LDW Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 Heres a link to a pic of all the tools it takes to make a hammer the way Brian demonstrates at each of the classes. This is one set, less the two hammer blanks, and there is also an extra "cupping tool" or round hammer face swage, We are going to MN in September and will need ten sets of these tools to do the hammer making class there. https://picasaweb.google.com/106506050631612810521/HammerMakingTools#5646783176958364338 From the top Hole Punch Drift Top Fuller From Left to Right Hammer Tongs , Cupping Tool, Hump Tools, Matching bottom fuller The two hammer blanks are 1045, the small one is 1 3/4" x 3 13/16" the larger one is 2" x 4" If I could figure out how to attach a pic to this I would. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evfreek Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 You only need one fuller pair for those hammers? What size is it? I made a pair of 1.5" and 3" for my kit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianbrazealblacksmith Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 That is the set we make for the classes, but we do bring our other top and bottom fiullers for smoothing and finishing. The ones in the picture are 1 1/2" fullers, but they are just a piece of that 1 1/2" diameter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evfreek Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 Hi Brian, thanks for the really quick reply. My striking partner has inspired me to try to make a Brazeal style rounding hammer, and it is really giving us a workout. We just did the hot cutting on the weekend, and it took 2 hours! It must have done a lot of work, since the bar was noticably upset on the cut ends. A lot harder than cutting 1" square bar. I'm afraid that I'll have to use the saw for the rest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianbrazealblacksmith Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 Evfreek, Do you have a tapered shank hot cut hardy, and is your anvil and stand mounted to the Earth? Tools that do not move or vibrate will make a big difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alec.S Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 Looks great, guys!! That will be one heck of a good class i am sure! i can vouch for what brian said, i would never had even thought of cutting two 2 inch billets hot if it wasn't for his hot cut hardy. A shame my anvil was vibrating a fair bit though....So we lost lots of energy. alec Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavala Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 How is the dishing tool made? I'm sure you use a rounding hammer, but let's say I don't have one. What would you recommend ? Perhaps a ball bearing but what radius? Or do you have different radiuses for different sized hammers. Thanks, Marc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianbrazealblacksmith Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 Cavala, we use a ball fuller, and it is not a half sphere or a certain radius. It is like the rounding hammers where it is more like a squashed ball. You could use a swage block like I used to that has a swage for making ladles, just don't bottom the hammer out when you're forging the faces. The main thing about what makes a rounding hammer the best choice for forging with is the number of different radi or fullers you have to choose from by the degree in witch you tilt your hammer. If you only have one certain radius, you only have one radius to choose. This hardy can be made in 15-30 minutes. It is the first thing that we will have each team make in the class. Start by heating up an appropriate piece of metal. Hold the hot end on the anvil at an appropriate angle and have the striker strike at the appropriate angle with half hammer faced blows. Turn 1/4 turns after each hit until the end of the taper is about 3/4" square. Now change .the angle of your hold to an appropriate angle and have your striker strike half hammer face blows starting where your forging stopped and started and move down the taper after every 2 quarter turns until the end of the taper is reached. Now use the flatter to straighten and planish by having your striker strike once on all four sides and all four diagonals. Now take another heat and cut off an appropriate sized piece depending on how large of a cupping tool you are wanting to make. Take another heat and seat the stem of the hardy and upset the hardy with both people striking. Take another heat and hold the hardy shank parallel and perpindicular while holding a set or flatter for your striker to strike. You can forge square, octagon, to round, or you can forge hex. We've done them round, octagon, and hex. This will hollow out the upset part of the hardy. Take another heat and finish the cup with the ball fuller and your striker. Forge to finish by keeping the scale brushed out and planish at the lower heats. 5 heats is all it takes, but if you miss a heat, take another. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavala Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 Wow thanks that was very thorough. I think I may give it a try. I should just take one of your classes but I don't really know where you have them. If you're ever in the southeast (Louisiana) giving a class maybe I will. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianbrazealblacksmith Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 I have private classes here in Brandon, Mississippi where I live. We also travel and do group and private classes. Lyle, LDW, and I had two day classes then two days of demos at the LAMA conference in Lafayette, Louisiana the last two years in a row. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimbob Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 I tried making a dishing tool from the pictures that were posted of one a year or so ago I could not get it deep enough,but after taking a class with Brian he pointed out to mushroom over the top part of the dish and then drive ball end fuller in to it it more or less form's itself. what I used for a ball fuller was a 2¼ trailer ball with a wire wrapped handle ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Countryforge Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 HI Brian Setting up to when you one day come to Ontario Canada. Your portable tripod plate beater. I am sourcing out this item figure 5x12x3 inches thick should do, is it regular steel or are there some carbon points in it Thanks Ray Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianbrazealblacksmith Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 Portable tripod beater, that is an anvil! I sure am glad I made it. That thing has helped me and others make hundreds of top and bottom tools and hammers, also. Most of the people that struck on it had never struck before, and there are the scars to prove it. Mine is made from mild steel, because that is what I had. Mild will work and may be best for a "beater", but just about any brick of metal about that size would work. Mine is 4" x 2 1/2" x 10", but your brick would be even