brianbrazealblacksmith

Sorry, Bill. I got this post confused with another post talking about hammer drifts. The drift for the tongs is in the forth picture of the very first post of this thread, and it is as you described it from Slitter Geometry. I think you may be confusing the third picture witch shows the punch that made the slot.

I just tried to post some pictures, but my computer is messing up so I can't post the pictures.

I'm doing just fine. I've been busy. Just filled a big order, so now I'm back to making more tools to make tools. Lyle and I have a big class in Minnesota coming up and there is supposed to be twenty people in the class. I'll take some pictures today of the drift making to post.

Howdy, Alec!

Bill, a drift for making a hammer and a drift for opening a slot and sizing a hole are two very different tools. A drift for making a hammer is used as an anvil inside the hole and the cheeks are fullered towards the larger end of the drift creating a tapered hole. For hammers I'll make an hour glass type hole, because the handle gets set in with wedges. For top tools that I wouldn't want to wedge, I finish to hole tapered in one direction so the wood handle has better contact with the cheeks.

Evfreek, you are correct on the diameter of 1 3/4 inches for a 2 1/2 pound hammer, but you will need to use about four inches to end up with a 2 1/2 pounder. Depending on how many heats it takes, you will lose weight to scale. You will also lose weight to grinding. I would also suggest chamfering the ends before you start, witch will also add up. And then there is the weight of the plug you punch out. The loss from scale is probably the most surprising, and if you use gas, you can lose a lot more.

Come on guys! I posted along time ago of where to get material. Any suspension shop in the world that is working will have drops. When I got back from Europe and landed in the Central Valley of California, the first question I asked was where to get material. I didn't get any answers, so I went for a drive and found Helwig, a suspension shop about ten miles down the rode. I talked to the owners and told them who I was and that I was a blacksmith and that I was in need of some material to make tools. I got material from them for over three years for free, I did make them some things because I felt obligated, but they were glad to give me the material because it was only scrap. Tazmig 33 is still in that area and is able to get the same material, and Clinton has been to that area and has an idea of what I am talking about. I was getting 4140 drops from 2 inches round to 5/8 inches round with 1/8 inch increments in between. I was also in Oakland, California for three months in between going back to Europe where I was able to get all kinds of material for making tools at the scrap yards.

Nice stand for that Mousehole anvil, guys. You should dress that flatter. Say, hi, to Aaron for me.

That is Sepp Ibel in Ybbsitz, Austria. He restored that shop and has another one that is not running. Those shops along the "Smiedemeile" or mile of smith's are over 700 years old and are located beside a creek, and they used to all run on water wheels and belt systems. They now run on hydroelectric. They used to make shovels in that shop with those hammers.

Every hammer that has been done that way with a slitting chisel will always have cold shuts. That is just the way it is. I have done it also, and that is why I do it no more.

You're welcome Matt. I'm sorry that wasn't the best video, but we just got that I-pad and we're still trying to figure it out.

A punch shears the sides of the hole, so the interior sides of the hole are more like a drilled hole [no matter what the shape: round, square, oval,slot,...], so when you drift the hole, the drift enters more efficiently. When you chisel the hole with a slitter, you get a more beveled hole witch is alot more resistant to a drift that is used to open up the hole to the desired shape. A chisel or slitting chisel only works when the material is backed or supported. The books say to chisel or slit 3/4 or 2/3 through the material and then turn it over and chisel or slit the rest of the way. Without backing or support a chisel or slitter cannot cut the material. It only stretches it until it can stretch no more and then finally pierces it.[metal is very resistant to stretching] That is why you will always see cold shuts in thicker metal that has been done with a chisel and slightly stretched metal when done on thinner stock. Punches solve this problem, and the punches shown in "Slitter Geometry" are much more efficient than flat punches because of the surface area contact with the material. I had Karen take a video of how I use a slot punch for thin stock, and here it is. If I had the technology to film the difference between chisels, flat punches, and these punches, anyone could see the difference. It is self evident. I know it is not conventional knowledge because it has not been written down yet in a book, but just try it and you will see for yourself. http://www.youtube.com/user/brianbrazealblacksmi

I like it, well done!

You have already evaluated your problem and understand it, so you know you need equal amount of material on both sides of your slot. Your choice of punch can help with your ability to find and maintain your center. Try using a slot punch like I describe in "Slitter Geometry" for punching thin stock. It is not a flat punch. It is ground differently than any other punches I have seen, and it can enable you to lay out your mark at the black heats and change angles like you can with a center punch before you make your deep forging marks. Flat punches will not allow that because they can only make double marks because of the greater surface area contact.

Outstanding work! Don't worry about the time, it will come with repetition.

Those look really good, Tubbe. You may want to try hex ends for the struck ends next time. You'll be surprised how simple and efficient it is. All you do different is turn 60 degrees instead of 90 degrees, and after 3 hits, you will have 6 sides.

whoops I used brians account by accident

Tubbe, yes I only harden the working end and arrest the temper when purple is almost at the tip, that is, on the first temper, because it comes so fast, before it gets to purple at the tip, I quickly return to quenching the same amount and temper again and again until the temper colors stop running or slow down considerably.

Yes they are, montyc. Alec was the best student that I've had so far. I hope he makes it to the 2012 ABANA conference. I'm going to have him demonstrate with Lyle and me.

The outer ring is just butted inside one of the collars. P.S. Howdy, Alec! We call Alec, "smart Alec".

Alec, Thank you and your mom and dad for coming out here and sharing some time with us! You are an amazing young man with an ability to reason out and execute this old art of blacksmithing. That is so rewarding to me to see such genius. That's right, genius! I saw it the first day and every day after. You'll be passing all of us up before you know it as long as you continue studying the way you do. I love you, man. Brian

Alec has been hammering more than most out there, and has naturally learned how to use his body and hold his hammer. Notice how Alec holds the hammer; it's not heavy that way. I would suggest that people start learning to forge with a 3 pound or over hammer, not 2 1/2 pound and under like most people suggest. A small hammer will wear you out and not get the work done.

I'm glad to see you countinue trying it! With the right tooling, you could do it in half a heat.