Hi, this is the result of my afternoon forging. A small flatter made of 1 inch mild steel square bar. It's been a long time since I wanted to buy a flatter, but I was checking my scrap pieces and said, why not forge one myself? I'll be even more proud of me than buying one. It took me 2 hours alone. I started by upsetting the face to 1 3/4", put a neck with a pair of tongs as a fuller ( I don't have many tools...), slit and drifted the hole and then cut the piece from the parent stock and hammered down the end to shape. The hole is a little bit offcenter but not too much. It will do the job very fine. This is my first big slit and drift so I won't put too much stress on my shoulder. The next one will be better. I didn't forge welded a high carbon piece on the face because I don't plan to use it a lot. I'll see with use if I won't weld one, it's not too late. Now I just need to put a handle on that little baby. Let me know what you think and if there is another way to forge this type of tool. My next project is a top swage for rounding tenons.

John_zXz

I don't know how you could have done a better job! Looks great and I'll bet it flattens metal wonderfully. Wouldn't imagine a hard face will really be necessary.

Great work.

It looks perfect. Great job!

Good work, very pleasing shape. I think you will find you use it more than you think you will when you see what it can do for you.

I would say to preserve your fine work heat it up and quench it in water. It is only mild steel that should toughen it up a bit and stop it from deforming to badly. Just make sure it is truly mild steel.

Thank you guys. I quenched it in water to harden what it can as it is mild steel.

Right pretty!

You may want to make the next one a tad stouter on the hitting end as flatters spread the energy out you generally whomp them fairly hard with big hammers in my experience and the smaller striking end will mushroom fast.

Great job! That will last you for a long time

Really nice forging! Excellent Flatter. Something else for the endless to do list.

Robert

Better than my first attempt.....well done!

not bad at all, though 1045 would have been a better material choice as it will hold up a bit better. Mild should be OK though for occassional use so long as you don't wallop the heck out of it. Watch for mushrooming on the struck end, and make sure you grind or forge it off before it gets dangerous.

Nice looking work!