Hello!
I had a great day at the forge! I made 2 large organic-form trivets, 5 large s-hooks out of 5/16ths round bar, and 2 fancy twisty forks.
Question: How does one make the pointy part of a steak turner? I've seen them from afar, but I'm confused by them.

Thanks eversomuch,
Archie

they are made to be used left or right handed.bend about 1.5 in.down 90 degrees then you make the hook on the left or right side,i use my scrolling tongs.i hope it is clear to you.

I make a lot of flippers out of 1/4 square bar.
First I do the twisting designs with my picket twister.
Next is the handle, the tip is last.
I taper down the last 3 inches to a nice even blunt point. Do not try to make it sharp here as it will burn every time you put in the fire.
I curl the taper on the horn until it is a half circle with about a 2 inch diameter.
Then depending on wether it is a right of left hander, re-heat and lay the stock on the anvil so the half circle hangs off and the point just touches, and lay it over to a 90 deg.
I do the pointing cold with a bench grinder and then I do the finish. I wire wheel them to clean the scale off, heat to color then brush with a brass brush.
Before it is totaly cool, I hit it with linseed oil and wipe down.

Archie,
I have seen the points on the steak turners a couple of different ways. I have made a few and I will put a long socket in the post vise of the diameter that I want the hook. I will heat the turner and bend the point around the socket making a half turn. I will reheat the end of the turner and quickly place it in the vise and bend it to 90 degrees. This has worked well for me.


These are right handed and I will turn the point the other way for a left handed turner.
Hope this helps,
Jerry

These can easly be rounded over the anvil horn. No special tools. Once you have the end rounded, just hang it over the far-side of the anvil and bend it 90 degrees.

Ask one question to a group of smiths and you come away with many different ways to do the same thing.

Archie, no problem. As stated draw a nice sharp point ( then round it if you wish or leave square as forged ). Take a good heat ( pushing the point through the fire and heating the drawn part as well as the original stock ) to a nice HOT, then pull the point into the fire for a few seconds ( pay attention and don't burn the point ). Remove and forge the point on the horn 180

Thanks a bunch you guys! I just finished up two right handed ones and a squatty long-tines toasting fork, all work well.

You need to post some pics of these and the other stuff you made.

welder19

Archie, photos please, show us what it look like.

I make the meat turners with some stainless stock I had on hand. I usually use deer antler for the handle, with a knotted lanyard attached. They are either left or right handed.





Steve

I just gotta ask....why are these better than a regular fork??

as in if one forged a regular fork, wouldn't that do everything to catch and turn a steak or other regular size piece of meat??

Well Richard, handiness I guess and of course, you get to have another handy tool on the rack to talk about. The design is an extension of the arm that naturally is like a finger to turn meat over.

Forks are awkward to use for steaks and such. Actually, BBQ tongs are best for turning meat...that way you don't pierce the meat and let juice out. That said, the hand made meat flippers are popular just because they are different and "cool". I would say that most of the deer antler flippers I've made and given away are never really used much used, just kinda shown off.

Steve

All I can tell you is that I make em and sell em. A LOT OF THEM.
I make singles, matched sets (flipper and fork), long ones, short ones, fancy ones, plain ones.
I have some hanging in my office at the lumber yard and manage to sell about 3 a week.
The hardware store in town wants to buy them to resell.

I was always told it was easier to hook and flip it instead of trying to stab it, turn it over and try to get the fork out without the steak dropping through the tines of the grate.