Slitters, Punches, Drifts, etc

Somewher on here someone gave the recipe for ye ol’e slippery stuff for a punch lube but i couldent find the thread again to give credit to ya well i made some and i just want to say wow this stuff really works incredable thanks to you oh master of punch lube 1 part molibdanum dysulfide powder 3 parts graphite powder by weaight just enough water to make a paste and jus a dab of dishsoap to break surface tension bottomed out a 1/4 round punch in 1 hit in 1/2 plate granted i was using a #5 flypress but the punch came right out and the steel was not held down if you havent tried it you should enjoy du

Long story short, I bought a punch from a smith. He said it's H13 and I have no reason to doubt it. I've never worked with this alloy, so I was looking forward to the experience and not having to constantly reshape the working end. Sadly, the tool didn't survive the first go. Maybe five hits with a hand hammer and it bent. Fair to say that I'm unimpressed. I wasn't trying to punch through the railroad spike, just form a countersink divot. The spike was orange hot, and as you can see from the discoloration on the punch, I got about 3/8" deep before calling it good. The punch didn't produce as great a swell in the sides of the shank as I would ha…

Will be stopping by Steel Mart next week. I want to make a hammer eye drift. probably for hammers in the 2 to 3.5 pound range. I don't have a heat treat oven so would want something not too tricky to heat treat. What steel and what size would be ideal to make one out of? They let me look around the drops so I might find something already cut. Also wanting to make a hammer eye punch from a ball peen. I've a couple abused specimens I think about 16 oz and about 28 oz. Or should I go shopping? thanks in advance.

Picked up 20 pounds of rail car springs today. planning on some punches, drifts and chisels. got a small one straightened. 5/8 cross section. the bigger one is one inch I think, so will be more fun.

A pic of my set of handled punches. I bought from GS tongs out of Taiwan. Great guy and great tools and prices. (No affiliation)

What's your fav steel for hammer drifts? I have a made a few drifts from unknown steels and have had some success doing so. I bought some H13 to make my next one but with further research I found its not a great steel for beginners. Can I use this steel with out a heat treatment? I've heard people also using a2, L6, and spring steels or axel alloys. I don't want to start with a steel I may ruin quickly threw negligence. What is your fav drift steel and more importantly why? I know that hammer drifts will see a lot of heat especially while a beginner is drawing out the cheeks solo. I would like to use a steel that is tough under heat but not so challenging for a be…

I needed something to open up the bottle openers I've tried. I didn't have a big drift and had no luck finding one reasonable. went to the scrap yard and picked up a piece of steel that is about 1.25 inches. Not sure what it was had an eye in it and an amateur welded foot on it. It was about 9 pounds at 25 cents a pound. a total novice, but the grind test showed it to be between mild and tool steel. here are a couple shots. would have worked it longer but the weld on my handle broke and I was getting worn out anyway. I need to get a striker

Somewher on here someone gave the recipe for ye ol’e slippery stuff for a punch lube but i couldent find the thread again to give credit to ya well i made some and i just want to say wow this stuff really works incredable thanks to you oh master of punch lube 1 part molibdanum dysulfide powder 3 parts graphite powder by weaight just enough water to make a paste and jus a dab of dishsoap to break surface tension bottomed out a 1/4 round punch in 1 hit in 1/2 plate granted i was using a #5 flypress but the punch came right out and the steel was not held down if you havent tried it you should enjoy du

Hi, This is my first post to this site which looks like a great resource. Just stumbled upon hollow end chisels and was wondering what their purpose is for smithing?

Hello Artisans almost a year ago I posted some pictures of my new home forge and some of the tools I made from scrap steel - the start of my smithing Back then I had a pieced of 50x50x100mm 1045 to make my first hammer. A forearm injury and other projects got in the way and I never got started. Back at it again, and I just made a hammer eye drift from length of 25mm round steel cut from an old Japanese crowbar of unknown grade. While making it I used my home made beating anvil, guillotine tool - satisfying! From the sparks coming off the linisher, the crowbar looks to have some decent carbon content. Anyway after hours of beating and some grinding this …

Hello I am new to the forum and to blacksmithing. I would like to try and make some hammers with my 100lb little giant but I cant find a hammer eye punch for the little giant. I have seen videos of guys using them like Paul Krzyszkowski just used in his double head axe video on you tube. Where would I find one of these punches for the PH or does some one have the dimensions of how to make one my self. Sorry like I said I am very new to blacksmith work and am trying to learn as much as I can. I am also trying to sigh up for some classes with Lyle Wynn for over the winter if he still is doing classes.

