So I tried to make one the other night and it can be reworked for larger nails but I failed it at what I was trying because I drilled the hole first and made it too big. So when I drifted it with the nail size I couldn't get it to grip right. I'll fix it and try again with larger stock. 

Second was tonight. I decided to sort of document the progression seeing as how I wanted to try it from a rr spike so I made one at each stage of the process to show how and the practice didn't hurt.   so I did end up with a crack in the first one I " spooned" out. So I made another.  I actually used the handle of a post hammer locked in the post vice to dimple this guy for the pipe size. 

This one I drifted crooked, and I was having issues with as well with My sizing of the stock. 

These were issues on my end. And I will fix them and continue to improve. 

Suggest you start with flat bar and save all that beating on the metal to make it flat.

Try 1/4 inch plate to get the feel of the dimple and the hole. Make the nail header to use 1/4 inch stock which means the hole will be 3/16 or less in size.

Do not get discouraged as one good header can make hundreds of nails (grin)

True Glenn. I guess the main thing is making the dome and getting the hour glass hole shape and size correct. I'll dig around my scrap and get a piece of plate.  I'm not discouraged, I'm itching to get it right so as soon as I get the chance I'll be back at it. 

Forbidden of course.

sorry Frosty. I always like to hear what you have to say. 

This is a good aplication for leaf spring, it will hold up a lot better. I find that cut nailes give a good start for the punch you need, hard to get your head around how small a punch you need when you start forging a 1/2" rod

Your header will be perfictly servicible if you only punch fron the top and clean it up with emery cloth. If you want the clasic hour glass drift your round hole square from the back against a stop, drift back fron the top with a round back. This keeps you from going in to far. Good heat will srink the hole some as it cools.

Good to have a series of sizes even kinda close.  I have one that students use when they messed up the body/head transition zone and so it wants to go through the regular header---I hand them the slightly smaller one and bingo their piece is saved.

Forbidden of course.

 

Maybe I can quote myself? Nope, new thread maybe?

Using a RR spike for these applications is  more work than it's worth and though it's good exercise you're teaching yourself something else. I start with 3/8" or 1/2" sq. but 1/4"x3/4" strip stock works nicely.

Use several inches of stock and practice punching at a regular distance from the end in. Start with the smallest hole and make them progressively larger. While doming makes for nicer and quicker nails it's not actually necessary to heading a nail so you can just practice punching to start with.

I dome with a ball pein over the prichel hole or the bolster plate. Punch and drift from the bottom and dress the top chamfer as the last step.

It's all good practice and has a lot of methods of production you'll find the one that works best for you but add them all to your mental tool kit.

Frosty The Lucky.

 

Now there's a new trick to try and beat the "forbidden" beast. Posting up a screen shot of what you typed.

Lol after 12 tries I had to try something. 

I wonder what the next trick to post is going to be. Maybe write on a bathroom wall and post the pic?

Frosty The Lucky.

Frosty,   Most of what I see on bathroom/toilet stall walls can't be repeated on IFI, unless one want to see "Kicked Out" instead of "Forbidden".  As my Dad would say "you aren't holding your mouth right when you try to post."  Said the same thing for whistling.

Daswulf, Now may be the time to try modeling clay to make the header you want. You can make a dome header, or less and less dome and clear down to a flat header, try different tapers for the nails to make the hole in the dome work, or all manner of other combinations. If it does not work out, then roll it into a ball, and make another clay header to play with until it is right.

Edited September 26, 201510 yr by Glenn

Shees, Glenn, your all about the easy way! Takes all the fun out of watching the new guy stuggle! 

I let him struggle through the first round. (grin) After that we want him to succeed.

And I have not mentioned hitting that nail stock just a little less than dead on and what happens next. LOL

Thanks Glenn. Good advice.  I won't be able to fire up the forge this weekend so if I can get ahold of some clay I'll try that. 

Charles, I'm not struggling, I'm getting it wrong with ease.   

I can not get to the forge because (insert reason here).

Grab the modeling clay and a notebook. Sketch or draw anything that comes to mind. Try to make it in modeling clay. Refine the drawing and add notes. When you do get to the forge, you will already know what to do and have made most of the mistakes in clay.

That way you can use the valuable forge time actually forging.

Your aketches will take a radical turn when you start to understand how the steel moves. Wonce you start to see how the steel moves (or clay) and can draw it it makes a huge diference in how you aproch the stee

ok so not trying, cause i was working on other stuff, i worked on my premade nail header to make large nails out of rebar. they didnt wiork out perfect but as i said this was in between stuff. I plan on making a real nail header and better nails, this was just for an idea and to make my other header useful. i'm not gettin g it right yet but im betting it's MY technique. we will see when i make a normal nail header and nails. i actually tapped these into my rr anvil into my stump a lil bit and they didnt want to come out till i heated em.  they would work for that. could be better and i'll keep going till i make em right in any size.

 

dont worry I didn't forget all the info you guys mentioned. I'll work on it  

Edited October 1, 201510 yr by Daswulf

That's a succes allready!

Looks like a nail to me!

 Don't try and drive them into a wet stump while they are still at a black heat! (steam powered RPG) Yes, I came close to getting a Darwin award!

 

Russell

Haha. Never heard of that but sounds like it could do that. I drove em around an inch if that into a dry lucust stump then couldn't get em out. Had to heat em up to get em to finally pop out. Those suckers would hold well. 

I don't know if its true, or a urban legend that square nails have 4x the friction bite as similar sized round nails.

 

Russell

On the final heat, straighten the nails on the anvil face.  Hit them cold and they will break.

Those aren't nails, they're spikes. A square nail has about 22% more surface area for skin friction but being tapered as soon as they start to move they loosen right up.

On the other hand if, once you have them headed, you put a twist in them they ain't going anywhere.

Nice spikes, well done.

Frosty The Lucky

Hand forged have much more holding power than wire nailes. Bothe the fact that they are square, taperd and rough