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83K views 188 replies 51 participants last post by  Bruteleenandrane 
#1 ·
Anvil stand

Anvil stand
workspace for blacksmithing

After taking a blacksmithing class I realized there were no way back for me, I needed to have this possibility in my workshop, the ability to make, repurpose, restore tools for woodworking on my own, to forge the blade, then give it a handle or a body and finally make shaves with it, is for me the feeling of a full circle. Ohhh yes and then it is just another chance to learn new, to open new paths and get a wider perspective, so yes the child in me are fully alive and still endlessly curious.
This will not be a blacksmithing blog series, but blacksmithing from a woodworkers perspective, a how I get started and the tricks I learn to make a woodworker able to forge his own tools and finish them up.


The small gas forge on top of my stove.
My first thought was to build a soup can forge since I have a MAPP gas burner, but after finding a fair priced gas forge from DEVILS FORGE, I decided to go the easy way and not spend my time on building a forge and
figuring out how to construct a burner and the dangers that could come with it… Coal was not possible since my shop is in a domestic building in the center of Copenhagen.
(I also choose the gas burner because I can also use it for a Raku kiln that's on my to do list).


So while waiting for the forge to arrive I visited my once again generous friend Flemming who said I could borrow this anvil and tong he had in the house and not used.
(It is a better quality and I like it better than my small cast iron anvil).


Being a city woodworker I have little acces to lumber, so I decided to do reversed woodworking.
Bought a bunch of roof batterns, since they are dead cheap and easy to get.
Now waiting for a click on mount for a gas bottle to arrive…


So a stand for a tapered anvil…


Ohhh yes and I also managed to get two gas bottles at a fair prize (half the retail price), I can only use the small size since it is a workshop that are three steps under the terrain… Hmmmm that's what the law say and so I better follow it, also it holds enough gas for at least a full days forging, so that should be more than enough for my use.


So back to reversed woodworking…
Making roof batterns into a solid wood block.
Kind of stupid, kind of foolish but…
So I cut them up in pieces that fit the height I want on the anvil.
It should be that your knuckles touch the surface when your arm hang loose.


That's it!
Kind of.


At this point I realized it would be more easy to make the tapered hole for the anvil before putting the stand together.
So I made a drawing of the anvil, then folded it on the middle and could transfer the angle to the wood.


Then sawing from both sides.


Cleaning up a little and thinking of an old friend.


Like this we have half the hole.
Two more and we are there.


Get it?


Easy to make and a perfect fit.


Glue.


Glue and screw.


Layer on layer and a block of wood are a reality.


Now metal band around to secure it and hold the beating that will come later.


I used the construction type, it is again cheap and easy to get.


And easy to mount.


Anvil stand.
Nice and simple.


I think it fits in here, kind of like home from the beginning.


Now some leather details…
Cutting a few strips.


Mounting it on the sides.
Just loose loops, different sizes.


Like this the tools will be where they are needed.


Like this.


That's it; anvil on stand, I'm pleased with the result.
Flemming passed the shop today and were so pleased with it that he gave me the tong and anvil as a gift.
I am a lucky man.
Think Flemming will enjoy some blacksmithing here also. ;-)
Now I just wait for that gas click on thing to arrive…

Hope this post can inspire others to make their own tools, after all this is why I take a detour out the black road now.

Best thoughts,

Mads
 
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#27 ·
Hi Mafe…read you're short on supply of wood…I have in abundance. live near by and will gladly share with a fellow woodworker..good stand for the anvil you've made, real cool…if you're interested in a solid beech stump in any size you want I have several logs in my driveway and will happily cut one for you - no charge!

Admire your work!!!

Bedste hilsner
Thomas Kelvin, Allerød
 
#28 ·
Hi Thomas,
I smile with a happy face now after reading your words.
It sounds nothing less than wonderful, I just bought a new anvil and it is screaming for a better stump to stand on. ;-) Even I actually like the version I made…
Also I would love to get some wood for making some bowl turnings, had a wish for this for a long time, so I can easily find many reasons why I will be more than happy for your offer.
I will send you a PM with my info.
Life really is a miracle!
Thank you for your kindness.
Best of my thoughts,
Mads
 
#29 ·
Forging a iron age knife - first wood working tool made

Forging a iron age knife
first wood working tool made

Will jump right in to my first blacksmith tool making project in the work shop, I decided it should be the most basic tool for a Woodworker, Lumberjack or Lumberjock - a knife. As a Dane I felt it made sense to start here, this type of knife are often mentioned as Viking knifes, but they are dated back to the iron age.
(The truth is that even I thought it was a Viking knife type).


The type has ben found here in Danmark, in a place called Dejbjerg and are dated to 100 ad.

.


I start in our time…
The knife will be made from a piece of car spring steel that I found in the street on my way home from the workshop one day.
Car springs have a relatively high content of carbon and are clean, this makes it ideal for forging tools.
You need a high carbon content of the steel to be able to harden it like this.
Steel can also be bought from a commercial seller and are actually relatively cheap.


Here the iron are getting up to forging temperature in my wonderful new gas forge.
The forge are amazingly fast to get the steel there and like this forging is a dream.
Also you don't get the steel too hot so easy, since you can control the temperature by the flow of gas.
If the iron gets to hot it will melt or for the carbon steel it will 'burn' sparkle off.
If not hot enough you will not be able to form it and the steel will get stressed.
You don't need a fancy gas oven, you can use coal or make a soup can forge really cheap, the web is full of these getting started videos. I am thinking of making a soup can version just for the fun of it, if you can get hold of ceramic felt, this oven can be made in half a hour, otherwise you can make a more at hand version with Perlite.
Look at the video here:


The key is in the color, here you can see them.
Found this online.


