Working Thick Steel by Hand?

[ThomasPowers]

Work very hot.
Use Strikers.
Cultivate friends with powerhammers!

When I had to forge out some 2.5" sq stock. I waited till I could use the facilities of a larger shop---and we were working it at welding temp---had a 3/4" piece accidentally weld to mine in the gas forge I was sharing---above 7000' in altitude IIRC!

[dbrandow]

From my limited experience, a treadle hammer helps, but it is really more effective for repousse than it is as a replacement for a striker or a power hammer. It does fit in your budget constraints, however, and it does save a lot of stress on your arms, but don't expect it to come anywhere close.

Another alternative for those of us in the power hammer-less category is to make a holddown that locks it in place and then you can whale away with a heavy sledge. I find I get a lot less wear and tear on the joints with my 10 pound sledge held with both hands than I do with my 4 pound sledge held in one hand.

[bajajoaquin]

I think the post above about making a hammer has merit. I haven't seen anyone post the link to Anvil Fire's junkyard hammer page yet:

JYH Link

For less than $500 you should be able to cobble together a serviceable hammer. As for noise, you could probably limit your forging time to weekends or maybe a half hour or hour late in the week (like Thursday nights) when people may be a bit more easy-going.

[Bentiron1946]

One of the things that allowed me to work was sharing space with a fellow metalsmith. Find someone you like, rent some nasty industrial space for cheap and move out of the house. It was a lot harder to do stuff at home alone. Neighbors didn't like the power hammer or coal smoke nor noise from hammer and anvil. My work all of sudden got smaller when I had to quit my shared studio(shop). No more 1" to 1-1/2" rounds taken down to 1/2" and twisted and curled. Now it was 1/2" taken down to 1/8" twisted and curled. No more 3/4" plate, couldn't even get it off the ground by myself. Now it was 1/4" or 1/8" and that sure changes the scale of your work. So if push comes to shove and you have a chance to get a studio(shop) away from your residence, grab it with both hands and start doing work of some scale and quit making little stuff, it's that big scale stuff that gets the blood pumping. Yes, forging a 1" square down to 1/4" will give you a right arm the size of your thigh or bigger and use a ton of coal but a power hammer is a lot faster and easier on the environment. And once away from the house it gives you an extra incentive to turn into a pro. <_<

[Francis Trez Cole]

hydraulic is the quiet way to go but you will needto be at 50 tons I built a 12 ton and it didnt have enough guts. and it can be made of plate cheeply there are lots of designes on the web

[Dragons lair]

I think the post above about making a hammer has merit. I haven't seen anyone post the link to Anvil Fire's junkyard hammer page yet:

JYH Link

For less than $500 you should be able to cobble together a serviceable hammer. As for noise, you could probably limit your forging time to weekends or maybe a half hour or hour late in the week (like Thursday nights) when people may be a bit more easy-going.

Please when folks start saying cobble toghter a tool that can and will hurt ya. I get worried. Yeh I have a set of rusty plans and tire hammer plans may even still have some air hammer plans somewhere. Cobbling on the cheap is a bad thing. Just keep in mind MURPHY is everywhere. If ya don't know MURPHY stop what your doing and spend some time with family. The life ya save could be yours or theirs. Be safe.
Ken.

[Rob Browne]

One thing I haven't seen posted yet is to heat your iron slowly and thoroughly. Make sure it is HOT right through so you are not trying to move squishy outside metal around a harder core. Not really an issue on small stuff but as the section gets bigger its possible to be burning the outside and have a relatively cool and hard core.

[edge9001]

ooo, some one has a set of plans for hammers? I could use a set of those. if your willing to email them, let me know

[Sweany]

Logsplitters can be repurposed for smithing

http://www.northeastblacksmiths.org/pdf/spring08bc.pdf

[don't tread on me]

I am facing a problem with my forging. Right now I am having issues trying to work with 1" or thicker metal and often high carbon steel in trying to make anvil tools. I cant afford to buy a power hammer and even if I could I am not sure my neighbors will be happy to see it. I am worried one of the jerks will call the cops or something if I used it after 9:00 pm which is often when I get a chance to do some smithing. I would like to get a fly press but then I dont know what size and 2 grand is only going to be in the budget if I get a big bonus from work this year or a big tax refund. So there you have it, I want to work with heavy metal billets, hardy shafts and so on by hand.

Right now the best I can do is use a 4# hammer and slam the crap out of it in 50 heats and that is getting tedious. Even Swaging the shafts through the anvil is becoming tiresome and when working billets of pattern welded steel, drawing them back out is the definition of unfun. Furthermore, I like to work with old jackhammer bits to make tools because those bits are great steel and thicker than coil springs but that steel is murder to move by hand, often fishmouths when I am trying to make hardie shafts.

So I am asking for suggestions on how to do this better without fishmouthing everything or blowing a fortune that i dont posess right now. (and if I had a grand I would probably buy an ozark pattern 400# anvil anyway). Anyway. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Lets say the budget is 500$ and under.

Have you looked into shop presses yet? You could get a nice one for 500.00, go to Grizily Tools websit they have a few and there are a lot on E-Bay.

[bajajoaquin]

I don't have a powerhammer either, a large son with a sledge works good though.

That could cost considerably more than the $500 budget...

:D

[Bentiron1946]

"a large son with a sledge".......Some large sons are to lazy to lift the danged thing even when lit up by a cattle prod!
A power hammer is a better bet :D

[pkrankow]

A simple spring fuller can help prevent fishmouths. It will focus your blows and move a small area of metal effectively.

Phil

[kraythe]

That could cost considerably more than the $500 budget...

It does, you should see how much my 14 year old eats! But still he isnt always around when I want to swing a hammer. I am going to have to consider building a power hammer. Have any of you adapted a harbor freight press to do forging work? If so what success have you had?

[Mainely,Bob]

It does, you should see how much my 14 year old eats! But still he isnt always around when I want to swing a hammer. I am going to have to consider building a power hammer. Have any of you adapted a harbor freight press to do forging work? If so what success have you had?

"The road to disappointment has many Harbor Freight billboards on it.They`re like Burma Shave signs".So sez my good buddy Jacques the Wise.

"Buy the best,you will never regret it and neither will your grandchildren".So sez me. :)

[tlreif]

If you find the right steel supply you can build the clay Spencer tire hammer for under 500. I did. I bought a new motor and the bushings and stuff in the plans and still came out under 500.

I find this to be a great power hammer. Our club has a 50 pound little giant and the tire hammer hits harder and has way more control than the little giant. IMO.