ausfire Posted February 5, 2018 Share Posted February 5, 2018 And doesn't the pulley work well as a base! That cross would have been pretty heavy hammering by hand, Das. Nice texturing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted February 5, 2018 Share Posted February 5, 2018 Yeah I thought it was a good match. With some of the even heavier hammering I've toyed with it went pretty easily. The texturing was with a junky ball pien that I ground grooves into the face of. Been a while since I used it. ( actually I just recently found it again while cleaning up) I have a bunch sold as soon as I make them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted February 5, 2018 Share Posted February 5, 2018 I'm going out to the scrap to find an old ball pien hammer and I'll make one of those texturing hammers. You always come up with great ideas, Das. Thanks for the inspiration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted February 5, 2018 Share Posted February 5, 2018 It wasn't my original idea but glad to pass it along. I used the texturing ball pien as a struck tool so you don't want it really hard. You could use it as a hammer too. The lines just come out more even using it as a struck tool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stitch Posted February 5, 2018 Share Posted February 5, 2018 Speaking of hammers..... I saw this one on Google today... Somebody here HAS to make one Lol! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted February 5, 2018 Share Posted February 5, 2018 Stitch, someone did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loneronin Posted February 5, 2018 Share Posted February 5, 2018 yesterday I made this steel striker out of an old, useless file. It has been quenched in water when it was yellow. I read a big grain is better for the strikers. Actually it works well and I have been able to start a fire using it with a piece of flint and some char cloth in few minutes even if I never used a flint & steel before yesterday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stitch Posted February 5, 2018 Share Posted February 5, 2018 6 hours ago, Daswulf said: Stitch, someone did. Nothing gets by you! Lol! On 2/3/2018 at 9:07 PM, JHCC said: A perfectly reasonable caution! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted February 5, 2018 Share Posted February 5, 2018 13 hours ago, ausfire said: I'm going out to the scrap to find an old ball pien hammer and I'll make one of those texturing hammers. Here’s one I made a little while back from a fleamarket ball peen, with a bunch of semi-random grooves carved with a cutoff disc in an angle grinder. I use it as a hammer rather a struck tool. 6 hours ago, loneronin said: yesterday I made this steel striker out of an old, useless file. Very nice, loneronin. The distorted teeth make an appealing snakeskin or fishscale texture, which is very pleasing to the eye. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfeile Posted February 5, 2018 Share Posted February 5, 2018 Warmed up to about 22 today, so I went out for a while until my tank started freezing. Made a hold down out of some motorcycle chain, made a pair of pickup tongs (admittedly from blanks), and did most of the heavy hitting to turn a bullpin into a hardy cone. It's not even from side to side because I used a 2 pound sledge as a "flatter" and struck with an 8 pound to move it quicker. When I clean up the shoulders I'll grind a little more off those sides to make a shoulder there. In hindsight, I probably should have placed a piece of plate under it to do that while I was striking. But at least the hold down worked well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted February 5, 2018 Share Posted February 5, 2018 And that 's snow on your boots?? Can't get my head around the conditions some of you guys forge in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted February 5, 2018 Share Posted February 5, 2018 Aus, some of us can't get our heads around the heat you guys forge in down there. sfeile, the cone doesn't have to be perfect to be functional. The tongs look like they turned out nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfeile Posted February 5, 2018 Share Posted February 5, 2018 Yes that's snow on the boots. We only have about 4 inches of snow right now, so that's not too bad. Our frost line (how far down the ground freezes) is 6 feet, so my dirt "floor" is pretty darn cold. I tried going out a few times when it was down around 4 degrees Fahrenheit, but that was just too cold. 1 hour ago, Daswulf said: sfeile, the cone doesn't have to be perfect to be functional. The tongs look like they turned out nice. Thanks Das. I know it doesn't have to be perfect, but since my hardy hole is a little crooked and weird, I'll just clean it up as I customize it to sit straight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted February 5, 2018 Share Posted February 5, 2018 My friend has a small shop he works in and swears by those little buddy propane heaters when it's cold out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfeile Posted February 5, 2018 Share Posted February 5, 2018 That's on my list. Been looking at those little propane torpedo heaters actually. $75 or so from tractor supply. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted February 5, 2018 Share Posted February 5, 2018 1 hour ago, sfeile said: The cone doesn't have to be perfect, but since my hardy hole is a little crooked and weird, The cone does not have to be oriented with the square of the hardie hole. The cone is circular. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cooper_kaesemeyer Posted February 5, 2018 Share Posted February 5, 2018 I showed a friend how to smith in exchange for some elk jerky and sausage and I also made a belt buckle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfeile Posted February 5, 2018 Share Posted February 5, 2018 1 hour ago, Glenn said: The cone does not have to be oriented with the square of the hardie hole. The cone is circular. Right, but I wanted it to be somewhat perpendicular to the face of the anvil. The hardy hole isn't. It goes in at an angle where the bottom is closer to the horn than the top. I made a sort of bottom fuller type tool for putting a radius in the edge of flat stock for ease of isolating the area for the hinge plate when I make tongs. (I just laid some 5/8 round on the end of a piece of square and welded it to make a "T".) It will only fit flat one way. If you put it in backwards the "pin" on it will be off the anvil face almost 3/4 of an inch towards the horn but touching near the heel. So it's probably about 3/8 of an inch out of square. I know I could still use it that way, I just wanted it to look better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted February 5, 2018 Share Posted February 5, 2018 Then make the cone straight and make a wedge adapter plate to match the anvil. That way the cone will fit any anvil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfeile Posted February 6, 2018 Share Posted February 6, 2018 you mean a plate that sits on top? or a sleeve that fits inside? It's only a 3/4 inch hardy to begin with so I don't want to do a sleeve. If I use a plate on top, won't the cone will still come up crooked? The face is level, so anything made somewhat true that goes into the hole will still come out at an angle won't it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Coke Posted February 6, 2018 Share Posted February 6, 2018 Greetings Sfeile, I would just use a cut off disc on your grinder to cut a flush surface to center your tool . Next step is to add a bit of weld to the stem to tighten it up in the hardy hole . Grind the stem to a tight fit . Easy fix Forge on and make beautiful things Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted February 6, 2018 Share Posted February 6, 2018 Second cross using the new portabandsaw. I got the cut a little crooked but it still turned out somewhat "ok". An experiment on the top with a square punch ( which I like.) Brass brushed and a square nail bail. Just the cross is 8 3/4" tall 5" wide. Made from 3/4" square MS stock. My fine lady helped in holding while I textured it. Aus, my texturing hammer is much like the one JHCC showed. I mostly use it as a struck tool tho. I plan to get many more junk ball piens and other hammers to convert this spring and summer. Most hammer heads I have are too good to " convert" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted February 6, 2018 Share Posted February 6, 2018 Also got more grinding on the post anvil. A lot more to go. Totally worth it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stitch Posted February 6, 2018 Share Posted February 6, 2018 16 hours ago, sfeile said: That's on my list. Been looking at those little propane torpedo heaters actually. $75 or so from tractor supply. I bought one from Tractor Supply and I use it to keep my shop just warm overnight. I also picked up a water tank heater from TSC to keep my slack water from freezing. I put it on an 8 hour overnight cycle timer. Both work excellent in sub freezing temperatures! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted February 6, 2018 Share Posted February 6, 2018 6 hours ago, Daswulf said: Aus, my texturing hammer is much like the one JHCC showed. I mostly use it as a struck tool tho. I plan to get many more junk ball piens and other hammers to convert this spring and summer. Most hammer heads I have are too good to " convert" I made one today similar to the one JHCC posted. I tested it on a lead sheet and the texturing is pretty much what I wanted. I'll try it on the real deal tomorrow. Also had a hunt around in the scrap some hammers to make a dog head hammer. Found about 30 claw hammers. I reckon four of those would make the most awesome nippers for a giant scorpion. They would also weld together nicely to make an interesting coffee table top. I might even put a handle on one and make a hammer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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