Big spring fuller for drawing out; good idea?

[Joki]

I'm putting together hardy tools for my new anvil, and I thought of making two spring fullers. One small, half inch in diameter, and maybe a bigger one, made out of semitruck axle cut vertically to make the two halves of the fuller.

Cutting the axle is probably going to take a while, and since I'm afraid of the angle grinder, I'd like to know if this is a good idea at all, since if it is not, it'd save me time, fear and sweat. I've searched around a bit and found nothing about spring fullers this large.

Thanks for any replies and good day.

[Nobody Special]

I'm not the expert on these things, but I tend to find that people use specific designs for a reason; there is very little that is new. Something that big is more of a die. A lot depends on what you have for striking and what the intent is. Unless you have a helper/striker or a power hammer, I would tend to think not worth the effort in most applications. Someone else will undoubtedly have the opposite opinion.

So spring fullers have two real advantages, right? First, they're helpful at fullering both sides of a piece when you don't have a striker or helper, and second, they're useful at isolating the area you want to draw out - both things that can be overcome in other ways if necessary. Is it to be a handheld fuller, or one mounted to a shank in the hardy hole? Would a guillotine tool work better for your purposes?

Broader radiuses do tend to fuller faster - if there is enough force when striking the fuller. Is that what you're after? And if so, what is the means you intend to use to strike it? Would it be more advantageous than using the side of the anvil or the horn, or even a hardy mounted die? I have a very simple version of a die I use sometimes, a piece of about 1.25 bar, square and mounted in the hardy hole, with a bit of off-set to keep it from stressing the hardy hole or sticking in it, that then lays flat over the anvil, with the top rounded for fullering. It works okay, but not so great that it's my go-to.

Truck axle varies in what steels are used a good bit, but my general experience is that the thickness makes it difficult to work without a striker, needs to be worked hot, and it still wants to fish-lip due to the thickness if you're doing it alone. Made a cut off hardy out of one piece (would not do again) and a couple of hammers, which I very much like axle for.

[George N. M.]

One advantage to a spring fuller is that it springs back into its original position and you can them move the work piece for a second blow at a slightly different position.  When using a guillotine or regular top and bottom fuller you have to lift the top fuller, lift the workpiece out of the fullered groove, and move it to the next position.  It is not a big difference IMO but it does speed things up a bit and over time can add up, a few seconds here, a few seconds there, etc..

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

[Goods]

I use spring fullers regularly, but not for drawing stock out.  Generally, I use them to neck stock down and isolate material. Then, I’ll draw the material out using half face blows on the edge of the anvil. The big advantage I see with spring fullers is getting even shoulders at a transition and being able to select the corner radius. I have several springs fullers from 2” diameter down to 1/4”. (The big ones get used under the power hammer.)

Just the way I do things, does mean it’s the right way… If I had a guillotine I would probably use that at the anvil for the same purpose.

Keep it fun,

David

[JHCC]

Agreeing with all of the above. My only addition is that you can use a fuller for drawing out, but you're much better off with a single fuller rather than a double. In other words, you can either put your workpiece on top of a bottom fuller and hit down onto the workpiece, or you can put it flat on the anvil, put a top fuller on it, and hit down onto the tool. The former is better for drawing out; the latter is better for precise movement of metal from point A to point B.

[Joki]

Thanks to all for the replies, very good points there.
I'll settle for the small spring fuller for isolating material, and then I'll make a bottom fuller out of a small piece of the axle. Maybe a small bottom fuller would be useful as well.
 

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

I made this bottom fuller out of a sucker rod connector for a special piece but it has turned out to be very handy.

I can't control the wind, all I can do is adjust my sail’s.~ Semper Paratus

[Frosty]

You might consider a guillotine tool rather than spring tool. They can have a return spring so you don't have to lift the top die to move stock but alignment between top and bottom die is built in and changing dies is as simple as slipping them out.

A shank to fit the hardy hole to hold the guillotine steady over the heart of the anvil is a serious benefit. 

I've made a couple spring fullers and find them going off track after a while. Spring swages are a whole different thing, they stay accurate and are easy to make.

Frosty The Lucky.