A simple hammer is all I have for now for the heavy part, so this will have to do.


But the workshop are set up for forging now.
I decided to protect the wood floor with aluminium plates before I went on and on the floor you see a bucket with oil for the quenching process. Yes we should be ready to go now.


Once the steel is hot, it's time to hit it with the hammer.
The anvil works great and the tools are at hand when needed.


In and out the forge.


Hammering it to shape.
I'm really enjoying this process, everything are working fine in the flow.
Perhaps I need to place the forge a little higher so I don't have to bend for looking inside.
The color you see on the tip is a good color for working the steel, here it's soft and will be formed without cracking.
But you relatively fast get a feel to when it makes sense to form it.


Here you see a piece of spring and what it becomes.
I'm quite pleased with the way it works out, for a beginner I feel happy.


Soon this is where I get to.


I smile and look at the new work area.
Even possible to take a rest here on goat skin, what more can a man ask for…
I leave the blade on top of the forge to cool down slowly.
Like this it will become soft and I can work in it.


Once it is cold. I start to shape the blade profile and even out the taper with a file.
I have done as much of the shaping I could manage on the anvil.


But I found the steel a little hard, so I re heated it to red hot and then left it in the forge to cool down, this time waiting a good hour before I took it out.
(I must have been to quick before, then the steel hardens up, so patience is the key word here).


Then it was much easier to work with.
I finished it up with sand paper, not too carful since I wanted this to be fitting the raw steel.
Don't finish the edge here, leave it stump, like this it will not get wrapped when heat threating it.
Some will at this time do one or two runs where they heat it to red hot and then leave it to slow cool, like this the blade will be at rest, the tensions will be out of the steel, I will go directly to the tempering, I believe in a small knife like this, it will not be an issue, but time will tell.


Then back in the forge, warm it up again.
This time back edge up and the whole blade gets heated, but the handle stays cooler to keep this soft.


Then with a magnet test if the steel is hot enough, once it is no longer magnetic, it is more than 850 degree C and ready to be put in the oil.
I use canola oil it was cheap, easy to get and smells like cooking when used.
At my first go I did not preheat the oil, this resulted in a blade that was not hard enough, so I made the oil hot and then did it again, this time it worked and the blade seems to have a good hardness.
(I scratch it with a file and it leaves no marks).


Then while it's still hot I give it some bees wax, this should help to rust prevent the blade.
(Advice from fellow LJ Brinth, thanks).


After sharpening the blade looks like this in the daylight.


I make a quick wooden sheath for it.
Just a sandwich construction glued together.
Thas the shortest wood working description ever here, lol.


Then home to make dinner for my daughter and girlfriend.


And to use the heat from the oven to temper the blade.
I give the bred five minutes and the blade one hour at 200 degrees C.
Before you temper a blade it is tense so it can snap if you hit it with something hard, the tempering makes it relaxed and flexible, so it is a process you don't want to skip.


For dinner we had marinated halibut.


And a burger.


Ok back to the tool making.
Here the blade is out of the oven and left to cool down on the pan.


You can see how the blade got the straw yellow color on the edge, this means that it is tempered rigt.
Also I gave it a wax again for the rust protection at this stage.


This is it after the final sharpening.
I am happy and a wee proud, now I have really gone full circle in the little shop.
Life is sweet and I feel lucky.


And finally in it's sheath.
Now this is a wood working project. ;-)

Hope this post can inspire others to make their own tools, after all this is why I take a detour out the black road now.

Best thoughts,

Mads
 
#49 ·
Crooked and hook knifes - from steel to tool I

Crooked and hook knifes
from steel to tool

(Part one).

To get a forge was a wish of being able to make tools when I needed them, tools I would love to try and use or that I could not get.
So first project was to make me a crooked knife and a medium sized hook knife, that is what this is about.
The hook knife just for the joy and to have a medium size after making the small version on the blacksmith class I took. This knife will join me on the Turkey travels in the future.
The crooked knife because I suffer from chronic pain after a neck operation and find it interesting that the knife is used in a inwards pull motion instead of the traditional pull stroke with Western tools. I have good experiences with the pull strokes used with Japanese tools and use these to ease the pain and give me possibility to work a little longer on the same energy. So this one is out of curiosity and a old wish to make one when I saw the 'making a crooked knife' on the web.


Starting with the blade for the crooked knife, I had to make it from a old file, fore the reason alone that I had seen this so many times on the web that it had become a wish to try.
(You can see more here on THIS Google search, there are plenty of material).
Right under the anvil you see a part of a car spring that will become the hook knife.


Ok lets go back to where the day started, talking of spring reminds me that spring are just on the stairs here in Denmark.


So let's get started, the iron goes into the forge to make it soft again.
Just bring it to red hot and let it cool slowly.


First step is to cut the file to length.


Then heat it again and again while working on it.


I try to condense the metal a wee first, then straighten it out to it's knife shape and getting the spine a wee broader than the cutting edge.


There a also time for having the shop is full of guests.


Wine and good food and company, what more can we ask for.


Ok let's continue the beating on metal.
Now time to shape the car spring.


Once it is in shape it is time to use the files.
First shape the back.


Then the cutting edge, ending with a fine file and then sandpaper down to grid 600.
Going 120 - 240 - 320 - 600.


Here the hook knife blade finished up to grid 600.


And the back gets the same tour.
Grind of the sharp edge of at the end so it will not wrap when heat treated.


Back in the forge.


Shape it on the anvils horn.


Carefully making it a hook and not getting it out of shape or hitting the cutting edge.


I'm pleased, yes I am actually a wee proud.


The crooked knife gets the same tour.


Flattening the spine.


