Alec.S

5lb rounding hammer forged with Brian directing, me striking!

The whole idea of this was in fact to show the friend the entire process and every single blow. That is why when i put this together i did not cut out any heats! :)

here is how you make it. Starring Brian Brazeal and Kainon Baumer. Not cleanly edited. I stitched it together real quick one day for a friend who wanted to make his own tools http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUoPrqPqq0A

The third is mine! Made with Daniel Lea striking :) Thank you for posting, Brian!

She's a beauty, Mike! :)

Here is my touchmark!!

Make it out of that stock to get a 4lb hammer! Seriously, once you start using it, you will never go back! Otherwise, cut off half an inch to lose some weight! Dont cut off too much other wise your fullers may extend too close to the faces and make it take alot more grinding to fix! alec

TMIB! You have it down! taper cut upset collapse ball fuller! As dave says, doesnt have to be perfect so long as when forging faces, you are moving around to even it out! 180° 90° 180 90° etc! Happy forging! Alec!

HI! It is super easy!! Drill a 3/4 inch hole heat it up do as i do in this video -> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4bLHkpnKYE That was a 12x5x2 block... Please ask if you have further questions!! Alec

Thank you for the kind words, Chris! :) It means a lot! Thank you very much, Albert!! I really appreciate your words! Luckily, that did not hurt too much! Very funny on reflection!!! I am glad you got a good laugh out of it :P Alec Steele

Great job, guys! The grinding of the edges makes the faces be forged much easier! Also means they don't flare out! Makes the grinding after much easier too! :D LOoks like a productive couple of days :D Btw, Dave! Take Brian's offer in good spirit! It is clear you are not using this forum as advertisement... Brian just wants that hammer ;) Happy forging, Buddy! Send me an email soon! Alec

Great job, guys! Be sure to radius the edges of the ends of your hammer billets more though! I can't tell you how much that helps!!! :D Looking forward to more! :D Alec

Beautiful! Thank you for sharing! Now, to start my homework 58 minutes later than planned ;) ahaha! Great video! Beautiful craftsmanship! alec

John, I just want to clear up that I am not being defensive in the negative way it may be portrayed as via text. I do not have the language skills to get this over via text unfortunately. The edges are the whole purpose of this, Daniel wanted to make himself a tool with sharp edges :) I would like to know what you would call it, John!? We are both agreed on the category name ;) Once I get down to Devon, John! We will make you your hot cut! Again, sorry for coming off a bit too defensive! Writing is not my forté at the moment! Happy Forging Alec

Thank you for understanding, Mac!

Hi John, In my opinion, the term 'edge tool' does describe this fairly well. Anvil block would do it too. The reason anyone would call this an edge tool is because it is not used for the face it is so you can have good hard edges (sharp 90° edges) which are necessary for certain forging procedures. Call it what ever you want, really! So long as at the end of the day it is the same tool... It just takes a bit of yelling and chicken like miming and frantic waving of hands for someone else to know what it means ;) But I do understand your reason for wanting it to be generalised accross the blacksmithing community. In my opinion, also. "Hardy tool" is the category that this falls in and not what it is. The same way my fullers, hotcuts and swages are hardie tools! :) Please please please understand that this flatter is a piece of leaf spring welded to a club hammer face. I tried re-forging the eye so I could put in a good handle (no wedges, simply friction - Stephen Olivo described it well) but because these hammers are so badly manyfactured there was not enough material either side of the eye to reforge it. The term bodge job does describe it! I have no possible intention of this lasting me any feasable amount of time. It wont! If I wanted one to last me a longer time, I would have spent several hours making one. The fact of the matter is, I needed some flatters, so I used my imagination and I now have some flatters! I do not mind at all that they are not going to last a long time because they are tools and the amount of time I invested in the making of them is directly proportional to their success as a tool! I am not embarrassed for having done a bodge job. I would be embarrassed if I did a bodge job and expected it to be a good job though. This was something I needed in a short amount of time, so I made it real quick and it filled that need. My other flatter that is made in the same way has a plate that is mild steel! I needed a big faced flatter, I only had a mild steel plate, so I used that. There is minimal time and effort invested in the making of those flatters, I am not expecting formidable returns. The crack was not a crack. In that instance I thought it was. But it was in fact just where when cutting, Daniel must have had an 'overlapping' blow or similar What I was describing was simply a tiny flake of the cut. The atmosphere was not tense so much as fun, really! The speed was necessary in that instance. Unfortunately, from my angle I was not able to see Daniel was holding the top tool incorrectly. This was probably the third or fourth day he had ever done any directing and obviously, it is a skill that requires a little time to line up your tools well! He did well though! Goodness! Well, I am sure that all of that was gibberish...Long day at school! Now off to go do homework! I keep getting essay after essay to do... Happy forging folks! Alec Steele

