Francis Trez Cole

That tree looks real soft would not want to try that on Oak. Kim Thomas uses handle out of steel cable on it top tools under his power hammer (flatterers). I like a fiber glass handle you can feel the flex when you get over a 5 pound hammer.

great hammer it will work for you for years

when I first started making tongs I had the same problem. if you do the jaw fine then do the boss cut it off and do it again. repetition is the only thing that will help in the machinist hand book you can find the section on line it will give you the dimensions you are aiming for. Most people make the boss to big and to thin. work at flat jaw tongs first when you get it the rest will fall into place. it wasn't until I switched to 3/4" stock then it clicked for me

If you have a striker swinging a 8# hammer you can use tongs in one hand and a top tool in the other and get more control. If you have an experienced striker you would not want him moving around to use the peen to accomplish the same thing, I bought a 6.6# straight and cross peen sledge I can not recall ever using the peen side. Just don't over think it.

nice start

First nice hammer I like your efforts. Only one problem a Japanese style hammer the Eye is on an angle. this effects how the hammer hits the anvil on a Japanese style hammer when your hammer blow is at the lowest point the face of the hammer should be on an angle. with yours the face of the hammer is parallel to the face of the anvil.

this is the wooden tool box I use it is made out of oak that I had left over from an other project over the last few years I bought some canves bags with leather bottoms and rope handle (rigger bags) they work great as well

a real picture of the forge would help to direct you in the right direction.

I made a 5# cross peen with the same style as Peter after taken a class from him. He is one of the most impressive smith's I have ever seem. to hit a piece of steel on the edge of the anvil and have both sides the hammer side and the anvil side come out the same. As he says a few extra min in the forge and a lot less filing. He dose suffer from damage to the elbow.

what color where you working at?

King architectural metals http://steel.kingmetals.com/search?asug=&view=list&w=solid+ductile they are ductile iron but they work great

my first shop way under the sky then I added a cover and as years went on now I have a building. something as simple as a car port covered with a tarp or a pop up canopy . there is a great video of a Russian knife maker that has his rig in a back pack. very coo l

your anvil needs to be attached to a stand and the stand attached to the floor it should not jump around

it is out of a school in Georgia. http://www.artisanideas.com/product/195525/Forge-%2526-Anvil-with-Alan-Rogers-(DVD).html

if I want to move a lot of metal fast my first option is the horn, if that is not aggressive enough I have 1" 3/4" and 1/2" solid rod with a piece that fits in my hardie hole welded to the side I hammer against them and create a bunch of divots then move to the horn and smooth it out. I turn the piece 1/4 turn each strike. 1 1/2" is a great size for a drift after you have the taper round smash it flat on two sides leaving the other two sides rounded.. you want a smooth even taper. With that size stock you will be able to make sledge hammers. work in the bright orange range to dull yellow any hotter you will have problems. if you get it to hot let it cool down and start again. high carbon steel that is to hot will just crumble under the hammer. since the drift will be heated and cooled often you do not need to harden it

For me there is never a bad day in the forge. I always have a dozen projects in the work I get the most satisfaction from making new tools for a restoration project. To be able to seamlessly add new metal to replace missing or damaged elements. and have the owner say is this where you fixed it and it being an area done by the original artist. That makes it all worth it, it is a labor of love of the art.

nice detail

Thomas is right they work great Mark Aspery recommends them in his second book. if you can get torch en bars I have used many of them just don't waste time hardening and tempering them.

it is a great thing to do. Some times I do demo's at the Faba meeting of things I have only seen never tried just to push my self.

keep it hot like frosty said and when you do a taper start at the end of the point and work your way back.

Re bar is a good way to start I got a bunch about 10 years ago a ton real cheep that was good quality. I make a lot of punches and drifts with it. I use a gunther quench to harden it.

very nice work

Joe as you learn and grow in blacksmithing you will learn lots about steel. There no mistakes just opportunities to learn. I have a pile of rebar and with the Gunther quench it makes some great punches. I have had other that was garbage. You can not go wrong. Keep hammering

-link deleted as per owners request- As far as drifts and punches first you need to figure out what style you will be using. Then the size you need will determine the stock you will need to get the right size drift or pinch. My hammers Eye drift of 1 1/4" stock when I started. I make 5# hammers the most but have used it to make 1# hammers as well I just do not open the eye up as much I mark the side of the drift so I know how far to push it in. I have seen others who have short drifts and they drive it in flush to the top of the hammer. Tooling is a choice you will have to determine and once you start keep on the same style it will make it easier. For me I make most of my punches out of 3/4" stock. I have friends who do repousee and they use all sizes it just depends where you are trying to push metal

its a good start. Work on your Boss and evening things up and you will be making a lot of good tongs