cracker72

It's a big chisel used for finishing large joints in timber framing.

My first go at one of these. Made from OCS. Heat treated three times, water quenched the bevel only at a dark straw. Noticed a few hairline cracks in the socket, any ideas what could have caused this?

Where is this being held? Can I attend :-)?

http://img845.imageshack.us/i/shed7005.jpg/ http://img191.imageshack.us/i/shed7003.jpg/ I built mine from split oak trees and spruce poles. The walls are mud and straw on hazel wattle and the roof is layers of straw and a waterproof membrane. Floor was made with a few tonnes of small stone and about an inch of 6:1 sharp sand/cement dry screed. Very cheap to make.

This is just how I do it. I don't claim to be anything of an expert, etc. I take a piece of steel, heat it to orange and draw out into a strip about three inches long and quarter inch thick. While it's still red I score it into sections with a chisel, making about five marks. Now stick it in the sand next to the forge and go to bed. Next day heat one end to orange and let the forging colours run down the length of the piece so that the last section is dark red. Pull it from the fire and remember which section was what colour. Drop it in the tub. Put it in the vice and starting at what was the orange end try and snap that section off at the chisel mark. If it's high C steel it will snap easily, low C steel will just bend. I repeat this for every chisel mark, line up the bits in order of colour and look at the metal structure at the breaks. I look for the finest grain structure with a dull grey colour which is usually in the red/dark red for hC steel. So from this test I now know roughly what it is and what will happen to the grain structure at various quench temps. Image From left to right - dark red - red - orange. See the grain enlargement with increase temps.

That's some work there Cliff. Do you have a power hammer? Sounds like a great way to make one, however.

I tried that yesterday to good effect. Much less straightening required, or so it seemed. Quicker too.

Yeah, I've been correcting as I go. However, if I go a bit too far and try to straighten it can be a real work-up. I'm starting to leave a slight curve on the splitting edge as I'm sure it helps feed in the wood easier, and it looks a bit nice. I guess I just want to be quicker at making them. Thanks for the tip, I'll try bending first.

I've been making some froes from leaf spring and I find the steel curves away from where I'm hammering out the bevel. Is there a way to correct this?

Exquisite mate! You should be proud.

If I were you I'd buy one when you're there. Ebay UK has plenty listed and you'd not find it hard to sell quickly when you leave. I messed around taking my tools to Australia for a job.I took far too much, things that I never used and that the workshop had anyway. It would have been so much cheaper to buy what I needed there.

That machine looks useful for getting edges true when tool making, but I agree, hand sharpening is the way to go. It's a skill that takes time to learn. I use Japanese water stones 1000, 7000 and finish with my leather belt(strop). If it will slice a sheet of A4 like it's not there then it's good enough for me.

Has anyone tried black boot polish?

Yes, I drill my oak before nailing, it would split, bend the nail, or both! Even when drilled, once the nail is in it won't come out without a fight. My customers like the look of rose head nails but don't like the stains I don't know anything of bronze. Is there a type best suited for nails?

Very helpful, thanks.

First post. Hello all. I work with green English oak frequently. The tannic acid in the timber reacts with mild steel forged nails leaving black streaks and accelerating corrosion. So, I want to have a go making some stainless nails but I've never worked with stainless. Is it viable? What grade stainless would be best? Thanks!