Turning an old Hammer into an Adze by Blacksmithing
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- Опубліковано 1 жов 2024
- My website: www.bucklehurst...
Blacksmithing work on an old hammer head to convert it into a small adze for carving out wooden bowls and such like.
In this film I have the forge running very hot to beat an old slaters hammer into a new form - this time making a small adze. At the start of the film it was going to be a bit of a toss up as to whether I was going to make a Twybill or Adze, but given the way the metal was responding, with a degree of britalness, the adze won the day. The project went very well, and at the end of the film you can see me using the Adze.
Thats interesting - its a bit like the differences in regional chairs - here in the UK you can identify many windsor chair styles by the region in which they were made, and before online auctions etc they tended to remain near to where they were made - Dr Bernard Cotton captured all this in his book The Regional Chair, anyway it seems that one could within reason track the movement and origins of some early tools!
I think people like you are hero's. This is why. You keep the old ways alive and you do them justice. Forging and Blacksmithing Knives and tools is amazing and the only way to get superb quality and craftsmanship. For this I thank all of you. Thank you so much for taking the time to learn the skills it takes to make this art.
Thanks for you comments Jason, its great to get support from people like you. Regards Harry
Harry Rogers You are welcome. I am such a fan of this craft, have been since I was a small child. It excites me to see a piece of steal become a tool, or a piece of art.
Harry Rogers Hi Harry, where are you from? Your accent seems extremely familiar.....I am from Derbyshire which I suspect you are too. I live near matlock :-)
Please dont fucking grind with a cutting disc. im begging you.
Thanks Ken, yes it does seem to be a good way of getting some much needed tools at an economical price....and it is very satisfying - that slaters hammer head only cost me £3, and the especially good thing is that my money went to a hospice charity.
Its weird - adzes are relatively rare in the UK, but slate hammers are two a penny..........why do you have more adzes....was it pioneering people building cabins and wood houses? Do you have much in the way of slate....north Wales has stacks, so its a fairly common roofing material in some parts of the UK....though now giving way to artificial slate - good to hear from you. Harry
Good point about the curvature.......probably should build more in next time - i know my chair seat adze has a nice curve, but I have seen them with insufficient curve for a good swing action. I know its each to their own, but I personally see nothing wrong with two hands on an adze - it would be great if any kid wanted to do these crafts, still hopefully it did not put you off. I likewise had some tough knocks in early woodwork days.
I am a passing custodian of those tools that have a long history and will doubtless be around long after I have gone.......thanks for your comment.
I am very interested in black smithing, just starting out. I found your video very informative.
Thank you,
MC Gallery
USA WV.
Thanks Liam - it will be back to school next week....literally....I hope you like it. Harry
I'm a Shipwright ( ex Cammell Laird, Birkenhead, Boaty McBoatface 'fame') and to me it looks more like a gouge than a mini adze. Should have made it flatter if you could. You definitely have more control two handed.. Still a decent job though, except that the helve looked a bit too rough and ready for me. Full sized Adzes aren't wedged permanently onto the helve. If made accurately and carefully the Adze should fit snugly and tightly and not work loose while in use. When finished the Adze can be dismantled by knocking top of the helve and it will become loose and then stored for next time.
Hi Harry, I watched your spoon gouge and adze video's with interest. You have the tackle and some knowledge but I don't think you are a professional blacksmith. Your shop's too tidy and tools too clean. I'm not having a go at you, you're doing fine. Just an observation. You might have done better "jumping up" the end to increase the metal before widening and drawing down.Your use of spring steel was perfect. For bigger jobs I use landrover halfshafts or even lorry halfshafts. It's the best tool steel you can get. Keep at it. Regards, Ian.
Thanks Dave - yep it coke - not so easy to get now - its Sunbright doubles. A lot of people seem to be going over to charcoal, which I find pretty good as well. There are a few more films in the pipeline - between us we are being quite prolific - great haversack series on your channel thanks.
Hey excellent adze! I liked the old hammer though... ;-)
I liked your video, but thought it was a perfectly functional tool head as it was. It served three purposes before, now it serves one. Anyone needing an adze, could surely appreciate what that was before you made and adze out of it.
Yes it was more of a hammer handle than a true adze handle - still it works for what I need - thanks for your comment, much appreciated. Harry
Harry you have saved another tool from the scrap bin. Well done. The little adse should serve you well.
Is that coke you are using?
I enjoyed the video and keep them coming.
The mould is called a swage block.
Hi I was running this off of mains electricity, but I could have used an old car battery and that would have worked perfectly well - I hope that helps. Harry
You removed the pole, thus making it harder to control and reducing the mass by a quarter.... I would have just folded that metal over, centered it, and left it there. Also, more curve in the adze will make it easier to use.
i was thinking the same thing. at the part where he uses it, it looks like it needs to be al least twice as havy.
