Bounty Forge

Yeah I know that drive is no fun. It is nice having a talented smith closes by to work with. I always wanted to get into hammer and tool making but didn't really have the means until Mark and I started hanging out.

Thank you! It may be a bit before I finish it...I have a new belt grinder waiting to be set up to do the job, but I need to find time to do it. The plan is to put a medium length handle on it; maybe around 24" - 30" long. That size seems to work pretty well for us.

Thanks! We always felt it looks bigger too, but if you put it up next to a traditional 12 lb sledge it's a tad shorter. It lost some weight forging and it still needs the faces ground, so I wonder where it will weigh in at the end.

Here is a 12 pound sledge hammer that Mark (littleblacksmith) and I recently made. It's forged from a billet about 6.5" long x 3" round diameter of 1045. It took about 6 hours to make, which is a lot less than we expected. We switched off striking and directing so we wouldn't get worn out and it worked out pretty well. It turned out great and it was a lot of fun to make. We plan to make another one in a couple weeks. Mark got some videos of us working on it. https://www.facebook.com/mark.ling.731/videos/pcb.177815726381211/177791003050350/?type=3&theater https://www.facebook.com/mark.ling.731/videos/pcb.177815726381211/177802439715873/?type=3&theater https://www.facebook.com/mark.ling.731/videos/pcb.177815726381211/177812329714884/?type=3&theater

Love all your stuff man! I especially like the leg vice stand and the guillotine. It looks like you put a lot of thought into the stand and I like that it's on wheels. The side being open on the guillotine is a great idea too. I might have to steel those ideas when I make my own....if I ever get around to it.

I also saw this little guy while antiquing, but it did not come home with me. In case you can't see from the cruddy picture taken through the display case, that says $69 for a little Purdue paperweight anvil.

I went antiquing yesterday and ran across something I had to have...the biggest pair of boxjaw tons I've ever seen! They were a great price and just looked cool. I love the square bar spacer on he left side of the box. I wonder if the use for them changed over time, or if someone got tired and didn't fine tune them. I put a normal pair of my tongs next to them and I just laugh. I hope the original user had a power hammer. I'm trying to stock up for a local blacksmith event in February, so I was busy making all sorts of things this weekend. The crosses are a new design that I made for a custom order last week. They blew up my facebook page, so I had to make more. I was afraid the rivets wouldn't hold tight enough to keep the arms from moving, but they are nice and snug. I did some out of copper and some out of brass. Made more of the usual copper earrings and bangles since they are always popular. Did my first square band ring. I really like the look of a square scroll as apposed to a round one...quite different feeling to work too. Forged out my third brass ring. This one fought me all the way. The leaf tip cracked off and the stem broke in half while forging, but I just changed the design and kept going. I used a 3/16" brass filler rod to make it. I tried using some 1/4" brass that Littleblacksmith gave me, but I couldn't get it to go my way. He's made a leaf out of it so far, but I can't seem to get it yet.

That looks sharp man. Cool idea and it's unlike anything else I've seen.

Thanks man! I didn't know what I got myself into with that ball peen. I only have small sanders so it takes a long time, but it was definitely worth it.

Been busy knocking out my own things, my wife's birthday gift and custom orders. I handled my stainless rounding hammer...finally. I also finished up my wife's hammer. I made her a double ball peen hammer for her jewelry making. It's made from 316 grade stainless steel. She said she wanted a really small ball peen, so I think this one will do the trick. I totally understand why no one makes ball peens, because there is A LOT of grinding! I made a pair of custom rebar handles for a customer that made an awesome spalted walnut tray. I put a hot oil finish on them to keep the rustic look. I hammered out a custom cross for a necklace. I used a copper rivet to hold the arms together.

Dude...thanks for the tips, but you are looking way too far into what I said. I DID research everything. There are two types of stainless steel...martensitic and austenitic. These two types encompass all grades of stainless. All martensitic grades are magnetic and hardenable. All austenitic grades are non-magnetic and non-hardenable. You harden martensitic grades the same as carbon steel...water or oil quench and temper to working conditions. I like your skull a lot, and your brassing. I still need to buy a brass brush so I can try that finish.

Yep...oh well. It was fun to make just because. It should hold up ok. It's out of 312 stainless and isn't hardened. Littleblacksmith has already been using his and it works pretty well. I do have plans to make a cross peen from a big stainless bolt. Not sure what grade the bolt is, but it's magnetic, so it should harden. It's super tough stuff, so that one should hold up really well.

I finally finish ground the stainless steel hammer I made a while back. It was my first go at finish grinding a hammer by myself, and thankfully it went great. I put it to the buffer wheel, and wow did it shine up! I'll put the handle on it tomorrow.

I was able to make a few things before the rain stopped me. I made some rebar bottle openers for orders, and a couple fish bottle openers.

I've often been surprised how many people know of it when I say I went there. There was a saying at the college that there's a pretty girl behind behind every tree...I got the punchline when I got there lol.