bigb Posted February 25, 2022 Share Posted February 25, 2022 I am making some textured crosses with this old Bell System Stanley hammer I picked up somewhere, it was already sharp like a chisel and works great for the texture I want but it starts to deform quickly after just one cross. Should I be cooling it in the quench bucket as I am using it? Or just keep dressing it? I have several cross pein hammers I could sharpen in case it's a matter of the Stanley being too soft, one of them is a new Peddinghaus but not sure I want to be grinding on that one. Or if it's just the way it's going to be I'll keep dressing the Stanley, it's not a big deal I have a grinder right in the work space. Pics below of the Stanley, a finished cross (brushed with brass brush and waxed) and the Peddinghaus Thanks in advance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted February 25, 2022 Share Posted February 25, 2022 Is the cross hot while you’re doing the texturing, or are you doing it cold? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farmall Posted February 25, 2022 Share Posted February 25, 2022 one thing you can do to texture all the edges is to heat the blank before you start, then use your hammer to texture the four sides. Then heat again and form the cross and texture what was the inside.....now all sides are textured. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frazer Posted February 25, 2022 Share Posted February 25, 2022 I used an angle grinder to cut some texture into the face of a spare hammer rather than using a pein. I find I get a more uniform appearance that way. However, if you prefer the pein and don't want to constantly redress it I would heat the stock up more. If you really want to you could take the handle off and reharden/temper the head to leave the pein a little harder. Just keep in mind a hammer isn't supposed to be that hard. I wouldn't want a missed strike to ding your anvil face, or worse, send a piece of shrapnel flying across the shop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigb Posted February 25, 2022 Author Share Posted February 25, 2022 Thanks everyone, I am doing the texturing hot but maybe stretched the working time out too long and it cooled. Good idea on making a texture hammer Frazer, I certainly have plenty of hammers to spare, Farmall that's a great idea Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frazer Posted February 25, 2022 Share Posted February 25, 2022 I have also seen spring tools with textured top and bottom dies for texturing both sides simultaneously. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted February 25, 2022 Share Posted February 25, 2022 I agree that a hammer with a textured face does make the work a lot easier. However, the specific look that you're getting from using the sharp peen is kind of cool (makes me think of mid-20th century graphic design), so I'd keep that particular technique in your portfolio. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted February 25, 2022 Share Posted February 25, 2022 This is the texturing set I made out of an old ball peen hammer and a hardy bottom tool with a 4 1/2 inch cutoff disk in an angle grinder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigb Posted June 9, 2022 Author Share Posted June 9, 2022 Updating to report I was able to finish making 74 crosses for our New Mexico reunion. The reunion got postponed to Labor Day so I took advantage of the extra time and worked on other projects first. I ended up using the cross peen hammer only while the steel was still orange hot and only had to dress it twice for the whole production. All cleaned up and protected with museum wax. Next on to some Mesquite cutting boards and maybe some fiddlehead ferns. May try some chili peppers too, but they do take me forever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted June 9, 2022 Share Posted June 9, 2022 Very nice work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted June 10, 2022 Share Posted June 10, 2022 Those came out really well! Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave51B Posted June 10, 2022 Share Posted June 10, 2022 bigb, do you have a size that you prefer to make? I have made them out of 3/4" down to 1/8" stock, and about every size in between. Life is good Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigb Posted June 10, 2022 Author Share Posted June 10, 2022 I like the 1/2" size but I made several sizes so folks can choose, 3/8", 1/2", 5/8" and 3/4". The 3/8" can give me more trouble if not careful as they distort so easily if they're not hot enough. I'm also going to make some 3/8" copper ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave51B Posted June 10, 2022 Share Posted June 10, 2022 I have made a few out of 1/4'' brass stock. just don't cut the top leg, and scroll it over for a key ring loop. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigb Posted June 10, 2022 Author Share Posted June 10, 2022 (edited) Sounds like a good idea, I need some new ideas. Edited June 10, 2022 by Mod30 Remove excessive quote. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted June 10, 2022 Share Posted June 10, 2022 When making Chili Peppers do you have a nice large swing arm fuller, 1/2" dia or so? Also start with a comfortable length of pipe to hold so you don't need tongs and have a nice rounded edge on the anvil to work over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigb Posted June 11, 2022 Author Share Posted June 11, 2022 Thomas, I do not have a fuller. My first chili took forever but it came out great. I am a little better equipped now and yes I did learn to leave the pipe long. Someone told me to make it square first then put the creases in it and round it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted June 12, 2022 Share Posted June 12, 2022 No time like the present to make a swing arm fuller. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted June 12, 2022 Share Posted June 12, 2022 You can make one without a welder; though it helps if you have an angle grinder. In general whenever you taper steel/iron you should square it first and work it down that way. If you need a cone, leave it a bit oversized and round it (Square, Octagonal, Round) as one of the last steps. I don't put creases in mine, although some pipe chilis develop them during forging! The best thing about forging them is; I haven't made one yet that doesn't look like one I've seen for sale at a farm stand! (I've made a lot of chilis out here too.) Thicker walled pipe is easier to work than thin wall pipe. I have done a bunch from the legs of old "bag" camping chairs; but it's hard to work that thin pipe. VERY IMPORTANT: Always make sure the end of the pipe can't make a chimney to put hot gasses where your hand is! When starting I will plug the end with clayey soil, wet newspaper, etc until the end being worked closes off and then I can do chili after chili till the pipe gets too small to make one! My method using my swing arm fuller starts the next chili while finishing off the stem on the current one---speeds things up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigb Posted June 12, 2022 Author Share Posted June 12, 2022 I have welders and angle grinders, and literally tons of steel. Is there a good write up on how to make a swing arm fuller? Thanks for the chimney tip, hadn't thought about that. My first chili I made in a trough after I had shaped it, I put it in and angle iron trough and used a hand chisel to crease it, only 2 creases but I was real happy with how it came out. I now have a large bucket tooth that I use to open the crosses, I welded it to a solid plate so it points up. It's about 5" across, comes to a wedge point and is very hard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted June 12, 2022 Share Posted June 12, 2022 Probably a lot of write-ups around. My swing arm fuller is a bit different as I use a die spring to press against the top rod, (made from auto coil spring) to hold it in place over the lower rod. I use it to do the transition from the top of the chili to the stem and then hammering the stem down more starts the taper on the next chili. I'll see if I can get a picture of it tomorrow. I made it from some random scrap 20+ years ago and have replaced the top bar 3 or 4 times and the bolt a lot of times as college students don't realize that you need to hammer right over the chili and not off to the side where the force is "shared" with the bolt. The creases are chilis that are drying, often the red ones, the green ones are usually fuller---I live in one of the top chili growing areas in NM and so see a lot of them in all the stages---the "State Question" of New Mexico is "Red or Green" referring to if you want red chili or green chili on/in your food. (Green for me.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted June 12, 2022 Share Posted June 12, 2022 28 minutes ago, bigb said: write up on how to make a swing arm fuller? This should help get you started. Either fuller will work, but the swing arm like Thomas has is more versatile. https://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/54442-spring-fuller/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigb Posted June 12, 2022 Author Share Posted June 12, 2022 11 minutes ago, ThomasPowers said: The creases are chilis that are drying, often the red ones, the green ones are usually fuller---I live in one of the top chili growing areas in NM and so see a lot of them in all the stages---the "State Question" of New Mexico is "Red or Green" referring to if you want red chili or green chili on/in your food. (Green for me.) Yes I know all about you guys and your chilis My cousin in Los Lunas raises them and word has it he is pretty stingy with them. Every time I go thru Hatch I load up. 8 minutes ago, Irondragon ForgeClay Works said: This should help get you started. Either fuller will work, but the swing arm like Thomas has is more versatile. https://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/54442-spring-fuller/ Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted June 12, 2022 Share Posted June 12, 2022 I fired up the forge this morning; but snuck a couple of pictures anyway: My variation. It uses a die spring (picked up from Jeff of PTree forge at Q-S), to hold the upper arm in position so you don't have to lift it each time you go to use it, and it doesn't take much energy from the hammer blow. Great for students who hit it at an angle as it just springs back straight with no damage. Besides chilis I like a swing arm fuller to make the change from a blade to a tang as it's aligned top and bottom. Mine: A couple of other smaller ones, one for use in a post vise and the other in a large hardy hole: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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