Goods

I finished up the tongs I started the other day:

And I also stared upsetting some 2-1/2” shaft to make another sledge for the IBA conference. I think I’m at the limit of my power hammer, this is going to take quite a few heats!:

4 heats down and it’s upset by about 1-1/5” (I lost a bunch to scale on my last one, so starting with 11lbs I’m hoping to end up at 8lbs…)

Keep it fun,

David

For me, I think it would come down to what is one the pick-up route. My family and friends are pretty spread out at this point and there are so many things we would like to get out and see/do. By the end of a trip, having a “new” anvil would just be a bonus. (Of course with my luck, it would be near a place I have not interest in, but would excite my wife, happy wife happy life)

Keep it fun,

David

That’s kind of funny. I tend to make a fair number of blacksmith knives from salvaged 52100 and 5160 forged down to 1’ x 1/4”. Every time I’m making them I tell myself I need to make box jaw tongs to simplify some of my stress in the starting process…

Keep it fun,

David

You are alway a hard act to follow! (and I truly enjoy seeing your work.)

Tonight I got a good start on a pair of box jaw tongs:

Sized for 1” x 1/4”. Made from 3/4” sucker rod. 7” length for the flat side and 7-1/2” with a little of the taper from the rod end on the box side. My first attempt at these and there was a lot of file work to get to this point and more needed. These are going to be a door prize at our next hammer-in. If it was for my shop I’d just rivet them up, adjust and call it done…

(I’m going to have to spend time making more tongs for myself one of these days! Especially these, it’s a common size for me to use!)

Keep it fun,

David

4140 will work weld as a slit and drift hatchet/axe. I personally have had issues forge welding it (that may just be me, others have said they have no problems) so I wouldn’t use it for a wrapped eye hatchet/axe. 4140 with also hold up well enough without an additional HC bit.

1085 may be a bit high on carbon for a bit, but I’ve used 1095 with good results. You just need to be careful about drawing the hardness back some.

Keep it fun,

David

Side note, when I setup my forge I put a vent in for fresh air to my blower. My theory was to create positive pressure in the shop to help with draw on the hood. I have pretty good draw with one window only open 3” inches in the winter. Honestly, no different than summer when I have the overhead door open to keep the heat down. I feel a 12” stack is what would make the biggest difference (or maybe 10’ taller, but that would take more stack support for wind loads…)

Keep it fun,

David

Like I said, I was not thinking ahead and didn’t take and photos myself. I just got carried away talking up the visitors and forging. I even forgot to get pictures of the setup and my wares on the table before things really got going. Sorry, I was just having too much fun. I didn’t have much to bring back to my shop, I can get my inventory out and get some pictures of what I have left… (I’m a little upset with myself, I like to have pictures just for my records and the only pictures I have were what my wife took while she was there and her photos didn’t cover what I need…There’s always next time.)

Keep it fun,

David

Might give McMaster-Carr a try. They sell 1045 in small quantities, but not the cheapest route.

Keep it fun,

David

Well, not today but this weekend, I had the pleasure of demonstrating at a festival at our chapter of the IBA’s forge:

(I personally never took the time to take any pictures and this was just sent to me.)
It was two long days of forging, Saturday 8am~6pm and Sunday 8:30am~5:30pm. I was pretty beat by the end of the weekend! I made quite a variety of items from simple to a little complex, but nothing very time consuming. I believe I was able to keep the crowd involved and it was pretty busy Saturday and a little slower Sunday. I may have even got a couple new people stopping by for our hammer-in this month to get started themselves.

Keep it fun,

David

6” or 8” diameters are both too small. I went with 10”, knowing the recommendation of 12” diameter… 12” would have been much better!

Roof penetrations can be problematic, so I can understand wanting to go through the wall. If you’re going to go up then over, consider going through the wall at a 45 degree angle. This would create less of a flow impediment. Of course, I would recommend a side draft hood and I believe Uri Hoffi’s side draft hood went  straight out through the wall then to a tall stack. (I’ve personally never seen one setup that way though.) The are some really good designs out there, just make sure to follow the dimensions… There’s a read they work well.

Keep it fun,

David 

I generally use a google search with the material designation and “steel specifications”. This type of search typically give results showing chemical composition and physical properties. 