Then I try to shape the back and cutting edge on a standard band sander.
Must admit this is not optimal, but it works.
It uses the paper fast and I feel I need a lot of control, but it works.


Not bad after all.


Collecting the metal dust and having a extra long hose on the vac to make sure I don't get a fire here…


I colour the edge with a Sharpie.


First flatten the back on the water grinders side until I feel we have a fair flat back.


Then I freehand the cutting edge.
Grind of the sharp edge of at the end so it will not wrap when heat treated.


Back in the forge.


Now shaping the crooked blade.
I want a straight blade with a curved end.


So making the bend on the anvil.
Shaping while red hot.


Kind of like the small break one gets when heating.


Bending the tang also to secure the blade in the handle later.


My friend Flemming caught me here focused on the final detail.
As you can probably see I wear glasses and heat protection, also you can see a crooked knife on the computer screen that was a inspiration.


So in and out the forge.
Have to say I am really pleased with this little forge.
Clean and fast at a fair prize.
Keeping a waken eye on the metal so it will not get too hot.
Will cut the blog here, see you soon.

Hope this post can inspire others to make their own tools, after all this is why I take a detour out the black road now.

Best thoughts,

Mads
 
#61 ·
Crooked and hook knifes - from steel to tool II

Crooked and hook knifes
from steel to tool II

(part two).


Last blog ended with the crooked blade in the forge, so we better start here by getting it out.


But first I heated the oil that will be used for quenching the blades, just up to a little over room temperature.


Simply by dipping a red hot piece of iron into it a couple of times.


Taking of happy, this was a happy way to start the day.
Filiz brought croissants and just baked sour dough bread and put fresh strawberries on top.
Ok I know it, I enjoy life way too much here.


Now time to heat the blades to red hot.


The way to test the temperature is to put a magnet on the blade when red hot, once hot enough it will no longer be magnetic and it's time to quench it.


Here you see my magnet tool, will post about this at a later time.


Here the hook knife blade are quenched.


Then the crooked, as you can see keep your head away from the oil as it sometimes catch fire.


Blades out of the oil.


Yes I sure think that forge will be a joy in the shop.


Here the hardened blades.


Back.


Crook looks fine.


The hook knife also seems to have hardened well.
I test it with an old file and it leaves no marks.


Now time to bake some bread or at least temper the blades at 200 degrees C for one hour in the oven.
This will remove the brittleness from the blades.


For the crooked knife handle I had a piece of antler.


It should give a good grip.

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Something like this.


But then realized I had this wonderful piece of wood in the shop.
Since I thought my crooked knife should be basic like they would probably have been normally in the native American way, this was what I went for.


Yep, that's a perfect match.


Do you get it?


Time to fit the blade.
First sawing to length and then a flat surface to the cutting side.


After drawing the blade onto the handle, the bed for the blade are hollowed out.
Try to make a fair fit.


Drilling a hole for the blades tangs bend to fit in.
This will make the knife able to take great pulling force.


Now simply put in place.


I make a leather string.


Ohhh was on a walk in the forest today, brought home some handles for later knifes…
Closed the ends with lacquer now they will rest for at least six months.


Coffee time.
Also making a glass of hot water with baking soda to soak the leather sting in.


This is how the blade looks fitted in the handle.


I use rawhide glue to make the blade get a perfect fit.
This will just make the fit better, the glue will not stick to the metal.
(You can use epoxy, but I wanted to keep it authentic).


Also I glued a thin strip on top to hold the blade in place.
Like this I feel sure it will be strong enough for most use.
I have seen different versions on the Natives, some are with no top.


Then sanding it a wee bit to fit the handles shape.


The soaked leather string are attached I do this by drilling a small hole and wedge it in place.


Then wrapping as tight as I possible can and secure it in the other end also.


A Native American crooked knife.


I will keep the rough look, no more shaping, imagine this is how the normal workmans knife would have looked.


Then sharpen it.
I use the stones and grid 1200 sandpaper.


The handle are finished with a coat, just to preserve the bark a wee bit.


Ok back to the hook knife.
First drilling a hole in a piece of Kenyan ebony.
Then mounting the blade by holding a cold cloth around the blade while heating the tang and then putting the tank in the wood while it was hot.
No glue.


The shape are roughed out on the band saw.


Then sanded to where I like it.


After sharpening, it's time to test.
It really works well, I am more than happy.


A good grip.


That wood really makes a fine match for the blade.


Happy to give it my brand.


Back.


Sharpening are done with Arkansas stones and grid 1200 wrapped.
Then finally polished on a loaded leather strap.


Home with the family.
I think it fits right in.

Hope this post can inspire others to make their own tools, after all this is why I take a detour out the black road now.

Best thoughts,

Mads
 
#72 ·
Anvil stand from a solid block of wood.

Anvil stand from a solid block of wood.
and a gift from a LJ friend.

A new anvil stand from solid wood, friendship, a router sled and fine moments with smell of wood.


So here I am back in the shop, with some wonderful wood.
Lately things goes slow there, life keeps going different paths and I follow with a silent smile.
My friend Thomas was kind to offer me a beautiful hunk of wood and I had the chance to visit him in his shop.


When Thomas visited my shop, I had the old anvil stand and he thought like me it was a wee small for the new anvil.


So he cut me a block, from one of the tree logs, he had in front of his workshop.
He was even so kind, to offer me a free choice and I choose this one, since I could see rot had started and so I hoped it would be full of play and life inside.


Here it is back in my shop, as you can see, it was quite wet, so it has cracked up and that gave it even more life.
Also the rot have given it plenty of life, so I have to say I was happy with my choice.
First step was to put the hunk upside down and then level it out fairly even, so the sloping sides would be equal.
I did that with some small wedges under and a big square on the floor, since the floor is perfect level.


