Once you get the first curl started, heat a length in the fire, clamp the point in a vice and just turn it around. If keeping the plane level, try setting up a circle of steel with a hole for the candle point. Just a 'smithly suggestion '
Yes. I sometimes use beeswax and sometimes just vegetable oil. Whichever one I use, though, I always bake it on over the forge, like seasoning a cast iron pan. It gives it a dull black coating that holds up well to moisture. I made a handle for our chicken coop, as a test subject, and used the beeswax coating. Its been on there a year and a half, through a full Michigan winter, and it isn't showing any signs of rust.
When I first got in to blacksmithing, it probably took me 45 minutes to an hour, because of all the second guessing I was doing. Now, I whip them out in about 20 minutes, start to finish. I'm still relatively inexperienced, but I've made a ton of these for the shows I was doing this summer, so got a lot of practice at them.
No, you can use any hammer for smithing. I advise against a claw hammer but they do work. A rounding hammer is just a popular choice, as is a cross pein.
Well, this little project really didn't get to show it off much, nut here's what I noticed as the rest of the day went on. I kept thinking to myself, "I really need to put this puppy through a serious test." So I kept going to bigger and bigger projects. Everything I forged, I thought the hammer was moving the metal TOO EASILY so I'd go for something bigger. I ended the night making jewelry tree out of cable to hang my pendents on at the show, and even that, it was moving the metal more than any other hammer I own. Maybe it was just one of those days where I was getting the "perfect" heat on every piece so it flowed like butter, but I tend to think that this hand made gem is really that much better than all of my store bought hammers.
+HoJ Forge & HEAPofJEEP absolutely, I haven't been able to buy a quality hammer like that yet, so I have just taken some of the hammers I've bought and modified them. I rounded one last night and I'm going to try it out today.
That's how I've been doing it too. I don't know if its the quality of the steel or what... might be the fact that a lot of the hammers I bought were cheap Chinese Harbor Freight hammers and are actually pretty soft steel... but I'm sold on hand made quality steel hammers now. The guy I bought it from charges less than $100 for most of his hammers, which was a lot nicer than some of the rounding hammers I've seen at two or three hundred bucks, so even though money is super tight, and I need a new anvil, I couldn't pass it up. I came away from the scrap yard last week with a nice big truck axle, so I might actually cut a hunk of that and try my own luck at making one, just to see how close I can get. Doing it alone, without any power equipment, I think it might be a very long project, just punching the eye, but figure I can just work on it here and there and eventually it will come out looking like something.
I can see this being done with square rod, putting double twists in the handle area. Bet that would be beautyful
I left you the comment about how much material it takes. It was nice finding your video. So I subscribed. Thanks for posting.
Love it , great idea and excellent gift
also i imagine having a flatter would come in handy for making that base nice and flat when you're finishing up
Its not really necessary. Good hammer control and technique, along with the flat of your anvil, will work better and quicker.
Once you get the first curl started, heat a length in the fire, clamp the point in a vice and just turn it around. If keeping the plane level, try setting up a circle of steel with a hole for the candle point. Just a 'smithly suggestion '
I really like this idea. Mind if I barrow it and make some myself?
just curious but could you use a rubber or raw hide type mallet to keep from marking out the steel too much?
I wouldn't use rubber. It would melt in a heartbeat. Wood or rawhide would work well.
What's the size of that pritchel hole?
Does the bee's wax help prevent rust? I've been having problems with that.
Yes. I sometimes use beeswax and sometimes just vegetable oil. Whichever one I use, though, I always bake it on over the forge, like seasoning a cast iron pan. It gives it a dull black coating that holds up well to moisture. I made a handle for our chicken coop, as a test subject, and used the beeswax coating. Its been on there a year and a half, through a full Michigan winter, and it isn't showing any signs of rust.
+HoJ Forge & HEAPofJEEP That is good to know, thanks!
Nice
I would love to make a few of these for Yule! On a scale of 1 to Dont try it, how hard would this be for a beginner?
Its a great project for beginners.
HoJ Forge & HEAPofJEEP How long do you think it took roughly with heating to make this?
When I first got in to blacksmithing, it probably took me 45 minutes to an hour, because of all the second guessing I was doing. Now, I whip them out in about 20 minutes, start to finish. I'm still relatively inexperienced, but I've made a ton of these for the shows I was doing this summer, so got a lot of practice at them.
Thanks mate! Just bought a few rods today and will be firing the forge tomorrow!
Do I really need a rounding hammer?
No, you can use any hammer for smithing. I advise against a claw hammer but they do work. A rounding hammer is just a popular choice, as is a cross pein.
Amazing job! How did you like using that new hammer?
Well, this little project really didn't get to show it off much, nut here's what I noticed as the rest of the day went on. I kept thinking to myself, "I really need to put this puppy through a serious test." So I kept going to bigger and bigger projects. Everything I forged, I thought the hammer was moving the metal TOO EASILY so I'd go for something bigger. I ended the night making jewelry tree out of cable to hang my pendents on at the show, and even that, it was moving the metal more than any other hammer I own. Maybe it was just one of those days where I was getting the "perfect" heat on every piece so it flowed like butter, but I tend to think that this hand made gem is really that much better than all of my store bought hammers.
+HoJ Forge & HEAPofJEEP absolutely, I haven't been able to buy a quality hammer like that yet, so I have just taken some of the hammers I've bought and modified them. I rounded one last night and I'm going to try it out today.
That's how I've been doing it too. I don't know if its the quality of the steel or what... might be the fact that a lot of the hammers I bought were cheap Chinese Harbor Freight hammers and are actually pretty soft steel... but I'm sold on hand made quality steel hammers now. The guy I bought it from charges less than $100 for most of his hammers, which was a lot nicer than some of the rounding hammers I've seen at two or three hundred bucks, so even though money is super tight, and I need a new anvil, I couldn't pass it up. I came away from the scrap yard last week with a nice big truck axle, so I might actually cut a hunk of that and try my own luck at making one, just to see how close I can get. Doing it alone, without any power equipment, I think it might be a very long project, just punching the eye, but figure I can just work on it here and there and eventually it will come out looking like something.
What did you sell them for?
Depends on the show, but no less that $15 for the farmers markets, and usually around $25 at the higher end craft shows.