Also, if you can start with bar stock close to the pole cross section, that will save you a lot of forging just to get to your starting size. Of course you may want to start with larger stock and forge the height down for the eye and pole to leave more material in the bit area for the beard. (If you’re going for a bearded Viking hatchet and all assumes a slit/punch and drift approach)

I’m not a forge welding expert, but forge welding is not magical. Your steel needs to be clean, hot, and forced together. Bring your weld faces up to a red heat, wire brush it good to clean them, then flux. Then bring your weld areas up to a lemon yellow color (lower temp for higher carbon or higher alloy content) and weld with solid blows. Not particularly hard, but you don’t really want to move the material a lot (may cause the material to slide along the welding plane as one side moves more then the other) and you don’t want the material or hammer to bounce around (may also cause the material to slip along the welding plain). Hopefully, with a few hits the material is tacked together. Brush lightly, reflux and repeat. On this pass you can be more aggressive, but wait for the 3rd pass before you really start moving metal. Also as your drawing out the part around the weld area, keep it at a welding heat until you confident that all went well.

You may try this with a piece of 1/2” square with the end split and scarfed and a wedge made of the material you plan to use as a bit (putting “teeth” on the sharp edge of the wedge will help holding it in place for the weld). Consider it a simplified bit weld that will give you good experience before trying it with a 70% completed hatchet. (If it works, you can turn these test pieces into chisels…)

I hope this is some what helpful. (I didn’t cover everything, but others, if I missed something or messed something up, please share…)

Keep it fun,

David

4140 can be tough to forge if you’re not used to working with it, but O1 will be harder. I also feel that O1 tool steel is not the best choice for a hatchet. If you’re not worried about trying to weld up a folded hatchet, I would start with a mild steel body with a coil spring bit forge welded in. I find bit welding to be one of the easier forge welds and forging to body from mild steel will be much less work.

Nils Ögren YouTube channel is an excellent resource for hatchet/axe making and it’s worth checking out. If I remember correctly most of his videos are folded hatchets, but I think there are some slit and drift videos as well.

Lots of ways to make what you’re looking for, but you need to find a process that with work with what equipment and skills you have (or can develop).

Keep it fun,

David

Hourglass shape would indicate Hay Budden… I’ve not heard of Peter Wright’s having a depression on the underside.

I’d say Trenton based one the caplet indentation (if I’m seeing it correctly) in the bottom and what looks like the remains of a Trenton diamond stamp on the side.

Keep it fun,

David

1 hour ago, George N. M. said:

So, that vise was definitely an expensive one when new.

Yeah, I was cross checking a 1910 S&R catalogue and the most expensive vise I saw was a $4.97 swivel vise!

Keep it fun,

David

When was that published? I was struck by the $14 price. Seems like an expensive type!

Find mentors, and glean everything you can. (Applies to most skills…)

Keep it fun,

David

I’m with you, even low quality coal (if it is) at zero cost beats hard to get smithing coal…

I’m not sure that anthracite coal is a step up from charcoal. Before I had access to good smithing bituminous coal, I would only use anthracite if I didn’t have any lump charcoal. It might  burn fast, but it burns clean and the anthracite I had seemed to be 50% clincker. (My previous forge was setup better for charcoal also…)

Keep it fun,

David 

I’m at an automotive plant that employs about 2000. We only worked half shifts due to major concerns over absenteeism and logistics disruptions. It worked out pretty good for everyone, but was costly for the company. 
Personally, I enjoyed the celestial show from my front yard with the family. My older son was even home from college on spring break.

Keep it fun,

David

I agree with Buzz above, but I will add that if you’re planning on using a temp controller with this forge the added thermal mass may help stabilize the temperature making it easier to keep a tight temperature range. 

Keep it fun,

David

I saw it as the spine of a large skeleton sculpture myself…

Keep it fun,

David

Billy, the mess on your bench? It’s not bad, and I love to see the other bits and pieces of projects, tools and other dodads sitting around other people’s shops. 
On the other hand, I try to keep my photos in a clean spot if I can find on… So, I understand.

I’m confused by the gap on the bottom of the towel holders. They look visually appealing, but any issues with functionality?

Keep it fun,

David

Spent a few more hours in the forge tonight and wanted to do something different and fun… so I made another necklace:

Keep it fun,

David

Billy, yes, it’s curved and chamfered:

It not perfect, but the pictures make it look twisted. I guess I need better lighting?

Keep it fun,

David