November 19, 201114 yr Got a new product line going. Starting with flatters, but I'll expand into a whole bunch of top and bottom tools now. Had what I thought was a pretty slick punching setup, but didn't work out as well as I had hoped, just having to take out too much material for the stock size. Got a good script going on the ol' CNC mill. Two machine vises with two parts each. Take just under 20 minutes. Allows me to forge for twenty minutes then change parts and go back to forging. Top tools don't require the hourglass hole like a hammer. Heck you're not even supposed to wedge them, just knock them on and off so you can dress them easily.
November 19, 201114 yr Author Fullers & swages will be inches or metric?As a good salesman would say "What would you like them to be"?
November 19, 201114 yr Author First rate job you did of grinding those welds, handles included? Easier to forge than to weld and grind! Yes, they come handled. These are little 1-1/2 inch flatters. Even if it wasn't easier, I'd rather forge than weld and grind...........any day!
November 19, 201114 yr Top tools don't require the hourglass hole like a hammer. Heck you're not even supposed to wedge them, just knock them on and off so you can dress them easily. Brilliantly simple concept I never thought about, thanks for the +1 wisdom
November 19, 201114 yr Easier to forge than to weld and grind! Yes, they come handled. These are little 1-1/2 inch flatters. Even if it wasn't easier, I'd rather forge than weld and grind...........any day! I knew that..... :P
November 20, 201114 yr Hey Grant, mind sharing what that eye punching setup was? Maybe it'll work on a smaller chunk of steel. I'm about to be building some eye-punching stuff for my press and think I know what to do, but it's always good to pick the brains of smart folks with experience.
November 21, 201114 yr At last I have found someone else who does'nt advocate the wedging on of tool handles, thankyou Grant. With a guru such as you putting it in print my arguments will have just that more weight, "oh yeh but even the famous Grant Sarver does,nt wedge his tool handles on" there it is, done deal nothing more needs to be said! Phil
November 21, 201114 yr Author At last I have found someone else who does'nt advocate the wedging on of tool handles, thankyou Grant. With a guru such as you putting it in print my arguments will have just that more weight, "oh yeh but even the famous Grant Sarver does,nt wedge his tool handles on" there it is, done deal nothing more needs to be said! PhilHa! And I can say "Forgemaster says so, so it must be right"! Great minds DO think alike!
November 21, 201114 yr Author A little side note: these are as-forged 4140. I start with 1-1/4 round, forge the shank, drop it in a bolster and forge the flatter then machine the flatter end and the hole. After that it goes to the grind shop for chamfer, then paint and handle.
November 21, 201114 yr What hammer do you use to make them if you use a hammer? Any images of the forging process?
November 21, 201114 yr Author It's all done on my friction screw press. The process is exactly the same as the bottom tools that I have documented on Youtube.
November 21, 201114 yr Nice looking tools Grant! Here's another idea for you: How about making hardy blanks where the tang to fit the hardy is rough forged and the mass for the base established but the tool portion just an unformed mass? That would give most smiths quite a head start and even guys with plenty of skill might find it handy to have a few of those blanks around for whenever they need a tool in a hurry. You could offer them in several common hardy sizes.
November 21, 201114 yr When I first saw the pics on a small screen, I thought you'd done a bunch of asymmetric cutler's hammers. Hint, hint. :)
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