O.K. Here’s my latest creation. I didn't take pictures this time, but I promise I will next time (scouts honor). They're forged from 4140 and heat-treated. Starting with 1-1/4 round I forge the 1" shank first. Next I upset the collar. I use an upsetter, but it can be done using a bolster block in the hammer or even right in your anvil using a sledge. It's real nice if you can keep the heat away from the upper part that you're hammering on. If you’re making a bick, remember: a bick does not need much of a collar (just enough so it doesn’t fall thru) as you’re not usually hammering straight down on it.

For the point I made a swage die for my press. In a pointing swage it's important to feed the work in incrementally to avoid pinching and always turn the work EXACTLY 90 degrees between blows. Only rarely do you just randomly turn work in swages. Of course a point can be forged free-hand at the anvil too. Good idea to grind a heavy bevel on the end to prevent a "pipe" in the end.

All the points come out symmetrical after swaging. For the bent ones I just hold them flat on the anvil and carefully hammer it down so it's straight on the top side. Then it’s off to the Hossfeld bender to finish them.

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Edited June 13, 200917 yr by nakedanvil

Oow, oow, I just became a "senior member", 100 posts since I joined last month! Blaa, blaa........

Nice stuff Grant. Thanks for sharing the process. Some how I remember stuff like that when I am trying to do something new and it's not working.

Ok they look real good , mind if I try and make one?
Chris

Hammerkid: Your material and your sweat! Go for it! Raise your hand if you have any questions! Don't bother you neighbors and clean up after yourself.

Nice looking Bicks Grant.

Welcome to seniorhood.

Frosty

Wow those are nice! I'd give an eye tooth for one of the angled bicks for working socketed stuff. How do you upset on your anvil with sledge after you have forged the shank, asks the pilgrim?

WOW, very nice.
I say the following based on another discussion that was conducted on the site.
One photo is worth a thousand words. Action speaks louder than words.
You have accomplished both.
Plus you are giving us an opportunity to get to know you through your instructions and final work product.
When you plant corn, you will grow corn. When you plant weeds, you get weeds.
You have planted some very good productive blacksmith seeds.
Thank You for sharing, and please teach us more!
Ted Throckmorton

Bill: it's a common way to make hardy tools to fit YOUR anvil. You start with a piece of stock that is larger than your hardy hole. Then you forge a square shank about 2 -3 inches long. I like about 2 X the shank size. Once it fits in the hardy hole you take a heat just above that (doesn't matter if you get the shank hot at this point). drop it in the hardy hole and beat the daylights out of it. This should cause it to swell out to form a nice shoulder. From there you just forge the top into the kind of tool you are making.

Edited June 14, 200917 yr by nakedanvil

Cool Grant, those are nice, look forward to turning some out when I get my PH.

I forged mine by hand!

Finnr

Really nice bicks, I look forward to making some similar when I get my Power Hammer.

Naked: Thanks for the explanation. I've got to find a piece of appropriate stock and try it. Might make a nice first project when I get my new Diamondback forge set up. Don't think my poor little charcoal washtub forge will get a big piece of steel hot enough, at least with the softwood charcoal I am using.

I am inspired. Nice work

Naked: Thanks for the explanation. I've got to find a piece of appropriate stock and try it. Might make a nice first project when I get my new Diamondback forge set up. Don't think my poor little charcoal washtub forge will get a big piece of steel hot enough, at least with the softwood charcoal I am using.

Hi, Bill.

Yes, it will. But it will also require a lot more fuel. A suggestion on that: Pre-heat your metal in a regular campfire. A 20 minute "soak" in the middle of a good campfire will get that large chunk of metal well up into the orange heat stage. Then slide it over into your charcoal forge for that extra draft and heat.

Of course, by the time you have that campfire going well, you might just as well use it for all the heat necessary to forge a bick. Just use a long section of small diameter pipe to supply some extra air to perk the heat up. Some 1/4 inch copper tubing with the end smooshed almost closed will supply lots of direct air to the coals in your fire. If you use that "flaring" tool on the other end, it works a bit better as a mouthpiece. Or tape some compressed air into that "blow tube" instead. But do smoosh that end almost closed. It concentrates the air into a small area. I use a section of copper tubing like that as a blowpipe for my wood stove all the time. The end is smooshed almost closed - leaving a hole only about the size of a pin.

And when you are done using that campfire to pre-heat or to forge with, it should have burned down well enough to coals to be ready for some ... grilling!

Mikey - that grumpy ol' German blacksmith out in the Hinterland

Be careful not to force a wedge shape into the hardy hole it's easy to crack the heel.

I am curious Grant why do you bend these with the with the Hossfeld rather than with power on the press?

Good Question! It's always nice to have a number of ways to do something and at some point we have to choose. I chose the Hossfeld in this case because I had to make the bend as close to the collar as possible. You'll notice that the bend is a continuation of the sweep in the collar. This allowed me to register that radius right up against the center pin. Meanwhile, the square shank catches on the square block bending tool on the back pin aligning the rotation of the part. Then I use a contour roller to bend the end around. The induction forge allows me to isolate the heat to just the area of the bend so it only bends where I want. Press bending tooling would have to clear the collar and register the rotation. Seemed easier on the Hossfeld as I didn't need to make up any tooling at all. Besides, I have a special relationship with my hossfeld.

That makes sense, I hadn't thought about the collar. I guess you must have hydraulics on your hossfeld as well.

No, no power assist, but I've done some incredible bending on the 'ol girl. Many a time I made enough in one day on the Hossfeld to buy a new one. Didn't even need any extension handle for this one, easy bending.

Grant, nice work! I bought a bick from Kayne and Son way back when I owned a Russian anvil and the horn was more like a shoe toe. I haven't used it much since I sold the *****. What do you think those will sell for?

Edited July 15, 200916 yr by mod07

Any chance we could see a photo or drawing of the "pointing swage" you used for the bicks? They are pretty.