Subject: Question about tenons and flatters

From: Randall Gray <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 6 Aug 96 09:51:25 EST

Guess he didn't know about independent, irrascable blacksmiths who
aren't afraid of talking the fingers off postmasters  ;-)

Is the best way to make tenons to use a (very obtuse, flat backed
chisel) to cut the tenon and to shape it with a flatter?  What other
ways are there?

On the subject of flatters ... are there any tricks to making a good
one?  I am (obviously) a relative newcomer and am approaching the
stage where I need to make some serious investment in making some
tools (like flatters, drifts, punches and some various top-tools).  

Never should have done what ever it was that I did that got me
hooked.  Too late now, just hope that I can look back in ten years
(oops eight now) and say, "Gee, I am a helluva lot better now!"

Randall

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From: Bill Roberts <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 05 Aug 1996 21:02:10 -0400

Randall-

> chisel) to cut the tenon and to shape it with a flatter?  What other
If you had a top and bottom tool of the same shapes you describe you 
could get both sides at once. Have you seen Jerry Hoffman's Blacksmith's 
Helper? |   | you're gonna love it!!!!! It also has a flatter tool.
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The Blacksmith's Journal(Hoffman's) has many wonderful tips and 
techniques. One of them addresses the making of tenons.
Sorry for the crummy drawing.

> tools (like flatters, drifts, punches and some various top-tools).

Sounds like you need to get you a bag of marbles.... everytime you buy a 
tool(stop me if you've heard this) you leave a marble. When you've lost 
all your marbles you should have all the tools a guy could want. Sorry, 
couldn't resist.
Happy Hammering-
Bill Roberts
Custom Design Metal Arts
3740 NE 40th Pl. Ste. C
Ocala, FL. 34479
[email-masked]
http://wuarchive.wustl.edu/edu/arts/metal/incoming/portflio/broberts

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From: Bob Bigelow <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 05 Aug 1996 20:37:52 -0700

Randall,
  I saw someone, a long time ago, who took a square of 1/2 inch plate,
about 2" by 2" and welded it to a annealed, double hammer...one with a
flat face on both ends...a drilling hammer I think it's called.  Served
him for a time.  There definately is a need to anneal the hammer, since
you are going to be hitting it pretty hard through it's life, and you 
don't want chips coming off.

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From: [email-masked] (Frost, Jerry)
Date: Mon, 05 Aug 1996 23:42:35 -0800

> tools (like flatters, drifts, punches and some various top-tools).

Randall:

A couple years ago I bought four, el cheapo, chinese hammers at one of 
those closeout tool places. They weigh: 500gm, 1000gm, 1500gm and 
2000gm. They're square as bricks with dead flat faces and cost $5.95 for 
the set, couldn't pass it up. The thing that surprised me was that once 
I put decent handles on them they've made good flatting hammers.

I suppose it wouldn't be hard to anneal one face and reform it for a set 
hammer but I'd be wearing all the safety gear I have until I was sure it 
wouldn't shatter on me.

Frosty
-- 
If it ain't forged
It ain't real
wrought iron is
The FROSTWORKS

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From: Jim McCarty <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 06 Aug 1996 09:31:22 -0500

> (oops eight now) and say, "Gee, I am a helluva lot better now!"

Hi Randall,
What's happening down under? Got a new e-mail address, probably why I 
haven't heard from you in awhile.

You can make a pretty good flatter from the right kind of truck axle 
-- they aren't all flat in the middle but some are. Cut off a three 
inch piece of the end where the wheel bolts on and square it up with a 
chisel (unless you want a round flatter, don't see why not). You'll 
have to slit and drift a hole for the handle in the round section of 
axle but, as they say in Missouri, that's no hill for a stepper (or 
blacksmith who has a friend swinging a sledge hammer.)

I suppose you could also weld a flat piece of leaf spring to a hunk of 
axle as well. I've seen some flatters that had the corners turned up 
so they didn't leave marks on the work piece.

Hope this hepls you out.
-- 
Jim McCarty
Father Helias Forge
Taos, MO
Editor Rural Missouri Magazine
Newsletter editor, Blacksmiths Association of Missouri

³Foolish consistencies are the hobgoblins of little minds³