Making tools for my hardy hole.

[short swing]

If I was going to make some tools for my hardy hole. Should I use hardend steel or is cold rolled fine for the square"I will be having hardend steel for the tool". Is the length important...whats too short? How much overlap? What are some functional patterns you have build?

[Charlotte]

I've made a few tools and bought a few. There is a trade off between fit and length.

Most of the time I wish I'd done a better job on both. I find that tools that fit closer are more pleasant to use, longer shanks are more convient when transfering to a vice or other holding fixture. So maybe make them long enough to go through the anvil with some left over to drift a key slot through and fit close enough that they don't dance when you use them.

[Fe-Wood]

As with so many things in blacksmithing, hardy tools are a need based item. When you have the need, you'll know what tools to make. One tool that is indispensable though is the hot cutter. I'd buy it if you don't know how to properly harden it. Weld on shanks are fine as long as they are properly done. You might consider marking the tool so when you put it in place you do it the same way every time. As the tool is used, it will start to fit better. I have found that shanks that are longer than the hole are good in case they become wedged. Its easier to pound them out from the bottom.

[Rob Browne]

I use either a solid piece of mild or even some mild square tube of the correct size. If you can't buy it the right size, modify it in the forge. In either case these are just welded to the tool and filed down to a smooth finish so they fit closely to the anvil top for maximum stability.

[Oak Hill Forge]

I made a hot cutter from an old wood spliting wedge, with a mild steel post, works well. I also made a forming tool from a trailer hitch ball.

[ThomasPowers]

Hardy; bending fork(s), swage, dishing forms are the hardy tools I use the most.

The swage is used for turning farrier's rasps into rasptle snakes a common sales item out here. I had one that had an improvised holder for it that went into the hardy hole but just did a trade to get some top swages that I could forge down to fit my 1.5" square hardy hole, (their bottom pieces had 1" shanks)

[Francis Trez Cole]

I made a hot cut from a piece of rebar 20 years ago still use it. You can always use the super quench in making your tools.

[Nakedanvil - Grant Sarver]

If you're going to fabricate a tool, there is no reason to make it look like a forged tool. It's a pain to weld a shank on the bottom, hard to tuck the weld in so it doesn't interfere with the edges of the hole, hard to get it straight, hard to get a good weld in there. I've pictured my way to avoid all that. Process dictates design in many cases. Put the shank in the hole and weld it or tack it and weld it at the bench. The hardy hole in many anvils isn't even square with the face.

S.T.O.C.K.!

Edited June 25, 2009 by nakedanvil

[JohnW]

Concerning the weld problems that nakedanvil mentioned, my friend showed me a hot cut that he had made from a square bar for the shank, a steal plate, and big tooth from some digger thing, with all the welds on the top side of the plate. I don't remember how thick the plate was, probably like 12 gauge. He cut the plate barley larger than the base of his hot cutter (the tooth), and cut a hole in the middle the same size as his hardy hole. He stuck the sqare bar through the hole in the plate and welded it to the plate, keeping the bead on the top side. Then he set the hot cutter on the plate and welded it around the edge. Of course the tooth was already hollow, so protrusion of the shank or weld were no problem.

nakedanvil's method is probably a little more direct in the build process and in anvil support.

[Nakedanvil - Grant Sarver]

JohnW: Anvil support? Yeah, good point. Besides being easier to fabricate, the method I've shown avoids the problem of driving the tool down into the hardy hole and puts the tool over the beefier part of the anvil.

[Nakedanvil - Grant Sarver]

Even by forging, many tools can be done by a simpler method. The drawing should make one method clear. Forge out a shank, make the swage, fuller, whatever. Heat the shank, stick it in the hardy hole and bend it over. You won't be able to get it perfectly 90 degrees, it will still be off the anvil a little on the end. Just slip a small round bar in the corner of the bend and you can drive it down a little more, take the bar out and you can hammer the corner down if needed.

more S.T.O.C.K.

[Nakedanvil - Grant Sarver]

Using the above method, we can now make a pretty god hot cut hardy from a leaf spring. Just forge or cut the spring to the right width for your hardy hole, forge or grind the blade, bend it as shown, and you're done (well, maybe heat treat the end, or not). Notice that the shank is over-bent so that it can be tightened up just like a hold-down.

Edit: Would be nice to have better bearing directly under the cutter. Probably best to bend it before working on the cutter end, that way you can drive that corner down a bit hot.

S.T.O.C.K., K.I.S.S.

Edited June 25, 2009 by nakedanvil

[Charlotte]

Using the above method, we can now make a pretty god hot cut hardy from a leaf spring. Just forge or cut the spring to the right width for your hardy hole, forge or grind the blade, bend it as shown, and you're done (well, maybe heat treat the end, or not). Notice that the shank is over-bent so that it can be tightened up just like a hold-down.

S.T.O.C.K., K.I.S.S.

You just saved me a serious work out. I have a number of pneumatic hammer chisels that I'm planning on working out for hardies and swags.

