first tool

[Justin Caradoc]

this is the fire rake I made at my 2nd forge session alittle over a month ago. It has take me a while to post pics.

It is made fron 1/2" mild steel cold rolled square and is about 2 1/2' long

what do you think?

[welder19]

Nice job!

welder19

[Justin Caradoc]

Thanks welder19

[Justin Caradoc]

Ok I know that this has not been up that long but I was searching through the archives reading old posts an there was a first project that was heavely critised. I am planning on making another fire rake to trade at the August blacksmith guild of virginia meeting and I dont want to trade an unsitely piece. ( yes I am being self consious) I would like critisizim on this. It is only through learning our flaws that we can uncover our perfection. So I would like to know honestly what you think good or bad. What would you do to improve it? Thanks in advance

[Glenn]

Justin, Think of how the tool will be used, it is a hook/scoop for dragging coal or coke to the fire. To that end, you would need a 3/4 to 1 inch flat section of metal in the form of a J or L (think of the alphabet JKL), or a blend of the two shapes. The amount of material you can or wish to drag to the fire would determine the size of the hook.

The material at the end of the hook is unusable as it is not moving material and is your opportunity to show some artistic ability. For instance split the bar in half, taper the split sections into points and make a small heart being sure it is no wider than the parent stock.

As to the rest of the tool, the handle should fit comfortable into the users hand and the orientation of the handle should make the tool easy to use. You will find that the tool can be made left or right handed, or made for use in either hand.

Your artistic ability can be used between the handle and the hook to decorate the tool, such as twists.

All of this is well within the ability of a beginner as a first project. DO NOT think that a first project is just one piece of metal that must be completed in one forge session. A first project is the assembly of parts, many practice tries at the hook to determine size and shape, many practice tries at splitting stock, practice at tapering that stock and then practice at forming the tapers into a heart. You then choose one style handle from several different style handles that you have tried to make, with many practice tries. When you choose the individual parts and processes and assemble them all into one piece of steel do you have a sample to go by. The sample is not the first project, it is just that, a sample to see that everything goes together as you wanted. Make the changes needed and then either make another sample or make your FIRST PROJECT.

My suggestion is to make two, one for you and one for the Guild meeting. You will need that tool at your forge just as much as the fellow that buys/bids on it. Oh yes, you did remember to put your touchmark on the tool, didn't you? (grin).

[Justin Caradoc]

thank you glenn I will continue to work with this one and the one I make for the meeting will be more artistic.

[primtechsmith]

Justin Good job.

I second Glenn on this one too. ALways keep your first! SOmething I have been guilty of not doing.

I am looking forward to seeing what you put in the trade. I need to get busy on my piece!

Peyton

[Glenn]

My comments about the heart at the end were based on not using my scoop as a poker to punch the fire or drag clinker out of the fire. If the blacksmith uses the tool in this manner, a point or other style would be much better.

[Justin Caradoc]

I placed a point on the business end so I could just that glenn also it helps me clear the air holes in the tueyere. I that end was also spread to about 3/4" to alow more surface area to drag/push coal into the fire. I origonaly did not make it artistic becuase it took me 4 hours to make just that with a 3# hammer which about killed my arm (well between the hammer and crank blower). I didn't even think about continuing to work on it till you said something .

[larrynjr]

It's hard to tell from the pictures but it appears that the handle end is not champhered, (edges beveled) you might want to consider doing that to make a more comfortable handle for yourself and anyone who might be using it.