Next step was to construct a router sled.
Some old bed boards got a second life.
First a run through the jointer.


another one split in half.


Screw them together, like this we have runners for the sled.


Plywood and two more half boards.


Glue and screws.


A sled is born.
I adjusted the size to the router.


Now I could screw the runners on to the stand, simply by measuring from the floor and up.


Sled on top.
Hope you get the picture now…


I added a runner under the sled, just to keep it in place and also a few screws as stops for the router and sled.


First run was to make a rabbet in the sled.


Like so!


Then it was all about running the sled a step and then the router.
Quite fast and easy, I was really surprised.


Here you see why I made the half board on the side of the runners, this makes it possible, to get all the way out to the side of the block, without cutting into the runner.


Once I was done, I turned the block upside down and then repeated.
Here I had top take into account what working height I wanted so I had to take it down a little more than an inch.
Then I could place the anvil on top and draw the outline of it, since I wanted it to rest in the stand, not on it.


A small detour!
A measure are set all the way around the top and bottom.


So I could add a iron band around it.
This will keep it from cracking too much and then I think it look quite sexy. ;-)


Tightened and then the band folded around the screws.


So back to the top.
The hole for the anvil are routed out step by step.


Almost done.


Last cleaning up are done with hand tools.
Japanese, just for the joy of it.


Swupppp it fits right in.


We could stop here, the stand are fully functional now.


And I do find this detail sweet.


Since it is now heavy as hell and I am no longer a teenager, I gave it a pair of wheels.
Like this I can roll around it when needed.


Also a layer of foam and finally felt, to sound dampen it a little, for the sake of the neighbors.


I used contact adhesive and then a stampler.


Adhesive on both sides.


And the felt.


Finally I added my leather tool holders.


Hammers, hammers, hammers.


On the back also two eye bolts, then I can put sticks in it and roll it of like a wheelbarrow.


That's it, my new anvil stand, I think it blends into the shop and adds life and quality.
That it also holds a story of friendship, will make the use of it, even more joyful.
Thank you Thomas!

Hope it could inspire.

Best thoughts,

Mads
 
#86 ·
Froe for splitting wood - Swedish sled runner steel

Froe for splitting wood
Forged from Swedish sled runner steel

Back at the forge again and once again to make some tools for woodworking, since this is the reason I started forging.
Have to say it again; 'there are no greater joy in woodworking, than using a tool made by your own hands'.


Lets burn some gas in the little forge!
Heating up some Swedish sled runner steel, found in an old barn up there.


Trying to bend a curve, to make an eye.
(I wrote trying).


This was acually where I tried to cool down a part of the eye and the steel broke in two, while trying to bend it…
Yeps learning by doing is what this is all about for me.


That's better!
Once I had something to bend and hammer around, the eye quickly took shape.
The eye need to be tapered, so it will hole the handle, the taper must open up towards the cutting edge.
(Bending while red hot, just not easy to take pictures while holding hot iron).


Welded the eye up.
This is not needed, but will make a stronger froe.


After cleaning up with a file and grinder.


Fair try.
Now time to forge some shape to the blade.


My little forging setup.


Here the piece that broke of…


Now heating up the blade in parts and hammering a wedge shape into the steel, while making it wider towards the splitting edge.
The hard part is keeping it straight.


But I manage to control the beast and end up with this.


Then sanding the edge, so it gets smooth and wedge shaped.
Again breaking something, this time the sanding band… The heat I guess…
No worse than a new band and some more sanding / grinding.


Time to do some woodworking, spinning the lathe.


Making a handle for the froe.
Tapering in the end of the blade.


Testing time.
Beating the froe down into a piece of fire wood, with a mallet on the top of the blade.


It works!
Youuuubbbiiiiii.


You control the split, by pushing the froe in the one or other sideways direction.


Fair leverage, compared to size, it splits the wood as easy as nothing.


Hmmmmm new things can be build now, new doors just opened.


Here next to my antique French froe.
The new one is meant to be brought out in nature for bush craft.


That's it, another one down on the bucket list.
Hmmm perhaps I should harden it… and make a sheath… and….

Hope this post can inspire others to make their own tools, after all this is why I take a detour out the black road now.

Best thoughts,

Mads
 
#97 ·
Pocket drawknife - One for the road

Pocket drawknife
One for the road

Once again a tool made by your own hands, to be used by your own hands, this time a pocket size drawknife, that will be my tour buddy, when I'm out there with my hammock, playing in nature, as a part of my tool set.


So let's start making some noise.


A piece of Swedish sled runner steel again, roughed out, with an angle grinder.
(The Swedish did make amazing steel back in the days).


Some heat in the forge.


And banging that baby into shape.
I also used files and sand paper, to shape up the cutting edge.


A round rod in the vice to shape the ends.
I just bend it around.
Sorry for the lack of pictures, I was so much there, that I forgot the camera.


Think you can see it here.


Then slow cooling it, I just left it in the forge to cool down.


After that I can work on the bevel, remove the sharp edges in the finger holes and shape it up.
Sandpaper, files and sweat.


Then re heating to cherry.


Quenching it in oil, by dipping it while cherry red.


Removing the hardness from the handles, so they are more flexible.
Keeping the blade in water, secures the hardening of the cutting edge are not taken out too.


Also made a pair of small handles, so it can be used like that also, think the fingers will be tired quite fast on heavy work - in nature I will just bring the blade and use sticks.


Here we have it, a pocket size draw knife.


Perfect when the handles are set like this, surprisingly nice to hold.


I had something in my girlfriends oven.
200° for an hour.


