Justin Topp Posted February 20, 2021 Author Share Posted February 20, 2021 Thank you CGL! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Topp Posted February 21, 2021 Author Share Posted February 21, 2021 Did some stuff today... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted February 21, 2021 Share Posted February 21, 2021 Well I guess you did.. Nice work.. What were the temps outside? Looks to me like you have the process down nicely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Topp Posted February 22, 2021 Author Share Posted February 22, 2021 thank you! Still learning lots on the process! Going to try using the power hammer on one soon It’s been pretty cold recently. Got down to -26 last week. Average was around -16 or so. Yesterday it was 17 and today it got to a sweltering 36 degrees. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greebe Posted February 28, 2021 Share Posted February 28, 2021 Nice. Have you tried making many of those hammers on your homemade beam hammer yet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Topp Posted March 1, 2021 Author Share Posted March 1, 2021 Thank you. I have not yet. I squared up a billet on it though. Still learning power hammer control and making tooling. Using it primarily for tongs currently Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Topp Posted March 2, 2021 Author Share Posted March 2, 2021 Handle making practice recently. Not my favorite but it’s important. Meaning I restored some vintage hammers and re hung them. And some old hammers I’ve made that got rusty and now are back to former glory. There’s the 4 I showed last and 4 ones since those first ones. Handles are all ash because I’ve realized I like it over hickory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted March 2, 2021 Share Posted March 2, 2021 Looks great.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rojo Pedro Posted March 2, 2021 Share Posted March 2, 2021 Very nice. What do like better about ash? Better feel or easier to work or?? just curious as I have only made a couple handles - thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 2, 2021 Share Posted March 2, 2021 My question too; though I will throw in Availability? too. Out here in southern NM there are *miles* of commercial Pecan groves and so Pecan branches are easy to source when they trim them. (Pecan and Hickory are sold as the same wood as they are closely related.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcBaldwin Posted March 2, 2021 Share Posted March 2, 2021 36 minutes ago, ThomasPowers said: (Pecan and Hickory are sold as the same wood as they are closely related.) Interesting. I did not know this. I’m envisioning Hickory pie for some reason. Doesn’t seem right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 2, 2021 Share Posted March 2, 2021 Remember most food stuffs have been bred for properties we think preferable for centuries. Their wild "cousins" look very different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Topp Posted March 2, 2021 Author Share Posted March 2, 2021 Thanks! I prefer it for a few reasons. It’s a little springier so it seems less prone to shattering and seems to transmit less vibration into your hand. Hickory is available but ash is about half the price of hickory. It’s very plentiful around here so I can also harvest myself. It’s a bit softer and much easier to shape in my experience. However, it’s not nearly as pretty as hickory is normally I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Topp Posted March 3, 2021 Author Share Posted March 3, 2021 Looks like I’m going to have to forge a cats head hammer. The one I mentioned that I ordered got lost in shipping. 3 day shipping and it finally arrived after 12 days. Problem is they gave me an empty box with a sticker that says they lost the contents. :/ should be a fun experiment to make one at least Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted March 3, 2021 Share Posted March 3, 2021 Next you should make a dogs head hammer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leather Bill Posted March 3, 2021 Share Posted March 3, 2021 I'd like to say something about free pecan wood from orchards. Great firewood but generally should'nt be used for building anything. As T Powers said,it's limbs. Regardless how large a limb is,mills don't process limbs into lumber because the wood move's (twists/wraps) after being sawn. The wood can continue moving (first one way then another) for decades so that make's it worthless for construction or even tool handles. I say this to possibly save disappointment after fashioning something that later warps. An exellent source of wood for short tool handles is the firewood pile providing species is suitable. Keep an eye out for a piece split from trunk that has straight grain. From that piece,split a smaller piece and alow to dry or dry in oven before carving handle. That's how Hickory became popular as tool handles. Much Hickory grain is'nt straight but pieces with straight grain is easy to spot while splitting firewood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Topp Posted March 3, 2021 Author Share Posted March 3, 2021 Haha I like that dogs head hammer I purchase my ash and hickory normally but I may start splitting ash for use myself. It’s abundant and there’s tons of dead straight grained ash around. also it’s hammer time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted March 3, 2021 Share Posted March 3, 2021 I use branches all the time for top tools.. Also sometimes for handles like on this draw knife.. These are pear wood that the branch snapped off in a thunderstorm the night before I had a demo.. Made the draw knife at the demo. I like the fact that you can find curves and such in the wood so the handles can be straight grained but also curved.. Some woods are not suitable for sure.. Anything with a pith in the middle is not good.. Well unless you are going to hollow it out like on the draw knife then it doesn't matter. Sumac is a very pretty wood.. I'd love to try something with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Topp Posted March 3, 2021 Author Share Posted March 3, 2021 I like branches for top tools. Minimal work and it makes a useable handle. If it breaks I just go find another branch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Topp Posted March 5, 2021 Author Share Posted March 5, 2021 Lots of work in progress tools Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Topp Posted March 16, 2021 Author Share Posted March 16, 2021 Accidentally posted here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Topp Posted March 21, 2021 Author Share Posted March 21, 2021 1.75 pounds on a octagonal ash handle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted March 21, 2021 Share Posted March 21, 2021 thumbs up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arkie Posted March 22, 2021 Share Posted March 22, 2021 Justin, you are nailing it with your hammers and all. Very nice work! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Topp Posted March 22, 2021 Author Share Posted March 22, 2021 Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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