silkhopesmith

why don't you just forge it to shape? It doesn't have to be perfectly round, as usually you're only going to use the top third or half to forge against anyway. The bottom half can be left rough. Forge square taper, then octagon, then round.

You might try calling George Suiter at Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, 757-229-1000. He is the current master Gunsmith. They have quite a bit of experience forging lock parts and have studied surviving forging dies, etc. He should be able to give you plenty of information on how to proceed and who to contact.

Sorry, I was responding to Thomas Powers post #20. Came out in the wrong place.

Actually, I have been surprised at how standardized a lot of English hardware and tools were by 1600. Even by 1700, much ironwork was being wholesaled and exported. It was made to standard patterns and sizes to match catalog pictures, and left little room for an individual to express himself. As far as nails go, examples from the English Midlands from 1600 or 1700 do not differ much from Roman examples found in Great Britain. roughly same shape heads , shanks, etc. Of course there are peculiarities from one shop to another and one smith to another, but the design and method of execution is almost identical in pieces known to originate many miles and years apart. There is more to this than an apprentice or two following the path of one master. There are a couple of good books on this subject if you're interested. Kind of a dry read, but full of good tidbits. "Masters and Men" by Gena Rowlands is a good start.

I humbly submit that these various methods are designed to produce different shaped nails. The "Peter Ross" method is designed to produce the type of nails made during the 15th, 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries. They had rectangular (not square) shanks that were straight for half their length and tapered for half, and relatively small heads. Also, they had to be made to standard size (plus or minus 1/16 when you lay them out side by side to compare). The header and the method are designed to produce that result. To a large degree, the end product determines the method and the tools. The "Peter Ross" method is mostly derived from studying old tools, written accounts, and surviving nails. Plus a few thousand hours of trial and error.

If you make one of these nailer's stations, make sure the stump is mounted SOLID. With that small an anvil, it's the stump that keeps the whole rig from bouncing with each hammer blow. Many of the 18th century English nailers used a large piece of stone to set the tools in. You'll get twice as much done on a solid base.

I have also found that heat is crucial. I have made many many nails myself and the thing that will help the most is making sure the nail is at forging heat while you are heading. Many people think that as long as it is red when you begin heading that's enough. However, if you keep working the head while it goes through the black range it can get hard enough to deform the header and get stuck. You will get a better shaped head and the nail will drop out easily if you work quickly enough for the head to still be red after you're finished. If the nail is black when it comes out of the header you were too slow. Should be red when it hits the floor. This is not easy! takes a lot of practice, but this is the thing to work towards.

For years I ran a shop specializing in reproduction of historic hardware. We made over 200,000 nails while I was there. I know firsthand that nailmaking is not easy. It normally took a new smith three or four months of nothing but nailmaking to get "good" at it. That meant at least 60 per hour (including welding the short pieces of nailrod), all straight, all within 1/8 inch of target length, all consistent weight. Making the nail in one heat is not an option at those rates, but a requirement. After several years 90 to 100 per hour was not uncommon. For a hobbyist, making nails in two heats is fine. That is the only way to learn. Learn to make good quality nails first, then speed up. If you really want to get better, you have to practice, practice, practice. Oddly, it helps tremendously to have another smith making nails next to you. Even with friends, the resulting competition can speed both smiths up dramatically. There are several details about the tools that can make a difference too, but most of the secret is practice and motivation to improve. There are a couple of U Tube videos showing Colonial Williamsburg smiths making nails in one heat- well worth a look. They make it look effortless, as it should be after 50,000 or so. They started the same way you are , except they had a tough taskmaster watching over them.

Leg vises can be a very good choice for a forging shop, though it's important to remember that not all leg vises are strong enough for heavy hammering. Leg vises were made for all trades, not just blacksmiths, and the smaller ones were used for filing, assembly, saw sharpening, etc etc. The design is especially well suited to filing as the spring opens the jaws instantly, making re-positioning the work very quick. The leg keeps the vise from wobbling better than if it was only fastened to the bench top (which can be somewhat flexible). My experience is that the leg, set in a block in the floor, makes the vise more solid than any other mounting method. If you want a vise to work hot metal in, I would hold out for jaws larger than 4 1/2 inches wide. The smaller vises will get hot instantly, drawing the hardness from the jaws. Also, I have seem many smaller vises deformed, bent, and damaged screws due to overuse. Save the smaller vises for cold work, and find a heavy one for hot work. You'll have less frustration in the long run.

