Tennessee Troll
Reprinted from the Bituminous Bits Vol.
11 No. 4, July-Aug 1995
Clay Spencer - Editor
© 2000 Alabama Forge Council
Mike Pleasant and Gary Scasbrick put a wizard on a rail spike and made
the rail spike head into the feet. This neat little guy is the Tennessee Troll.
Heat the head of a rail spike and
place it in the hardy hole.
Hammer the head flat.
Dress the edge down around the
sides of the spike head, with
hammer
Hotcut the feet. Continue
the cut up the spike an inch
or so to make the legs.
Put the open cut on the edge of
the anvil and hammer from back
to open cut (spreading feet)
The feet should look like this
after splitting. Flatten bottom of
the feet and make sure he can
stand up.
Use hot cut to cut three toes on
each foot. Be careful not to cut
through foot. Make toenails with
a 1/4" round, flat end punch or
curved chisel. Make knuckles by
cutting small lines with a small,
curved chisel.
The face is made like a regular
wizard face on square stock.
Use a set to push the metal
down on each side of the nose
and below the nose. Punch eye
sockets and and eyeballs. Punch
nostils with a sharp center punch.
Hot cut lines for the mustache,
adding hair lines before the
mustache is cut loose. Cut the
mustache and curl up. Punch/cut
the mouth.
Next is the troll cap. Try your own
versions, here are two ideas. For one,
the spike can be drawn to a point and
then curled to one side.

Another way is to make a night
cap. Fuller the spike to a blunt
point and leave the fuller marks
in. Fold the end over to one side
to look like a night cap.
Hot cut two grooves all the way around
the head, above the eyes to form the
bottom of the cap.

More decoration may be added in the
form of stars (concrete drill) and/or
moons, etc.

Originally rewritten from the
Appalachian Area Chapter Newsletter.