Dinner is served darling!


Time for some sharpening.


Only have my home kit here, but it will work, diamonds and stones (not pearls).


Testing as we go.
My dear Yeli think I'm mad(s) and I think she is right…


We got a fair edge.


And a flat back.


Now it just need a wrap.
I use suede leather.


Here from last week on a wee hike, we used the boat shelter to store our gear.


Sleeping in twin mood, wonderful to be out there, especially with the one you love.

UPDATE:


View on YouTube

Here after sharpening it on my new belt sander sharpener.

Hope this post can inspire others to make their own tools, perhaps even bring then into nature.

Best thoughts,

Mads
 
#98 ·
man I wish I could do some blacksmithing but the shop is like a jigsaw puzzle to get everything in now so I don't see that happening.you did a killer job on that but yeah I don't think your girlfriend likes sharing the kitchen with your creations though.and may I suggest I nice pinot noir to go with that steel next time,chardonnay just doesn't have enough strength-lol.nice work mads.
 
#117 ·
Swan neck carving gouge - from tractor rake spring steel

Swan neck carving gouge
from tractor rake spring steel

This could be the fairytale about the Ugly Duckling, by H. C. Andersen.

Making another tool by the forge, this time a swan neck gouge, intended for making Kuksa's or hand carved bowls.
Made from an old rake from a tractor, this steel is fantastic for cutting tool making and the joy of recycle is always a joy in it's self.


Here the tractor rake and me working on the tang of a small carving knife.


At the forge, heating up the steel as I work on it.


Beating some red hot steel is always a joy, when making it into a tool, slowly blow by blow with the hammer, shape emerge from the old rake.
Here the tang are done, the neck are being shaped and you can see the end is just a block now, but will become a cutting tool.


A gouge, all shaped by the hammer and by hand.
No need to co more on the shape, when it comes to the use, so I will keep it simple, no fancy shaping, just the tool.


Here after giving it the swan neck curve, so it can reach into the Kuksa.
Will have to get a heat more, the gouge have a too steep bend and need to be straightened a little.


Here a few items from that day.
(The second swan neck gouge, is one I bought years back, it never really worked, the steel was too soft, so I tried to give it a new heat treatment, but it ended in the trash, since it was to soft still).


At cherry red, it is put into rapeseed oil to harden it, the oil is pre heated a wee bit.


Here we have it, a swan neck gouge.


Turned a little handle on the lathe, that I think will be a good shape, for this kind of use.
Short and round, so it will be easy on the hand and to move around.
Kept it rough, so it will have some friction in the hand, so no sanding also.
It also got a ferrule, since it might get some side ways force, due to the long neck.


Just from the side.


Time for the annealing.
Just an hour in the oven at 200°C.
(Heating the steel again to soften it a wee bit, this makes it less stressed and more flexible).


The gouge gets it's handle, I like to epoxy them in place, especially if the are used for sideway force.


Finally some cutting after I have sharpened up the cutting edge.
It cuts really fine and the curved shape works surprisingly well.
So I'm a happy monkey.
(I'm trying out different shapes and angles on the cutting edge, to try and find my way in this).


A decent tool I think, really pleased that I have come to a point, where I can make something like this by the forge.


A little dye and some Danish oil, then it is ready for years of use.
An old tractor rake has gotten a new life, a swan has emerged.

Hope it can be to some inspiration, perhaps even some fairytales.

Best thoughts,

MaFe
 
#129 ·
Hot cutter - from bricklayers hammer

Hot cutter
from bricklayers hammer

It's time to make some updates on my blacksmithing for woodworkers series, have a load of stuff, that was never posted, so I'll try and get up to date again, by posting some of all that happened, show some of the tools I made for the blacksmithing and also some of the projects made and how to do it.

I'll start by the tools for blacksmithing.
There are a few basic tools one should get or make, besides your hammer and tongs.

When we want to work in metal, we need a way to cut it, this can be don by sawing or with an angel grinder, but also with a hou cutter.
A hot cutter is basically just a sharp edge of hard steel, where you cut your heted metal over, by hammering.
Why? It's easy, it takes less energy and time than sawing and no noise and dirt from the angel grinder.
So a clean hot cut.


What you need is some tool steel and then shape a cutter - or if you don't have steel in those dimensions you can do as I did, but a cheap bricklayer hammer and shape it up.


Sharpen one side, you might want to curve it a little too.


We have a hot cutter! I'll explain more. ;-)
Keep the handle, for if you want to use it as a hand held cutter, perhaps even with a friend hammering.


Let's test it.
We start by heating some metal.


Then put it over the cutter and use your hammer to beat it, once 2/3 through, then turn and beat some more.
Before you are all the way through, stop so you don't hammer on the cutter and simply break off the piece.
(Sorry for the out of focus picture, it's not easy to take photos and do this).


You see, that's it.
Easy as nothing.


On my old anvil, I just clamped it to the side like this.


But on the new anvil, I wanted it to go into the hardy hole.
(The square hole in the anvil top - made for holding tools).
So I shaped up the head, to fit the hole, on my anvil it's an inch by inch hole, app. 2,5×2,5 cm.


Here you see the hole and the hot cutter.
(The round hole can be used for other tools also, but that will be in a later blog).


Like this I have two hand free for the job and it's fast to take it on and off.
I just left the handle in.


Then it can easily be used like this also.
You should put some soft metal under the metal you cut, when using it like this.
Then you don't risk doing damage to the tool or anvil.


Just for the joy and to prevent rust, I gave it a coat of spray paint.


That's it, and that's that.

I have used it a lot by now and it works perfectly well.

If your budget is really low, then an old masonry chisel, can also be converted easily into the same tool, I have one I use for tasks, where I need precision.

