Hot Cuts, Anvil devils, metal cutting on the anvil.

The hot cut hardy is a basic and essential tool and is not difficult to make. All you need is a forge, anvil, and hammer, and you can make a hot cut hardy. Car axle is a good material and is easily obtained. After forging is done, the material can be heated to a cherry red, quenched in oil, and then placed in an oven at 400-500 degrees Fahrenhieght for about four hours. That is not a super technical way of tempering your tool, but it should produce a hot cut tool that is pretty hard but won't break. Here are some pictures! Here is a short instructional video on how to use the hot cut hardy safely!

Well, I wasn't sure that my tire hammer would draw out the 1 1/2" square stock to make the hot cut. But it worked like a champ. Here's a few pics of the process. :) Started with 1 1/2" Square stock and drew out to fit the hardy hole. Then cut off to leave about 1 1/4" of the square stock, on top for the hot cut, and forged it down on my tire hammer. I have top and bottom dies that are flat on the left and half round on the right. The hardy shaft ended up too long, for what I like. So I ended up cutting off about an inch. The finished and hardened hot cut. Boy do I LOVE my tire hammer!!! :D

Hello, OK, i never see such a "blacksmith cutter ?", please take a look on this video : - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmoWuME2kWc At the beginning of the video, the tool used to cut the iron (steel).... Of what think of it you? Best regards

I was reading on another thread that you shouldn't use a cold chisel on hot metal. The respondent said he was gonna make the cold chisel into a hot chisel first. I didn't want to pollute that thread with off topic discussion but my curiosity was piqued. I'm wondering if anyone could please tell me why you shouldn't use a cold chisel on hot metal and how do I turn my cold chisel into a hot chisel.

Hey guys, from the last couple of posts of mine y'all might remember me as newbking . I started, and finished, a hot cut hardy and while it actually works (I was surprised), it looks like xxxx and I want to make a better one. This is how I made it, much thanks of someone could tell me where I went wrong: Started with 3/4" round stock (all I had), about 8" long. Squashed it to about 5ish" and 1 1/2" (my uppsetting makes the thing bend constantly though, am I doing something wrong here?) Tapered a square end and formed a shoulder on one side (I couldn't get more than that, my hammer squashed the other lips as I formed them). Formed a makeshift blade and finished it o…

I picked these up a while back for $5 each. Im I correct in thinking that they are cold cuts? The edge doesn't seem sharp enough to be for hot work. One has Hubbard special alloy stamped in it. The one on the right looks like it might have been hand forged.

I am getting ready to set up and start some projects and was thinking of using a brick chisel for a hot cut since I don't have one or the time / experience to make one yet. I have a chisel that is a good fit in the hardy hole of my 50# anvil. Then I got to thinking, the part that rests on the anvil is only about 1/4" thick, would this put to much pressure/force on the anvil if across the face and risk breaking the tail of the anvil off? Would it be safer to have the chisel length wise to the anvil?

Two part question: If I want to forge a cut-off hardy, what kind of steel should I use? I figure tool steel, but what kind of tool steel? I have a forge but that's about it, my other equipment is very limited. Part two: Can a chisel be used as a cut-off hardy? I've been using one, but the cut isn't that clean and I'm wondering if one I forge wouldn't be worlds better. Also, other question I'm tacking onto this one because I've been making too many threads lately: Is a finishing hardy (like a hardy with a flat face that's really smooth and free of dents and whatnot for giving pieces a nice mirror finish) anything more than a flat piece that's been sanded until it…

We (myself and baddog) made this hot cut today, it was our first time striking and making this. We used the method we learned from Brian B. and LDW last weekend, I wont say we got it all right but we did produce a hot cut. Let us know what you think and what improvements can be made thanks FM

two years ago, when we were harvesting grain and sent a kinfe through the blower and chute into the wagon. so no big deal fixed everything replaced the knives, found a couple chunks, threw them into the scrap pile. well this past weekend i was searching through it and found the smallest piece that we found. grab a chunk of inch hollow tube for a stake, a pair of nuts off some 7/8" silo loop rods. welded it all together because the knife is double sided so if you do wear one side down chopping you can just turn it around and keep going, so i welded the nuts onto that bottom edge in order to save my anvil face. this is my end result. im pretty happy with it, i don't think i…

This is a hotcut that I started today. It is from a broken coil spring off of a very large Ag sprayer. The coil stock is 1 1/8". I've cut it into 5" lengths to make tools and whatever else. I've gotten the piece straightened today and squared off to fit in the hardy. Also started to flare out the cutting end. Tomorrow I'll work on it some more. Probably could have gotten farther but too many irons in the fire today. Tomorrow I'll dedicate the fire to the hotcut. I have determined at least two things. 1. Man is that steel hard. 2. I need to find a striker. A large striker with good aim. But for now I'll just keep on heating and swinging. I'm using my 55 forge w/…

Hi, All. Can someone tell me how to make a hot cut hardy? I would like to use a splitting wedge and cut or grind the shape of the shaft, especially because I have no welding ability. Any suggestions? Also, how should the edge be shaped and does it need to be heat treated. Also, should I make another hardy tool with the cut off from the splitting wedge? If so, what would be a good choice. BTW, The hardy hole on the anvil is about 1". Thanks.

