brianbrazealblacksmith Posted December 31, 2010 Share Posted December 31, 2010 Here is an example of something I've talked a little bit about in previous posts. Starting with material that is about as far from what you want to end up with as possible can be the best approach when it comes to forging. This skewer is forged from 1 3/8" of 5/8" round stock. Since I chose to put a bottle opener as a decorative and fuctional end, it was much better to draw out about 5/8" of the 5/8" round stock to form the working end of the skewer and leave the mass to form the bottle opener. If you use reasonable techniques, it is a simple matter. I started by drawing about 1" over the far side of the anvil with a radiused edge on four sides creating a shoulder or lump with each hit with my rounding hammer until I drew it out to about 1/8" on the end. Then I switched to a two-sided taper on the near edge of the anvil to isolate and draw the skewer out. If you'll notice you can see the evidence of the technique by the material being oriented on the diamond or diagonal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted December 31, 2010 Share Posted December 31, 2010 I tried your knife making technique, and had excellent results for a first try. Your suggestions for drawing out metal and working the parts that are farthest from finished really do make for short work. Now, why do I want a 16 inch long skewer with a bottle opener on the end? I'm stuck on the intended use, but have some alternate uses: Bend the tip into a steak turner, Charcoal cook fire management tool, Pot lid opening hook handle... Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monstermetal Posted December 31, 2010 Share Posted December 31, 2010 cool beans, I'll give it a go tomorrow ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironstein Posted December 31, 2010 Share Posted December 31, 2010 Brian, great work as usual. Do you find that the skewer wants to twist on you as your drawing out and tapering? I have been doing most of my drawing out on the bick of my anvil with my rounding hammer. Does the radiused edge of the far side draw faster? I assume you are talking about half hammer face blows? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fosterob Posted December 31, 2010 Share Posted December 31, 2010 Thanks for the great posts Brian. Reminds me of what I made on Christmas eve for family members but not nearly as nice as yours. Last minute The unfinished tong clips along the top are for me as well as the bending tools. The bending tools are like what the guy was using in the chainmaking video on the videos about to be deleted post. I made it out of an old 5/8" hex crow bar and drew it out and tapered it. The hole is just over 1/4" in the end. The bottle openers started as 5/8" round about 1 1/2" long, soft pineapple twist (no grooves), wax and brass brush with wax. The leaf opener was a piece of 3/8" x 1" about 1" or so long, brass brush and wax. Your brother Ed showed me how to do the openers at the CBA petaluma a few years ago. The clips are 3/16 wire. The bbq tools were 5/8 round about 4-5" long, pineapple twist, olive oil finish. I like your method of doing the bottle opener end on larger stock and working the rest smaller, seems easy once you do it. All this was 5-6 hrs but would have liked more time. Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianbrazealblacksmith Posted December 31, 2010 Author Share Posted December 31, 2010 Phil, Skewers are for skewering meats and vegetables to be cooked on the grill. The bottle opener is for opening bottles and for hanging them up when not in use. I only made two for me and Karen. Lyle, LDW, and I have been working at the Mississippi Crafts Center this week, and people aren't buying much, so we're just trying some different things. Lyle made a set of six skewers with bottle openers. Ironstein, Yes, I am talking about half-hammer faced blows, and yes it is much more aggressive than the horn. The horn with the rounding hammer is more like the large fullering dies in a power hammer. It is nice for controlled tapers since it's easy to overlap your blows, and I get out on the horn alot. But, the horn is a cone fuller, and the more you move the material, the more it will tend to twist on you. Of course, your hold can always influence that too, but the dies themselves will not match exactly. This could be illustrated very simply on a power hammer by putting a cone fuller on bottom and a straight fuller on top then drawing a taper or bar with those dies. Nice work Rob! My brother, Ed, is in Oklahoma now with my other brother, Allen, on some land my parents and I got several years ago. They are planning on coming here soon with a load of coal. They are wanting to have a forging contest with Lyle and I. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clinton Posted December 31, 2010 Share Posted December 31, 2010 Nice to see a new post from you Brian. That is a good looking skewer and the bottle opener is awesome, I have been making them but they are not that nice yet, they do work good they just do not look as good. (more practice) I did not know you had another brother, I would like to see that forging contest, keep us posted Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clinton Posted December 31, 2010 Share Posted December 31, 2010 Brian, great work as usual. Do you find that the skewer wants to twist on you as your drawing out and tapering? I have been doing most of my drawing out on the bick of my anvil with my rounding hammer. Does the radiused edge of the far side draw faster? I assume you are talking about half hammer face blows? He is drawing on the near side of anvil, the far side was used to isolate the material Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fosterob Posted December 31, 2010 Share Posted December 31, 2010 Brian; Thanks for the compliments. One of the last things Ed did here before leaving was to have a small workshop making hammerheads. Gas money to make the drive easier if I remember correctly. The guy I was working with and me made four hammers that day and we each have two one small one medium, I will have to weigh them again and post some pics. Glad to hear he made it and is doing well. Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viking-sword Posted January 1, 2011 Share Posted January 1, 2011 I tried your knife making technique, and had excellent results for a first try. Your suggestions for drawing out metal and working the parts that are farthest from finished really do make for short work. Now, why do I want a 16 inch long skewer with a bottle opener on the end? I'm stuck on the intended use, but have some alternate uses: Bend the tip into a steak turner, Charcoal cook fire management tool, Pot lid opening hook handle... Phil Gentlemen, I was wondering about the knife making technique mentioned here and I would like to know if this is perhaps something that is documented somewhere, a tutorial or something that can be gleened from? Thanks, Wes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianbrazealblacksmith Posted January 1, 2011 Author Share Posted January 1, 2011 It is somewhere in General Disscussion under "Two-sided Taper". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monstermetal Posted January 1, 2011 Share Posted January 1, 2011 Brian, sorry to be a retard, How did you end up with the opener end being on the diamond, I cant get my head around how the technique resulted in the pre-shape for the opener end... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monstermetal Posted January 1, 2011 Share Posted January 1, 2011 Sorry, I just re-read and I see that you meant that the technique for drawing the skewer end resulted in it being a diamond in relation to the opener, that makes more sense... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted January 1, 2011 Share Posted January 1, 2011 Viking Sword, here's that thread on Brian's knife.http://www.iforgeiro...__1#entry167768 Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianbrazealblacksmith Posted January 2, 2011 Author Share Posted January 2, 2011 Viking Sword, here's that thread on Brian's knife.http://www.iforgeiro...__1#entry167768 Phil Thanks, Phil! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viking-sword Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 Thanks, Phil! Thank You both! Wes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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