Chisels (Hot cuts)

[Jordan12]

Hi Guys

I kinda need a hot cut and have a top fuller I've never used, wanted to know if I can make it into a hot-cut. I don't know if its made of tool-steel.

Any help is appreciated.

Jordan

[John B]

Hi Guys

I kinda need a hot cut and have a top fuller I've never used, wanted to know if I can make it into a hot-cut. I don't know if its made of tool-steel.

Any help is appreciated.

Jordan

You could try a spark test, or if it is a manufacturer made tool it should be safe to asume it is made from a suitable steel, and therefore it should be OK to modify into a hot cutter.

Do you intend to reforge it, or just grind to shape, in either case it would need some suitable heat treatment.

It may be advisable when using it as a hot cut to try to keep the edge cool by dipping into water after a few blows otherwise the heat from the workpiece will degenerate the cutting edge.

[Jordan12]

Hi John

Thanks for the info, will do a spark test, I intend to forge it to shape. Could I conver it to a hardy by welding on a square shank?

I'll post a pic of it before and after conversion(this might take a while).

Jordan

[forgemaster]

Back when we used to set truck springs on the anvil, we used to get a fuller and forge it to an edge to make a wide hot sett, that we used when scarfing the ends of the leafs before rolling the spring eye. They used to last for ages and that was cutting through spring steel flat up to 1" thick by 5" wide hot. So yes you could use a fuller as a hot sett by forging (or grinding) it to a sharp edge.

Cheers
Phil

[John B]

Hi John

Thanks for the info, will do a spark test, I intend to forge it to shape. Could I conver it to a hardy by welding on a square shank?

I'll post a pic of it before and after conversion(this might take a while).

Jordan

Does this top fuller have a rodded or wooden handle or hand held?

If it is hand held, forge it down to fit your anvil hardie hole first, then convert the cutting edge, otherwise you may find it more convenient and versatile to leave it on a handle, you can then cut off, notch, split, or chase in lines etc.

Alternatively if you are going to cut off some of it and weld on a post to fit the anvil, the piece cut off will make anither tool.

Think ahead and get more options for your efforts.

[ThomasPowers]

I recently converted several top tools for use in my hardy holes---I have a couple of anvils with 1.5" hardy holes and it was a lot easier forging down the top tools to fit than to get massive stock to forge into the shapes needed.

In the future If I wanted to convert back all I have to do is to drift out the eyes again.

*You* are a blacksmith you should be able to take a sphere and make a cube from it, decide you needed the sphere again and forge it back and then grab it and forge a leaf or a set of dividers or....

The only thing to remember when using modern welding procedures is that high carbon steels needs to be treated as such with appropriate pre-heat/postheat/heat treatment.

[metalmangeler]

When I have a tool that I don't use and I want another different tool I make the one that I want, then I have 2 tools you may find that a fuller like the one you have is just what you need 2 weeks from now. Now if you have a bucket of fullers that you don't use......