I had one with a wide blade that I was planning to forge into a fuller.
Your illustration shortens my effor by at least 50%

[Finnr]

Grant! I Love the way you think!!!

Finnr

[Rob Browne]

With the offset tools shown above I often weld a bit of angle iron to each side so it fits over the side of the anvil. This stops the tool wandering around on the anvil, uses the mass of the anvil for support and relieves pressure on the hardy hole as it is only an anchor to stop the tool wandering up and down the anvil.

Essential if you have only a small anvil like I do.

[Nakedanvil - Grant Sarver]

Here's a nice quick project for you guys. A quick and dirty bending fork. Start with about 12 - 14 inches of 1/2 inch round bar (whatever you use should be 1/2 of your hardy hole dimension). Great use for that spring you spent so much time straightening out.

Put a little joggle in both ends like the picture, and then bend it in the middle. If one end comes out a little longer, hammer it down even, while you still got a lazy bend in it. Now hammer the bend tight on itself like the first illustration. At this point, with the heat just in that bend, lay it on the anvil and align the two joggles. If you want, you can clamp it tight and put some tack welds right where the joggles come together and a few places on down. Now you make the next bend in the other direction (about 2+ inches) and hammer everything tight. You can weld some of the joints if you want or leave it naked. Test it in your hardy hole and hammer down if needed. Now go show it to the wife/husband/mother/father, they

[Nakedanvil - Grant Sarver]

Here's a nice little hardy spring fuller. Still got some of that 1/2" spring? Good, you'll need 36 inches for this project, trust me on that.

First put a center punch mark at 21" from one end. Bend just like you did with the bending fork. You did make the bending fork didn't you? One end should come out about 4-1/2 - 5 inches longer than the other. Hammer tight and you can weld up 4" of the bent end. Now fold up about 2" of the bent end (yeah, just like the bending fork). Hammer tight and weld if you like.

Take a heat and bend the short leg down as shown. Slip a small (3/8) round bar in the corner and hammer down to get that funny little bend. Adjust as needed so it lays flat or even a little tight on the end. The far end must lay on the anvil.

Now we turn to the long leg. (Did you bend the right one, Frosty)? measure down about 8" and punch mark. Bend outward (No, Frosty, I said outward) about 30 - 35 degrees. Next, heat and bend the opposite way from the other one (Frosty?) as shown in the illustration. Not a big deal here, just try to get a pretty tight bend.

This next part requires getting your heat between the two bends as best you can. Put in in the hardy hole and start the bend free-hand. It helps to have the whole thing going across the anvil for this. When you start getting past upendicular (vertical) hold a 2" slug inside to help form the curve. Now you should be able to adjust as needed to make it look like the picture. Should come out with about 3/4 inch between the bars.

Heat treat the last two to three inches. if you make it out of mild steel you can try super-quench or a brine made with one pound of salt per gallon of water. Use hot water to dissolve the salt and let it cool. Don't skimp on the salt Frosty!

Some people like to flatten out the spring loop before bending, probably does make it easier to bend around. The long leg can be about 1" shorter and then flatten and draw it out to proper length.

Can I take a break now?

Edited June 26, 2009 by nakedanvil

[Nakedanvil - Grant Sarver]

Feedback? Yous guys want more like this? Hard for me to judge, sorry. I can barely remember when I was starting out, seems like I would have been interested in these kinds of posts. Any help or suggetions or "take a hike"? Serious comments welcomed.

[Duckpond]

Naked anvil, there awesome ideas, can u make them into blueprints so there easier to find.

I like the way there so well explained and the simple diagrams are step by step but not cluttered. I also apreciate the fact that they use easy to get stock, and basic tools and skills. Perfect projects for beginers without the suite of tools already. Also would be useful for more experienced smiths after fast tools

[dlpierson]

I'm just a beginner looking on but I really appreciate these Grant. Need to save them some place and start making some of them once I *finally* get the forge working this weekend.

[Nakedanvil - Grant Sarver]

Thanks guys, the feedback is helpful. Are the explanations clear enough? You think there is enough information to do follow it?

Wasn't trying to hijack the thread - stuff happens.

[Dave Leppo]

Grant's Spring Fuller is exactly how I made mine - works great, and if your lucky, the re-bar is tougher than mild steel.

(I started by grinding off the re-bar ridge texture on the working ends - about 4-6" back from each end on the sides that come together in use)

[country boy]

Hey Nakeanvavil
those post are pretty GREAT!!!

But if you could make them into Blueprints with photos that would be even better

[Nakedanvil - Grant Sarver]

Gerald Boggs: Nice! But.....but you're doing it all the "traditional" way. Go figure. Good job, excellent! I really like the bending fork.

[Nakedanvil - Grant Sarver]

Goatman: Yeah, good idea! The re-bar is a little more work with the grinding and all, but should work fine. Use what ya got! It"ll heat treat up too if you want.