I just tore an old tractor transmisson apart for parts and ended up with four 5/8" by 9" long shift rails. I stuck one in a vice and got after it with a hack saw. It wouldn't hardly scratch it. I'm looking for ideas to use these? I also have a 1 3/4" shaft 17 inches long I hope to make hammers from someday. How can I tell what kind of steel it's made of. Making tools is my biggest interest.

Not sure what I did or how this happened. But the piece that shattered hit my thumb...no blood no hurt I got lucky. I would like to know if this was preventable. I have been punching and drifting holes with this punch for a couple of years. I have had the punch for years. I wasn't half way through the boss on a pair of tongs. I was quenching after every strike. Metal was red/orange hot. If I was being stupid let me have it. Papy

I am thinking of making a hot punch and slitter and was wondering if that requires high carbon or tool steel, or whether I could get by making them from mild steel. I figure hardening and tempering would be useless, as the hot metal would ruin a heat treat, but, if I'm not mistaken, high carbon tends to be more resilient than mild, even unhardened, so I'm not sure what to do with this. Thanks! Scruffy

How do you guys that make your own drifts end up with the final dimensions? Do you just aim for a squareish oval shape and call it a day or are you going for a specific dimension?

Just wondering where I might have gone wrong. I was punch a hole and it just snapped in 2. Third picture is what I made out from, looks like pto shaft which I thought was hard metal. When I hear treated it I got it to a dull red and stuck about an inch of the tip in water.

Okay, After doing some research after a fairly major terminology mistake over at the hot cut thread, I guess my question belongs here. My question is, can I take this old cold chisel (pictured), which I originally thought was 1045 but it is actually S grade steel, and turn it into a splitter for making railroad spike split crosses?

tl;dr - how much is fair to pay for S7 punches from tablet press. Some dies available too. I have an opportunity to buy a 10 or so used (and defaced) punches from pharmaceutical tablet presses. He said make an offer. They are S7 steel (he said he has spec sheet) Not sure on brand. The round punch faces are the size of either regular Advil to large Tums antacid chewables. The oblong faced punches are the size of a Tylenol There are some dies available too. I recently took a class on making chests and the instructor had some re-purposed punches that worked well for cutting "D" shaped slots and key holes. It seems like there are quite …

I just started smithing and for my first real project I'm make a pair of Brian brazeal hammer tongs in preparation for making a hammer. Too my surprise they turned out decent up until the punching of the hole for the rivet. Number one I used 3/8 smooth stock from tractor supply, spice l should've used 1/4. I made a punch from that 3/8 smooth round from tractor supply with a long taper. Problem is it keeps folding over everytime I use it. I did manage to punch a hole on one but it has very little meat keeping the hole in tact on one side. I guess it will work. Do I need a different metal so it won't fold over or do I just need a short fat taper?

Here are two hammer eye punches I made. The one on the right I made last week and the other one I finished today. The one on the right was the first hammer eye punch that I have made. But it came out a little small and is the perfect size for other punches, fullers hatchets. So I used it to make the other one. The handles are ash.

I just thought I'd share this work of art that just came in the mail from Brent Bailey. Its almost too nice to use. Kudos Brent!

Hello everyone! I have practiced the slit and drift method and got very used to it. One question that arose recently is how do you slit and drift on an angle?? Does anyone have any experience slitting and drifting on angles??? Thank you!

I've done some looking and found several suggested steel types but haven't decided on what to use. It's goin to have to be a special order no matter what the steel I pick but I'm able to get some W1 for a good price and wondered if that would work well. I've seen it mentioned here that someone would be comfortable using 1045 but I was under the impression it would need a tougher alloy. If it makes any difference I plan to use the drift more for top tools than heavier hammers. Can someone please help me before I get the wrong steel and waste a bunch of time.

As some know I've got a demo coming up on Monday and needed some tools for it. I ended up with what I hope will be a serviceable fuller, pritchell, straight punch and round punch. Handles were electric fence posts and punches were a coil spring from an axle.

Made these center punches out of coil spring a little bigger than 3/4" that I forged square. One of them obviously has a pineapple twist, and the other has a cube twist. I was a bit worried about how the cube twist would effect the structure and was worried it would weaken it. Of course it did weaken it, but I don't think it will be an issue as it is just a center punch. If you would like these center punches, you can get them at the silent auction taking place at the 7th annual combo/demo at steep hollow forge here in town! Li…