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Bull Pin Hammer Drift?


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Thinking of making a hammer drift from a 1-1/16" x 15" bull pin. Seems like a remember reading somewhere that Mark Aspery mentioned this in his book. I don't have his book so I cannot confirm this. I would just forge it flat on two sides . Seems like it would be a quick way to make a hammer drift. Here is what I am thinking of using. would 1- 1/16" be a good size? Would these have too much taper to work well though? Thanks.

s-l1600.jpg

 

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Start the other way: What size handle do you want to  fit in the hole it makes; then will that drift be forgeable to make that size?  If you are using it as a drift and not as a punch you may want to trim it shorter so you don't need as much space under your bolster plate.

I like my drifts to result in standard sized hammer handles available to me to fit with minimal time spend modifying them.

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All my hammers have handles in them but i could get a general idea of the size. I do not generally buy handles, and just make my own from ash that I have harvested and cut into blanks. But making it so a store bought handle fits might be the best idea anyways.

What kind of taper per inch should I be looking at to achieve the right taper?

Thanks again,

Dave

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Ok, he doesn't mention using bull pins (unles I missed it elsewhere), but mentions using tool steel, structural or mild steel. The example of a hammer eye drift he illustrates in the book is for a monkey tool. He says he has hammer eye drifts made from 5/8" round up to 1 1/8" round in 1/8" increments and a single tool that is 16" or so long of 1 1/8" tapering down to 3/8" round and then made oval (hammer eye) in section that he uses to put the hourglass shape in his hammers. I can try to look up other things if you need me to. Since I don't know first hand, I'm just giving you what I'm reading. 

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Thanks for checking that. I might try using the one I posted. It might be a quick way to make one. All one would have to do is just flatten it to create the correct profile. I think it was $18, and would save me a bit of work since I do not have a power hammer or press.

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Good Morning,

You start the Handle Hole with a slitting punch. If you want to ensure you are on center, I drill 3 - 1/4" holes, 3/8" apart. This gives you control on your initial punching. Yes, you can also do it without the pilot holes, but if you are teaching a Class, it takes a lot less time to punch with pilot hole rather than trying to correct an off-center Handle Hole. Been there done that, seen the movie, lived the movie.

A Bull Pin will work, you will need to cut off a lot of the small end. When you are Drifting the hole, you will still need to give the small end a Whack of lovin', to spring it free from being stuck in the Hole. Sometimes Punch Lube helps, sometimes coal dust helps, sometimes Pixie Dust helps.

Neil

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Maybe Aspery did not put it in his book, but just shows it in classes? Not sure.

Cutting it shorter would not be a problem. Maybe I could use the cut off as a round punch. I probably would just drill two holes like Black Bear Forge showed in one of his videos. I know that is probably cheating, but it would make it easier with a one man show. He showed drilling two 3/8" holes at the outer edge and then using a flat punch sized to just push out the center bit of steel . Seemed pretty efficient.

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On 2/10/2020 at 4:16 PM, CrazyGoatLady said:

Ok, he doesn't mention using bull pins (unles I missed it elsewhere), but mentions using tool steel, structural or mild steel. The example of a hammer eye drift he illustrates in the book is for a monkey tool. He says he has hammer eye drifts made from 5/8" round up to 1 1/8" round in 1/8" increments and a single tool that is 16" or so long of 1 1/8" tapering down to 3/8" round and then made oval (hammer eye) in section that he uses to put the hourglass shape in his hammers. I can try to look up other things if you need me to. Since I don't know first hand, I'm just giving you what I'm reading. 

That sounds pretty close to the same dimensions of the bull pin I ordered. It is 15" long 1-1/16" tapered to 3/8". I did a clay model, made the pin to the same dimensions, minus 2" shorter on the handle since that was all the clay I had, and then "forged" to flat on two sides, shortened the tip, and looks like I should end up with a drift that could make a max hole of about 1-3/8" x 7/8" capsule shaped. That seems like it should work.

 

drift1.thumb.jpg.a836d71e27617af67db71f1a0e10d11d.jpgdrift2.thumb.jpg.90a03cb711b83c7c0ead36df10ff2446.jpg

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Mark Aspery does talk about using a bull pin for a hammer eye drift in his second book on leafwork. He just flattens it down to an oval shape, no specific thickness mentioned. Probably just a nice even taper the whole length. You weren't dreaming.

Steve

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