It followed me home

[meco3hp]

T-Gold,
Those are excellant ideas! I never thought about a mushroom stake or a small bickern. I'll reserve some of those for that. Here is the link that gave me some ideas for getting some of this stuff.
http://www.metalsmithinghowto.com/tu...tm&content=122

I like the plates because they make good bases to set grinders and such on after they're welded onto a stand. The guy's idea for a poor mans acorn platen has merit if a person could figure out the welding problems. I've got an idea about building a big fire and preheating them in that to cure the weld problem.

[one_rod]

A while ago a friend gave me some 52100 steel. This is exellent steel for making knives out of. Trouble is, it was in the form of "short heavies" and was going to take some serious metal shifting to get it anything like knife-shaped.

The size and location of my shop means that I am never going to have a power hammer in there, so getting, or making, a big hand-hammer seemed like the best option.

So, what do I find by the roadside, but this 7 pound sledge head....





A little work with the gas-axe and belt grinder, and she looks like this....



Heat treated and handle fitted.
Now that is a proper hammer. I can feel the shoulder ache already.....





one_rod.

[dan@modernblacksmith]

gone

[Nolano]

Im going to use a power hammer to turn an 8 pound sledge into a cross peen sledge....

[Ralph]

One-rod,
So are you planning on using this thing onehanded?
I ask as about the biggest sledge I use when striking is maybe 8lbs and it moves metal quite well. But then again my regualt using hammer is only 2 1/2lbs.

If used one handed then be careful as the shoulder and arm really are not going to like this.

[meco3hp]

Hello,
My brother has a big sledge with a short handle that he uses some times. the handle is a sledge handle thats been cut down to the size of a 32oz size.
I have a straight pein 2lbr thats got a bunch of chips on the face edges that are about 3/8" deep. I think I might make that face a vertical pein with the other being a straight hort. pein. I've been trying to decide what to do with it as I think grinding the striking face down enough to clean it up would make it too unbalanced. You guys are inspiring, I get great ideas form this forum!

[one_rod]

Originally Posted by Ralph

One-rod,
So are you planning on using this thing onehanded?

If used one handed then be careful as the shoulder and arm really are not going to like this.

Ralph,
yes it is for one handed use.

Really, I made it just for the one job of re-shaping some lumps of 52100. rather than for general forging.

52100 is tough stuff to work any way you do it. Lots of blows with a lighter hammer or less blows with a big brute like this, the effort seems to be about the same.

I have used a couple of times now, and yes it's hard work, but once you get a rhythm going it really does move some metal.


one_rod.

[dan@modernblacksmith]

gone

[Nolano]

and by a gas axe, did you mean a cutting torch?

[one_rod]

Originally Posted by Nolano

and by a gas axe, did you mean a cutting torch?

Yes.

My second favorite toy.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...sizeanvil3.jpg



one_rod.