Fly press users/???

[racer3j]

A big thank you. The two stage cone process sounds ideal -basic to refined. It will be a long time for me to get to where I can do a one-piece socket chisel. I am a pretty well experienced O/A weldor, so mating the cone socket with a blade should not leave excessive clean up of that union. Along the fly press line of thought, would an Appalachian Power hammer swage orange O1 and/or forged cable damascus into a female die representing the shape of a bevel-edge chisel?regards, mike

[HWooldridge]

I don't know how stout an Appalachian PH is but I'd guess "yes" if you get the stock hot enough. Maybe someone who has one can chime in.

[SGropp]

A fly press is basically a pushing tool.If you are used to forging with a hand or power hammer,the subtle power and control of a fly press takes some to appreciate.
I was making just such a shape the other day for an altogether different purpose, but the result is more or less the same as a chisel socket.
The flat stock was forged or cut into a fan shaped taper. A tapered half round bottom swage was made and fitted to the table of a #6 fly press. The inside profile of the swage was the same as the desired outside profile of the finished socket. The top tool in the ram of the press was a tapered mandrel profiled to match the desired inside profile of the socket. This was welded to a long stem that fitted the tool holder in the ram. The top tool looked like an inverted ''T''
The depth stop on the press was set to bottom out in the swage just shy of the thickness of the socket stock.
At a full yellow heat, the prepared tapered stock was laid lengthwise across the bottom swage, The top tool pushed first the center down and then by carefully rolling the blank in the swage and pushing with the top tool the piece was almost closed up to the final hollow cone.
On the next heat , a tapered mandrel was inserted and the socket closed up on the flat dies of a small power hammer.
One more heat ,with the mandrel back in place ,the piece was cleaned up and refined at the anvil with a hammer .
I made them this way as the socket was formed on the end of a parent bar, which would be one way to make a one piece socket chisel.
If I was just interested in making tapered sockets , I'd forge them on a power hammer out of a piece of seamless pipe ,either on flat dies or in a tapered v bottom block. It could be trued up over a tapered mandrel on the last heats.
I have a #5 and #6 fly press, both from Old World Anvils. The #5 is quicker in action but the #6 is much more powerful and in my shop gets the most use. The limiting factor is how much effort is required to turn the flywheel to the up position.My guess is that a #6 is the maximum size for one man operation.
Forming the socket the way you described does not seem quite feasible, too much material to move in one step even with lots and lots of power. Maybe it would work in a series of progressively deeper dies.

[arftist]

Racer3j, why does it have to be a long time before you can make a one piece chisel? Anyway, An appalachian power hammer can be as stout as you make it. It is a simple design, that lends itself to well thought out and engineerind modification. In fact, I am pretty sure Jerry will help you engineer it to any reasonable size, if you buy his plans. Asuming you have a power hammer, a one piece chisel becomes even more realistic. This by the way, is a perfect application of spring steel. If I were to set up for it, I would forge the blade with the power hammer, flatten the socket side with the power hammer, use a bottom swage in the flypress, with a tapered top fuller in the flypress,do a heat of however many blanks you can fit in your forge(gas forge), switch the top tool, to a swage, insert blank and tapered mandrell, refine in flypress. If that was not clear, I will explain it better.

[racer3j]

Actually both of you have given real food for thought. I appreciate the time taken to give clear options.mike