Hope this post can inspire others to make their own tools, after all this is why I take a detour out the black road now.

Best thoughts,

Mads
 
#140 ·
Hardy tools DIY - tools for bending and making shoulders

Hardy tools DIY
tools for bending and making shoulders.

As promised a follow up, on the tools I made, for my wood working toolmaking, at the anvil.
This part is about tools for bending, to put in the hardy hole (square hole) on the anvil.
The reason I made them, was that I have made a few spoon knifes by now and each time, I desperately needed a good place to bend the curve, while being able to see what I do and I found this difficult at the horn of the anvil.
For the shoulder tool, I use this when creating the tang (the part that goes into the handle), when forging knife blades.


These kind of tools are dead expensive to buy, so I figured I needed to be creative instead.
So a quick tour to the local DIY shop, to get some square tubing, steel rod and water pipe.
I cut the threading off, cut them to length, with an angel grinder and cleaned the edges up, at a standard belt sander.


Then time for some welding.
In this case a pipe to a square tube, that's easy.
(I have a cheap DIY welder).


As you can see, I'm not a pro, but I have fun.


How can you not enjoy this?


This one took some more creativity, to build up, but even the scrap come to use here.


Once ready, it was heated and hammered into the hardy hole, to make a snug fit.


A bigger standard pipe, was also just hammered into the hole, while red hot.


Here are the hardy tools.


Smaller round, for bending around.


Bending fork, to bend between the two.


Mandrel, spike version, to be able to be precise on many sizes.


Used it, for the first time on this spoon knife for a friend.


That's quite fair I think.


Next up is a bottom fuller tool.
For this I bought a hammer, just a little bigger than the hardy hole and grinded it to size, with an angelgrinder.
You use this to establish a shoulder on the knife blade, a point from where you drag out the steel to the tang and blade, or simply to bend steel over.


Then some sanding.


We got a fit.


Spray paint.


Bottom fuller completed.


Fits just perfect.


Ready for some knife making.
I use a hammer as top fuller.
At a later point I want to make a guillotine fuller, but have not had the time yet.

Hope it can be to some inspiration, or even some blacksmithing tools.

Best thoughts,

MaFe
 
#144 ·
Hold fast - two types - one also for woodworking.

Hold fast - two types
one also for woodworking.

Once you start banging some metal, to make your own woodworking tools, you quickly realize, that often, two hands are not enough…
So time to make hold fasts, here I'll make two types.


First we have a quick and dirty spring loaded version.
Just a bend piece of flat bar, with a hole drilled into it and a eye bolt and nut on each side.
(The spring was just a long one from the trash, think it was from a lamp).


Here on the anvil, going through the hardy hole (square hole on top) and down to where it has a spring to it.


I simply put it on my band, no reason to make it complexed, you can just put a screw.


Here from the top.
As you can see one side is open and one side have a hold, this makes different types of hold possible.
You simply put your finger in the eye and lift.


Now in use, making the next hold fast…


Now I have two hands free for tools.


Detail.


Let's make another hold fast…


To begin with I actually just used a old bricklayer fold fast, but it came out too easy.


So a piece of car coil spring steel were straightened out.


And shaped into a curve with a food, this is a classic hold fast.
Here almost done, just needed a little more shaping.


And now in use.
It's a simple tool, you knock on the top to make ti hold and on side or under to loosen it.


One end is shaped into a foot.


So it can hold the item tight down.


The underside of the foot got a grip surface, I made that with a Dremmel tool.


That's it, easy peasy…
And it can be used for wood working as well, just remember the hole you use it in needs to be a bit larger, than the hold fast, for it to lock in place. I will use mine on my shaving horse workbench also.


It got it's own place on the anvil stand.


Ready for making new tools.


Don't do this at home…
I actually tried to harden it, but the steel got too stiff in my taste, but if we don't try, we don't win, now I'll try to heat it up to light blue and see if I can find that magic spring point.

Hope it can be to some inspiration, or to hold on perhaps…

Best thoughts,

MaFe
 
#150 ·
Blacksmiths basics - you don't need a lot.

Blacksmiths basics
you don't need a lot.

Quite a few of you, have shown interest in making your own wood working tools, by beating up some steel and shaping it into this.
I get the impression, that some of you, just like me, thought of this as black magic and something that takes a lot, the truth is, that it's not difficult to make your own tools, by shaping some warm metal, I'll claim it's easier than to learn, how to do proper sharpening of tools…

So to get those of you, who have this fear or just don't know where to get started, I took a bunch of pictures of my basic setup and will go through it.
(I have upgraded and made tools since then, but this is what happens on any path).


First of all we need some heat, to bring the metal up to a working temperature.
You can build a small blow torch coffee can forge, build a coal fired forge from an old car brake drum forge or as I did buy a cheap gas forge, to get you started (these can also be build ).
Mine is a Devil forge, I'm really happy with it, but if you want to do forge welding, you should get a model with more heat. (Since I'm working in a woodworking shop, I can't have sparks flying around, so this one is fine for me).


Quite a cosy setup. ;-)
Just about all you need.
But let's break it down.


The anvil.
We need something harder than the metal we are working on, to shape the metal with our hammers.
I got this old stake anvil from a friend when I started, it was fine and quite cool for shaping around.
A piece of an old railway track are really fine.
But you can start with a block of hard iron and some pipes for shaping, really that's all you need.
I will not recommend the really cheap anvils in cast iron from the DIY store, the top is too soft and the sides will break off fast. So better buy a used one or find some hard scrap metal to begin with.


Here an example of a primitive anvil.
Here a bench I set up last week, as a friend of mine and I were forging outside, at his place and needed two anvils.
A block of hard iron tube and a piece of an axle, just held together with clamps, a tong and a hammer.


