Its almost done, still need to punch the eye and heat treat. Could use a little bit of file work (fish mouth and edges), but held off due to being tired. Why was I tired?

Because I made it alone! My strikers were all busy with their own lives.

Made from 1.5" car axle. The head is 2.5"x2.5". Hand hammered to fit in my 1.25" hardy hole, hot cut, and used a 12# sledge to upset and flatten the end. Took me 5 hours or so thus far. It was my first flatter and the first time I hammered this large of stock by hand. I even had to use water and a wet rag to constantly help cool off my 371# anvil at the heel. Stock that large and hot apparently heats things up when you shove them in a hardy hole! Will post final pics when I get time to finish.

Edit: Forgot to mention! I picked up the axle from my local scrapyard that morning and had to carry it (hub, rim and flat tires as well!) From one end to the other. All ~100# of it. Then beat the hubs off, and cut two 14" pieces off with a chop saw. All prior to forging.

I slept well lastnight.

Ya musta had your Wheaties that morning! Huge amount of work but it should serve you well for many many years.

Good job :)

Dave

Thats really nice! Good work! :)

Good job!  Punch that eye and you'll have a tool that will last for generations to come.

Good job so far.

 

Punching an eye is not the only option, a wire wrap just needs a fullered groove around the body and also helps to let the flatter freely float over the finishing surface on the material, or just leave as is and hand hold or use tongs. here is a pic of what I mean

 

I have to admit, Alec Steele and the youngsmiths have been a huge help and inspiration to make tooling. Guided by Brian's hand, the guys have put together awesome youtube videos, some of the best ive seen on forging actually. I am currently making my tooling to make rounding hammers, and watched their video on creating a dishing tool when I realized I needed a flatter. So I made one! Almost done with my punch/drift combo then to make the eye of the flatter, then the dishing tool, then top and bottom fullers then I'm set (will def. have strikers for some of that). Have proper stock sizes for the rounding hammers and everything.

Would love to take a class at Brian's, but I have neither the time nor money currently to do so.

Inspiration is a funny thing. I didnt ever consider blacksmithing until last year when Richard Furrer filmed the PBS Nova special "Secrets of the Viking Sword". Not to mistake me with those mesmerized by the sole idea of making a sword (though it WILL happen one day!). It was simply the craft and the elemental nature of it all that has had me so enthralled. If only it could become a career and leave the hobbyist behind.

Thanks for the idea of using wire! I'm still a little jiffy on how I will drift this hole with the face holding it up and all. Will probably start on my bolster plate you see there and finish it over my hardy hole with a bar holding the struck end up equal to the flatter face on each side. Keeping the face cool should help out with deformation.

Looks great. I'm dead jealous.

If I were making an eye hole in that I would not bridge with the working end on the anvil. I would just let the upset part hang over and only support the shank. You may need to make a hole tool, or portable hole if your hardy hole is too deep to reach. A good place to fine one already made would be on the end of a large hydrolic ram or such.

If I were making an eye hole in that I would not bridge with the working end on the anvil. I would just let the upset part hang over and only support the shank. You may need to make a hole tool, or portable hole if your hardy hole is too deep to reach. A good place to fine one already made would be on the end of a large hydrolic ram or such.

If all else fails, I was thinking of maybe even just opening the jaws on my vice enough for the drift and beat on top of that. Thanks for the suggestion will see what I can come up with.

You could also make a bolster using a 1inch or such square and making a U then you could use this over your hardy hole.

It is not going to be as difficult as you imagine. We made 5 of these a few weeks ago in one evening.

penetrate the eye properly using a multi-shaped chiseling punch. Then start the drifting process. If you do not put such a large hole into the blank then the amount of metal to be displaced along the cheeks will be minimal. If the bulge of the displaced eye metal is less then you may not need to re-forge the cheeks to draw then in perfect alignment. That process in itself is more trouble than making the eye.

We make our eye a straight taper as the wood is NOT wedged and is treated as "likely to be replaced" often. That means that in usage the handle and tool must be set tight occasionally by hitting the handle onto the anvil.

The reason it is treated as "likely to be replaced" is because of heavy strikes by other than well seasoned strikers. IN other words the handle is broken quite often by new-bees.

While you are making the flatter go ahead and create a set hammer too. Both tools are almost identical in construction...except the edges. ANd both tools will offer much better quality control of your projects.


Carry on

David, that is an odd way to describe my style of punch. I'd call it a V'ed slot punch. It is not a chisel at all. It does resemble one, but it is used to punch a stotted hole.

It is something seeing how these tools have been being made by others all around the world, and the impact that the Young Smiths, the videos, the posts, and the competitive farriers have had on spreading the information in such a short time. Keep on sharing the information!

Finished the flatter. Slit and drifted the hole. It is off a little bit but its a struck tool so it shouldnt matter right? After the drift i annealed it and then hardened in oil and tempered back with a torch.

In re' the hole being a little 'off', no need to worry at all, just adjust for that when you put the handle on - if you really feel it is necessary. It's a good tool.

Ive tested it, and it feels totally fine. Man, what a good feeling to use tooling I made myself. It's a bear to slit and drift alone, but totally rewarding in the end. I hope this inspires others to try it out even if they are solo. They know it can be done!

Finally had a little more time to work on mine today.  Very similar dimensions.  Started with an S-cam shaft 1 1/2" dia.  Same issue with the hole being a little off and the shank is a little off center to the face.  need to clean it up a little and heat treat.  That and can't forget my stamp...   made another pick in between heats for something to do.