Rusty Dog Forge, How to article for making old style adjustable candle holders.

Click all images for enlargement.

First thing is to make the upright. This is made of 1/2" round stock. Start off with a piece approximately 15 inches long. Draw out and make a hook as shown in the image. Leave hook open so one can take the arms off for packing, cleaning etc.

On the bottom end of the upright forge or grind down to 3/8ths and thread the end. This provides a shoulder for the base plate. Sometimes a little texture in the round looks nice.

Next we fashion the candle cups. For these I use 1/8th sheet stock and cut them out with a chisel, saw or torch in the shape of a four point start. They are then forged to shape over a steel ball that is made into a hardy tool.

Here is one finished with the ends bent over a bit, with one that has not been done yet standing beside the ball. For details of the star click here. Details

Next comes the actual candle holders. These I fashion from black pipe of the correct diameter for your candles. First thing is to forge a flange on the end of the pipe. This can be done as shown in the picture using an old ball-pien hammer that is fitted to the hardy hole.

This image shows the spring fuller used to neck down the pipe. Notice the spacer welded to the lower part to limit the size of the neck. I made this one out of a coil spring after the first one made out of mild steel gave up the ghost after a couple of years.

This image shows the pipe in the tool being necked down. It can be done in one heat but usually takes a couple.

Here is the finished piece ready to be trimmed off the pipe. I usually trim it off so the base is about about 5/8ths of an inch in diameter.

Next the articulated arms are forged. I used 3/8ths round stock for this. They are about 4" long. Notice in the picture showing the four pieces that one end of the two on the left are forged larger. This is so it will be big enough for the 1/2"hole upright to pass through. For these two, I upset the stock a bit before doing those ends.

Notice in this photo that the bottom left is forged flat and the top right is also forged flat. This is the same on all pieces so that the arms articulate smoothly and the candle cups and holders sit square on the arms.

I use 3/16" rivets to join the two arms together. The end of the arm that accomodates the candle cups and holders is drilled and tapped to 10/24 or 3/16ths. With a suitable washer inside the candle holder this is what ties those three elements together. I have also done it with rivets.

The base plate that the upright goes through to mount on the wood. (hole not drilled or punched yet) I create a texture sometings on things like this with a hammer that I have welded a piece of very old rusty, pitted leaf spring to.

That's all there is to it. Not a hard project, but one that will give you lots of satisfaction and garner lots of nice comments.

Harry Foster, Pontiac, Quebec April 14,2001