Cold chisels have always been the step children of my tool collection. I used them for the odd brutal job like shearing a rivet head but always considered them a very limited tool. Anyway today I needed to cut an arc out of a piece of 1/8" strap. I hogged the cut by hackswing a series of cuts down close to the line and then clamped the piece in the vise and sheared out the strips with a chisel which left a very ragged edge. At this point I usually reach for the grinder but I had been using it all day and was sick of it. So I decided to see how far I could go with the chisel. I quickly found I could pare out thin chips with surprisingly fine control. The photos show t…

Hi everyone. quick question, as i've been practicing and expanding (without new tools) i have come across the need to make more of my own tools and since i don't know much about the differences between punches, hot cutters, and chisels i was wondering what seperates the metals in each and if the methods behind making each of them differ. any input is greatly appreciated. =)

I've heard of certiain chisel looking peices that cut steel but how do you know which ones to cut while hot vs cold. Thanks...and i know i am a real beginer

Hi Guys I kinda need a hot cut and have a top fuller I've never used, wanted to know if I can make it into a hot-cut. I don't know if its made of tool-steel. Any help is appreciated. Jordan

This is based on information in this thread http://www.iforgeiro...-hot-cut-hardy/ NakedAnvil took an axle, squared and upset a shank on, then formed a wedge for a hot cut in (according to him) about 30 minutes. I know he has induction heating, which is VERY fast and that he knows a whole lot more than me. I started off with a piece of 1 1/2 4140 in my propane forge, I formed the square shank then cooled the top in water (so I don't upset it in too far) and upset the shoulder on the bottom using a bolster plate wired to my anvil (it lines up with the hardy rather well) I actually upset 2 so I could make a turning fork out of one, and a hot cut out of the other. Took …

Hey all here is a few tools I made the other day. A hot cut from 4140 I do not have a drift for eyes yet so this was done with a straight Pritchel and two Pritchels from s7 Also Included a photo of a horse I shod with handmade concave stock. 3/3 by 3/4 I cut 12" and it is to much for the foot but o well! I would love to see some detailed pictures including size of drifts or "slitters" for making handled tool. Thanks! Jarred

I use this one on my small(100lb) anvil for when I need to cut off square and flat. Its made from 6150..Works very well..

Just a post to show first project, a hot cut hardy. Made up from bits and pieces I had. The blade is 2 1/2 x 1/4 O1. The rest is made up of a couple of pieces of 1 1/4 x 1 1/4 angle, some 1/2 x 1/2 mild steel and 1 1/4 square tube. All riveted together as I have no welder. Bill

I would like to relate this thread to the "Make A Hot Cut Hardy" thread below as these two tools are very similarly made. It does seem to me though that a butcher hardy ought to usually have a pretty straight across edge as I might often want to use it to butcher tenons and the like. I don't currently have a butcher hardy and have used my anvil corners to do this job, but it seems to me that I could do cleaner quicker work with a proper butcher hardy and so it is on my list of things to make. Besides tenon work I have other uses in mind... like when I make a Christopher cross pendant I like to turn an eye with the excess metal on the top leg... if this is not butchered…

Will any old coarse rasp work as a hot rasp or do I need a farrier or "blackmsith" model?

I decided the other day that I needed to make me some good functional chisels designed for blacksmithing. I've been using a hodgepodge mixture of flea market and quickie forged punches and chisels to varying degrees of success. I looked thru some of the books I have and decided to try the ones in Mark Aspery's first book. I followed the book and have made 9 so far. The hardest for me so far has been the Cape Chisel. I got them heat treated and tempered tonight. I still have the slot punch, round drift and the wizard eye socket punch to go. Tomorrow evening I will try out the slitting chisel and see how it does. John

I have a set of torches and a mig welder. Now need to be able to cut a variety of stock for small projects. Which tool would you recomend to buy first, Harbor freights cheepo band saw, or an $80 metal chop saw that Tractor supply carries?. Thanks for any help

hot cutters ? I tried all yesterday afternoon to split a piece of steel ans ended up with a split about a milimeter long so some help would be nice