Justin’s Smithing progression. [PIC heavy]

[CrazyGoatLady]

Snow just helps to blow the scale off 

Nice looking handle. I need to do that. I have small hands and those big bulky handles they come with are a bit hard for me to hang onto 

[pnut]

As I get older it seems I'm never comfortable as the weather goes. Summer I too hot and humid and winter is too cold usually. I do like winter much better because I can always put on warmer clothes but I prefer about 60f if I'm working. I guess I'm turning into Goldilocks. This day is too hot this day is too cold but this day is juuuuust right. Unfortunately it seems like there's only about three days like thata year now hahaha. If I had to choose though I'd choose winter. 

Pnut

[pnut]

On 5/1/2020 at 1:34 PM, ThomasPowers said:

thin and fairly high grade stuff I had scrounged to try the UN smithing book's idea on "crayoning" carbon on the edge of a mild steel axe. 

That's the only place I've ever seen that technique. I'm pretty sure we discussed it in a post I made or possibly someone else's post. Anyway that's the only place I ever seen it mentioned was in the UN publications. I think my question was why wouldn't you just weld it in like a bit and you told me about the splattering episode. 

Pnut

[Justin Topp]

That’s true haha. Thanks. Mine didn’t come with a handle so I had used a bent bit of flat bar and it wasn’t comfortable at all. This new one is much better. Nice and slim. I don’t have super small hands or anything but I’ve always found slimmer handles more comfortable. On hammers and everything really. Not a fan of the thick handles most people like. 
 

I love the cold. Probably because I’ve grown up where there is pretty much snow for half the year. 40-50s is my favorite Range. Luckily this whole week is going to be between. 48 and 57 degrees! 
 

on the topic of axes has anyone tried “steeling an axe” I read about it in a book i forget what one. I’ll look later but it’s where you fold some carbon steel over like angle iron and forge weld onto the edge of an axe. Usually used to repair well used wrought iron axes. So you don’t have to try to split a pre made axe open. I’ve got a hatchet ground back a lot and soft that could use a new edge. 
 

i took my Old handle from my brush to make a rough ruler and to my complete surprise my anvil is 4.5 inches wide. I even used a caliper to verify. I thought it was 4 inches wide for so long. No  wonder It seemed really wide 

 

[jlpservicesinc]

steeling and ax uses 3 methods to both MFG and to fix or repair and ax or hatchet. 

Overlay,  side lay and split/insert.     Split is is more popular now. 

overlay is what was used for many years until solid punched eye axe production came into being in the USA.  Up to that point Overlay and insert were favored. 

Side lay was popular way to fix and ax and was used with hewing axes and adz and nearly all other wood working tools that used wrought iron or steel as a backing. 

A side lay ax was pretty fast to fix vs the other methods though most used axes that were repaired seem to have not fared well. 

I have a hatchet/ax video in process but doubt I will ever finish it.  

It takes me to 6hrs to make just about any proper ax or hatchet by myself up to about 6lbs..  



 

[Justin Topp]

Hmm. Thanks for all the info. The book just shows them folding some over and that was it. Overlay I suppose. 
 

I need a better way to cut forklift fork this took ages 

 

[jlpservicesinc]

Which book? 

 

[Justin Topp]

The blacksmiths craft. A primer of the Tools and  methods. By Charles McRaven
 

I have also finished a 3 lb rounding hammer 

[Justin Topp]

A simple forge welded fire poker 

[jlpservicesinc]

In the drawing there is no scarf on the folded over wing.

This method shown, is ok.. But it does leave a seam right in the middle of the ax cutting bit and unless the weld is super good will lead to a failure sooner then later. 

Over steeling method for myself is done nearly to what the process was the day the ax was made. 

it involved cutting the edge back, or upsetting it back (upsetting  is a better way since then you add the needed metal to get a really nice blending job) and then the over steel piece is shaped like in the drawing.  (just thinner)

Since the eye is all ready welded and most of the forge work is done for the blade portion, you can make the scarfed sides pretty thin.  There is a ratio for lose and for the metal that will be thinned when it is made the correct thickness once finished forged. .  

 

After I made the Hatchet I had a discussion with the different processes used to make axes with another smith and this drawing was from that discussion.   With this in mind that is the reason for the notes. 

[Justin Topp]

Ahh thanks for the info. I was thinking it was odd at the lack of a scarf. Thanks for the details on the process 

[Justin Topp]

Well I bought a 7” angle grinder and I regret nothing. This thing is far more effective than a 4.5” grinder. It’s heavy after a lot of use but not too bad. At around 11 lbs. chopped A block out of the pallet fork in 8 minutes compared to almost an hour on the abrasive Chop saw. 

[pnut]

I have an old nine inch one from the eighties that's kinda scary. You have to have a death grip on it when you hit the power switch. They definitely make shorter work of most Jobs compare compared to a 4 and a half inch grinder. I only use the larger one rarely. Most things the small one is plenty enough to do the job. 

Pnut

[Justin Topp]

Yes it is a little scary but it’s nice and new so that helps. I honestly will probably not use it a ton but it’s nice to have when I do Need to use it 

[ThomasPowers]

I have an old industrial 9" one too; it's nicknamed" "The destroyer"---tries to break your wrists when you turn it on; but the weight is good for cutting; just lay it on top of the item and let it eat!

A Q&D tong rack can be made from a basketball hoop.

 

[Justin Topp]

Mine doesn’t quite kick that bad. For now I think I’m okay using a 7 inch haha. A happy medium between power and not injuring yourself as easily haha. 
 

my step dad has a steel wagon tire he’s giving to me so I’m gonna make a tong rack from it. Saw it on old hickory forge’s channel on YouTube. It’s welded to an upright and a base and tongs go over the spikes in the tire. So between that. My vise and my anvil I should be good for a while. 

[ThomasPowers]

I've got 4 like that from old wheelbarrow wheels, but no welding.  I find old bases at the scrapyard that I can drop a piece of pipe in---guess where I get the pipe...? And then stick the wheel barrow axle rod down the pipe or a rod with a nut on the end if the wheel uses a separate axle.  No welding means I can rotate them as well.  As the wheelbarrow wheels are rather small I hang tongs on the rim rather than the spokes. (There are 3  of them in the back right at different heights. The front one is extra tall as it's for large, long reined tongs.)

I went to the scrapyard one day and someone had thrown out 4 of the old wheelbarrow wheels, even one from  wrought iron.

 

[Justin Topp]

I’ll probably do something similar so I can rotate it s it can sit in the corner of a building when I can eventually get one. 

[Justin Topp]

Bolster plate forged from 3/4 x2 inch stock. Holes go from 3/8” up to 3/4” Punched the holes. Drifted. Than drilled to clean them up 

[jlpservicesinc]

What was the base stock?  

 

[Justin Topp]

3/4” x 2”. I think about 8” long 

[jlpservicesinc]

Sorry what "kind" of steel is it? 

[Justin Topp]

Railroad tie plate. Not sure exactly but it sparks like a medium carbon. 
 

On a side note I made a stump anvil thing from some forklift fork. 5.5 lbs. half a rr spike welded on to stick it in a stump. Had some sweet colors when I was heat treating 

Edited May 7, 2020 by GuardedDig2
Spelling

[Justin Topp]

14” hickory handle. 3 lb French pattern cross peen.  4140 steel. 
 

first attempt at flower went okay. Folded petals incorrectly 

[Justin Topp]

Baby tongs!