Here my friend Flemming, behind the table I helped him build for blacksmithing in the small place he have outside.
In fact the table also have a hole for the stake anvil, but then you work a little high.


I did this knife on the that day, on the block of hard iron tube and a piece of an axle.
The steel is a piece of a car coil spring I found in the street.
So no excuses, you don't need an expensive anvil to get going.


I made this simple anvil stand out of roof batterns.
Like this I could work in a fair height.
Here is my first setup, it worked fine and the straps for the tools, made them close at hand.


Now we have a dedicated area and of course we need some steel too, in this picture you see a giant coil spring I got from a metal trash place, I paid next to nothing for it app. 5 USD and can make at least 50 knifes from it, so plenty to get started. Car coil springs are good also, these you can get for free at the local garage.


A gas alarm might be a good idea also, when you work inside.


Fire extinguisher should be in place before any indoor forging.


The heart of forging is the forge.
The small Devil forge, I love it, it was relatively cheap and it's large enough for basic tool making and knife making.
It's a single burner type.


This type has a door at the back end to save energy, but can be opened, when making longer items.


Like this.


Standard gas bottle, sadly I can only have the small size bottles due to regulations.
(The gas is more expensive in the small bottles).


Something to start the forge, something with a long flame, so your hands are not near the opening, as it turns on.
You have a lot of heat and a small explosion.


A regulator to fit the hose to the bottle and a gas pressure regulator.


The gas pressure regulator, is where you adjust the amount of gas to the forge, without this, you would empty your bottle en really short time.
You will find your sweet spot, where you forge and this makes it easy not to overheat the steel.
(If you are not awake in a coal forge, your steel will burn of, into the air creating sparks).


This is how it looks here in Denmark.


Next you need a metal can, with an airtight lid.
All metal is best, but I could only find a baby food canister and made a wood lid for it.
(For longer items you can use a tube).


This is for quenching (hardening) the tools you make in oil.
Just plain rapeseed oil (canola) will do, I have used this a few years now, with no issues.
Here a little on types.


Gloves and an apron.
One important thing is a pair of leather gloves, best not like these with nylon, since that melts, but the cheap leather / canvas gloves will do the trick, the cheapest way to get good leather gloves for forging, is buying those for the BBQ in your local DIY place.
An apron is not a must have, but it can save you from some burns and as I never change for working clothes, it saves my clothes, so it's a fast pay back time.


A hammer.
Basically you only need one to get started.
Something like this one.
1000g is a good starter, then you will not wear out and still have a good blow.
A real blacksmith hammer is between 1-1,5kg.
One side flat (you should round of sharp edges), one side Pein (tapered).
These hammers are dead cheap in the local DIY, but buy a good quality there, since it need to be proper hard.


Other hammers.
You will slowly get a collection of hammers, smaller for details, larger for some blows, round for shaping and so on, but just start with the 1000g, the rest will find you.


More safety, goggles and sound protection.
I wear glasses, so I don't use goggles, but I do use ear muffs, when working longer time.


Wire brush, to clean of the anvil and the steel, when scales come from the heating.
(Oxidation occurs during the heating process, as air contacts the steel. This process creates what blacksmiths call scale or slag. ... Scale that is left on the steel during forging forces the scale into the steel, leaving a mark on the piece. The greater the scale build up, the less attractive the finished piece. Wicki).


A magnet.
When you harden the metal in the oil, it should be cherry red and non magnetic, this critical temperature can be found by heating the metal and finding the spot / color, where it stops being magnetic.
I made this magnet on a arm, so my fingers are away from the hot iron.


At least one tong.
Yes I think you need a good tong, not too heavy and with a good length, to keep your hands away from the fire.
This one is my favorite, I use it for almost every thing.


These polygrip guys are just wonderful, when you need a good hold, but your fingers are close to the heat.


Ohhh yes, if you have a wood floor, then some metal plates on top.
You will drop red hot metal and it will burn holes in your floor in an instant - trust me…
These are aluminum and cost almost nothing at the local crap yard, but any kind will do, or at least buy you time.


Here the stand again.


Quick and dirty.


Extra tools holders. Smiles.


I also often use a little guy like this, just for bends and other detailed work, or just when I need to rotate the hot iron in the tong.


A punch is a good friend for marking.


Different kinds and shapes of metal to use as anvil, when getting into odd shapes.
Here a shoemaker anvil.


Finally a vice, a real leg vice is the best, but just a small one like this will do the job.


So I think that's it, I'll add to it, if I remember more, but this should be what you need to get started.
In many of my other posts, you can read about the hardening and other advice and I still have a few old blogs ready for posting, that will come as I find time.

You can read more in my block series: https://www.lumberjocks.com/mafe/blog/series/14506

To get started and to get advice or inspiration, I can highly recommend the videos of Black Bear Forge, this guy is a wonderful teacher and have a way of removing the magic and making it into something easy:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdOM6Qc53TcWuExrnDLVjXg/videos
He have videos explaining all the tools and how to make a lot of projects and tools your self.

Hope it can be to some inspiration or even better, inspirer some to get started making their own woodworking tools.

Best thoughts,

MaFe
 
#156 ·
Froe for splitting wood 2 - The disaster...

Froe for splitting wood 2
The disaster…

First part: https://www.lumberjocks.com/mafe/blog/129354


The first part of the blog ended here, with this picture of my finished frog and me really happy.
But also with this text: Hmmm perhaps I should harden it… and make a sheath… and….
This was where things went wrong…
First of all a froe is not supposed to be sharp, then it will cut into the wood, instead of splitting it, so after sharpening I rounded the edge again. First lesson learned.


