Material for Punches and Chisels

[Bruce Beamish]

Hello Hofi,
Sorry I've been calling you Uri and you sign off as Hofi, I hope I've not caused you any offence.
Very interesting a pure tungsten chisel, that must take some forging and heat treatment. So could you tell us how you went about it?

Cheers,

Bruce.

[Hofi]

Hellom Bruce
Both Uri And Hofi Are Very Much Ok No Offence What So Ever.
My Feirst Name Is Uri The Femily Name Hofi Some Times I Sigen Withthe Feirst The Second Or Both.
As For The Tungsten Chisel; No Forging Is Possible. Only Grinding And No Heat Tritment Is Needed The Netueral Hrc When Cold Is 49-51
When Hot 45 And Because Ir Is Not Steel It Is Another Element There Is Very Little Friction Btween The Steel And The Chisel And It Will Cut In The Steel In The Tem Of 1700 Degrees Like Butter.
There Ar Two Types Of Tungsten -the Soft On That I Use And The Hard One That Is 70=72 Hrc Very Brital Whice U Can Not Grind Only With Diamonds Cald- Widia Or Hrd Metal Or The Proffetional Name '' Backed Carbides''
Best Regards

Uri+hofi= Uri Hofi

[Hofi]

Bruce

Hellom Is A Combination Of Hello And The Hebrew Word Shalom -means Peace

Hofi

[Fox Creek]

Very witty and gentle Uri. Namaste! Just think what that one or two tools made of the solid carbides or high speed air-hardening steels in action would have looked like to the Medieval smith with his wrought iron and semi-steel? MajiK, no doubt! I had never thought through the task of cutting hammer eyes; I dont make hawks, but read much from others of the travail involved and the varying methodology. The carbide chisel sounds like it might be a real break through for the hawkforger-people. They must be expensive for sure. You imagine you would have to have a well set up shop order the blank and grind it for you. Big nasty job. How much performance would be lost if one settled for a good high speed steel chisel instead? Your pick of steels. Thanks,
Fox Creek

[Nolano]

Wow, solid tungsten tools cant be cheap. that stuff is really expensive.

[Sam Salvati]

You know, I was talking with a metallurgist about forging tungsten, and he was saying along the lines of how you would have to have an airless vacuum, as well asn an airless fire, and you would have to get it HOT, like hotter than regular stuff.

[Old Sneelock]

When I took the class at Tillers International we used tire irons to make chisels. I still have mine from the class and it works fine. They are cheap and easy to find.

Don't use yours from the car you may need it :-)

[Nolano]

Apprenticeman, the heat is one of the main issues for forging Tungsten. Its used for TIG welding because the welder simply will not get it hot enough to melt, while its easily melting steel. Tungsten has a higher melting point than any other element, and it doesn't melt till about 6,600 degrees F, if I recall correctly. To contain a fire like that, your forge would also need to be tungsten!