GunsmithnMaker Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 I think this is the right area to talk about hardies. What's a hardy without a hardy hole and that takes an anvil. I don't see many hardies around even when I do see an anvil. Unless I'm watching a blacksmithing demo or a working smith most of the time I'm looking at hot metal, an anvil, and a hammer. Which hardies do you use on a regular basis? What would you say would be the essential hardies to have for general blacksmithing? Are most of your hardies made or bought? Thanks for the input. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fe-Wood Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 The one I use most is the hot cut. The rest I make as the job requires. Mostly for shaping, I use a swage block or a chunk of wood. Look at Brian Brazeal's Hot Cut, its somewere on this site. He makes it with a taper so it will fit snug (not bounce around) and fit a veriety of anvils.... Next one I make will be paturned after that :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marksnagel Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 I use the hot cut the most, mostly because it's the only one that I've made so far. I will be making a cone/mandrel next as I have had found a need for it. I have made and plan on making what I need. However if I come across a good deal on one/some then I would be a fool to pass on it. Mark<>< Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 A hardy comes in two flavors: Hot cut and cold cut, you can vary this by having straight, curved and arc'd edges on this. Hardy tools come in an almost infinite variety. Were you referring to tooling that uses the hardy hole instead of just hardys? Yes it's jargon; but it's *OUR* jargon! Help keep it straight for new folks please! Now as to hardy hole tools my two most used---even more than the hot cut hardy, is a bottom swage I used to curl rasptlesnake bodies and a swing arm fuller I use to set off knife tongs and make chilies and other items from pipe. Next step down is a set of bending forks, then a curved piece used for bending curves in stock by resting it on the curve and tapping the hot stock at the gap between the face of the anvil and the tool. One side is a steeper curve than the other and so sharper curves can be done with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KYBOY Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 For us its a hot cut, bending forks, spring swage, gulliotine tool and anvil saddle the most (and the hold down but thats a pritchel hole tool) I really need a radius block and a cone...Going to make a radius block and am still trying to find a cone.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Turley Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 Most of my hot hardies are forged by me. Francis Whitaker mentioned once at a workshop that he liked to use a "straight side hardie." His hardie had a vertical side when placed in the anvil. The other side had a cutting edge bevel of about 25º to 30º. If the straight, non-beveled side faces you and you hold your workpiece horizontally, you'll get a fairly straight cut on the bar you're holding. The cropped piece on the other side will have a bevel on it. And vice versa, if you turn the hardie around. My shop hardies are made this way, at least the ones that I use for straight cuts. Manufactured hardies have two bevels, an included angle. You can get straight or beveled cuts with them by lowering or lifting your workpiece when hammering. The straight side hardie, mentioned above, is a little handier. Farriers will often use a half-round hardie for cropping horseshoe heels. This leaves a nicely radiused, slight bevel on the ground surface of the horseshoe. I may be wrong, but I don't think cold hardies are manufactured for sale. I have one old manufactured cold hardie and one homemade. If you make one, the included angle is 60º in order to cut mild steel. The greater the included angle, the harder the material to be cut, and the converse. http://www.turleyforge.com Granddaddy of Blacksmith Schools Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nakedanvil - Grant Sarver Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 That's funny Frank, I'm with you. The first cut-off hardies I made were side hardies (one vertical side). I figured I wouldn't need to make anything else. Not a big seller. Started making symmetrical hardies and they sell like crazy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GunsmithnMaker Posted January 29, 2011 Author Share Posted January 29, 2011 A hardy comes in two flavors: Hot cut and cold cut, you can vary this by having straight, curved and arc'd edges on this. Hardy tools come in an almost infinite variety. Were you referring to tooling that uses the hardy hole instead of just hardys? Yes it's jargon; but it's *OUR* jargon! Help keep it straight for new folks please! Now as to hardy hole tools my two most used---even more than the hot cut hardy, is a bottom swage I used to curl rasptlesnake bodies and a swing arm fuller I use to set off knife tongs and make chilies and other items from pipe. Next step down is a set of bending forks, then a curved piece used for bending curves in stock by resting it on the curve and tapping the hot stock at the gap between the face of the anvil and the tool. One side is a steeper curve than the other and so sharper curves can be done with it. You are correct Thomas, I was refering to hardy tools. I should save my posts for a time of day when I am more awake. If I can still remember them then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timothy Miller Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 That's funny Frank, I'm with you. The first cut-off hardies I made were side hardies (one vertical side). I figured I wouldn't need to make anything else. Not a big seller. Started making symmetrical hardies and they sell like crazy! Made myself a set of hot cut hardies out of s7 a few years ago one strait cut off and one of the with the normal symmetrical bevel but extra thin. I found the the traditional configuration is more useful. Most of the time I am cutting off something that needs to be tapered so the normal hot cut leaves you with a cut that has a point in the center. This is somewhat less work to draw out starting with this. Also you can lift up the bar slightly and get a nearly square cut. A couple upsetting blows or a few strokes of a rasp and your good. I almost never use the strait cut anymore as it leaves flash on one side of the bar that needs to be removed. If I need a super clean cut I use a saw. I can get the results that I need from a traditional hardie. I more often reach for a bottom butcher when I need a strait cut done hot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason @ MacTalis Ironworks Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 A bick made from an old paver breaker is handy, fuller, dogbone, and a stamp to make raised leaf veins are some of my most used hardy tools. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 One of the problems I've had with students is getting them to use a hardy with the stock at a sharp angle to it---if they need to put a point on something, cutting it with 9/10's of the point already made and then just pushing it to the center and cleaning up is sure a lot faster than cutting it off square and then forging a point on it. (and if you are making multiples then the next one also has the point 9/10's done already as well) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KYBOY Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 I forged a hot cut with a rounded blade a while back, kind of a dome shaped..Suppose to be good for the slicing action..I dont really like it Great for big stock or wide flat stock but I dont care for it most of the time. I prefer a straight edged hardy..I like to roll my stock as I cut it, for me that makes a nicer cut and its easier to roll stock on a flat blade..Guess Im just particular.. :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LDW Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 Brian did a class at the conference for the MS Forge Council last year and the anvils did not have good edges. He made hexagonal shaped edge tools to go in the hardy hole for each of the anvils.The edge tools have three different radiused edges (opposing edges have the matching radius's). I have good edges on my anvil but I use one of these tools often because it is about half as wide as my anvil. Comes in handy when rounding up something that will not reach all the way across the anvil. I have a plate I modeled after Brians that has the holes to receive 6 different sized drifts that rotate and sit over the hardy hole. I have bottom fullers for the hardy hole and matching top fullers to go with them thanks to working with Brian. They were surprisingly easy to make once you learned the steps. Most of all I would say I use the hot cut. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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