Made this today. Made from 1.5" car axle. Again a solo run with me and a 4# hammer. Hammered out the end and utilized my newly created flatter. Then hot cut.

 

Took a short break.

 

Drilled out a small 1/4" pilot hole because this seems to speed up my solo slitting a bit. Unfortunately the bit exited slightly off. Not a huge deal, wasn't by much. Slit the hole and drifted the eye. Planished a few areas with flatter, and then back to the forge to heat up and normalize.

 

Took another short break.

 

Heated up again, and is now in a container of firebrick and vermiculite to anneal.

 

I will pull it out tomorrow morning to harden and temper. Though not sure yet if I am happy with the radius. I don't have exact, but its close to like a 3/8" radius, and I am really leaning towards and 1/2"-5/8" radii. Something to assist with rounding hammer creation.

 

The shape would have been a little more refined if I had a striker with me today. Was a little tricky using the flatter by myself.

 

Any way. I'm exhausted. Was fun.

Nice work.

Thanks. This thing is pretty heavy duty.

I don't understand WHY you are annealing it?

Edit: answered my own question.

Not sure why I annealed either. Something I got used to doing making knives.

I really admire how badly you want tools, and the amount of effort you are putting into them. I am also certain that you will enjoy using them to the utmost :)

Another good job!

Dave

Good bit of work there.  It's got to be tough when you're working solo.

 

Nothing wrong with normalizing the steel after all that work on it.  It's a high-carbon steel being turned into a struck tool, so anything you can do to prevent cracks or chips from forming isn't a bad thing.  Yea, you'll be hardening and tempering the working end, but that doesn't mean you can't normalize before then.

Thanks guys. I enjoy my time at the forge making tools. Even working large stock. Its making me a better Smith in the longrun. A heck of a lot more fulfilling to make a rounding hammer in the end of all this with a pile of tools in its wake than to just buy one. Don't get me wrong, the people making and selling Brian's hammer make top quality work worth every dollar they are getting and then some. I am just enjoying the ride and the experience it has been giving me. My time and efforts are totally worth it.

Drifting large stock has an allure that seems to surpass previous projects. I enjoy it almost as much as making blades. Cant imagine how its going to feel when I get a regular striker or two over.

And I see it this way as well Vaughn. Unless my heat treatment is affecting it in a negative way, every little bit helps as far as grain refinement goes for a struck tool I want to last to 12# sledge hammers.

Daniel, I wouldn't harden the working end on that tool because it is only for working hot metal. I don't harden any of the tools for making hammers except the flatter, and that is only because I use the flatter at lower temps for some things. For hammer making though, none of the tools need to be hardened except the hammers you are using because they are hitting cold steel. The best materials to use for the tools are suspension parts like axles, sway bars, coil spring, and such which is tough stuff and easy to obtain. You will like it when you get your strikers.

Thanks for the advice Brian. Did not think about it that way, only that my hammer was hitting the cold working end. Deformity is ok in this regard? I will hold off on the hardening and clean this puppy up, and then heat up for a dip in oil for patina and rust resistance!

Thanks for the advice Brian. Did not think about it that way, only that my hammer was hitting the cold working end. Deformity is ok in this regard? I will hold off on the hardening and clean this puppy up, and then heat up for a dip in oil for patina and rust resistance!

Im getting my end mixed up. Nevermind the concern about deformity.