Vise Jaws, Etc.

This abstract copper wall sculpture was made using old vise jaw covers and various other pieces of copper scrap that I've collected over the years. The vise jaw covers kept the hot iron from being marred by steel vise jaws. At the bottom is a piece that was folded over the face of the anvil as a cutting plate.

One of my final projects in my blacksmithing career was a re-purposing of scrap copper vise jaws.  During most of my career, I worked with copper covers on my steel vises, as shown in the second photograph above. They protected the hot steel from being marred by the steel vise jaws, and the copper actually gripped better than the steel jaws.  As they wore out over the years, I threw them in a pile under the bench, never quite sure what to do with them.  It came to me in my final year as a blacksmith to flatten them out and create a piece of art from them.  They are connected by copper rivets and have a light green patina.  All of the hammer blows and chisel cuts created wonderful textures.  

The dimensions are 25" tall x 27" wide.  Please allow 3 weeks for shipping.