There is no reasoning for the flatter being loose on the handle! The flatter was a bodge job, i needed a flatter quickly so I made it quickly...The flatter and handle were things i came up with in less than an hour total... No top tools should be wedged, though...You need to be able to remove the handle quickly so you can re work the tool. The handle also carries less vibrations and doesn't have to be cut off every time you re work the tool. It does not have a wire handle due to some of the processes i employ it for in the making of various tools needing the dexterity that is gained when using a wood handle. In conclusion.... the flatter is a bodge job, not a demonstration of a good flatter, no need to comment on it.... Please do know that I know that the handle comes loose :P ahhaaha! Happy forging! Alec

Basher, Come on by and we can make you a rounding hammer as well as some other tools! Alec

Well........ It all depends on the size of hammer you want... Unless you want to be making an eight pound 'sledge' hammer, and have the means to do this (this large a stock requires the appropriate dies in the appropriate sized power hammer and generally a very industrious set-up. Brian has not yet attempted anything this large. I know i would never want to with only a striker! for a four lbs hammer (inc handle) use --> 2" round 1045/4140 x 4.5" for a five pound hammer (not suggested to make one this large as a first one) --> 2 1/4 " 1045/4140 x 4.5" long for a one and a half pound hammer use --> 1.5" round x 3.25" long these are the proportions.. it is easy to work out the other stock sizes's lengths from this.... GOOD LUCK! :) Alec

On a side note, relevant to some of the points about young people... As a 'youngster' I would like to chime in about these points... Young people are lazy, we try to work as little as possible. Just look at the amount of teenagers that spend their free time playing video games. That is the EASY way to pass time, so that is what they do. I very rarely come across other people my age who really have a 'drive' and are extremely motivated towards certain things. They do not have a passion, they simply have not had the exposure to the real world to appreciate something and be driven towards it. Again, this goes full circle to the point about young people being 'over-protected', 'sheltered' etc. I am extremely grateful to have the passion that I have. I do not mind the fact that it is not normal and my friends are doing other things (xbox) because I love this... Back to the main topic, I feel that keeping secrets is many generations outdated and is almost immature. Do we not all want to further the recognition of this craft and the people who are part of this craft? Shielding knowledge is the reason this craft is xxxx near extinct in France. The French smiths were extremely secretive, I know...I am half French, and my Great Grand father, his father, his father, his father etc on my mother's side were blacksmiths, my Great Grandfather had only women and so did not pass on his 'secrets' because 'they had to be passed down to a male heir' etc. So all was lost because the only person a blacksmith would tell his secrets to was his most worthy son. This is an extreme case, and obviously, it is not one that occurs today, but this is what can occur. Pardon my little rant! Happy new year... Alec

AHAHAHAHA :') HILARIOUS, Joshua!

John, Because it means the hardie does not move. It will NOT split the heel, because there is actually (in comparison to say a bottom fuller) a minimal force going into the anvil, as due to the small surface area when cutting, more energy is more easily absorbed into the workpeice. Just look at the striking ends of a flatter and then a top hot cut - the flatter when used 'gives' less and so the head is worn out more. Same principal as with the hardy hole. Brian's hot cut is the best there is-i guarantee it! With practice, and a properly mounted anvil, cuts on 1.5 inch round are easily accomplished in one heat with a hand hammer. Brian has even cut 2 inch 4140 in one heat with a hand hammer before on one of these hardies. When we meet, John, I will get you to strike for a hot cut so you can have your own to see for yourself! Do not believe any of this without trying it! Then you will see! Have a merry christmas! Alec

http://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/28614-anvil-stand-that-will-work/?hl=%2Banvil+%2Bstand+%2Bthat+%2Bworks

I received a parcel in the mail on friday! I was extremely curious as to what it was. I opened it up, hhmmm, is that a christmas stocking? YES! IT IS! And, I tip it upside down... A 10lb brick of coal landed on my bed! Yes, that is right! a 10lb brick of coal! I have got to say, that is awesome! Great xmas present, Danny! I hope you have a good christmas and a happy new year! Thank you, Danny! Have a good one! Alec

That is correct, Knives85!