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

1 hour ago, C-1ToolSteel said:

Been "remodeling" the shop a little today to make room for a couple new additions. . THANKS GUYS!!!

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.

16 hours ago, ausfire said:

BF, those are beautiful hammers. I can see why those small ball peens would be labour intensive.

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.

On 12/31/2017 at 10:59 AM, Michael Cochran said:

Just because it’s magnetic doesn’t mean it’ll harden. Copper alloys harden and they are non magnetic.

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. 

On 1/1/2018 at 2:26 PM, JustAnotherViking said:

Today I made v2 of the guitar bottle opener. I also finished off a couple of new punches to try and speed up the skull opener

I like your skull a lot, and your brassing. I still need to buy a brass brush so I can try that finish.

57 minutes ago, jlpservicesinc said:

It looks very nice but the first time you use it the face will be all marred up.. 

Yep...oh well. It was fun to make just because.

54 minutes ago, Ranchmanben said:

That looks stellar. I’ll be anxious to hear how the stainless holds up as a hammer. 

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.

56 minutes ago, Ranchmanben said:

Thank you sir! It amazing how many people I run into that went to Clarendon College. 

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.

11 hours ago, Ranchmanben said:

Finally got another round of hammer making in. There’s are hammers number 3&4. I’m really happy with how the cross pein is turning out. I’m not near as happy with the rounding hammer, way unbalanced. Ah well, live and learn. 

I like your cross peen a lot. I haven't made one yet, but I want to sometime. 

By the way, I went to Clarendon College from 2007-2008...small world.

Das: Where did you get your brass brush? I can't find any locally and have a feeling it's more of an online thing. If you ordered it online can you tell me the website? I like that brass finish a lot and want to try it out so bad.

10 minutes ago, JustAnotherViking said:

If you want a challenge, try a bc rich beast. 

Just googled it.....yeah no thanks lol.

11 minutes ago, Stitch said:

Started a new trivet for the wife yesterday. I will be riveting it together.

I like the design a lot. It's simple and elegant at the same time.

I have a picture in my head of how that would look. interesting idea.

34 minutes ago, Daswulf said:

The fish turned out great Bounty. The guitar as well. 

Thanks man. I could never decide how to do the dorsal fin and I was making it too complicated. Sometimes simple is better. I wish the guitar was easier to make...I have a couple ideas, so maybe I'll give it another go soon.

Here are a few pictures of my last forgeing. I made a few copper bangles and earrings since they are always popular. I came up with the final design to the fish bottle opener. It's simple to make and it looks good. Made a guitar bottle opener. It is based off of Lyle Wynn's design. They look great, but there's really no easy way to make them. Finally, I stocked up on my rebar bottle openers in a variety of finishes.

On 11/6/2017 at 11:32 AM, Scratch said:

Here's my 151 pound Peter Wright on a stand I made a while ago.  I can store my hardy tools underneath.

I missed this post from a while back and just now saw it. To say I love it is an understatement. I like the overall style, and it reminds me of mine. The best part for me is the design of the bottom rack with the square cut outs for hardie tools. I like how you terminated the angle on the outside of the legs too...much better idea than making them meet at a point in the middle of the leg like I did. Interesting idea to set the anvil on a wood base in an angle frame. How thick is your bottom plate? I can see how well thought out your design is. Sweet anvil too!

I see, thanks for the info on stainless. I'm interested to see how the finish holds up over time. No big deal really...not like all other hammers and tools don't rust.

I currently plan on using passivation, but I still need to read up on electro polishing first.

Dang it! That's it...I'll have to make an entire smithy out of pure stainless.

Sounds like I should forge stainless in a meat packing plant...everything should be stainless there lol.

And the plot thickens...