Thanks Brent - there will be a bit of a mix coming up - from arts and crafts to leatherwork and woodwork. Great country in Canada. Regards Harry
Thanks Brent - there will be a bit of a mix coming up - from arts and crafts to leatherwork and woodwork. Great country in Canada. Regards Harry
forging in shorts you are a brave man!
Be braver in poly slacks.
when marking out the wood for hammer head to place, I dont scribe it or use a pencil, Ishoot a a dab of spray paint down it and it leaves a great guide
A good trick
Great videos! I really like your natural style of video creation. Also very much enjoyed your shave horse video. I look forward to visiting again! Thanks!
+The Griffin Benchmark Thanks very much.
Very cool! I'm a 16 year old blacksmith / knifemaker / woodworker / metalworker. This video was great!! Thanks Subscribed :)
I just liked how the head was dancing around on the table when you were using the shave. It's all "I'm ready!"
Beautiful blacksmithing, just learn to read the wood better would you....
People move around quite a bit, so folks from the East move out West & bring their antiques along. There are also people who go buy old stuff in the East, the Midwest, & even all over the world, & haul it to the West to sell at higher prices. Old stuff is still more common in the East, but things have gotten more mixed up over the years. I'm sure the internet has also been a factor in mixing things up here. Heavy construction materials, like slate, don't typically move across the country.
We don't see many old adzes here but we do see them from time to time. Slate hammers however, are never seen here. Slate is quarried in New England, so I imagine slate hammers are seen there, but here in the opposite corner of the country a slate roof would cost you a fortune in shipping. I live in an area that wasn't inhabited by Anglos until after the invention of the circular saw. That means adzes around here are either old ones brought in from back East, or new ones.
Liking the adze. But every time I ever used one two handed as a kid I caught a slap to the back of the head and was always told it was a one handed tool. If you had a little bit more curvature to it as well on the shaft of the blade you can easily use it to smooth bowls quicker with almost a slicing action rather than the gouging action of a straight shaft. But great work and great videos. Can't wait to see the next one.
Another brilliant video....thanks. What is the name of the "mould" you used to create the curve? Also, when's the shop tour coming ;)
You did a nice job with that. The blade may need to be curved towards your hands a bit more. I enjoyed watching you do the heat treating. Slate hammers are rare as hen's teeth here. I imagine there are guys here who've had to forge a slate hammer out of an adze.
Thanks Tom I'm pleased you like them - there will be a few more! Harry
Where do you buy your forging coal? Because I'm struggling with bbq coal lol! Thanks! Love the adze!
Hi rogers, What a great job. Give me more of your great videos. Greeting from San jose, USA.
Well done Mr. Rogers (no joke intended). It's surprises me sometimes how quick the process can be. Judging from the movement of the sun between cuts, I'd guess only about three to four hours from forge to grinder?
And back at you again Harry. I was just seeing the title not looking at anything else while scrolling through what to watch while eating after watching two stone ax making videos and here it's you recognised by your face as the video pops up.
Small world.
For a mannered man you are quite the jack of many trades learning by accident. Too bad you don't have a little bit of Ponce DeLon in you although.
Building a dwarf canoe mate ! Jokes. Enjoy your video's - greetings from South Africa.
All things hand made are far better than production line crap. My father instilled in me , if you buy or make junk you will be buying it and making it constantly. I don't have the space or tools to hand make my own , so I save and buy all hand made tools and custom knives. Thanks for keeping it ole school my friend.
Peace
I made a nice little bowl adz out of a garden mattock. i cut off the 3 spiked claw on the other side and put a slight curve to the blade. Tempered it and ground it to a nice sharp bevel. It works great and is much lighter than an expensive bowl adz.
What kind of camera did your friend use to film this? The video quality is really really good! (Loved the rest of the video -- and your other forging videos -- as well.)
I think it is wonderful that people are keeping the old arts alive.
Thanks
A shame the wood you started with had the grain contrary to your ange of chop so it PICKED UP the gain; love your vids.
I am impressed. Fine leather, wood working, now forging. What else do you do? Thanks for sharing that.
Just a suggestion, but you should put a slight sweep in it, if you watch the vid in slow motion, you can see that the tool is striking the work ahead of it's self, or the arch, and keep your elbow tight into your body using more of your forearm, you want the "pivot point" to be from the elbow up to wrist and keep your wrist locked as well, at leasst that is what I was taught, still cool vid thanks for sharing.
Mr.Harry.I wish to have your tools. When i work i got 150y old tools and try to make some work around the home. thank to sheer your video.
