Subject: Need help making grapes

From: Russell McCrackin <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 23 Mar 1996 08:54:50 -0800

I have a customer that wants a grape design on the ends of a drapery rod.
Would appreciate any help.  Is there a source of a casting?  Have you 
hammered a bunch of grapes with leaves?  I amy have to round the end of 
some round stock, cut it off, repeat until I have enough "grapes," then
acetlyne weld them together, but that doesn't sound like the best way.
Thanks in advance for any help/suggestions.

Rusty at Rusty Forge in Corvallis, OR.
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 [email-masked]

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From: Tom Vincent <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 23 Mar 1996 21:01:19 -0600 (CST)

We do great business adding grapes and leaves to Tuckers vine wine rack. 
I usually use a fuller on 3/4 and 1/2 square. Draw out long stems and 
twist to weld. Oxyacetylene works fine, but you really have to be careful 
to get your stem angles cut just so. We've had clients request welded 
together ball bearings for grapes despite my reproving frown:). Preheat 
them, etc. Thats for lower cost of course. Anything less than 18 grapes 
makes pretty sparse bunch. I just went to the garden and pulled off a 
grape leaf and took it to a copy shop. Used 12 guage and and airplane 
snips, cut a long stem so you can twist it onto the stem or arc weld. 
Easy repousee work as they lie pretty flat on the vine unless they've got 
some sort of virus. Most clients don't insist on that much realism. I but 
your local nursery wouldn't miss a leaf, or better yet go to your local 
winery. Offer to put the finished product in their shop on consignment. 
Good luck, Tom