Francis Trez Cole

this is a study that I have worked at for years I have books that were written back in the 1800's and they teach the same way to hit. I hope this goes in to more depth. So lets break down the body and the stance and your swing. I hope this helps a future video I am working on is striking more to come

in one history book I read it said the first blacksmithing guild was formed in England 1650. By 1680 the farriers and wheelwrights had formed there own guild. In major cities New York, Philadelphia, and DC they were separate. In rural areas the blacksmith did it all out of necessity.

This is a 1800's compass divider I just finished up still needs a little hand sanding to get rid of the file marks.

I would go with the quick and dirty tongs Larry is a great guy and he learned for the best

An other option to make a flatter Just weld a piece of metal to one face of the hammer I used a piece of 3"x3"x1/2" it works great time spent making the tool 15 min.

this is about as small as I have gone with a hammer it s smaller than a quarter.

I keep a bunch of 3/4" s-7 blanks next to the forge just that purpose. forge in the bright orange to yellow range and cool in vermiculite. it is one of my metals that I use the most. I like it for cutting tools. I use H-13 for drifts and hot punches. I am not a big fan of old coil springs by the time you cut heat and straighten them out. you could have made 2 to 3 punches.

I did some test with a decibel meter My wife download to her phone. running the power hammer was 80 dbi. and hammer to anvil 85 dbi. well with in the safe zone for hearing. Then you need to know what the county level is. I figure I know the noise level that I am producing and if some one shows up to challenge the level I will just let them tell me what range I should be in then I will pull out my meter and show them what I have. Radio shack sells one.

nicely done video

Uvex makes a safety glass called vermillion they block UVA and UVB radiation. I use them with my gas forge. They are very inexpensive compared to Didymium http://www.fullsource.com/uvex-s1931x/?gclid=cjwkeajwgykfbrdvgjeylem9xdusjacjeq7a0aqz1gn6wlrkoxc4ucjnu0ijdherhsa_adiieroioroccrvw_wcb

my friend Ron only has one and a half arms he uses a piece of pipe that is smashed flat. His tongs are made of spring steel he is able to hold one end of the pipe under his arm pit and rolls it around with his stub. If there is a will there is a way. I personally use tongs that are set with a 1 inch gap on the reins the only time is add pressure is when I am hitting. I personally do not like clips or rings. exercise your hand with a tennis ball to build up strength.

it looks like a good little hammer I think its not the wood that will be the problem but the bolts going through the holes. It will ware the holes making the frame flex. there were power hammers in the past that used post in a shop as the frame for the metal parts. Easy enough to replace when they ware. Nice job

what do you need a set of fullers for to make a french pattern? A few years ago I made a 3# french pattern hammer to form the step past the eye I used the edge of the anvil and my hammer. I started out with a piece of 4130 2 1/4" in Diameter.. I use it a lot the hammer has a great feel to it and balance.

the most available you already have. finally ground scale and Coal dust. I use it all the time when i make hammers. I try not to over think things use what you have.

in one of my discussions with Peter Ross he uses a 2 to 2 1/2 pound cross peen and has for years. and I do not think he is wrong for the control that he has with it and the work he accomplishes. He also has his peen ground flat. In an other case Philip Simmons used a 2# ball peen it is what he was use. I like a 3# hammer. I do have many styles that are bigger and when I go up above 3/4" in stock size I use them. I do not feel there is any set rule. It is like the lady who kid it drawn to the fire and she says o he is making horse shoes. Some people just want to feel like they have the answer.

if it is an item that is going to come in contact with food you should use straight bees wax

first let me say work toward your goals. Make punches and learn to punch slit and drift holes. Second large holes just need larger tools. I make my own hammers by my self I can punch drift and shape one in an hour. The last class I taught I had 7 students and my self we made 8 hammers in 3 hours. But you can do it your self. Third as you grow and learn you will develope your own style. the list of hammer makers is long. As many hammers styles as they are there are twice as many tongs. I recommend learning how to make flat jaw tongs once you make 10 pairs you should have the proportions of the jaw, boss, and the reins the rest are just different jaws. A block of steel with a square hole in it works well 25# makes a good anvil and a piece of 2"x 4"x 12" is plenty big for an anvil. Its a lot easier to move a round. Keep at it and have fun

nice hammer keep at it

I heard about this a year ago on NPR. it is not to far off. There are machine shops and foreign importers the make goods that blacksmith once made I do not think it will ever go away. In the last 5 years I have seen blacksmithing grow. When a company like Northern tools carry blacksmithing supplies people are looking for the items like forge, hammers, and tongs. they just do not know where to find the items they need.

great video, just goes to show how little you need to blacksmith.

I have one the neighbor called the fire department when I was making charcoal (there is a county burn ban). I asked the chief about my blacksmithing it did not fall under there jurisdiction. so I do not worry to much. As far as noise you can start at 7:00 am here until 10:00 pm but I work as late as I want when I am in the flow. My wife down loaded a decibel meter for her phone. My power hammer sound at the door of the shop was 80 Decibel way below the noise level of my county. At this point I do not care what they think I tried to be nice. Then they drew the line in the sand. When they built these houses I went to the zoning hearing and spoke and put it on record the I blacksmith and our property is zoned open use estate. Some times you have to use the letter of the law to your advantage. The neighbors on the other side come over to see what I am working they do not care. they are fascinated with what I am doing.

looking at the description. If you need help with the terminology of blacksmithing take the class with Mike. If you are interested with the idea of making hand held items take the class with john. and then there is no real discretion but you know what to expect with Warren. I feel it is more important to get the basics from one instructor. Then to get as much exposure to as many smiths as you can. Styles and techniques will all differ. The more exposure you get the broader your style will grow. That is why conferences and monthly meeting are so important to help you develop as a smith.

I use a drummel tools with a steel burr bit it works real fast. http://www.amazon.com/Ames-True-Temper-2062300-Replacement/dp/B003Q2RD7W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322430770&sr=8-1 these are the fiberglass handles I use. if you want to go back to fiber glass. I use a marine epoxy that attaches fiberglass to metal

the advice I give my students is simple while you are learning use coil spring. it will hold up ok. after you feel comfortable making your punches. it is worth buying a length of h-13 and s-7. you can pick it up for about $5.00 for 6 inch for 3/4" dia. the tools you will make from these steels will hold up for many years. Some times it is more expensive to use scrap metal with the time you spend gathering, and straightening it you could have bought prime stock and made the tool.

then to I use fiberglass handles on all my hammers