A friend and I were making some hardy tools from Jack hammer bit today.
The upset collar of the jack hammer bit did not sit flush on the anvil surface.

We used a fuller to forge down the collar and get a better - more stable - fit of the tool in the hardy.;)

thanks for the tip Mark,i find those bits really useful,steve.

Mark,
Good Idea! I have some jack hammer bits that I've been meaning to use to make hardy tools and this gives me some inspiration. What make of anvil is the one I've seen in you videos that has the 2 hardy holes? I've never seen one with the hardy hole near the face like yours. Keep up the good work.
Mike

ive used jackhammer bits for hartys for years ... i usually use the hearty hole to get the final fit ...

Edited January 12, 200917 yr by dablacksmith
spelling

Mark,
What make of anvil is the one I've seen in you videos that has the 2 hardy holes? I've never seen one with the hardy hole near the face like yours.
Mike

It doesn't have a name to it. I have had it for years. It was a chain makers anvil and was a pattern particular to the area where I served my apprenticeship.

I think I saw them for perhaps a 30 mile radius. I brought it over from the UK when I came over.

I have since sold it and purchased a Sodafors anvil which is of a much higher quality.

The Hardy Hole in my main forging anvil is worn from years of use by me and its previous owner, and if I fuller down the collar in the hardy hole it will only fit well one way, so I made this Hardy Collar Fullering plate that I put over the hole prior to fullering the collars. Its just 1/2 inch hot rolled flat. Besides my hardy hole is 15/16 square. Its evident by looking at it that it has been used a time or two.

And when I make Cut Off Hardies I orientate the cutting edge 45

Edited January 13, 200917 yr by irnsrgn

I like that approach to your worn hardy hole problem.

Kris ketchum makes an anvil with a hexagonal hardy hole specifically for holding jackhammer bits. It is not obvious from the picture but it is there.



brad

If you are making hardies on a good sized power hammer (one with some daylight between the dies), or even with a sledge, you can make a sleeve out of something fairly heavy like 1/2" stock, that is longer than the bit on the hardy. Then you can use the top sleeve to set the shoulder of the hardy with the power hammer against a bolster block, either resting on the anvil if you have enough daylight, or replacing the bottom die if you can't squeeze it in any other way. To make a bolster block requires a bit of tooling up but it can be sized to fit whatever hardy hole you need, but you can make as many hardies as you want easily that way. If you make them with a sledge you can set it in the hardy hole of the anvil. A lot of guys make hardies and don't set them down nice, or they leave the top unforged to set the shoulder down first then forge the bit out. If you have larger stock to start with and can butcher to isolate the stem from the bit leaving a boss in the middle to be the shoulder, you can use your material more efficiently and get more hardies out of the same amount of stock, and not have issues forging out the bit from a short fat amount of stock. Clifton Ralph, Kurt Farenbach, and Steve Parker demonstated flat die power hammer forging at the Indiana Blacksmiths Association Tipton Confrence in 07, Great demo. Clifton showed a sleave for setting down the shoulders on hardies.

Edited January 14, 200917 yr by Fionnbharr (finn:-)

I too, use jack hammer bits. My latest one is a hot hardy. It replaced my first that was really ugly. The temper was just right. Good enough for a photo.
Gobbler

The photo's are of Hardie and Fork forged of rear lorry axle ,the same is done the jack hammer bits. They are all seat with the fuller
HOFI