Hardy Tool Shank?

[Avadon]

What is a good default length for a 1" sq hardy shank? How long should that shank go down into the hardy hole? What is considered standard length. I'm trying to figure out what is best for making hardy tools for friends and customers. I usually make them long like 5-6" but I wonder if i'm just giving them an extra chore to cut it down. My gladiator heal is about 6.5" thick under the hardy.

[Frosty]

I like my hardy shanks to protrude through the heel an inch or so, so I can tap it loose from below if something like scale or a steel splinter jams it in the hardy hole.

Frosty

[ThomasPowers]

That's a problem as anvils vary so much in the heel thickness. I wouldn't worry about getting them too long though who bothers to cut off the excess when it doesn't cause any problems?

Now if you want you could ask for max heel thickness at the hardy hole for everybody's anvils and do a statistical break down and figure out an "optimum" I can measure mine this weekend.

[Nakedanvil - Grant Sarver]

Frosty: you bragging about your wood again? Now re-read your post.

Edited December 19, 2009 by nakedanvil

[D-ski]

I tend to keep my hardy shanks on the short side. That way the tooling can do double duty in the treadle hammer as well as the anvil. I think the limit for the hardy shank in the treadle hammer is about 2" or so, then it would bottom out. (I'd have to go and measure to get an exact length.) The treadle hammer was built in a Clay Spencer directed workshop.

I am very happy that both the anvil and the treadle take a 1" square hardy.

[Avadon]

Okay my first fear was that I made some to long for customers at 6". Now I realize that they probably don't mind the extra inch or two of steel. I can't seem to get hardies to go all the way through my gladiator anvil. Maybe the hole is still to new. Only goes about 4" down into the hardy.

I guess i'll probably leave them at 5" long shanks. If they want they can hacksaw/bandsaw them off.

Thanks for the help.

[John B]

Couple of inches and a proper fit should be OK saves on steel too. Sufficient to do the job safely.

[arftist]

Exactly what Frosty said.

A hardy shank should always extend through the heel so it can be quickly tapped free with a hammer should it get stuck.