If I may put in my thoughts again regarding several questions that have come up in this thread- without trying to criticise, It seems to me you are overthinking this issue. I simply placed the blocks so the grain pattern was pleasing to my eye. I don't believe the actual grain orientation is important from block to block, since I am filling a large area. Also, after sawing up the posts I dried the blocks for several months so there would be less shrinkage after laying the block. After laying, the blocks probably swelled slightly as they took on ground moisture. The point of all this is to end up with a wood block floor. As far as starting with rough sawn material goes- there is certainly some extra effort/inconvenience involved in using irregular block. I sorted the block so each row was similar size, but adjacent rows may not be. If kiln dried/sawn material is available it will be much easier to place tightly and quickly. In my case, using rough sawn material meant I could install a wood block floor for $3.00 per square foot instead of $6.00 (which is what it would have cost buying commercially made accurate block or more precisely sized posts). The photos recently posted of my wood floor do show some cinder block used around the perimeter of the shop. This was done to reduce the amount of wood block needed. At 12 blocks/sq. foot it would have taken 6,000 blocks to do my entire floor. By using cinder block under benches, forge, steel rack area, etc, I was able to cut that in half without impacting the areas I walk on most. Last, if I can provide any photos I'll be happy to. I have a few leftover block and can also take shots of other details if anyone would like to see more.

I'm guessing it's both the softness of the block and the uneven surface that make the wood block floor so superior in comfort. I can feel the difference when I walk across mine. Like the difference between walking across smooth grass and smooth concrete. The lawn is not intentionally bumpy but has enough deviation to make your feet tilt one way or another with each step. To me this is an interesting example of how modern uniform environments are presumably better for work but in fact turn out to have unexpected drawbacks. You would think a perfectly flat floor makes sense, but it's more tiring. Another aspect is light- the typical florescent lighting system is much worse than sunlight coming in a window. Horizontal light from a strong source is much better than shadowless uniformity from above (at least for making things). Maybe not so for reading at your desk.

Thanks! for some reason, the first time I tried that link I didn't get the company site, but this time it worked.

Sorry, I am new to this site. Can you tell me how to reach your company? thanks

Caleb, It helps if the blocks are all the same thickness. I cut mine with a miter saw and fence, so all were within 1/16, usually less. Then all you have to do is level the sand and place them. I found that stretching a string along each course while laying was necessary, even with a level base. They will be a bit wobbly until you fill the spaces between them, though I worked on mine for several months before filling the cracks. It still took a few weeks after that for them to feel solid. One of the reasons this floor is easier on your feet is that it isn't perfectly flat. I tried to make mine reasonably level but there are a few hills and valleys. It's only noticeable when you get right down on the floor to look, and the comfort is worth more than any notion that a level floor is critical. I don't use any tools or machinery that must have a perfectly level surface, especially the human one.

I put a wood block floor in my shop four years ago and its the best thing I did. When I decided to do mine there was a company that still manufactured creosote treated block. they were yellow pine, 4 x 8 by 4 inch thick, end grain up. I wanted to avoid treated material so I opted for Locust which is rot resistant. I found a mill sawing locust 4 x 4 posts and sawed them into 4" cubes myself. One advantage to me in choosing wood block is that no concrete is needed under the block. I put down 6 inches of sand and then laid them like a brick walk, end grain up. You could fill the spaces with sand, but I saved all the locust sawdust and used that. There is plenty of moisture coming up from below and there is no risk of the blocks burning, though they will char if you drop something hot on them. I didn't put in a moisture barrier, just the sand. I'm not sure how well other species of wood will hold up in the damp environment, but maybe with a barrier you could use others. My floor is about 20 inches above grade, so not too wet. The caution about water spills has occurred to me and I'm careful not to dump any. I did use dry-laid block and brick right under the forge, but have wood all around the anvil, and no problem. I recommend the floor for several reasons: MUCH easier on your feet. I can stand on that floor for 12 hours or more and my legs/feet are still fine. Warm in the winter. quiet. it's not too hard to sweep. Easy to find dropped parts or tools, and softer than concrete on impact. I can dig up a section to install stump or other tool if necessary. If I can answer ore questions, let me know. (by the way, it's my shop in the Woodwright episode)

I chain my anvil down to reduce the ring and to keep it from wandering around during heavy striking, and use a turnbuckle to tighten it down. If it's tight the ring will be reduced considerably. Did you mean some people just wrap chain around the base? I haven't seen that

It's difficult for modern people to envision the conditions found in blacksmith shops of 150 or 200 years ago. The bellows, anvil and vise were the three most expensive tools in the shop. Tools like vises and anvils were priced by weight (which is why they are marked) and buying a heavier one meant significantly more money. My research into costs back then showed the cost of those three tools often equalling 1/3 to 1/2 of a journeyman's annual wages. By comparison, even $350 for a leg vise today is peanuts. Another thing to remember is that leg vises are not specifically blacksmith vises. The design of the leg vise was universal for most all tradesmen needing a vise made of metal, whether they did metalwork or not. Leg vises were used in shops of comb makers, eyeglass makers, carpenters, joiners, pewterers etc. etc. Blacksmiths today tend to see all leg vises as theirs, but this isn't the case historically. Lighter versions of leg vises were perfectly good for many of the settings they were used in. In fact, that is one concern- blacksmiths today think that if it's a leg vise it's ok to pound on. Many of the old smaller leg vises survive because they were not subject to rough use, nor were they intended to be. Even a lightly built wrought iron vise would hold up in most settings just fine. A smith might have to buy a heavier one. And even in a smith's shop, lighter vises perform well in the filing and assembly areas and are not subject to heavy pounding at all.