Shoulder Plaid Pin/Brooch

[MacHenderson]

Me and my dad are getting ready to make a couple of Great Kilts, so I thought it would be appropriate to have a couple of Shoulder pins. So I made these at the forge.

It's 1/4" cold-rolled squarebar. The pin was just some smaller scrap/square bar they had laying around; I didn't measure it. They were relatively easy to make, and I enjoyed coming up with the design. Tell me what you think!

[SoldierSpike]

Beautiful pin, I love the twisted square bar. A friend of mine does jewelry like, but blackens the steel and polishes the edges, really a striking look.
Marc

[Tattoo Bradley]

I like it. What tartan are you guys going to make your great kilts from?

[MacHenderson]

That sounds real neat Spike. Do you know how he blackens the steel? I'm always out to pick up new metal-working tricks.
My original plan was to make the tip of the pin a Scottish thistle, with some thistle leaves around the outside of the brooch. At this point in my meager skills, that's too complicated, but maybe at a later date.
Heya Cuz. We're gonna go with Henderson Ancient. We figured with the feileadh mhor being a historical piece, it would look best in the old-style colors. That, and we can get it real cheap from Sport Kilt in PV, as apposed to pricier wool.

[SoldierSpike]

I think he quenches the steel in used motor oil, although I'm not sure.

Marc

[Arlen]

That is very nice. I'd probably buy something like that if I saw it in a store.
Great idea.

[Raptor]

That sounds real neat Spike. Do you know how he blackens the steel? I'm always out to pick up new metal-working tricks.

I like that a lot. Nice work.
I've blackened tattoo machine frames by quenching in used motor oil as mentioned by spike. If you dont want to temper the steel to brittleness you dont need to quench straight from the forge. An hour or so in a hot oven is usually fine, & used deisel oil works better than that from a petrol engine.