4dead Posted October 10, 2012 Share Posted October 10, 2012 Hi everyone I am just getting started in blacksmithing, probably a little late in life but I really enjoy it as well as reading this forum. I am going to make a set of small rails to go in the attic of my cordwood cabin from 1/2" 3/8" and 1/4" round. Majority will be the 3/8". I am going to be by Khayne and Sons Sat. and thought I would buy a texturing tool. Any comments, suggestions, or tips would be greatly appreciated.Thanks Randy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Backwoods Blacksmith Posted October 10, 2012 Share Posted October 10, 2012 How radical do you want the texture. The grape vine is pretty radical while the tree bark is pretty mild. If it was me I would use a rounding hammer and the horn to make a random texture and form. Without a power hammer or treadle hammer these dies can be less dramitic and hard to handle. If you don't have a rounding hammer use a big ball peen. While working over the horn continue to turn the stock as it will bend down. Even turning the stock it will get squirrly. But that is a good thing. It will be random and the texture will be eye catching. Hope this helps. have fun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
01tundra Posted October 10, 2012 Share Posted October 10, 2012 I picked up a small vine spring swage from them, welded a 1" x 1" x 3" long piece of solid square stock midway along the spring so I can use it in the anvil hardy hole, works pretty good for me even with a 2.5 lb hammer. This is the only picture I have of it, but you can see it hanging on the left side of the post under the vice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francis Trez Cole Posted October 10, 2012 Share Posted October 10, 2012 first off what type of tools do you have (power hammer hand tools and welder). You can make a texturing rig real simple if you have a welder. the texturing dies you can by will work just fine there are threads on how to make them on this site. I always look at tools as an investment. You can use those dies under a hand hammer just fine but if you have a power hammer they work better. Years ago I bought an acorn die works very well better now under the power hammer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4dead Posted October 10, 2012 Author Share Posted October 10, 2012 Thanks for the replys. I do not have a power hammer but I do have a stick welder. I will experiment with the ball pein hammer idea and do some more looking on how to make one with a welder. I am just doing bark, nothing dramatic I just want a little texture. Thanks Randy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MOblacksmith0530 Posted October 11, 2012 Share Posted October 11, 2012 4dead If you can get an old transmission internal ring gear they make great bark texture tools. cut a couple pieces about 3 inches long from the gear and open the up to about a 14 inch radius, Take a file and change the profile of some of the teeth unevenly across the gear and then weld it to a piece of 14 by 1-1.4 and bend into the shape of a "U". Heat your piece and as your running it through the tool while turning strike the top and viola you have bark pattern. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mash Posted October 11, 2012 Share Posted October 11, 2012 Never to late in life to enjoy something. If you find the spring swage doesn't work so well for you or you don't like the texture try buying some cheap harbor freight ball pien hammers. Then grind a textured surface in to the face of the hammer or even the ball end if you have some hard to reach areas you want to texture. Then proceed to texture your round stock turning frequently to keep the stock round and reduce the anvil flatting out all your texture. These branches were done with just a textured hammer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4dead Posted October 11, 2012 Author Share Posted October 11, 2012 Mash thats a very nice job. Did you do the oak leaves? Looks good. This is what I have come up with. I had an old 2 lb. hammer, I cut grooves on one side and rounded the sharp corners. On the other side I used my welder to splatter weld sme rough weld onto it. I am thinking I will do as Backwoods Blacksmith did and rough it up with a ball pein. Then use the grooved part of the hammer, then rough it up with the splatter side, then do a little twist to blend it all together.Does this sound like the right steps to everyone? Don't know if I can split the 3/8 and taper down for the smaller limbs or just weld them on./ Maybe both? Thanks Randy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Backwoods Blacksmith Posted October 11, 2012 Share Posted October 11, 2012 4dead I like your idea of modifing the hammers. I have tried spliting the branches and welding them on. Once you split them and draw them out, it may be difficult to texture them. I like to make the branches, texture, and then gas weld them on. Forge weld them if you can as there is a little less rework. Then you only need to texture the weld area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mash Posted October 11, 2012 Share Posted October 11, 2012 If you are doing branches like I did its allot quicker to texture the round bar and cut sections then gas weld them up. I texture the welds in the forge if they fit. If you whind up with a large branch like the one on the pit it won’t fit in a small gas forge like I use. So I grind those welds with a die grinder to blend those welds. Simple bends I do before I cut sections. If you want to taper the round bar down I square it up taper it down and re-round. For thinner branches I just grab rebar that’s laying around, round it good so you don’t see the original texture and then texture it. I do the oak leaves by grabbing a bunch off the ground and tracing them out on flat stock. I then cut them out on a band saw which is a real pain. Then clean them up with the grinder then it’s into the forge. I use basically dull chisels made from old coil springs to do the lines. Then one last heat and bend with tongs and a smooth pair of needle noses I ground for the job. You could probably have leaves laser cut or water jet if you wanted. Its what I would do if it was for a production projects not my back yard. I weld the leave on and die grind them in as well. The Acorns I do with 2 spring swage set up like O1tundra. One with an acorn in it and a spring swage I made to neck down the bar I am working before it goes into the acorn one. Don’t forget to wire wheel your work before painting. Removing forge scale will also add texture to the work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted October 12, 2012 Share Posted October 12, 2012 Randy: there are lots of ways to texture steel, most of those already suggested work well. What you've done to a hammer is another good way but I avoid buying a hammer to turn into other tools, I hit garage/yard/etc. sales and pick up hammers if they're cheap enough. don't pay more than $1.00 for ball peins unless they're really large or new, I got a nice cross pein for free by mentioning I blacksmith, the seller didn't want to sell a hammer with a cracked handle and maybe get someone hurt. But a blacksmith? No problem we change hammer handles frequently. We do? No matter it is a really nice, fairly new free hammer with a new handle. Another way to texture your hammer is with a chisel or just beat a rock. Of course you need to heat the hammer up but what the hey. Oh yeah, welcome aboard, glad to have you. Frosty the Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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