John B

Just to add a little more confusion, when does a top fuller become a radiused grooving tool ? My answer is when the "blade" (Radiused end) is parallel and what do you know, it then evolves into a guillotine tool so that one man can effectively use it to fuller grooves etc Traditionally the top and bottom fullers were used with the assistance of a striker.

Hi Ruben, you can take a 1" diameter bar and this will be the equivalent of a 1" fuller, or a 1/2" diameter bar for a 1/2" fuller. (The tapered wedge effect at the back of the business end is merely for support and loading distribution and sizes will vary with manufacturer and fuller size) May I suggest going to Vaughans (Hope Works) - Blacksmiths tools and equipment and look at some of the pictures on that page there is a top fuller, and a bottom fuller illustrated, there are other tools also that are labelled so that you can identify what is being talked about Another site that shows tool details is http://www.blacksmithstools.co.uk/ click on tools and look for what you want to see. show line drawings of what they look like. I am sure there are other sites eg Centaur Forge that also show or illustrate their tooling and specifications, all should provide information for tooling , what they do and what they look like.

1" diameter circle is 1/2" radius, Radius is 1/2 the diameter. Pi (3.142) times diameter is circumference of circle, as is 2 times Pi times Radius) {times equals/means multiply by} 2 times radius equal diameter. Pi times radius squared equals the area covered by the circle. Volume is the area times the length of the cylinder ie Pi times radius squared times length of cylinder{bar or tube} ( or if vertical the height of the cylinder{bar or tube} This formula can be used to calculate the volume for a round gas forge chamber. Further confusion ? or does it clarify the nomenclature/definitions.

Lets go back to basics as I understand them. To swage a round diameter in top and bottom tools, the required finished size is the diameter produced ie 1/2" swages produce a 1/2" diameter bar/shank and were stamped with the finished size the pair were to be used for. The same applied to pairs of fullers (Top and bottom tool one rodded/handled and one to fit the hardy hole or in the swage block). A 1/2" top fuller would produce a rounded groove for the 1/2" dameter rod to seat snugly into if used on a flat bar. (This means the radius of the fuller is 1/4" giving a 1/2" diameter groove that may or may not measure 1/2" across depending on the depth the fuller is driven into the workpiece. If the fuller is driven in further than 1/4" then the groove poduced will still seat a 1/2" diameter bar, BUT because the fuller is tapered from the 1/2" width which is the diameter (at 1/4" from the face end), a wider groove will be produced. Fullering is terminology for an action/operation rather than a specific tool. A fuller is the tool, and they should come in identifiable pairs like top and bottom swages. I hope this is not even more confusing.

Instead of the bandsaw, use a hot cut chiseldown the centre for the claw end, this will give you a nice tapered edge on the split to allow you to get under nailheads when you lift them, curve it after splitting. (make sure you curve it in the right direction) No need for the angle grinder then.

Wrought forges differently to steel, leaf ends need to be more 'solid' Almost like a chisel end, or they will split.

A couple of the items made on this course

Hi WillyP Why do you anneal after you Case Harden? Doesn't that nullify the hardening effect?

Crushed and added to a dirt floor, sprinkle with water and compact it. Beware workshop roof may become lower after some years. Used to work in a foundry where the floor had to be excavated periodically to bring furnaces back to a reasonable working height

Thanks for that, I thought they must have come fom the Land of the Giants. A three foot diameter is a little more imaginable, (almost a disappointment)

Try texturing the surface using the rough side of a farriers rasp (after suitable HT) mounted in a spring tool, this gives a scaly effect.

You don't have to have a 'Blacksmiths Hammer' to forge metal, assuming you are in the UK (whereabouts?) you should be able to access suitable hammers at many locations and from very cheap to very expensive. I am still using a 2lb ball pein hammer I made as an apprentice over forty years ago. Having said that, the hammer I use most of all nowand feel very comfortable is a Vaughns farrier's rounding hammer, this was not cheap, but it has more than earned its keep and its regular place on/by the anvil. It also means I have a ball face and forging hammer in one, whereas before I carried two 2lb hammers, 1 regular ball pein, and the other a ball faced ball pein, I still have these as back up, but prefer the Vaughns Its a quality product made from the right materials. In fact truth be known I have two, I like a back up 'just in case'

I'd like to have seen the wagon those rims came from if the smallest was 9ft 6inches in diameter !!!

Practice making them over the anvil using the hammer, make sure they are hot when you form them, two pairs of scrolling tongs will then enable you to tighten the scroll up to form narrower voids in the scroll, you can get them to look like large watch springs then, be aware of how long a piece of material wil be needed to produce a tight scroll.

Or establish the Peoples Republic of Anvil Torturing Terrorists (PRATT's for short)

Craft publications Try this link, Rumour has it they are being withdrawn from the internet (if they have not already disappeared) so get them to disc while you can.

Tidy the end up by forge weldng a collar on to make a ball or cube end.

This is where a flypress is handy for hot or cold curves on flat or edge. Otherwise if you dont have one, two pairs of large scrolling wrenches One located fixed in a vice, the other used to pull the material towards you and work supports at either side to keep workpiece flat and level. Ensure wrenches have large radius on jaws as they can mark the workpiece if you ae doing it cold, but then again you can feature that as a textured finish. (As has been said before, "If it's a cock up, feature it")

Use it to Help you master forge welding, you won't need it if you master forge welding first Time to do not talk !

Hi Valentin, Are you going through from face to face or through edge to edge? The operations are: slit from both sides, (staggered or through on the required angle) open up the slot with a starter drift, then drift to final shape at the required angle, you will need a bottom bolster with a hole through at this required angle, you may then need a top and bottom swage to form the finished sides/form dpends on what you need to give a satisfactory job, Ten make an use a length gauge to establish position of next hole, and repeat as you progress along the bar. Hope this helps,

Hi Pope, Brazing flux should work OK, we use it sometimes whe making pattern welds

Hi Bob,make your own water cooled tue iron and tank. The attached pics show a small portable forge set up that will give a general idea of the principle. At Westpoint we use home made units that have served well in production and competition scenarios for many years, with little signs of the front plate burning away and we use coke. The outer tube is approx 4" diameter x 10" long, the inner one is 1.125" diameter, passing through the tank and welded to the back of a 1/2" thick mild steel disc with a 3/4" dia hole through which works well. (You could have anywhere from 5/8" diameter to a 1.250" diameter hole, all will work) This plate is then welded to the outer tube and the other end of the smaller pipe welded at the rear of the tank, and a slide valve positioned over this to regulate the air flow. Make the tank a good size 24"x12"x18" or bigger will be adequate. This will cost a lot less than a cast iron one. Alternatively convert to a bottom blast forge and it won't take as much space up in the workshop. (PM me and I can send you detailed plans for bottom blast forge) We have a used cast iron firepot for sale at Westpoint. Complete with clinker breaker but it will need the old bolts removing and new ones fitting.

The British Army Forges were similar bodies but with the tue iron at the rear when the lid was lifted. The Guild used one for many years at shows with an electric fan, and a slide valve assembly to control the air flow, using coal as a fuel.

Electrifying!

Nice one Brian, Good to see the use of a square shanked rivet, many don't know how useful these are, and will replace the need to use two round rivets when holding something that otherwise could swivel. Last time I used one was to hold a trivet together, 3 legs and a handle joined at the centre.