Then this!
I also wanted to do the hardening and to try to be a real sword maker, where the edge should be harder than the back and this should give strength and flexibility. Great idea…
Naaaaaa…
Not dipping it in cold water, while red hot… Idiot, yes I do call my self that, in this case.
But I'm a lesson more clever, tried something new.
Now I know that this steel, cant take that.
(I have been fighting a lot with that sled runner steel, I begin to think it's not really suited for the purpose, or at least I haven't completely cracked the code for the hardening yet).
But quite interesting to see what happened to the fro - no it cant be fixed.


So now I had two choices:
A: Sit down crying and feel sorry for my self.
B: Pick a new piece of steel and forge my self a new fro.
I choose B and I could see that muscle memory is a fact.


This time I was much better and faster at making the eye.


Welded and finished up.


Froe got it's shape hammered out.
Then with a file and a band sander it got it's final shape and a sharpening and then rounding of the cutting edge.


Hardening in oil, this time the full length in pre heated oil and the an hour in the oven at 200°C.


Had to make my self a taller oil canister.


Time for testing.


It fits right in.


And it works perfectly well.


Let's make something useful.


Hmmmmmmm…


A little mallet, so I will not beat up my other mallets on the hard edge.
Notice the bicycle tubing…


None slip handle and sheath, from bicycle tubing.
Now ready for years of use.

Hope it can be to some inspiration, perhaps a lesson learned…

Best thoughts,

MaFe
 
#169 ·
Tools and a knifes - wonderful day with a good friend

Tools and a knifes
wonderful day with a good friend.

Hi,
Thought it would be good to keep my brain busy and give you all a chance to do the same, now where the COVID-19 is putting the world under it's spell, so I'll give you a little walk back in time, to the summer (it's winter in Denmark now), where I spend a wonderful day with my friend Flemming at his little man cave in the Copenhagen harbour, fooling around with some tools, steel and fire.

At the moment, I'm in voluntary quarantine in my home, with all the influenza symptoms, for the fifth day, but I feel, I'm getting better by the hour.
If it is COVID… I might never know, they stopped testing now…


Just as a teaser, here the Iron age inspired knife I did that day.


But first we got lucky!
It was a wonderful sunny day and when we drove down to the harbour, the local tool store had a birthday party, where they offered free hot dogs, so we brought a few and started unpacking some tools.


My friend Flemming had brought a bunch of hammers, he wanted to improve or restore, as well as a few knife blades he wanted to reforge a wee bit.


Started the day, by going into destruction mode, with an angle grinder, on a bricklayers lump hammer, I had bought for the purpose…


Cutting down 45° to the face and 50° or so outwards.
As you can see, I had marked up roughly, with a Sharpie first.


In the meanwhile Flemming were quietly sanding on a hammer head, wearing ear protection, to be able to stand my company - sometimes I wonder, if my GF also need a pair…


We helped each other clean up some old hammer heads and give them a fresh surface, so they will not leave marks in the metal they hit.


So here my new 45° peen hammer, next to my normal cross peen hammer, both cleaned up and ready for use now.
The 45° peen hammer can be wonderful to get a relaxed working arm position, while stretching steel on the anvil. As I have chronic pain, from my neck down my arm, I do all I can to avoid working in odd positions, so I looked forward to try it out.


I haven had it on the scale, but my guess it, that it's just over a kilo now.
It's a little too heave for long time, with an untrained arm, but ok for me, when I take it easy and listen to the body. (Some days, I can work an hour or two when lucky, otherwise it can be minutes on a bad day…).


Lets get to it.
Here we are using the workbench we made, last time we were here, with a blacksmiths leg vice and my anvil today, is a piece of square metal rod and and a short round solid.


Hot cutting a piece of car spring coil, with a bricklayes chisel.


Flemming and the propane forge are firing up now.
In the left you see my old anvil, that was one he had given me, so I gave it back, when I got my new one back in the work shop.


Here I have stretched out the car spring coil and made the rough shape of the blade.
The new hammer worked great for stretching, but I used the old for shaping, it's in the hand now…


The small forge, I really love these, this one is Flemmings, he bought one just like mine.


Here he is, hammering away on a blade.


Flemming:
Just beat it!
Just beat it!
Uhhhhhhhhhhh!


I my self went for the rough shape of the knife.
From here, it's all about finding the curves, fine tapping and tuning until you are pleased, or as close as your skills can take you by now.


I had also brought with me, the new froe, it needed the last touch up and a clean symmetric edge.
Here rough grinding, then with sanding flaps, finer and finer, once the shape is there.


Not completely happy with the straightness, close but no cigar…


In the forge for some heat.


Working hairs, so get it just right, with a smaller hammer, I like this type for the details, I actually bought it for Japanese woodworking, but it now serves both purposes.


I like Flemmings picture of me here, mad man focus.


So from this, to this.
Piece of broken off car coil spring - to knife.


I'm pleased with the curves.
After it was shaped, it got cleaned up with a file, sandpaper in grits 80-1000, hardened in oil, fine grids again on the edge so the metal shines through.


Back home baking it an hour in the oven.


Left to cool down.
Notice the short froe, it was the last piece of the one that exploded, I decided to make it into a short version, instead of trash.


Here in the kitchen after sharpening, it seems fine and there are a fine spring in the steel.


Thanks for watching and going down the memory lane with me.

Hope it can be to some inspiration, or at least distraction, in these worried times.

All my best thoughts, to you and yours

MaFe
 
#170 ·
Thanks, Mads, for helping take my mind off of the constant bombardment of doom and gloom.

I pray that your own illness is just a bit of a cold and nothing more.

Take care my friend.
 
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