Backyard Black Smithing With A Home Built Power Hammer

Characters like MacGyver and the fellas from Mythbusters continue to inspire, for one very specific reason. They think through a problem and create a solution. By painting their way out of a corner, clever ideas resolve an issue at hand or help to further expand their quiver of tools.

Ingenuity comes in many forms and creating your own tools is a particular fascination of ours. When it comes to metal, we are all ears and hands in this scenario. Have a look at this video about a home made black smith power hammer. Did you ever think about making an engine block for a table stand? Yep, we sure have many times and even made one. Below is also a fabrication table made from the crankshaft of the donor engine we bought. These guys upped the ante and for that clever solution and we salute you.

Find out more on blacksmithing tools from the Naked Anvil youtube page

Crank shaft as base for a portable fabrication table

Proportionate size with our old Cafe Racer in the process of being rebuilt

Doing Things By Hand, From Sign Painting To Bicycle Frames

Personally, there is nothing more satisfying than the art of creating an object by hand. You could build a dog house, craft a gas tank out of sheet metal or even do a killer hand painted sign, but in that process of bringing something new to fruition, there is a feeling of satisfaction of a job well done that tends to permeate the finished task. Next time you are building something or looking for ideas, don't rush through to the finish, maybe think on the old traditional ways of doing things and have an appreciation for craftsmanship.

Check out Golden West Sign Arts 

Dig into SoulCraft Bicycles

Jack Daniel's meets The Signpainter from Travis Robertson on Vimeo.


FROM STEEL: The Making of a Soulcraft from michael evans on Vimeo.

What Is The Best Tool For Drawing?

A few times we have been asked, what is the best tool for drawing? Here is the best answer and will be flat out proven correctly every single time. Your imagination is the best tool! Who cares if you use micron pens, spray paint, sharpies, pencils, blood or even a computer program. What matters the most is that you channel your ideas in whatever medium du jour treats ya best. We prefer the low tech simplicity of pencils, sharpies and maybe an brush as we dig the traditional comic book style approach to black and white art.

Be on point and be creative, as that is what folks want to see. Check out this killer hot rod drawn on an Nintendo DS using a program called "Colors", thus proving that imagination is the truly the best tool.