Today's effort was to make a pair of leaf nail hooks. I have left the nail heads untouched as they are smooth enough not to damage coats, hats, towels or whatever hangs on these, and I like the idea of repurposing nails. I have never seen nails that big (about a foot long) and I imagine they must be used for pinning large soft timber such as pine logs for cabins or something.

Anyway, I am indebted to Vaughn T for mailing me a pack of those nails along with some long-sought-after duplex nails which are unavailable here in Australia. I have a few ideas in mind for those long nails and will post results if successful. Thanks, Vaughn.

Very cool design, Aus, consider it stolen if you don't mind

Also good to hear about the international cooperation of the IFI blacksmiths. 

Bests:

Gergely

I like them Aus. That's another take on the nail hooks. 

Nice work man.

Really beautiful work.

Very unique design. I like it. 

Aus, your scrolling work is always great. Do you just use tongs or do you use jigs and stuff?

Blaster, not really scrolling on these hooks - just a bit of free-hand bending, done with scrolling tongs to avoid marking the metal. I do use a purpose built jig for the hook ends to get them something like equal if I'm doing a pair.

And for a pair I will usually start the leaf bends in opposite directions (as in the photo) for the sake of balance when they are side by side on the wall.

Very nice work.

How did you get enough material on the end to make the leaves?  Fold over and forge weld?  Upset?

It looks to me like maybe he drew it out, but left some material on the end to make the leaf?

Beautiful work, Aus!  You really did those nails justice!!

Tundra: The nails are about 3/8 inch (10mm) round, and that's plenty to forge a reasonable leaf. You just neck out enough for the leaf, draw out the stem section and away you go.

Beech: Yes, pretty much.

Vaughn: Thanks. I'll post anything else I come up with for the nails. Recovering from a back problem at present so might be some days before I can resume demos. Lots of ideas in mind. Maybe I'll just do some light work on the duplex nails for now.

P.S. I showed the big nails to a builder mate of mine and he was astonished. He reckoned as I did, that they must be used for pinning large pine logs or something. Have you seen them actually used for the purpose intended??

I've seen them used for landscaping timbers, Mine timber work, etc

3 hours ago, ausfire said:

P.S. I showed the big nails to a builder mate of mine and he was astonished. He reckoned as I did, that they must be used for pinning large pine logs or something. Have you seen them actually used for the purpose intended??

They're mainly used to building docks, landscaping walls and log cabins.  Anywhere you need to tie together thick timbers.

I can't believe you don't have the equivalent down under.  You've got to have a need for such things, I'd think.  Hard to believe they're purely American, though we are a pretty awesome country and tend to do things big.

How do Australians hold together big timbers?

I wonder how much it would cost to ship a 50-pound tub of iron goodness down under!?!?

 

http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=30652636

Stellar work! I had a half dozen of those in my stash two days ago but I drove them in the shop walls for hanging tools.  Your use is way better : ) 

Vaughn T.,

Those big nails are available in Canada too.

(so are big logs.).

SLAG.

Hooks look great , good job

Wow, I LOVE these! Really smooth work, I can't find any hammer marks either, which for this I think look better than they would with. Now I've got to go get some of these from the hardware store and try em out!

2 hours ago, VaughnT said:

They're mainly used to building docks, landscaping walls and log cabins.  Anywhere you need to tie together thick timbers.

I can't believe you don't have the equivalent down under.  You've got to have a need for such things, I'd think.  Hard to believe they're purely American, though we are a pretty awesome country and tend to do things big.

How do Australians hold together big timbers?

I wonder how much it would cost to ship a 50-pound tub of iron goodness down under!?!?

 

http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=30652636

Well, we're not very big on log cabins here, at least not the soft pine type. You would never hammer one of those nails through a lump of ironbark or bloodwood. Eucalypts are hard and would need predrilling to get those nails through. I could see them being handy for pine landscaping logs and such though.

And how do we hold together big timbers? We have just been putting up a log fence (post and rail) at our Village. White stringybark logs and not a nail to be seen. All Cobb and Co hitches.

Big nails are called spikes here and they are used mostly for banging together landscaping logs. Not a particularly efficient way to join logs, not to mention that the CCA treatement of radiata pine eats at the HDG on the nails fairly quickly. 

Log cabins logs, interlock with each other and do not rely on the spike to join. The only effective way to join big timber besides a handmade joint, is with big bolts. 

Spikes can be driven with a palm nailer into green hardwood but hardwood even when green splits, so it is not common practice here. The only hardwood I know that takes large nails without much problem is Merbau when it is green. 

There was an exchange of tradesman between the US and Australia not long ago and a group of your linesman came to work on our powerlines. They all had climbing spikes (or spurs), but as they tried to climb our 30 year old hardwood post in tallow wood, iron bark, black butt and similar timbers they couldnt get a grip and their spikes got dull quick smart. 

Marc,

What equipment do Australian linesmen use instead of spurs?

Hardwoods, generally, are reserved for more expensive uses in North America. (like furniture, building construction etc.)

Strangely I was not even aware of iron bark, black butt, stringybark , merbau.

Mr. Aus. what does a Cobb & co. hitch look like?

Life is a learning experience and I'm still learning.

Regards, to all Down Under,

(and everywhere else).

SLAG.

Google is your friend...on Cobb & Co.

https://www.google.com/search?q=cobb+%26+co+hitch&oq=cobb+%26+co+hitch&aqs=chrome..69i57.7138j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

 

Arkie,

Thank you.

SLAG.

That is a wonderful hitch. If after tying the knot you pass the two ends through the loop it becomes a prussic loop. and is much more secure

Poles have climbing steps but no one climbs poles, they use an Abbey Hoist

I missed what y'all are talking about, but my compliments on your leafy nail hooks. Nice work.

The top one pictured reminds me of a rattlesnake on the move.

Brad