Tubbe Posted June 3, 2014 Share Posted June 3, 2014 Hi, A couple of weeks ago I decided to try and forge a nail header that extends down the anvil pritchel hole. This makes the tool more stable and fixed in position, especially when you angle the blows for the faceted finish on the head. This one is for fairly large nails, ~7x7mm hole. I got some questions on how it was done, so I made this "how-to": Here I show how it's used: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted June 3, 2014 Share Posted June 3, 2014 Phenomenal, Tubbe. Seems like there's nothing you aren't capable of doing to a master level! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Blythin Posted June 3, 2014 Share Posted June 3, 2014 Very nice! I love the design... May have to make one for myself. Thanks for sharing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Frog Posted June 3, 2014 Share Posted June 3, 2014 Great stuff!! Very nice, thanks for sharing. Saving to my "stuff I gotta make" file. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gergely Posted June 3, 2014 Share Posted June 3, 2014 Hey Tubbe! You can constantly achieve that sort of rough scandinavian perfection which I like so much! Thank you for showing us and teaching. Greetings Gergely Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted June 3, 2014 Share Posted June 3, 2014 Nice looking header. It really stood out in the nailmaking video. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsoldat Posted June 4, 2014 Share Posted June 4, 2014 Thanks for that video Tubbe. I'll have to try to remember drawing out the nail the way you do, seems to keep the heat quite well. It's been added to my growing library. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 Thanks for the instructions and video, Tubbe. You explain things very clearly.I have never made a nail, but I think it would be good to have some hand-forged nails to hang tools on in the demo forge. Much better than old roofing nails!So I will give it a try. I would like to know what size of round bar you started with. Looks like a pretty hefty piece of stuff to 'forge down to fit pritchel hole'.(PS. I note you're in Sweden. I had Swedish visitors to my forge today and they were impressed to see I was using a Kohlswa anvil. They said the Kohlswa company still exists there. Nice people. They are taking home a genuine Australian long-horn bull wall hook) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tubbe Posted July 12, 2014 Author Share Posted July 12, 2014 Hi ausfire! Thanks. I started with a bar of 35mm round for my header, but as always with blacksmithing you can do things in many ways. If you find it had to forge down you could start with a bar that already matches your pritchel hole and upset it a short distance form the end. When you think it's enough to form a shoulder, cut off and continue upsetting (like forging the head of a big nail). If that makes sense... I'm impressed as well :) I have 3 Kohlswa anvils in the shop right now. Yes the company is still in business, but the new anvils are ridiculously expensive. Here's a link. A long-horn bull wall hook sounds like a nice souvenir! Instead of a plastic fridge magnet depicting the Sydney opera house...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 Hi ausfire! Thanks. I started with a bar of 35mm round for my header, but as always with blacksmithing you can do things in many ways. If you find it had to forge down you could start with a bar that already matches your pritchel hole and upset it a short distance form the end. When you think it's enough to form a shoulder, cut off and continue upsetting (like forging the head of a big nail). If that makes sense...That makes a lot of sense to me, Tubbe. I think I would have more success doing that than forging down 35mm steel. I had a thought that a really big bolt with a shank the same size as the pritchell hole would be a good starting point too.Thank you for the advice; I appreciate it.(And you made me smile - I'm not fond of Opera House fridge magnets either!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 OK, so I thought I had better have a go at making a nail header. I think the pritchel hole on my anvil might be a bit small so I reckon the hardy hole would suffice. I had a look around the scrap and selected an old bolt that had a substantial head on it and a shank about the same as the hardy hole. I think it was a wrought iron bolt as it appeared to have some layered structure.I cut the head off with about a half inch to set in the hardy hole and drilled a pilot hole as described in Tubbe's instructions. Then a half inch hole to within about a 1/4 inch of the top.Into the forge and made the square hole. I wasn't sure about hardening it, so just quenched it in oil. I was going to round off the bolt head but figured it would make no difference being square and I don't have a fuller to put in a handle groove. (Another thing to make).I found another bolt in case one didn't work out. Bent an old welding rod for a handle and attached. Yeah, I know I shouldn't have used the mig. When I make a fullering tool I will make another with a respectable wrapped handle.I don't know it they work yet. Tomorrow I will make a nail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 How did the nail headers work? Well, I'm quite happy with them. The welded handles created a bit of jarring but I expected that. I was a bit nervous about making the first one so I did it before visitors arrived and it worked fine. So I made a few more. Not perfect, but quite usable.Thanks again to Tubbe for posting an excellent video and details of the nail header. The next one I make will have the wrapped handle.Here's my first go at nails: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John McPherson Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 Ausfire, welding on loops of cable (wire rope) instead of solid rod handles is great for struck tools, whether on the anvil, under the power hammer, or in a fly press. The other alternative is to make a loop in one end of the rod, and weld just one end to the tool, sort of an elongated letter 'P'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpankySmith Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 Like the bolt idea, too... I have one hanging around I want to try this with now. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tubbe Posted July 17, 2014 Author Share Posted July 17, 2014 Nice nails! Many ways to do a header... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 Nice nails! Many ways to do a header... Yes, the nails are fine but even though they work, the header tools are a bit rough. Yours have an artistry and finesse about them which I like. Gives us something to aspire to. I am making one with a wrap handle today. Haven't made a fuller for the grrove yet so I'll try using a worn hot cut. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricJergensen Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 ausfire: might consider throwing together a spring fuller using the same stock you intend to wrap with Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted July 19, 2014 Share Posted July 19, 2014 Eric, I would like to use 1/4 rod to wrap, but wouldn't that be a bit light to make a spring fuller from? I had intended to make a guillotine type fuller using some rounded 1/4 plate as the 'jaws'. I have seen pics of spring fullers but never had much success in making one. Things don't seem to line up right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricJergensen Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 It is a bit light and won't last terribly well. I might weld a couple of pieces of small angle or other handy scrap on either side of the bottom (vertically) to keep the top aligned. Main benefit of it is I can fab it up faster than I can pry one of my kids off of the PS/3 to hold a top tool (or the work) ;-). Swing fuller is a more substantial solution. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 Well, making a groove around a nail header for a wrap handle using a hot cut was harder than I thought. The side opposite the cut kept closing under the hammer. I managed but the groove was untidy and needed some filing to widen it for the 1/4 inch handle loop.Here's the result:A bit rough and not as classy as Tubbe's masterpiece but hey, it works. The next one will be better as I have finished making a fuller which will hopefully make a good groove. I'll post a pic in another thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John McPherson Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 On preventing unwanted deformation, one trick is to quench the side that goes down on the anvil as it comes out of the fire. This is especially true when using a gas forge, as small items tend to heat more evenly than in a solid fuel forge. A little harder to juggle is setting up a profile supporting bottom fuller on the anvil: a bent length of small rod with one end stuck in the hardy hole will work. The ultimate answer is the blacksmith's helper, either the flesh and blood kind, or the mechanical variety. I REALLY need to get around to making that guillotine tool set........... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 Thanks John. Yes, I should have tried that ... form half first then quench that part and form the other.I would be interested to see how you go about the guillotine set. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tubbe Posted November 30, 2014 Author Share Posted November 30, 2014 Hello. Made a video on how I made another nail header like this: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gergely Posted December 1, 2014 Share Posted December 1, 2014 Smooth masterwork! Thank you for making and posting it! Bests to you: Gergely Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 Nice work, as always Tubbe. That's pretty much how I make my nail headers .. a bit rougher than yours though. (But they work OK.)Gotta make myself one of those spring fullers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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