Mark Ling

Finished the stand and cleaning up a swage block that I will now try and sell. 175lber. I put the half inch bolts on the side that act as set screws and keep it from jumping and wiggling while being used. Also finish ground and handled a 4lb axe I forged while in Montana with Ethan and Jonathan. 

That’s what I figured, especially since being out of wrought that would be the smartest option. Mine I just punched and drifted. I took some pictures during the process that might be interesting to some. Starting stock 5” of 1” square. I upset and forged it on the diagonal, so to be able to spread a wider blade and have a taller eye. 

Had a somewhat unproductive day in the sense that nothing came out quite how I wanted. I had always seen the old plantation hoes and wondered how they might be forged, I gave one a try today out of 5” of 1” square mild steel with a high carbon but forge welded in. It’s kinda wonky, but in general it’s ok. Forged a couple hardy tool billets to be upset tomorrow and made into cupping tools, and also forged a small stubby 1lb cross pein that came out weird. Also handled one of the sledges I forged and a 4.5lb rounding hammer. 

Got back from my trip to Montana with the Chaingang. I don’t have too many pictures of what we made, but you can see most of it on the anvil in front of us in the group picture. I think we forged 8 or so sledges, hammers, hammer eye punches, an axe, and many other tools. One of my favorite trips, should be a YouTube video coming out soon showing it. 

Got the coffee table done. The wood is black walnut. 

Slightly better pictures of the tools from yesterday ground. Next is to make a few handles. 

1-1/4” round 4140 is what I forged the billets out of today. 

Yes you did a great job striking. Was a pleasure to work with you. 

Yes 4140,  other than the drift which is 5160

Got a couple brake drum forges  mostly finished this morning (I really like the one with wheels), and then after lunch CTG came over and we got some tools made. Made 3 Brazeal style tapered hot cuts, two top hot cuts of different styles, two hammer eye punches, and a hammer eye drift. Did pretty good, a little over 5 hours of forging. 

Better pictures to come 

Main reason I like punching is it’s very hard to end up with an unclean hole, where as slitting it’s harder to end with a clean hole. 

This morning went to the scrap yard and steel yard to pick up some steel for a couple forges I’ll be making and selling at an upcoming blacksmithing event. Then headed to the forge after lunch and got some tongs done that will also be sold at the upcoming conference. Lot more to do. 

I used the method described, punching with a round punch and flattening the sides when I made this cross pein. I liked it. There’s a picture of it next to old one I took as inspiration. 

Thank you Chris. You did great with the sledge, better than most do  was great meeting you. 

Ive messes up many more holes when punching small stock than when punching hammers. With proper technique it’s near impossible to screw up a hammer, especially when punching by hand. I’ve messed up maybe a few, of which were done under the power hammer which is much easier for things to get wonky fast. Take a class and put down the YouTube. It’s not a lie when people say they learn more in a class than in a year from seeing all the videos on YouTube of smiths who have been in it less than a year and giving a “how to” and only leading others to failure. 

Thanks everyone. 

Got a few more pictures today. 

While she was here I made a hot cut and pair of tongs. 

Thanks everyone. Thank you Jennifer for the compliment of proportions, that’s something me and other young Smith’s spend hours conversing about. 

Yes, pick up tongs, hammer making tongs, etc. style of Brian Brazeal. Small contact surface, allows to manipulate and flip billets around very easily once you become comfortable with them. 

Had a girl from school come out and she took some nice pictures. I won’t bore y’all with all of them but here’s some. 

Tongs

Maybe if I had some bronze. 

Heres sone better pictures of the 20oz ball pein and 10-1/2lb sledge. 

I had thought about doing a maple wedge to contrast the black walnut, but I think it will look cleaner with walnut wedges. The table top and middle beam are black walnut. Started the fit up of the tennons. Lots of filling left. 

Yes, it will have a walnut beam that goes through the square hole as a tennis, and then will have a mortise and wedge holding it in. 

CGL it’s for a shop project in school. I may sell it if somebody become interested in the price I would sell it for. Would be nice to do that but I’d also be content with keeping it. 

Here’s a picture that might help demonstrate the table legs I made and give a better idea of them. Everybody before seeing them with the table was a bit confused for some reason. 

Also finished that 20oz ball pein I forged the other day, heat treated it polished and handled, and ground polished heat treated and handled a 10-1/2lb sledge I forged a while back. I included a picture of it next to a factory made 10lb sledge, showing the stubbiness of it. 

Cgl- why use a dremel? Why not forge it in. I have done many out of 5/8” up to 1-1/2”, the 1-1/2” done with a striker but the small stuff can be done with a rounding hammer and the horn of the anvil to forge in the curves. Here’s an exampls out of 1-1/2” round that I forged with Ethan Harty when I went up to Canada this past summer. 

Yes das, the hammer was made with the power hammer. I like it a lot. As you said it has good control. 

CrazyGoatLady, good first horse, it will change the look and make it look much cleaner if you take the corners off on the angles of the jaw. Just gives more depth to them I think. Included a picture so you can get a better idea.