Subject: Hand forging tools

From: [email-masked] ()
Date: 1 Oct 1993 20:02:29 GMT

I'm interested in forging some simple hand tools to supliment 
my woodworking tools (read hand tools).  For those familiar
with Roy Underhill of PBS fame, you have an idea of what I'm
after:  chisles, gouges, hold fast, froe, bench dogs, etc.  
I'ld like to start out simple and with a minimal investment
using scrap metal and homebrew equipment.  

Anyone out there currently doing this?  If so, do you have
any suggestions on getting started?  I have several good
books on the subject but would like to hear from someone 
and get some first hand experience.  It would be great to
get some encouragement, most people I talk to about this
think I'm nuts.

Regards,
Mike Lopke

---

From: Jim Jaskie <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 1 Oct 1993 22:52:52 GMT

Subject: Hand forging tools
From: lopke
>get some encouragement, most people I talk to about this

Well, I can offer you some encouragement.  I think that making
woodworking tools would be a great task to take on.  What a great sense
of accomplishment you will have with a piece of wood furniture or such
that you not only made, but made the tools to make it with!  I can not
tell you of any personal experience of making such tools (I suffer under
different, but similar, goals), but I can suggest some good books and
such.  First, there is a great book entitled "Under (?) the Anvil" which
is a recent book describing the techniques of hand forging.  I believe
this book is now available from Lindsey Press, whose catalog is a
necessity.  They sell books and brochures teaching how to build the
forges and such out of old hot water heaters.  I don't have a copy handy
here at work, but maybe someone reading this does and can give you their
phone number.  If not, I'll bring it in next week and post it.

There is also an organization that I belong to called (The acronym is
ABANA, I'm trying to remember what the letters stand for) the Amateur
Blacksmiths and Artists of North America (?) or something like that. 
They put out a magazine that is a delight to read, with pictures of
beautiful iron work by members and miscellaneous articles of interest
(ever want to know how to build a potato cannon?).  They also have local
chapters around the country that  hold demonstrations at various hearths
where members have shown (locally, here in Arizona) how to make fireplace
tools with bear head ends, etc...  Joining this, or similar
organizations, and getting to talk to people that enjoy these sorts of
things help you feel as if you're not the only weirdo in the world.

---

From: [email-masked] (Larry London)
Date: 3 Oct 1993 05:12:17 GMT

>get some encouragement, most people I talk to about this

I'm interested in the same thing and forging han gardening tools as well 
(hand scythes-machetes and eye hoes). I just got my first hand crank blower
to add to my 3 anvils, forge, oxy-acetlyene outfit and 180amp AC stick welder
(Hobart buzz-box). Here are several books I think you would be quite
interested in:

"Beginning Blackmithing, With Projects"
Jim Converse
TAB Books, 1st ed. 1986

These are _excellent_ for info on making woodworking tools:

"The Making of Tools" (c. 1973)
-and-
"The Modern Blacksmith" (c. 1974)
Alexander G. Wegyers
Van Nostrand Reinhold Company

a few chapter titles:

A Beginner's Workshop
Tempering Steel
Sharpening Tools
Making Carpenter's Chisels
Making Cutting Tools
Making Sculptor's Woodcarving Gouges
Making Tool Handles
Making Hammers
The Blacksmith Shop and its Equipment
Upsetting Steel
How To Temper and Harden High-Carbon Steel
Hold-Down Tools
Making Milling Cutters, Augers and Drills
Stone Carving Tools
Accessory Forging Tools
Making a Small Anvil from a Railroad Rail

This should help get you started on your projects. BTW I archive this
newsgroup, its FAQs and other related metalworking documents here at
sunSITE. The info is available by ftp, wais, gopher, ftpmail and e-mail.
anonymous ftp:
ftp sunsite.unc.edu
cd pub/academic/agriculture/sustainable_agriculture/newsgroups/rec.crafts.
metalworking/(/newsgroup.archives, /faqs, /miscellaneous)
-or-
gopher by telnet:
telnet sunsite.unc.edu
Login: gopher
Enter term type: vt100 (works fine)
go to:
sunsite archives
sustainable agriculture information
sustainable agriculture
newsgroups
rec.crafts.metalworking
(faqs, newsgroup.archives, miscellaneous)

-or-
ftpmail:
send e-mail to [email-masked]
in text of message type: help

Hope you find this useful.

Lawrence
[email-masked]
Chapel Hill, N.C.

---

From: [email-masked] (Cory Carpenter)
Date: Sun, 3 Oct 93 04:57:23 GMT

In article <[email-masked]> Jim Jaskie <[email-masked]> writes:
>>my woodworking tools (read hand tools).  
>necessity.  They sell books and brochures teaching how to build the

I think the book Jim is referring to may be "Edge of the Anvil" by Jack 
Andrews.  Here are the specifics:

	Edge of the Anvil
	a resource book for the blacksmith
	by Jack Andrews
	Rodal Press, Emmaus PA
	(C) 1977
	ISBN 0-87857-186-8
	ISBN 0-87857-195-7 pbk.

Even if Jim's talking about another book, this one does deserve a look.
Good information on technique, and a lot of good data.  (There's a
reciped for "Blacksmith's beer" too -- can't be a total loss... .)

;^)

-coryc
-- 
|     >> Disclaimer: I speak for Sequent only in our hardware manuals <<     |
| Cory R. Carpenter, Senior Tech Writer  |                                   |
| Sequent Computer Systems, Incorporated | "On the Internet, nobody knows    |
|  [email-masked]                     |  you're a dog."                   |

---

From: [email-masked] (Brett Miller)
Date: 5 Oct 93 16:10:53 GMT

Mike,
	You're definitely not the only "weirdo".  I'm a disciple of
Roy Underhill as well.  (My 19th century woodworking/blacksmith shop
is well under way.)  Simple tools like chisels are good to start on.
However, when it comes to making planes or other more elaborate tools,
I recommend that you procure some second-hand.  This will let you get
started with any woodworking you need to do as well as to give you
good examples to copy.  (However, when it comes to planes, try to check
out some 18th century examples.  Most 19th century planes are 
factory-made and lack the special touches that you can add when
you do them by hand.)

	Make sure that you start out with good scrap.  Some things
can be made out of mild steel (which can't be tempered).  Underhill
shows a wood tap being made this way.  Most things will require
at least a a bit of higher carbon steel in the cutting surface.  
(I use truck leaf springs quite a bit.)  For example, if you want to make a 
plane iron (or an axe) the way that they used to, you'd forge-weld the steel 
onto a larger piece of iron.  (This isn't recommended as a first experiment 
since the two metals will weld at different temperatures.)

Have fun,
Brett
Blacksmith, Woodworker, and programmer

Note the small 'p' in programmer.  It's my somewhat lucrative
9-5 hobby.  However, when we get sufficient $$$, we're headed
for the sticks...

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Brett Miller
Comshare Inc, Ann Arbor MI
[email-masked]

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* The views expressed herein are not necessarily those of Comshare. *
* In fact, they might not even be mine.  I'm just argumentative.    *
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