This is a hotcut that I started today. It is from a broken coil spring off of a very large Ag sprayer. The coil stock is 1 1/8". I've cut it into 5" lengths to make tools and whatever else. I've gotten the piece straightened today and squared off to fit in the hardy. Also started to flare out the cutting end. Tomorrow I'll work on it some more. Probably could have gotten farther but too many irons in the fire today. Tomorrow I'll dedicate the fire to the hotcut.

I have determined at least two things.

1. Man is that steel hard.

2. I need to find a striker. A large striker with good aim. But for now I'll just keep on heating and swinging.

I'm using my 55 forge w/coal and swinging a 4lb cross peen. I can get it plenty hot but that spring is hard. I'm a big guy but that hammer takes a toll on me. That is why this is being done in steps.



Mark<><

Looking good. I find that since i don't have any buddies willing to strike for me, i use my 30 ton press to break down tool steel and otherwise difficult pieces. I usually fuller it down close to the size i am looking for, then smooth everything out by hand. I recently got some 316 stainless number 11 rebar, man it is some of the hardest stuff i've worked, without my press i probably wouldn't have bothered with it, even the press was groaning while working that stuff. Looks like you have a good start, now to fuller out the end to flare it for the cutting edge! Brian

Spring steel is a bit red hard in my experience and it can crumble if you over heat it. I would not even attempt that without my power hammer. Good luck If I were going to make a hot cut hardie by hand I would use the softest stuff I could find like wrought iron and forgeweld a steel edge on to the tip with a cleft weld. I hate forging spring steel by hand I always use my power hammer but I have that luxury. You picked a tough material for a not so simple job. Getting the shoulder right is the hardest part. How do you intend to go about that part?

I don't think I'm going to worry too much about the shoulder. It fits pretty good into the hardy and stops when it reaches the original
diameter of the stock. It does stick a little but the hardy shaft is a tad longer than the depth of the hardy hole which allows me to gently tap it out from the bottom.

Do you think this will cause a problem?

It is a challenge and I'll see how it does. If it works good I'll report that. If it fails, I'll report that too. It's a good chance for me to learn. I'm not afraid to fail because it teaches me what not to do next time.

Thanks, all input greatfully appreciated.

Mark<><

Looking good, Mark. Quite a workout, I'm sure. Good luck. :D

Here is the thread where Brian posted his "pocket hardy" I made one of those working by myself. Save the bigger stuff for when you can get a striker or a power hammer.I admire anyone willing to work with the larger steels by hand,you learn a lot from it.

Here is the thread where Brian posted his "pocket hardy" I made one of those working by myself. Save the bigger stuff for when you can get a striker or a power hammer.I admire anyone willing to work with the larger steels by hand,you learn a lot from it.

Here? Where here?

If you have a swage block or even a suitable piece of steel to make a hardy hole, you can upset the material for the shoulder by yourself. Or just forge a taper like Brian Brazeal makes for his hot cuts.

I added the link above To the pocket hardy.

Thanks for the help guys. I will make some more tools soon.

Here are some pictures of the finished hotcut. It may not be pretty but then neither am I and it works!







Yea it was a good workout, but worth it. I may just wait till my son comes to visit again for the next piece, or I may just keep banging away by myself. I'm going to check out Brian's pocket hardy too.

Thanks again,

Mark<><

That'll get the job done!
Phil

Looks like that's gonna work just fine, Mark. If it gives you too much trouble sticing in the hardy hole, just make a collar out of 5/16" square stock and weld it on. That's what I did to mine. :D

Looks like that's gonna work just fine, Mark. If it gives you too much trouble sticing in the hardy hole, just make a collar out of 5/16" square stock and weld it on. That's what I did to mine.

I may do that, thanks George. It does stick but since it's longer than the hardy is deep it sticks out the bottom. A little tap on the bottom and out it pops. I made the square shaft a lot longer than I needed to but since I was just learning what the heck. The whole piece of steel was too long. That just caused me more material to heat and beat unnecessarily. I'll shorten down the next tools I make. Any ideas on my next tool? What hardy tool(s) do you find that you use the most?

Mark<><

The cut off is my main hardy tool. But I also made my guitine with a hardy post on the bottom. I use it for fullering some things like my black pipe candle holders that I make. You may want a bottom fuller and maybe a domed tool. Hope this helps. :D

Wow, what hardy tools you use the most depends so much on what *you* are making and how *you* make it. So sort of like asking *us* what *your* favorite foods are.

Me, I use a fairly wide swing arm fuller probably more than the hot cut---mainly for making chile's and setting tangs off from blades, (and starting nails for classes)

Another tool I use a lot in my hardy is a bottom swage to curl rasptlesnakes---make a couple of dozen of these a year for sale.

Wow, what hardy tools you use the most depends so much on what *you* are making and how *you* make it. So sort of like asking *us* what *your* favorite foods are.

Me, I use a fairly wide swing arm fuller probably more than the hot cut---mainly for making chile's and setting tangs off from blades, (and starting nails for classes)

Another tool I use a lot in my hardy is a bottom swage to curl rasptlesnakes---make a couple of dozen of these a year for sale.

Hey Thomas, Thanks for the input on what hardy tool you like. Not to be a jerk but I anticipated an answer like yours. That is why I asked George, "What hardy tool(s) do *you* find that *you* use the most." Not what tools do *you* think that *I* will use the most.

Since I am starting from the beginning I am seeking the experience of those seasoned blacksmiths such as yourself. I appreciate any input that you all have to give. I always read your answers Thomas and have learned much from you and will continue to learn from you as I value your opinion.

Right now I am mostly making grilling tools, candle holders and any tools that *I* think *I* might need with the input from others. I will try a BI pipe candle holder this weekend as I really liked the one that you posted George.

George, as always, thanks.

So, having said that, what should *I* have for dinner?

Mark<><

Why what I'm having of course....or perhaps not---my wife has a beef tongue in the slow cooker right now...

A good swing arm fuller with a 1/2" - 1" radius is quite handy when working pipe.

However what I started off using the most was a simple hardy and a set of bending forks; now I use them much more infrequently.

Why what I'm having of course....or perhaps not---my wife has a beef tongue in the slow cooker right now...

A good swing arm fuller with a 1/2" - 1" radius is quite handy when working pipe.

However what I started off using the most was a simple hardy and a set of bending forks; now I use them much more infrequently.

I haven't had beef tongue in probably 35 years. I made beef stew. Mmmmmm..

I need to make a set of bending forks. Right now I'm using forks that I made for the vice as per Stuarts instructional blog. They work good but that ties up the vice and I need to make some more hardy tools.

Thanks,
Mark<><