Shainarue (she/her) ⚒️ 🧶
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shainarue.bsky.social
Shainarue (she/her) ⚒️ 🧶
@shainarue.bsky.social
21 followers 23 following 42 posts
I spend nearly all of my free time blacksmithing, and when that's not happening then I'm sketching or learning a language or playing an instrument or hanging out with my wife. I also love just being outside.
Youtube: @shainarue
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shainarue.bsky.social
I taught a beginners blacksmithing class at Go Wyld last weekend. I made this storyboard showing the steps to make a simple pigtail bbq flipper using a 20" long 3/8" round bar.
#gowyld #wildHERness #blacksmith #sunshinesmithing
Example showing progressive steps for making a pigtail bbq flipper out of steel. Pieces are attached to a board and a finished flipper is laying along the base. Gravel and twigs and leaves in the background.
June 26, 2025 at 3:53 AM
shainarue.bsky.social
Some welding practice today on 14ga square tubing for an upcoming project.
I discovered pretty quickly that I cannot run a continuous bead because it gets the metal too hot and burns through. 2" to 2" and stacked 1" to 2" with a miter angle so it retains the 90° corners.
Pieces of square tubing welded together. Laying on a steel table.
May 5, 2025 at 3:47 AM
shainarue.bsky.social
The deer strolled by while I was practicing making tongs the other evening.
#blacksmith #sunshinesmithing
April 28, 2025 at 3:11 AM
shainarue.bsky.social
I got some logs from my sister when she had her tree cut down. Today I cut some of them into hammer handle blanks. Beautiful, straight lines of grain. Should make a nice long lasting handle.
A log standing in front of a portable DeWalt table saw with two squared pieces of wood propped on top. On a table covered in sawdust. Blooming bush in background.
April 28, 2025 at 3:03 AM
shainarue.bsky.social
A common project for a beginner's class is a roasting fork so I figured I should make sure I knew how to teach it, lol
This is my first time making one. There are just some items I never got around to trying not teaching a class will give me plenty of opportunities for new things.
#sunshinesmithing
Two pronged steel roasting fork on wooden planks
April 22, 2025 at 1:30 AM
shainarue.bsky.social
Bag rack for my wife for bags of projects in progress. Everything is repurposed scrap. Pieces from deck and porch railings, and 1/8" bar to the yarn balls. Only thing purchased were fasteners and the wire which I twisted to make 3-ply 'yarn' strands to wind through the entire length of each support.
April 19, 2025 at 2:03 AM
shainarue.bsky.social
Bag rack for my wife for bags of projects in progress. Everything is repurposed scrap. Pieces from deck and porch railings, and 1/8" bar to the yarn balls. Only thing purchased were fasteners and the wire which I twisted to make 3-ply 'yarn' strands to wind through the entire length of each support.
Rack made of steel with arms made to look like stands of thick yarn and a yarn ball at the end of each. Standing on a wood floor with a blue wall and white ceiling in the background.
April 19, 2025 at 1:44 AM
shainarue.bsky.social
Had a visit to Belle Ridge Farms in Excelsior Springs to visit the new lambs. I can't get over those little "baaaaa"s
I want to bottle it up for a daily dose. The sound from this video will have to do 😊
April 5, 2025 at 7:43 PM
shainarue.bsky.social
Had a visit to Belle Ridge Farms in Excelsior Springs to visit the new lambs. So freaking cute!
Sheep and lambs in a pasture Sheep and lambs in a pasture Sheep and lambs in a pasture Lambs in a pasture
April 5, 2025 at 7:40 PM
shainarue.bsky.social
Portable/Collapsible anvil stand completed and tested in action for 4 hours without issue. Success!
A few minor tweaks I want to make but I'm happy to have something I can take in the trunk of my car!
Shaina hammering an object on the end of a railroad rail hanging vertically in the anvil stand. Background is a workshop. Pieces of the portable anvil stand laid out on the ground. On the left: 2 pieces of angle iron with offset tabs. In the center: 3 lengths of square tube. On the right: plate of steel with the shape of railroad rail cut out from the center Railroad rail anvil in horizontal orientation on anvil stand. Cream wall in background. Railroad rail anvil in vertical orientation on anvil stand, passing through center of top plate. Cream wall in background.
April 5, 2025 at 3:30 AM
shainarue.bsky.social
Working on making a new anvil stand for the railroad rail anvil. It will be able to be be disassembled for travel. I hope to have it in use on Friday!
Steel plate with profile of railroad rail cut from center. Background is wood planks and dirt/gravel.
March 28, 2025 at 3:55 AM
shainarue.bsky.social
I made a jig last night to help me true up these rings made from some scrap handrails. In the pic with two things, the bottom is freehand and the top is after truing up on the jig.
Steel ring sitting on a jig. The job is a curved piece of flat bar welded to a piece of angle iron and clamped in the vice. Dirt ground in background. Two steel rings on a wood plank background
March 13, 2025 at 6:59 PM
shainarue.bsky.social
Trade item for March meeting next Saturday is to attempt Hook #109 from the book "Hooked" by Matt Jenkins of Cloverdale Forge.
Took me a titch over 3 hours.
If I tried it again, I would split a longer portion for the top decoration but leave the overall starting length of stock the same.
On the left, a picture of a page from the book "Hooked" with the number 109 in the lower right corner. On the right, a metal hook hanging from a small nail on a white background.
March 9, 2025 at 3:32 AM
shainarue.bsky.social
Assembled and disassemble pics of the punch holder prior to cleaning it all up and smoothing out the mouth of the pipe.
