bottom tool

[dickb]

I have an anvil with a one inch hardy hole. One inch square stock drops right through it so it's either worn or oversize.  I have plenty of one inch square stock.

I want to make a hardy tool so I can reliably shape the bits on a pair of V bit tongs. 

I came up with two ways

I could upset a piece of one inch square stock and then a put shoulder on it so it doesn't drop right through the hardy hole and then forge the V shaped depression into the end of the tool.

or I could bend a piece of one inch bar stock into a L shape so one leg of the L goes in the hardy hole and the other leg of the L  lies flat on the anvil. Then forge the V into the this side.

Upsetting one inch square stock doesn't seem like a lot of fun. 

I'd appreciate any suggestions.

I tried using the square corner where the anvil face meets the cutting table with poor results. 

 

 

 

[Gandalfgreen]

I am very new but from what I have read and asked your best bet is try find a used jack hammer bit. it had a pre made collar on it that will prevent the slide thru. ask local tool rental places then forge one side of collar to fit hardy hole and other long side of bit forge onto tool.

have also seen old lug nut wrenches used 

[Daswulf]

Upsetting 1" stock seems easier to me then upsetting 3/8" stock. Are you using a gas or solid fuel forge? Heating just the end of stock to upset is easier in a solid fuel forge that in a gas forge that wants to heat all the stock inside of it. 

Either way you mentioned can work. Better would be upsetting the stock. The L will work but could be a bit more wiggly in use. 

An easier option in my opinion is forging down over sized stock  to fit in the hardy hole. 

[George N. M.]

Dickb, I would try it by heating the end of the 1" stock, then quenching about 1-1.5" of the end and then upsetting the hot portion above the quenched area.  You don't need much of a swell for it to hang up in the hardie hole.  2-3 upsetting heats should give you enough of a swell.  Then, cut off as much as you need for the working part of the hardie tool.  Then, bring it back up to forging heat, insert in the hardie hole, and then forge down on the top of the stock to form the shoulder at the top of the hardie hole.  Finally, forge or otherwise shape whatever you need at the working end of the tool.

I find that forging down into the hardie hole is easier than trying to form 4 shoulders unless you have a power hammer and big fullers.  If your hardie hole is a bit asymmetric you may have to do a bit of filing or grinding so that the new hardie tool fits in all 4 directions.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

PS  Forging the jaws of tongs is where the 90 degree V shaped recesses on the edge of a swage block are useful.

[Glenn]

Weld a piece of bar stock diagonally to the bottom of the hardie plate.  It will fit into the hardie hole and will not turn.

[dickb]

13 hours ago, George N. M. said:

Dickb, I would try it by heating the end of the 1" stock, then quenching about 1-1.5" of the end and then upsetting the hot portion above the quenched area.  You don't need much of a swell for it to hang up in the hardie hole.  2-3 upsetting heats should give you enough of a swell. 

Thanks, I never thought of cooling off the first 1/5 inches and then upsetting. good idea. I don't have a swage block with a V groove.

Edited November 2, 2021 by Mod34
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[Rojo Pedro]

Sorry to disagree but upsetting a piece of 1" square does indeed sound like fun