evfreek Posted October 22, 2007 Share Posted October 22, 2007 Hi. I tried making a hack tool (don't search for this on the web, all the hits will be irrelevant ) according to blueprint BP0492. This looks like a pretty good idea. Instead of leaf spring, I used a slice off the end of a block shaped drop of S-7. Took a while with a hacksaw, but this builds character. The piece needed to be drawn down to a flat which was thinner and longer. Pretty hard work. Then, the tang was set down on the side of the anvil. Not enough spare steel to do any cutting. The tang wasn't so tough, it was the drawing out. Furthermore, the offcut was just a little stub, so I had to make a set of pincer tongs to hold onto it for the initial drawing. At least I have a nice set of pincer tongs now . The fit of the tang into the block of wood "like a file" was a little too much like a file. Good enough for a file, but kind of loose and sloppy for a hack tool. I think it needed a little more substantial of an attachment point. So, I turned down and put an extra long ferrule, and wedged the end with fruitwood wedges and epoxy. It took a lot of time, but it is a lot more solid now. Some top tools are safe to use loose; is the hack tool like this, or does it benefit for a more solid attachment? I feel that the latter is true, but don't have much evidence yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rusty_iron Posted October 22, 2007 Share Posted October 22, 2007 Gday Evfreek, I'd say your on the money with setting it firmly in the handle. Mine moves and it can be annoying. You could 'burn' it into the handle before you heat treat, so it will have a slot rather than be pushed into a hole. Its better if the hack doesn't move, its safer and easier to keep your cuts straight. Please let me know how the S7 holds up, I've not used it, but would love to try. Kind regards Rusty_iron Brisbane, Oz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWooldridge Posted October 22, 2007 Share Posted October 22, 2007 You might want to consider drawing the handle out very long and thin. This allows you to eliminate the wooden handle and keeps the tool from stinging you when struck. My hack is a piece of H13. I drilled a hole on one end before it was heat treated and welded on a piece of 1/4" round material as a handle. The weld breaks every year or two - I weld it back and keep using the hack. The 1/4" does not sting my hand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evfreek Posted October 23, 2007 Author Share Posted October 23, 2007 Hi Rusty_iron. Thanks for the confirmation. I am glad that I made it sturdier. Making a flimsy tool holder certainly did not help when it came time to get a stuck chisel out of a hot hole. Yes, the chisel was cooked and notched . But I fixed up the tool holder and corrected the slop. That was important. This seems to be less important, but I guess I'll find out when I use it. I have used S-7 for a lot of tools. It seems to work pretty well. Certainly a lot better than mystery hardenable rebar or jackhammer bits. It holds up to the heat a lot better without getting ruined. But, if you get it good and red in use, it can get goofed up, even if it does not seem to move below a bright orange. I still have to fix one punch that I got a little too hot. I hear H-13 or M-2 is better with the heat, but I am afraid of the brittleness. Also, the M-2 needs a pretty high temp for secondary carbide precipitation, and my shop isn't quite set up for that yet. HWooldridge, thanks for the welded handle idea. I was afraid of welding to the tool steel, but if it can be rewelded every year, a little cracked weld can't be that bad of a deal. I don't have a power hammer (yet), so I am not worried about long flexible handles yet. I will give the welding a try, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rusty_iron Posted October 23, 2007 Share Posted October 23, 2007 Gday Evfreek & HWooldridge, Ev & HW, I attended a week long class by Brent Bailey in 2006, he described a Zimbabwe hot cut/hack made from a car spring. the handle was rod, but attached by punching 2 holes in the blade and passing it through each hole, then wrapping the end around the handle just behind the blade. From memory the blade was at right angles to the handle, but you could do it any way you want. I think there is a pic on Brents website of this tool. Regards Rusty_iron brisbane, Oz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimbob Posted October 23, 2007 Share Posted October 23, 2007 The phone company uses a tool just like a hack to cut lead cable they have a solid handle dipped in the rubber that hand tools are dipped in... might try that I know it works.( the handle was as thick as the base metal and an inch wide and six inches long.the edges were all rounded over) also here is a link to a hack hack ( its posted on Western Canada blacksmith org. site but it came from OBG here in Georgia.) these are all hand held hacks ...in one of the books you can down load from England they show a number of power hammer tools with long round handles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rusty_iron Posted October 24, 2007 Share Posted October 24, 2007 Gday Jimbob, Thats the original drawing I saw years ago in a newsletter someone had. Glad its still around. As I said in the blueprint, it wasn't my original idea :-) thanks for the link. Regards Rusty_iron Brisbane,Oz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWooldridge Posted October 24, 2007 Share Posted October 24, 2007 I've never had a finger broken but I've had plenty of busted veins in my hands from being stung by a misplaced tool so I'm sensitive to anything that will kick back when struck. I have a 100lb hammer and almost all of my freehand tooling has 1/4" round handles. I also can bend them into almost endless variations to get the tool where I need it. The Zimbabwe idea sounds quite workable and would not require welding. You could have it come out at right angles and bend it behind the tool if necessary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shane Stegmeier Posted October 24, 2007 Share Posted October 24, 2007 Most top tools and especially any tool that goes under a power hammer should have a thin flexable handle, you really don't want that going back into your hand. If the tool won't work with a thin handle it is probably a bad design and not safe to use... I have an edging tool that I will need to rework or replace because it is not safe, and just because you get away with using a tool like that a few times doesn't mean the hammer isn't going to spit the poorly designed tool back into and through your face, or trash your hand... As far as welding handles I have lousy luck getting mild 1/4 rod to stay attached to tool steels, I want to try fullering a crease around the tool and wraping the rod around the tool to hold it. properly heattreated S7 and H13 hold up beautifully. You can air harden both steels but maximium hardness is attained with an oil quench, both get VERY hard and you should either differentially harden, or temper back the striking end of these tool... Not only are they safer to use, they work BETTER up to 15% better according to some testing Robb Gunter did back in the 60s. Safer and more efficient who can argue with that;-) Sorry its late and I am wipped;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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