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I Forge Iron

Slipping down the slope of tool making


Daswulf

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Many thanks to Crazy Ivan, I've been learning a lot. It is a slippery slope in tool making that started with making a Brazeal style hot cut without proper tongs to hold the axle shaft stock. So last week we started on tongs and had a "learning experience" with unknown stock after a bit of hard work.  <_< 

   last night we got it and made a nice set of tongs for the axle shaft stock. No more lost sleep haha.  Then we made a temporary punch from part of a pick mattock to make a good handled hammer eye punch out of the axle shaft.  Now I have tools to make tools, and know how to make the tools to make tools. :huh:

  It's an addicting process and learning from Crazy Ivan has been extremely helpful. Opens up endless possibilities in tool making. I'll have to get pictures of the hot cut and the temporary punch but here's the results from last night.  And some thinks would be easier with a power hammer but we hammered it out pretty well. 

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I'm thoroughly embarrassed about that "learning experience". I knew that stock forged slightly tougher than mild but not quite medium carbon and should have tested it before finishing that tong. There was some alloy that didn't agree with our forging. Lesson learned lol. The tongs not shown that we were making fractured shortly after finishing 1/2 the pair from cooling. Oh well, half the fun of unknown steel is when it is finished and nice and then breaks apart when you aren't even touching it (nervous laugh)....at least these tongs and the eye punch turned out nicely enough I can sleep at night again lol.

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Yeah that broken one was good practice for me in striking, and I definitely learned a lesson. we made a nice pair now that will be used many years down the road.  I always liked those old hand made tools that outlasted their maker and then I was able to put them to use. I'd think we would all like to see our work passed down for use but better yet the knowledge.  

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