What tools do you use the most?

[Glenn]

What tools or tooling do you use the most in your shop, other than the forge, anvil, and hammer?

This way we can start looking for useful tools and tooling rather than just buying anything with the words blacksmith attached.

 

For me it is most likely pencil, paper, and modeling clay.  If I can solve the problem with pencil and paper, all is well.  If not out comes the modeling clay so I can see what things look like and actually feel the project.  By the time it gets to the forge, most of the problems are solved.

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

Well, when I was back home it was my 18.5"x54" Monarch lathe that was made in 1946, and is still tighter than some newer equipment I have used in some shops.

 

[Jobtiel1]

Outside of the hot cut, punches and chisels, it is definitely soapstone and a ruler. I do nearly all my measurements on hot steel with soapstone and a centre punch or by marking the required length on the anvil. 

Also a good contender for a beginner is and angle grinder, it does so much stuff in a single machine.

~Jobtiel

 

[Frosty]

Pencils, graph paper, straight edge, various measuring instruments, ruler, yard stick, tape measure, inside and outside calipers and micrometer and digital calipers for finicky stuff.

My Jet, horizontal vertical metal band saw gets used all the time. pedestal grinding wheels and my 2" x 72 belt grinder. My 4"-5" angle grinders, my 7" & 9" Milwaukee disk grinders to a lesser degree.

I use quite a few hot chisels, a few rivet punches and a couple sets. I have a nice pile of various coil springs to make: punches, chisels, drifts, etc. as needed. 

Bending forks, wrenches, twisting wrenches, etc.

If I think of something else I'll add it later.

Frosty The Lucky.

[Latticino]

TONGS, you can't forge it if you can't hold it...

[anvil]

6' metal folding ruler, scribe, center punch, small cold chisel. These are used on every job.  Not every job gets laid out on my table, so Im not listing those tools. Nor am I listing those tools used on a per job basis. I lay out all my steel with scribe, not chalk. With my 6' folder and my scribe I can lay out to a 64th. My center punch marks transitions from one shape change to another and my small cold chisel and center punch, mark all lines and points that go in the fire. Both are made from coil spring. 

[SLAG]

Motivation and persistence.

SLAG.

[bluerooster]

Dykem, and a scribe, steel ruler, vernier caliper, soapstone, sharpie, pencil, paper, pipe square,  and an old belt drive lathe made sometime in the late 1800's, 12' bed, 20" swing, 4 jaw chuck, and all the gears for nearly any thread you can think of.  I'd rather use it, than the "new" LeBlond.

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

I'd say my post vise's and 30 pound Star power hammer in the forge and one of 3 arc welders in the garage. Both places my most important tool, is my brain being engaged when working.

[Davor]

Hot cut in the hardy hole. When I had just piece of railroad track without a hardy hole and had to clamp everything in the vice to cut it I didn’t think much about it, but it is a game changer, just a simple hot cut.

[BillyBones]

BGD, i am quite jealous of that lathe. 

Hook rule (ala Blackbear Forge) welders pencil, and center punch.

Porta-band. I cant believe i have not bought one until now. 

Anvil bick, guillotine, and bolster plate. 

I have also been using my swage blocks much more recently. And of course the power tools i.e. angle grinder, drill press, stick welder, etc.  

[Arthur210]

Post vise, measuring tape, center punch, angle grinder, belt sander.

Broom, shovel and shop vac. 

[Frazer]

The things I use the most I keep in my pockets or have attached to my anvil stand: soapstone, scribe, silver pencil, ruler, tong clips, chisel, mini "pocket" tongs, hardy, anvil block guillotine and brush. I guess that translates to an apron or coveralls with extra pockets and an anvil stand with tool holders.

I also always have a calculator, a steno notebook and a pencil on the workbench.

[BillyBones]

Something else i forgot that gets used a lot. Chalk and a chalk board. I work out most of my idea on there then when i get what i want it goes into the note book. My chalk board is just an old piece of Masonite that i painted with some of that chalk board spray paint. Works purty good it do. 

2 hours ago, Arthur210 said:

Broom, shovel and shop vac.

 That is what grandkids (or minions) are for.

[Anachronist58]

My back.  Seems I have to put it into everything these days.  Don't get me wrong, I rig and lever all the time.  But the rigging does not rig itself, and the levers leverage nothing without my horsepower.  Every spare minute finds me at the flypress!

Robert Taylor

[Daswulf]

My brain and the skills that have been introduced to it through interest, experience,  mentors forcing it in there or research and experience. 

[ThomasPowers]

I think that postvise should go in the "hammer, forge, anvil" as it's such a basic tool for the shop.

A twisting wrench is high on my list.  I also have a chalkboard on the wall of the shop.  Wire brush, set of heavier needle nose pliers I don't mind getting hot.

There are several blacksmith specific tools: slitting chisels and punches made from S-7 or H-13; unlikely to stumble across them in the general fleamarket search.  AHA! First Aid kit, including a rare earth magnet and a mirror!

[anvil]

I should add my layout table. It is 5'x10'x1". Besides the obvious use for layout it is used for many things from a place to sit to checking right angles, checking edge bend and twist, to light forging. Combined with vise grips, " c" clamps and furniture clamps it is indespensable and a top candidate for most used tool in my shop.

[SinDoc]

My brain, although sometimes during the process it decides to just shut off and reboot, then blue screens.

[yves]

Measuring tools every day. I am particularly attached to my Starrett combination square and every time I use it I wonder why such a precise tool to make something with repeated hammer blows… Most used measuring tools include a gauge I made to measure steel bars and thicknesses of items I am forging. The gauge also is used as a ruler when forging, the inches being "center punched" on it. I must mention that my anvil is also a great measuring tool: 2" to the hardy hole, 5" across the anvil, etc..

Drawing implements are used every day. Most of my drawings are done in 9x12 sketchbooks.

[Chad J.]

Along the lines of this thread, what sizes of stock do you find yourself using the most?  I use mainly 1/2 round and 5/8 square stock now. 

[ThomasPowers]

1/2" and under.  I expect that will increase a bit when the powerhammer is working.

[Mothman_c3w]

Tools:
- Tape measure. Back when Horrible Fright used to offer coupons, I would take advantage of their 98 cent tape measure sales whenever possible. I have piles of them, but I have somehow managed to hide most of them from myself. Honorable mention to a set of 6" calipers.
- Marking tools including pencil, soapstone, and silver welder's pencil; and writing/drawing surfaces including notebook/printer/engineering paper, a piece of 3/16" plate I use as a layout table, or whatever surface happens to present itself when convenient.
- Several different sizes of ball bearings for forming.
- Variable speed pedestal grinder, angle grinder, grinding face shield.
- Center punch, various chisels and punches.
- Drill press, plus bits and a counter-sink to remove burrs.
- Porta-band on a home-built vertical table.
- I did not expect to when I bought it, but I have found myself using my Beverly B-3 shear a lot lately.

Materials:
- 1/4", 3/8", 1/2" square stock
- 1/4" x 1/2" bar
- 2" x 2" x 1/4" angle iron
- 1/8" sheet
- Railroad spikes

[BillyBones]

Before moving up here from Louisiana my parents had a tree fall on the house during a hurricane.  Seeing as how me and my dad are both pretty handy with tools we did a lot of the repairs ourselves. My dad has maybe a dozen tape measures. He needed them all, everyday. Me and my mom would have to go around at times and collect up all the tape measures where my dad would just lay them down and forget where he put them. Rather than finding the one, he would just get another and the cycle would repeat. 

[hheneg]

steel ruler