#blacksmith #sunshinesmithing
Assembled adjustable punch holder and three various sized punches which it can hold securely. Concrete bench in background. Three various sized punches which the punch holder can hold securely and the diassembled adjustable punch holder consisting of a partially threaded rod with large hole at one end, a section of pipe, and a handmade wingnut. Concrete bench in background.
February 8, 2025 at 4:03 AM
shainarue.bsky.social
Finished up an adjustable punch holder for the trade item at tomorrow's Blacksmith Association of Missouri club meeting. Handmade wingnut and hand threaded pieces.
#blacksmith #sunshinesmithing
February 8, 2025 at 4:03 AM
shainarue.bsky.social
A few things I did at the end of 2024.
The tool is an adjustable punch holder with hand forged wingnut. Rod & wingnut hand threaded. Can hold up to 3/4" diameter punch and as small as 3/8", possibly even 1/4". Keeps my knuckles away from the hammer!
#blacksmith #sunshinesmithing
Hand forged snake on wood patterned background A horseshoe with the center forged into a hook, with a wood patterned background An assembled homemade punch holder laying next to three various sized punches on a stone background. An assembled homemade punch holder demonstrating how it holds the punch with two other punches in the background laying on a stone bench with brown leaves around it.
January 9, 2025 at 12:49 AM
shainarue.bsky.social
Some other items I've made over the past few weeks.
A leaf necklace, a leaf hook, candy canes, and a hanger that hooks onto a curtain rod with a bracing arm. A friend needed to hang some paper lanterns but didn't want to screw into the wall or ceiling. #Blacksmith to the rescue!
#sunshinesmithing
Two leaves with coiled stems made from steel, with a leather lace going through the coils. Wood textured background. A steel hook with a tightly wound curl on the end of the hook and a leaf with curled stem at the top. On a white background. Two steel candy canes held in the palm of a person's hand. A steel bracket hanger that hanging from a curtain rod and has a bracing foot extending from the backside to brace against the wall. There is a macramé curtain and white textured wall in the background.
December 20, 2024 at 3:11 PM
shainarue.bsky.social
Update on the Christmas bow I was working on. My wife wanted it painted red instead of sealed natural - which hides some of the texturing I did but I really like the red!
#blacksmith #sunshinesmithing
Red Christmas bow made of metal hanging on a post with a dark background. Red Christmas bow made of metal hanging on a post with a partial view of the house and some trees in the night horizon behind it.
December 20, 2024 at 3:05 PM
shainarue.bsky.social
My friend wanted to hang some Christmas paper star lanterns above her tree but didn't want to screw into the ceiling. We thought maybe it could hang above tree where a macramé panel hangs.
We couldn't find any kind of hanging bracket online so I decided I'd make one as a surprise.
#sunshinesmithing
hand holding a steel hanging bracket with support leg coming out the back steel hanging bracket hanging from wooden dowel with support leg resting against the wall. A macramé panel is partially visible in the background. A paper star lantern hanging from a steel hanging bracket which is hanging from the wooden dowel of a macramé panel. An overall decoration image. The paper star lantern is hanging from a steel hanging bracket which is hanging from the wooden dowel of a macramé panel. In the foreground is a ceramic Christmas tree and other various Christmas decorations.
December 10, 2024 at 5:15 PM
shainarue.bsky.social
This is what it should look like in the end. I might re-do the button in the middle. Original intention was to make a button with a tenon to rivet all the pieces together. But it seemed out of place with the sheet metal. So I dunno. I think I'll add more ribbon-like folds to the bow loops as well.
Strips of textured sheet metal formed into the shape of a large bow with tails laying on an upside-down forging table
November 27, 2024 at 3:22 AM
shainarue.bsky.social
Some progress on the Christmas bow I'm working on. Next step is cleaning all the pieces then attaching them all together. The attaching is where this could all go sideways. Fingers crossed!
3 strips of sheet metal with texturing laying on an upside-down forging table One strip of sheet metal with texturing and two somewhat figure-eight shaped strips laying on an upside-down forging table One strip of sheet metal with texturing and two loops of sheet metal overlapping to form the shape of a bow laying on an upside-down forging table Strips of textured sheet metal formed into the shape of a large bow with tails laying on an upside-down forging table with a pair of tongs to the side
November 27, 2024 at 3:22 AM
shainarue.bsky.social
Hopefully I'm not jinxing myself by sharing before I finish, lol
Last night I cut up a dishwasher panel so I would have strips to use for making a Christmas bow. I really wanted to make it with one piece but I don't have anything long enough that's also wide.
#blacksmith #sunshinesmithing
A white front panel of an old dishwasher has lines drawn on it. It is clamped onto an anvil and there is an angle grinder sitting on top of the partially cut panel. Five white strips of sheet metal are fanned out on top of an anvil. The ground is in the background.
November 20, 2024 at 8:02 PM
shainarue.bsky.social
First post - figure it may as well be a collection of blacksmithing stuff I've done over the past few months.
#blacksmithing #sunshinesmithing
Sculpture of a metal heart with long-stemmed aluminum leaves wrapped around the top and some curled steel at the base. Mounted on a wooden plank. Background is a grassy area with trees. A person is holding a life-sized steel skeleton mask in front of their face. The mask is made using repousse and chasing techniques and has a bronz-ish hue from heat "painting". Background is an interior room and window with blinds. A steel black heart sculpture with vines wrapping up both sides. Background is a stone wall. Two red taper candles sit in a metal candle holder base which looks like ribbon. The cups which the candles are sitting in are black. The background is gold.
November 18, 2024 at 10:41 PM