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I Forge Iron

forging socket chisels


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Likely the best explanation I can give to a beginner is that it is not an entry level task. Basics, like control of hammer and tongs. fire control.drawing ouir out metal for length and width,,tapering, bending and a lot of other items need to be mastered first. Then of course it takes a while to learn just which metal to choose for wot you wish and that metal needs to be heat treated in order to work like it should for an edged instrument.

Now for the good part: all of these skills and knowledge are availeable to you right here on this site. The Bps. which for some unkown reason are listed in the area on the home page marked pages. There are areas fro tools..forges,, anvils,, and a lot for you  to look up about heat rreating.. That rea will help you learn aboiut the metals that can be heat treated and how to do that.

As you soak up this new fouind knowledge Post questions again here if you get stuck and someone will help...

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yes I was thinking of trying to make the entire tool from a piece of HC, draw out one end in a fishtail, roll it up and forge weld it, similar to a arrowhead long bodkin? Maybe starting with some straightened coil spring for a chisel or leaf spring for something larger like slick? Is this possible? Is HC too difficult to forge weld into a socket? I also saw some examples of 18th cent chisels where they apparently forged a socket of wrought iron, then reheated and formed it into a hexagonal shape over a special mandrel  then forge welded a HC piece on the base of the cutting edge. Im not sure why they would bother with the hexagon shape, seems more work for no reason? and the handle would be even harder to fit, round socket seems easier, but must have been a reason as normally they were all about efficiency in the past, not frivolous overworking......but also saw that hex shape in the old axes, like goosewing, so maybe there is something to it after all? perhaps not permitting the wood handle to spin? reconstructing the past can suck, and reconstructing it with metals at hand can be impossible, but thats the fun right? haha

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nice video, it shows a lot of the process, but i did not see a few things, such as actually flicking and forge welding the socket closed after the bend, it also appears to be one chunck of HC steel, but many seem to feel thats close to impossible to forge weld, only low to high or wrought to high will do...but def a great video

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Well I'll have to say they were *NOT* "all about efficiency in the past, not frivolous overworking" If you look through old patents is seems that they were often just grasping at straws trying to differentiate their product from others and a lot of really ludicrous items were made and pushed---look at some of the multi tools and anvil-vise-drills sort of thing. As I recall Sloane mentions in one of his books finding an old tool in *mint* condition only to find out that the reason it wasn't worn out was that it was a really really bad design and so the original owner had "thrown it away".

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I have made many socketed chisels and a few slicks. I use mild steel and weld a high carbon bit. Ihave always formed the socket separately and welded it on to the blade section. I do it this way because you need a fair amount of metal to make a socket and the chisel body may only be 1" wide. The socket could be done as you describe using the parent metal and welding the seam of the socket.

In order to weld the seam, you need a cone shaped mandrel to insert as you weld the seam to give some backing to the socket.Forge a stub on the end of the blade  so you have something on which to weld the socket. Not terribly hard to do  but the socket seam is pretty thin so weld quickly because you lose heat quickly. Good luck and PM me if I can help.

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You can make the socket in other ways, drawing down a piece of pipe and welding the to the bit, for instance, or I have made a socket by just ramming a cone shape punch down into the material, but that is probably not the easiest way.

Just remember that the diameter of the socket hole you require will equate to approximately 3 times that measurement in width of the fishtail you pein out. Also the edges of your fishtail need to be straight.

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