Whirly

Beautiful work, as usual dancho. What you do is inspiring.

Hmmm, not that I recall mate.

That is what it says though, isn't it???? Was just wondering if your Dad's name is Erik..........

Beautiful work as usual Chris................so, YOU are Erikkson?

Fine work Chris, as usual...

Yes Chris, definitely looks reptilian.

Will have to see if I can get my hands on a farriers rasp or heavy duty wood rasp and have a go at that. 

Great work Chris, per usual. Always enjoy looking at your stuff. That's a pretty cool effect you got on the knife blade mate. Like it all alot.....

Very nice looking tongs Mate, 'specially for a first set. Now you can use these ones to make more.....and more.....and more....
Have fun.

Wow, awesome job Beth, well done...

G'day Vishal,
From your first post, it sounds like you want this spear more for self protection, rather than hunting?
If so, I think Frosty has given you some good advice. The first thing I thought of was a stopper/cross bar. If something large comes at you and you have time then the best thing is try to escape, but if not, you'll have to plant the butt of that spear and wait 'til whatever it is runs/leaps onto it, trying to get to you. Either way, good luck with that.......

Right handed......

Thanks Joe. It was really good to be a part of the build on this hammer. It's one thing to look at pictures, or watch one being made on You Tube and totaly different when you're part of the construction. A great learning experience and I reckon I'll be having a go at making some more heads in the future, either on my own, or even better if I can find someone to swing a sledge for me.

With that in mind, the next job will be to make myself a set of Brian's hammer tongs, in preperation......

Went for a trip to Brisbane earlier this year. Went via FNQ (Far North Queensland) and had a couple of goes at catching up with Iron Woody, just to have a chat and perhaps a couple of ales, but he’s an elusive bugger and hard to pin down. Ah well, another time...(hope you found that steam engine you were chasing Woody)

Got in touch with Matt (Ratel10mm) about blacksmith groups, as I’d be in Brisbane for a few weeks and he put me onto Mike (Double_Edge2) who has a set-up in his back yard where Fellas get together a couple of times a month to belt hot  metal and have a good time.  Went around to meet Mike, have a coffee and yak about ‘smithing. Then went out and drooled over all the stuff he’s got in the back yard. As I’d mentioned to him that I’d like to have a go at making a Hammer, Mike gave me a blank to take.

I rolled back up on a Saturday and met some of the Blokes who’d shown up for the day. Matt came up from across the border as well and it was good to put a face to the name. Mike told me to get that blank out and we’d knock it into a hammer shaped object, which we did, with Mike doing the technical stuff and me swingin’ the sledge. Mike had previously made himself a slightly smaller hammer head and when mine was done, he whipped both of them off to start grinding the faces and said to come back another day when he was done.

As I’d only ever worked alone, it was great to be able to talk to and bounce ideas off others in a group. I had a great time and met some good people. When I went back to pick up the head, Mike had not only finished the grinding, but had heat treated it as well. I bought a handle from him and left with a smile on my dial.

When I eventually got back home, I soaked the handle end in some linseed and turps and then fitted it, trimmed and wedged it and took it to the anvil for a test run. From the first blow it became my favourite hammer. Everything about it feels just right and Man, does it move hot metal. I love it! I hold about half way along the handle and was considering docking it, but the extra length hasn’t been a problem to date and when I need more force I just take a longer grip.

The hammer weighs in at a tad under 4Lb. Thanks Mike, I really appreciate all your help and hope we can catch up again some day.

Here 'tis

Wow. Really like the shape of this axe head. Well done mate. IMO The handle leaves a bit to be desired though. A head looking that good really deserves a good looking haft.

As has been mentioned, you're off to a good start with what you already have and a belt grinder is a good jump up the list of equipment you'll acquire over time.

Use what you have and start making tongs to begin with. Plenty of designs and how-to knowledge on this site. As you make stuff you'll find you'll be regularly making new shaped tongs to deal with the job at hand, all part of the fun and experience.

Eddie highly recommends safety glasses. That's not something that's negotiable mate, glasses are a must. A recommendation could be the hearing protection- a hard-of-hearing 'smith is someone who needs to be yelled at. A blind 'smith is just a sad state of affairs. Personally I use both sight and hearing protection.

Learn as much as you can from this and other sites and get ahold of some scrap metal and start heating and moving it....enjoy

G'day Kurgan, we probably read the same post because I too went to the dump shop and ended up with three cylinders also. I haven't mounted my cut offs yet, but will soon. Your set-up looks good. I'm thinking along different lines, mainly because of noise and trying to get away from steel on steel for something like this. To that end I'm going to turn some timber down to fit tight inside the cylinders and then use a large peg to fit to the stump. That way it'll be timber to timber and should be much quieter.....anyhow just another idea....

Nice looking hammer. Like the door knocker too, just don't get you fingers on the wrong side of that sucker.....

A very tidy looking set of tongs. Good job Mate!

Sweet job Darren. Nice and neat.

Where did you get your blower from and for how much? I'm looking to make up a mobile unit and a small blower is on the requirement list.

Mate, the only thing I noted with your set-up that may need watching is where you've run the power cord through that length of pipe past the fire pot. It may be just the way it looks in the photo and won't be a problem, but when the pot has been on for awhile, put your hand under and check if the pipe is getting hot.

Awe inspiring stuff!!!!

Great effort forging that on your own. Good looking hammer. You may want to concider rounding those sharp corners abit, but then, perhaps it's a personal preference.

Very nice looking job Darren, well done.

Not sure where that came from Glen, have another look at line 3 :P

Cool looking machine Harold....ah well, another thing to add to the 'Gotta Make" list....

That's nice Mate, very nice indeed.....

Well done Momatt. First weld feels good don't it......

Gibbo, Armand, bosox, thanks fellas.

Gibbo, mate you're meant to be MAKING the pressies :D

Armand, I don't think Valentines is as a big a deal over here, as it is over there however, there's always something -birthdays, weddings, etc- that need some metal belted into shape.

bosox, cheers mate, (don't know where you are) but even if you are in Aus, I reckon you'd be flat-out finding your way to my place. If you did though, there'd be a cold beer waiting.....