Bhutton Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 I like forging alot...but boy do I suck...how'd I do...Please critique. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SJS Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 They aren't bad. What size stock are you starting with? Do you have a few good pairs of tongs? including a small set that will hold the thin stem? Your tool options, limit your technique options. In a gas forge I might be tempted to work the stem/shoulder first, then cut to the center of the bar with a hardy. Then taper the point as much as I wanted, and flatten the taper enough to be able to draw the width of leaf I wanted with my crosspein. Then chisel in what details I wanted. In a coal forge you are more likely to loose small pieces so I would keep it on the bar as long as possible. So I would work the other direction and taper the bulk of the leaf, then shoulder in to form the stem, then do all my tooling. Then cut it off short and make my ring. I like to spread most of my leaves quite a bit, and for a key fob leaf, you want a nice neat small stem. It's alright to get creative, but it needs to be small and neat, less likely to catch on things... Function informs your decision on design. Long tendrils might be nice to help fill space in a grill or gate, but something in your pocket needs to be pretty discreet;-) and definitely NOT pokey;-) I like a nice shoulder into the stem, a nice width to the leaf and a pleasing overall shape. Then it how to forge in the details in to the leaf, whether to cut lines in with a chisel, punch them in with oblong punch into thicker stock, or just hammer texture with a narrow crosspein? Keep playing with the leaves, there are atleast three basic techniques you can work on, drawing out a taper, fulling with your hammer to spread the leaf, and shouldering in on the edge of the anvil with your hammer. You can forge bunch of basic blanks that all look the same, and by using you hammer move the metal different directions and make all kinds of different looking leaves all from the same basic blank... 1, 10, 100, 1000: how good you want to be at this one skill... Are you hooked up with a local ABANA chapter? There are groups all over the country and all over the world... Come over to the IBA conference the 1st weekend in JUNE and I can give you some hands on pointers:-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bhutton Posted March 15, 2016 Author Share Posted March 15, 2016 SJS...Thanks for your input...I use 3/8 sq. stock for these...The biggest problem I have is theres's not much of any square shoulders on my anvil...The edges all have radii on them from use / age and maybe design. (Mousehole anvil) I have made the current key-Leafs to where the leaf can slide into your pocket and let the keys hang on the outside. I have fabbed up some chasing tools yesterday that i need to try out. I noticed in a Brian Brazeal video that he forms the basic shape of the leaf (Leaving it thick) and then punches the leaf details and basically mashes the outer edges of the leaf to taper down thin with a half on half off technique with his chisel. This really thinned out the edges...I think next time i will try this technique. Would it be wise for me to make a shouldering tool to drop into my hardy hole for working up the square shoulders? Hopefully my artform will improve in time? Thanks in advance for any help / replies and ideas...What a great site!...Bruce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SJS Posted March 20, 2016 Share Posted March 20, 2016 (edited) Yep an "anvil block" is a great hardie tool to have. I have one that is just about the same dimensions and radius as one of my hammers. I use the pair of them quite a bit to forge out the neck and shoulders on projects like this. I like to set the block up with two different radius's, hold the stock one direction and you have a sharper edge for shouldering in, and turn it the other way and you have a softer radius for drawing out more. Mine is really ugly but works nicely... Here is a pick of the leaf cup rack I needed to make it for. Edited March 20, 2016 by SJS To add pic from phone... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bhutton Posted March 20, 2016 Author Share Posted March 20, 2016 SJS...Great idea!!! (Anvil block with a radius) Do you forge the radius on the block or grind it? I'm thinking 4140 and grind file & shape? Your cup rack is awesome by the way!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SJS Posted March 21, 2016 Share Posted March 21, 2016 Anyway that gets you what you want, and doesn't get you hurt is valid. I like to forge close to shape, wire brush to clean most of the scale off, then take it to the belt grinder and slick it down and finish the edges the way I want them. I have a fair amount of fancy tool steels, that air harden so I try to make sure everything is right before I let it cool off. If you have 4140 that is great, most people would just forge it out and allow to normalize (just air cool for 4140 which is an oil quench by the book, and and occasionally a water or interrupted quench to get the most out of it...) But you could weld a collar on a piece of 1" square AS36 hotrolled, and dress the cut end with a right angle grinder. (be sure to clean the weld on the anvil side of the collar, don't want to chew up the area around the hardie...) Heat just the face, and then water quench, polish it back up and use as it full hard. It won't stay that way, and I wouldn't drop it, or accidentally hit it with the hammer, but you will be laying hot steel on it, and forging it out, you will draw a temper in no time;-) and using mild you want to get the most life out of the tool you can. If you have been around for a little while and have mixed up a batch of "Super Quench" use that to get the best possible work out of mild steel. Better quality steel is still better, but "super quench" can help get the most out of mild steel tooling. Forged would be preferred to fabricated, but whatever gets you what you want. If you want the practice forging out hardie tools, thats cool too. All depends on how you want to go about skinning that cat, and what would be the most fun for you. You could just cheat and buy one, too.... :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bhutton Posted March 21, 2016 Author Share Posted March 21, 2016 SJS...Thanks for all the good tips...I really appreciate it! Later Bruce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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