Forging of the day hatchet stake

[Timothy Miller]

We had a job that required us to bend up some small sheet metal boxes. I do hot have a sheet metal break nor do I really want one. So the next best thing is a hatchet stake and a mallet. I will make a tool at the drop of a hat because I have a tool making problem I guess. I think sometimes I would rather make a tool for a job then make a profit. Stakes are a serious week point for me I have always loved them. I make a lot of stakes I sell them all over the US mostly to jewelers. I made this form about 8" of 1-3/8" W1. This fits the socket in my Centaur forge swage block AKA Rip off Yader block. I gorund it a bit at the transitions because I was too lazy to get out the proper fullers and just used the edge of my dies.

[pkrankow]

pictures?
Phil

[Timothy Miller]

Sorry about that my last upload failed.

[monstermetal]

Sorry about that my last upload failed.

Yeah thats a beautiful stake....

As long as your eating well and the bills are paid Id take making a tool over a few bucks profit any day...

[Timothy Miller]

Yeah thats a beautiful stake....

As long as your eating well and the bills are paid Id take making a tool over a few bucks profit any day...

The only problem is I am running out of room.

[brianbrazealblacksmith]

Great job on the stake, Southshoresmith, and the ball swage!

[Mainely,Bob]

Ok,now we know what it looks like and you told us the job you made it for.
How about a few pics showing us how it`s used?
Right now it just looks like a tall hot cut and I`m sure there are folks(like me)out here who want to see how this can save time over fumbling with setting up a leaf brake for sheet metal work.

BTW-Nice execution for someone who was in a hurry and used only the PH dies there Southy.

[ThomasPowers]

Used a lot in medieval armour reproduction where putting in a raised line in the middle of a curved breastplate or helm just doesn't work well with a leaf break! (also for a lot of repousee work).

Helps to have one where the top is gently curved so you can "walk" the piece across it.

I have a large one made from one of those large flat jackhammer bits and smaller ones made from brick chisels.

[Mainely,Bob]

Thomas,

I had thought that it might have been used to delineate where a fold would take place.
What I was hoping for was some pics so I could see where it might be a faster/better method than just laying the work flat on appropriate backing and using a slightly worn chisel which is what I do now as I can see(and hopefully follow) the scribed line that way.
I say slightly worn because my intention would be to help cleanly start the fold rather than cut the material at the line.
I know how you like details. ;)

[Timothy Miller]

I scored the sheet metal on the line I wanted to bend cold with a creasing fuller about 3/32" wide. I annealed the sheet so it would not crack because it was work hardened form the creasing. I then took a rubber mallet an placed the crease on the edge of the stake and hammered it over. I kept a square handy to check the angle as I worked. I have no photos of the process I am sorry to say but it is simple. Ithe end product was a 3' by 1-1/2" open top box that capped off a square fire place brush.

Thanks for the complements everybody.

Tim

[Mainely,Bob]

So,if I have this straight in my head(never a safe bet) then this stake is NOT for delineating a bend line but is actually used as a brake would be to form the actual bend.
If I further follow you it indexes into an already delineated line(done with a fuller in a prior step)and serves as a fulcrum/backer of sorts while using the mallet to make the bend.

Two questions on this.
First could I see a close up pic of the edge so I can see how sharp that edge actually is?
The second question is; what percentage of the fold needs to be backed before your stake starts to lose effectiveness?In other words,for your 3X1-1/2 box I`m assuming you made your stake edge a little less than 1-1/2" to fit inside and obviously it worked for the 3" bend too but what would be the max length bend you would use this on for ,let`s say 16 gage stainless?

If this can be used over a very wide range then I have a lot of wood blocks and AI pieces stacked in the bending corner I can put back in circulation.

TIA for both this info and the pics and the answers to the follow on questions.

[ThomasPowers]

For armour and repousee you often start a line as you do using a dull chisel and a vblock or stump; however to pull it in tight and give more definition you can then flip the piece over and set it on the hatchet stake with the starting crease on the stake and then hammer in on the sides of the crease with a rounded rectangular hammer to pull them in and sharpen the crease.

Now a fun method used for lighter gauge metals is to bend a piece of 1/8-1/4" steel wire to the shape you want your lines and duct tape it to the underside of the piece and then with the piece on the anvil go over the top with a soft faced rubber hammer pushing the steel down around the wire, which you then remove leaving a nice decorative raised line on the metal.

[Timothy Miller]

So,if I have this straight in my head(never a safe bet) then this stake is NOT for delineating a bend line but is actually used as a brake would be to form the actual bend.
If I further follow you it indexes into an already delineated line(done with a fuller in a prior step)and serves as a fulcrum/backer of sorts while using the mallet to make the bend.

Two questions on this.
First could I see a close up pic of the edge so I can see how sharp that edge actually is?
The second question is; what percentage of the fold needs to be backed before your stake starts to lose effectiveness?In other words,for your 3X1-1/2 box I`m assuming you made your stake edge a little less than 1-1/2" to fit inside and obviously it worked for the 3" bend too but what would be the max length bend you would use this on for ,let`s say 16 gage stainless?

If this can be used over a very wide range then I have a lot of wood blocks and AI pieces stacked in the bending corner I can put back in circulation.

TIA for both this info and the pics and the answers to the follow on questions.

I was bending 14 Ga steel so I put a crease in with the fuller. I did use as a fulcrum basically. In thinner sheet one would not put a crease in first. I did this to make the bend sharp wile still being able to use thicker sheet. The edge is quite sharp like a flat bevel cold chisel. I did blunt it just a bit so it would not cut the steel. The edge is 2 7/8" wide. It looks like a brick chisel basically.

[Timothy Miller]

For armour and repousee you often start a line as you do using a dull chisel and a vblock or stump; however to pull it in tight and give more definition you can then flip the piece over and set it on the hatchet stake with the starting crease on the stake and then hammer in on the sides of the crease with a rounded rectangular hammer to pull them in and sharpen the crease.

Now a fun method used for lighter gauge metals is to bend a piece of 1/8-1/4" steel wire to the shape you want your lines and duct tape it to the underside of the piece and then with the piece on the anvil go over the top with a soft faced rubber hammer pushing the steel down around the wire, which you then remove leaving a nice decorative raised line on the metal.

I like the wire embossing Idea! I never thought of that.

[ThomasPowers]

The ease and simplicity of it blew me away when I first saw it at an Armour-in in WV. I wish I had written down the name of the hammer he preferred for it as they differ in give and one was much superior to another.

[youngdylan]

Lovely looking stake South.

I'm with you on the tooling bit. My favourite parts of a job are the beginning where you sort out the design/ logistics/ source materials do your research and TOOL UP. Other is at the end when you stand back, look at it and take photos. The bit in the middle where you do "dum der dumm der dummity" or "smack smack tippety tap tweak" maybe hundreds and hundreds of times can get a bit boring.

[Mainely,Bob]

My favorite part of the job was when you get a job with no earthly idea how you were going to approach one phase of it and then it`s dropped on you anyway.While doing something else,seemingly out of the blue(usually after many nights of research) the answer appears,tools are made and you learn something.

Hey Jude was always at me for the"Plan".I`d tell him the plan was "to do the job" because to tell him I had no idea would just upset him.
Between the two of us we always pulled the rabbit out of the hat.Some hats were tougher than others but together we could reach pretty deep.

The "auto pilot" phase was also my least favorite part but I looked at it as a way for my subconscious to be feeling around and attempting to get a good hold on the rabbit.(see previous posts for Monty Python videos involving rabbits).