hand hammer, lay out the grooves lightly cold and then follow up hot; this way it will be easier to stay centered. Also, note in pictures 2 and 3, in each case you could stop at that point and have an interesting twist.

((This article was originally published in the March/April issue of BGCM's Newsletter, HAMMER & TONG))

-- AlbinDrzewianowski - 03 Jan 2011