Got a pair of leaf springs today, a cross peen hammer, forty pound bag of anthracite, a small washtub terracotta pot and some plaster.
Need to walk the tracks to find a derelict tie plate, pick up a trailer ball and I can get started myself.
Excellent work. I admire your skill range. Interesting shape handle the adze.
The reason for the fracture was getting the tool steel too hot. Tool steel heats up faster than mild steels. Working in the sun doesn't help either.
I meet so many adults
that have never seen
or heard of an adze.
nice project. He uses
old & modern tools.
nice video.
Have you seen many of these "mini adze" tools in historical accounts or seen antique period pieces like this?
Wonderful work !! Never built one but am looking forwards to one day. I do know that the angle versus your swing or perhaps the pivot of your wrist is a big deal. I also looked at making a carving ax such as the ones used in Africa, Basically, look much like what you've come up with except they have a chisel tip and they can wedge the handle on and off for packing. You've seen the ebony or hardwood carvings of lions hippos Giraffes sold... That is what many are made with. Lots of detail with one tool and a knife. I have several old chisels. I may make one with some old plumbing pipe, a chisel, and branch. Anyway, Be safe and keep it up!!
Thanks very much
it look lite the air gos right in the heat i dont think that is good you burn more coal faster an if you put you work to close to the air flow it won´t heat up as you probably know
I think you would get a better use if you used it as like a chisel and strike the back of it with a hammer rather then swinging away with it.
Thanks John
In hindsight, do you think you should have left on some of that metal you took off the backend, to give the tool more heft?
Wouldn't a tomahawk style handle work better for that kind of tool?
If it is doing the job does it really need more sharpening?
Always enjoy watching your videos, Harry. Very interesting and informative. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Trefor Parry Thanks Trefor
This is a great video. Its nice to see old tools re-purposed. I think it would have been cool to make an adze/pulaski combo though. Also, I am not a blacksmith by any means, just a spectator in the hobby, but with all that metal you removed, couldn't you have folded the metal over and made the end stronger? Again. I am not a metal smith, it just makes the most sense to me.
takura13 Thanks for your comments - I could have folded the metal over, but the risk of delayering makes a fold less attractive given it was thick enough......I use this tool a lot and its held up well. All the best Harry
Excellent Work.
Just as a matter of interest and because Ive always got on my environmental head
do you think its worth building with the cost of the furnace ,blow torch, electric etc.?
It may not be the most efficient use of heat and other environmental resources.....but the green woodwork it helps promote is very environmentally sound as there is no timber processing and seasoning kilns etc. So a Yes ....No answer really! Interesting question though, and a good one to ask! Thanks.
Hello! Interesting capture that makes me ask some question about that blue block tool you used for hammering your half ready adze. Can you tell me what is it, and where to buy one, what is the name of it to look for using google search to get touched one? Thank you - Sándor from Hungary
Hi - its called a Swage Block or Swaging Block, and you should be able to pick one up secondhand - mine is a miscast so was very reasonable, but they do cost a lot new - good luck.
Harry, you are a man of many hats. Always enjoy your videos.
That look of pride when looking at it after the grinding made me smile haha love to see it
that seemed to be a perfect material to make shepherd's axe head tho...
Put more of a radius on it.
+58belvedere That is what I thought too. Helps to get the proper bite according to most of the videos I have been watching
That turned out very well as an idea. All tools can be used but as it reminds of an adze, I feel the lack of weight in the head.
Got the video making down to a tee too. Respectful regards from here
QaaUz Thanks
Thanks Harry all very interesting
Great Video. One suggestion when forging your metal, it is starting to spark that means your burning the carbon so just a little less time in the heat. Great job though.
Yes thanks David .....being tool steel (equivalent) I should really have run it a bit cooler, still the tool keeps a great edge! Thanks for commenting.
Good video. What was the balance like on the finished tool?
Pretty good but if I was making it again I might put a bit more curve into the arc of the blade - still that gives me the excuse for another go sometime! Thanks for your comment. Regards Harry
Interesting video good information.have you ever considered using a steel container for your quenching oil, I think if glass is broken or plastic is pierced you can a lot of hot oil running all over.
Hi David....yes a steel container would be much better!
awesome, not much time but a great result.
I just seen this looked like fun I got to make me one now thanks
I recon your missus is one in a million, I have one just like her but my back yard is too small to do what you do so she limits me to green woodworking, keep it up fella.
Spot on Chez...Thanks.
Nicely done and well presented.