better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LDW Posted August 31, 2011 Author Share Posted August 31, 2011 Heres an eye punch we made on that anvil today. I used my camera again but the pics turned out pretty good. https://picasaweb.google.com/106506050631612810521/HammerEyePunch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke March Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 Brian, You said that the fullers were 1.5"; diameter.Does this mean that the curve on them would be part of a 1.5" circle? If so, how wide are the fullers - since they are clearly not a cylinder? Also the support tools - do they have the same radius as the fullers? and how wide (thick) are they? Finally, I want to say that I have found your posts very informational and inspirational. I'm in a bit of a quandry about where to start right now. I want to forge a hammer like yours, but I have to back up and make these tools first. Unfortunately, I don't think I even have all the tooling to make these tools yet. I have: anvil(securely mounted), swage block with cupped indents, cut-off hardy (flat-topped) and a 2.5 lb hammer. I also have a sledge, 8 lbs I think. I don't have: tongs for large stock, hammer eye punch, hammer drift, flatter, or well developed muscles. The trouble is, with my skinny arms, and no one available to be striker more often than not, each of these is a fairly large project for me. Do you have a suggested order of what tool should be made before what? Sort of like a progression, first make this, and you will have a better tool to help you make this...... Thanks for any help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianbrazealblacksmith Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 Brian, You said that the fullers were 1.5"; diameter.Does this mean that the curve on them would be part of a 1.5" circle? Yes If so, how wide are the fullers - since they are clearly not a cylinder? 3/4" wide Also the support tools - do they have the same radius as the fullers? and how wide (thick) are they? yes Finally, I want to say that I have found your posts very informational and inspirational. thank you, and I can see you are paying attention I'm in a bit of a quandry about where to start right now. I want to forge a hammer like yours, but I have to back up and make these tools first. Unfortunately, I don't think I even have all the tooling to make these tools I have: anvil(securely mounted), swage block with cupped indents, cut-off hardy (flat-topped) and a 2.5 lb hammer. I also have a sledge, 8 lbs I think. I don't have: tongs for large stock, hammer eye punch, hammer drift, flatter, or well developed muscles. The trouble is, with my skinny arms, and no one available to be striker more often than not, each of these is a fairly large project for me. Do you have a suggested order of what tool should be made before what? Sort of like a progression, first make this, and you will have a better tool to help you make this...... Thanks for any help! First you need a punch and drift like this: Then you make the handled punch Then the top and bottom tools, and by then you'll see that you need to get a striker or a power hammer. Alec S came here from England and spent 12 days with me and Lyle,LDW, and he and Monty have been forging hammers and top and bottom tools since he has been back to England. They had never used strikers before, but they get together and do it now. Alec is not a large person either. He is 13 years old and weighs less than 100 pounds. The lone blacksmith is a modern phenomenon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianbrazealblacksmith Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 Luke, I typed the first few answers inside the quote spaces, but it showed up like the quote. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke March Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 Thank you! That is very helpful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evfreek Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 Hi Brian. The anvil is securely anchored, and does not move a bit, but the hardy is a loose (sleeved) fit. In addition, both the hardy and the handled top cut have square edges, not deeply rounded like yours. A quick bit of thought reveals that this adds considerably to the workload. A hot cutting job scales as the bar diameter squared due to the amount of cutting, then cubed because of the increased deformation due to the wedge shape, and perhaps to the fourth power because of the increased resistance to deformation of the thicker bar. That means 16x versus a 1" bar. I'm afraid it was about that bad, and I was beat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianbrazealblacksmith Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 Yep, forging is all about surface area contact! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evfreek Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 Then it looks like time to make a new hot cut. The one I use has the "fancy" Champion Tool stamp, but it has so many cracks ground out of it that it looks like an ice carving. Good thing that I didn't pay Ebay prices for it, or catch a flying piece of the struck end. Thanks, Brian! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Countryforge Posted September 7, 2011 Share Posted September 7, 2011 As I read these comments I was also looking forward to trying my turn at this new venture of making a hammer. After trying forever just to get the hammer hole through I was ready to give up, the gas forge was just not putting out the heat. Even though I get my coal for free it is just crap( 25% ash) it serves its purpose to supply heat but that's all. Doing some work at a local mill I was asked if I could use some coal which had been laying around for 30 years. I now have a greater respect for good coal . The cutting was like butter the forming was just as good. For a first try it was ok but still will be used in the" back" shop. All this rambling on leads to one point the greatest tool for making hammers is a good heat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted September 7, 2011 Share Posted September 7, 2011 Sounds like you need to build a better gas forge. Last time I relined mine I ended up melting a piece of steel in it---definitely enough heat! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eric sprado Posted September 7, 2011 Share Posted September 7, 2011 What is a "hump" tool? thanks, Eric Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianbrazealblacksmith Posted September 8, 2011 Share Posted September 8, 2011 I call the two rectangular pieces next to the corner of the tong jaws in the picture hump tools. They are just an adjustable bolster for supporting the hammer or top tool while driving the drift. I came up with them as a simple solution for being able to do classes and clinics with the WCB. They travel around the country doing farriers competitions with ten forging stations, and their anvils all have a one inch hardy hole. The hump tools enable me to forge hammers on anvils with one inch holes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.