Nick Posted July 7, 2007 Share Posted July 7, 2007 I finally figured out the trick to making a nail header, and I've been pounding out nails (47 so far, to be precise). I'm still working on consistancy, but I've gotten a lot better. I'm doing a show this month and one next month, and I thought I'd put the nails in a small basket on the table with a price per nail, but I'm not sure exactly how much I should charge. I thought $0.25 a nail, but that's only $2.50 for 10. Is that fair? Undercharging? Exhorbitant? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skunkriv Posted July 7, 2007 Share Posted July 7, 2007 I make and give away a few nails. If someone wants to buy some I tell them $2 each. I don't really want to make nails for money. If I was wanting to make nails for money I would charge no less than $1.50 ea. It is better to give them away than to sell them too cheap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jj2k Posted July 7, 2007 Share Posted July 7, 2007 I feel that .25 is too low. I do 3 little demo items. Square nails, leaves with no stem, and mini-sword from flattened duplex nails (the ones with two heads). I will do these for the crowds at demos. If there is a small child watching I will give them the nail,leaf, or sword I just made. But then I also have a bowl nearby with some of each and I charge $1.00 each for them. I sell as many as I give away. Another good seller for me is taking a horseshoe and stamping their initials in it. They'll pay $5.00 a shoe. All of the above have been a good seller for me because they are cheap and quick and it's a simple souvenier for them to remember the day and the time spent watching the blacksmith. It also keeps the kiddos entertained while mom and dad shop. That's my take on it anyhow. (grin) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
habu68 Posted July 7, 2007 Share Posted July 7, 2007 I make finger rings bent from horse shoe nails and square concrete nails, I wrap them around a piece of 3/8" rod that has been bent double to catch the head. they are sized on a handle cut off from a iron worker's spud wrench. It is a good way to add value to your work. I get 3 bucks for the rings, but then again I'm not making the nail.... I also give away more than I sell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Posted July 7, 2007 Author Share Posted July 7, 2007 Thanks for the advice. I'll probably do $1 or $1.50. The first faire is right next to the Wisconsin border, and the people that go to that faire are usually more agreeable to higher prices. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnny99 Posted July 8, 2007 Share Posted July 8, 2007 Nick, remember, When you are selling a nail at a demo. It's not a piece of hardware, It's a souvenir, a tangible memory of the the experience that the person can hold onto. Isn't that worth a $1.50? Some people if not most, are strange about that sort of thing anyway. A lot of them hold forged items to have an almost mystical quality. If they do use your nail for something, I can almost guarentee it will be to hold up the frame of the sampler their grandmother made, or something else equally sentimental. So keep in mind, you don't have to compete with the prices at the hardware store for mass produced nails. By the way, if you have a good story to tell about nails and blacksmiths, you can easily add another fifty cents to the price, and expect to sell a lot more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strine Posted July 8, 2007 Share Posted July 8, 2007 So Nick, what was the trick you found in making a nail header? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Posted July 8, 2007 Author Share Posted July 8, 2007 Well, one was reading the blueprint about it But really, the big problem I was having was that after making the head, nothing I did could free that nail from the header's death grip. None of the reccomended things worked (quenching and tapping), nor did shaking with tongs. I ended up having to cut off the nail and punch out the heads. So I made a drift that was slightly larger than the nail size I was making, heated up the header, and gave the drift a couple light taps into the top of the hole. I still get a nail that sticks occassionally, but maybe one in 30 instead of all. I did use the nail stock as a drift when I was making the header, so I'm not sure what I was doing wrong. But I still have room for three or four nail sizes on the bar (I've got one for 3/16" and 1/4" round right now), so I'll keep experimenting until I can get it right just with the nail stock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Pook Posted July 8, 2007 Share Posted July 8, 2007 Did you taper the nail header hole so the hole is bigger on the back side? That make a big difference on the nails getting stuck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted July 8, 2007 Share Posted July 8, 2007 The nail header is constructed in such a way that there is only enough metal in the top half if the hourglass to hold the shaft while the head is being formed. see photo Usually a dip into the slack tub will cool the nail, shrinking the metal so the nail is easier to remove from the header. It also keeps the header cool. BP0322 Making a Nail Header Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Dean Posted July 9, 2007 Share Posted July 9, 2007 Also for better nail release, make sure the nail is near forgeing (orange) heat. You can turn the nail head to the anvil and let the anvil cool the nail enough to release it from the header when you set the head at this temp. Wows the croud when you do this too. Like others mentioned, nails sale for $1.00+ when I sale them....most are given away. If they ask for the nail, I charge. If they step up and I'm not making something at the time I will make the nail and hand it to them. Instant friend! Also, leaf key fobs sale good. I have gotten as much as $8.00 for one, once. (the guy deserved it! ) Normally I sale them for $3-5. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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