Regards,
Mick Bradford
Thanks Mick
very nice video, so thanks a lot.
would you accept very few suggestions: as you previously mentioned, the wooden piece would be shortened by 45 percent
and curved (axe' shape) and I guess the tool would be approximately twice heavier (well in hand for short radius use) :
you would have folded the pic instead of cutting to preserve the tool weight balance .
Some specific use procedure like starting and "digging" in the center then peripherically progressing .
By the way, I like your forging skills and related "metal treatment".
Thanks again. you gave me the answer on "how to" carvinf tools.
Very kool, thanks for sharing.
I imagine your neighbors were quite pleased when you started leather working. 😉
Omar Dumbrell Yes it did not seem fair to do much blacksmithing from home as an anvil strike carries a long way in a town.
you have inspired me to start collecting items to build a homemade forge and anvil and give this a go, although I should do the pole lathe first for in our woods, that can wait,lol
Thats great - for a quick win you could convert a barbeque! Good luck.
Harry Rogers using a gas bottle cut in half as then have an air hole where we removed the gas tap, whats best, coal or charcoal? as could make charcoal from our hazel coppice?
Hello Harry, short question...how heavy is your anvil? in Kg... greetings from Argentina and thanks again for share your experiences with us!...Federico
Its 1 and a quarter cwt....so circa 65kg....a bit too heavy to lift around!
Harry Rogers ok! thanks for the info...in the close future i want to make a small forge like you have to do some small forging... lets see what i can find.. 65kg is a good weight. do you have it fixed in your backyard? surely must be covered to protect from rust...isnt it? all the best and thanks again for your answer! greetings! Federico
Ziachmusi Hi yes its best fixed down and covered...bear in mind you might want to chain it down and mark it if it might otherwise walk.
Great video! Thanks!
Harry, your videos are excellent late night (early morning) viewing here in Canada. I feel lazy using power tools after watching you. Keep up the inspiring videos!
Very nicely done Sir!
Another rich white kid with his300 pound anvil, charcoal and blower, lol. Great idea and good job.
I don't think my economic position or colour should mark me out from the next person.
Harry Rogers
LOL. It was a joke Harry.
Good video, I think I will be making something similar in the near future, but using a Ball Peen hammer (much easier to acquire here in Texas).
I noticed starting at 00:44, that you tended to lay your thumb on the top of the hammer handle, which can cause future trouble in your elbow. Always wrap your thumb around the handle.
Again, wonderful video.
Thanks for the advice Sam, and I wish you all the very best with your project - funny but cross pein hammers are hard to come by here. Harry
I would send you a couple, but I can't afford tje postage.
I don't understand why the oil in the jar didn't catch fire when you put in the red hot metal , is it a special kind of oil mixed with something ?
It cooking oil
Great video. I'm trying to set up a backyard forge and have stalled because I don't have everything perfect like the blacksmith that gave me a 7 day beginner course. I love that you've used a watering can to quench and a jam jar for oil. Brilliant. Thanks for inspiring me to get started with what I have!
Thanks - I saw a guy dig a hole in the ground and use that as a forge with a leather bellows he made - so I guess we can keep it very simple. Regards Harry
Harry Rogers the first ever forges were dug into the ground and if you don't mind working down at ground level it is still a good option for a low budget forge
Great video! I like your style, question is that charcoal or coke in your forge?
coke this time....charcoal in the spoon tool film
Good eye,seeing the adze in an old hammer
Excellent work! I very much enjoyed watching how you transformed that old hammer into a quite efficient mini-adze.
Thanks - I will be posting another adze making film in the next few days Regards Harry
Harry Rogers Great! I will be looking forward to it.
Lovely video!
I was wondering if I could purchase a Froe from you?
Regards,
Hafiz
Nice job, Harry. You have a nack for making several crafts look easy. Thanks
Very nice refit.
Now I know what I can make out of that rusty old peen head. Thanks! Subscribed!
thank you great video
that's a nice anvil you have there. would be a shame if something happened to it.
imik 86 It's gone to the US to a new home.
I like how solid your anvil sounds. Is it from using high quality stuff?
+Bruce Woulda It is a nice quality hardened anvil!
I sure enjoy your instructional video's, great to watch and learn from in the winter! I noticed the old vise that you have and was wondering if you knew the history behind it as I have an identical one here in Canada. It was inherited from my grandfather who's family came from England. Thanks for passing on these important skills.
Hi - vices like that are fairly common here, and i got that one off Ebay for about £30 delivered! It weighs a ton....and is a little worn in the jaws, but will go on for years. Its great to have a tool that has been in your family, you are very lucky!
Thanks for the reply, Harry. Yes...they do weigh a ton! I hope to get a lifetime of use from it and pass it on to the next generation of family members. Cheers.
respect! 8-)
best tool to shape a bow from stave