winter work

[tantrum86]

here is some photos of me working on some orders got snowed out from work so it was a perfect oppertunity to hammer out these spike knives.As much as i would like to be making something a little more interesting people really like these as christmas presents and ive actually got quite a few orders.o and my gas forge i recently finished is also show cased a bit.

[Glenn]

Get your thumb OFF the top of the hammer and wrap it around the side of the hammer. Less stress on the thumb, wrist, arm, shoulder, and body that way. Look in the 1000 series of blueprints for the Hofi method of swinging the hammer.

And what is that stuff you added to the top of the slack tub? Ia it some sort of a super quench material. (grin)

[Frosty]

What Glenn says. Hammering with your thumb on the handle like that will cause joint damage sooner than later.

I have a good, (good? heck, near infinite) supply of that ultra secret super quench slack tub additive Glenn and I'll sell you as much as you want for my good buddy on IFI price. Pay S&H of course.

Frosty

[John Martin]

It CAN. Some people it does and some people it doesn't. My bs teacher knows several people that forge that way. Some people can forge that way, and some can't.

But good job!!!

[ironrosefarms]

BRRRRR, wind and rain and ice have been the order of winter weather here and I'm just not up to forging outside in it. Thanks for making me look bad ...

James

[TASMITH]

Thats what were here for James:D.
But they are right about your thumb, even a miss-blow can cause you some serious grief to your thumb with the one blow. It can be a hard habit to break, but may save you a lot of grief further down the road.

Terry

[Canska]

Good to see I'm not the only one sucking it up and forging in the winter weather! I've got a huge shed, but its unheated and not always even a good windbreak. I managed 3 hours last night during the ice storm and 2 hours the night before, while it was 6F outside... brrr.

Anyhow, are you going to post some pics of the finished knives? :)

[belargehair]

Making charcoal in the winter is easier at my place since the neighbors don't hang their laundry out as often!
Rigging up my new blower contraption tonight, might have to get the bbq going for a bit of heat. Wiring in the cold is slow.

[bipolarandy]

LOL Glenn, I looked at that pic for 5 minutes trying to figure out what that stuff was on the slack tub,,, im not the brightest bulb i guess.......

[Rich Hale]

Hammer swing: YOu can do a few simple things to see about the thumb thing. To produce power you must have some kind of weight and some kind of speed. Think about a two pound hammer and a given speed and what it might do in terms of force. Then think of the same hammer at a higher and lower speed. Faster is more power..simple enough. How we hold the hammer and how we swing it is the variable with a given weight of hammer. Take a hammer in yourhand like youi were going to swing it, raise the hammer and look at how you hold it and where it is at the top of what would be a swing. Mine is well past my ear and behind my head. If I put my thumb on top of the handle I cannot do this. It puts a stop at the point where the thumb does not bend back anymore. That takes away some of the length of my swing. It takes me a bit of a swing to get the head speed up. It also asks the thumb to do something it is not meant to do..Act as a stop for a hammer. Thumbs are cool they rotate in a circle and are a clamping device. If you hold the hammer handle too tight it also limits swing. Hold the handle loose and at the top of the swing it will rock back further and again increase swing distance. You want to put some power in the swing nd still have control, both of which can be done with a grip that is just tight enogh but not too tight. TAke a hammer in the house and stand sideways to a mirror so you can watch your swing, Try what I said above. Swing should be in close to the body and not make yourelbows move away to the side. Yes I know folks that do rest thumb on the handle but that does not mean that it is the best way. But it is their way and they can do it anyway they choose. For those folks starting out it is a bad habit to develop. Practice does not make perfect! only perfect practice makes perfect. Repeating a bad habit makes you really good at a bad habit. Your shop your rules, but think about it.

[tantrum86]

thanks rich i will definately be working on that its nice to have a place like this were mistakes i didnt even realize i was making can be pointed out to me and the last four years have tought me some habbits that may need correcting so im gonna post more pics of me smithing i might be doing much more that could be corrected to make my life a little easier at the forge

[Sam Salvati]

Nice forge! Got your slack tub all nice and iced up for heat treating that spike knife all right!