I love that you used a part of the spring with the BMW and part number stamping. That was a very nice touch, planned or otherwise. Long after we’re gone, someone may pick that tool up and say, “BMW? This was a coil spring?! WOW!!”
I think my favorite blacksmithing videos on UA-cam are not people making swords or knives, but people making practical tools. Great video, love your channel!
Jackson I agree. The knife fans and makers always say a knife is the hardest to make, i defo do not agree with them any nom regular tool be it improvised or just a general utilith tool is way harder to make. Not only bcos of the structuring but also bcos its just uncommon to do so in these days
The thing I especially like about this one is the pressure one can get behind the sharp edge, and the leverage across the bowl. I also have hook knives, but they do not have the power behind them in my view. Thanks for your comment. Harry
Harry Roger's, Your the man ! I had two Khukuris made out of truck leaf springs, and the steel is 5160, but its deferentially tempered, the Himalayians mastered the tampering process and they told me they use a tea pot to temper knives, its also a two men operation, I'm impressed Harry.
Ah, the clings and clanks of hammers on steel. Most soothing sound in the world, reminds me of summer nights at grandpa's. I could nap to it in the background.
Great work. As a lad, I grew up on a farm on the Canadian prairies and my Dad was always fabricating things. I wish I had paid more attention because I find myself wanting to do that myself now that I am older.
Here's a tip for you, Harry. Grind your bevel before you form the gouge on the block, and when you do form the gouge use a wood faced hammer. Smokey but works a treat. A sisal buffing wheel is also very effective at removing grinding marks. Great vid.
Brilliant that the finished tool has the BMW maker's mark reminding us of its prior life as a spring! Excellent work as always Harry! Thanks for another enjoyable video!
steve leathers steve - its basically someone who works in the woods making things like chair legs....like the pole lathe turners who used to make chair legs by the gross. regards Harry
Hi -its a Faithful tools flexible drive and seem to be very well made - I have used it a lot! Its about £18 on Amazon. Its good for getting into difficult corners etc given the small chuck. Harry
Excellent teaching video Harry. Should be used as a teaching time segment at woodworking guild meetings, metal-working guild meetings and school shops around the world. Saskatchewan Woodworkers Guild members will be interested. Very useful tool. Thanks. Kurt
Someone may have told you by now, but the easy way to unwind a large spring is to thoroughly heat to orange the portion you need. Slide that end over a round bar or length of pipe held in a stout vise. Grab the hot end with heavy tongs and pull it. It will unwind like thread from a spool - until you reach the cold part. You may need a larger fire than you had - or use mineral coal or coke to more easily produce the needed BTU output. Nice bit of work you did on that carving tool. Cheers from Texas.
I've no idea how I got here, nor in fact did I understand most of the terms you used in this video. Nonetheless though, I found it quite interesting and happily watched the whole thing!
Just some advice, when you use a bench grinder, make sure you use the entire width of the wheel that way the wheel will maintain an even surface, I learnt this in a course when we sharpened chisels. I understand in your case the spoon is a bit different than a chisel, and I don't mean to nitpick at you, just thought it might help. But great video, I like the bellows, really cool (it's really hot).
In the UK we lost lots of railings as they were melted down in WW2 to make tanks etc - looks like in USA quite a few anvils and swage blocks got melted down??? Swage blocks are not that common here, though anvils are in fairly plentiful supply. Thanks for your comment. Regards Harry
The best way to mount a handle on a chisel is to drill an undersized hole in the wooden handle and then chuck the blade in a vise, working end pointed down, then heat up the tang till it is red hot. Then take your handle and carefully but firmly, push it down onto the cherry red tang. Allow it to burn it's way down. This handle will never come off under normal use. This works great for tapered square tangs. Make sure your handle has a ferrule.
Hi - its pretty good across the grain as well, I have now given it a fine diamond hone and you can hear the difference as it cuts - and obviously see it. The fine diamond hones are very good for getting a first rate fine edge. Harry
Really enjoyed this video, that forge is a trip, I've been blacksmithing about 25 years and don't think I have ever seen anything like that. I've had lots of small rivet forges but with pump handles or hand crank blowers. I work on a big table forge with hand crank blower, made 18th century axes and knives for a living. Best way to fit a tang like that to handle is to drill a slightly undersize hole and heat the tang up and burn it in. Like seeing the breast drill in action, if handle was in the vise horizontal it would have been easier Great job though.
Dont understand the hate, i find this man very knowledgeable, smart, interesting AND funny... Believe me, that combination can be hard to find in humans
Another interesting video harry.certainly makes you want to have a go at making this tool .I don't make spoons (yet!) but I can see it's uses for cleaning out bowls.
I bought a swedish short handled spoon knife about 35 years ago.It doesn/t have the same leverage as your spoon gouge ,It cuts across the grain. But it takes smaller shavings.A job well done on this tool
Thats interesting ernie, I have been experimenting making a few different spoon knives...some are now on my channel header...there is something very relaxing about carving spoons.
This looks like a better spoon carver than all the ones I have bought over the years. I have a small scorp and two hook knives which don't work well in the hardwoods I use for making spoons. I'm always relying on routers and dremel tools to carve spoons.
Thats a drum sanding disc on a flexible drive running off my drill press - its very useful for a number of sanding and sharpening operations. You can often buy packs of the sanding drums in different sizes. Harry
must be an awesome feeling to just be able to make the tools you need when you need them. And what kind of impression would it make to say to some one that everything in your workshop is made by your hand.
Great video, great piece, very impressed with those nice smooth bends in particular- it can be hard to get those right :-) (and I'm very jealous of your setup as well haha) good on you mate and keep whacking metal :-D
Keeping in mind that because of the way "old car springs" are used, they can develop cracks that are not obvious when just looking at the spring. I know a few black smiths that won't use them, especially for tool making.
Very nice video. You can see the quality of the steel when you grind it by the sparks, nice hard, high carbon steel giving off multiple dividing sparklers at the wheel. Very nice tool, I'll build one for use in guitar making, thanks.
Loved your vid. I tried forging in high school unfortunately the teacher didn't have much interest in me or it lol too many for the class i guess. you put the forging into perspective for me now ty.
Thanks Stan - I hope you do give it a go, as its great fun and there are lots of good films on UA-cam to help......I enjoy those by garyhuston......its fairly cheap to set up ....I will be posting a film on restoring an old bellows forge using pond liner at some point. Regards Harry
yeh i was impressed by ur bellows setup on ur forge. would love to try it again but won't happen so i will live on im=n my dreams through u all out there.
Harry Rogers Hi Rogers I am Naveen From India I am an artist i can work on wood and stone to , I seeking for wood carving tool , i thought to import from Swiss , is it best of i have to make it on my own with an expect like you,,please suggest me, IKREATIVESSINP@gmail.com
Ikreatives The swiss make some lovely carving tools; but there is something about making your own tool, and using it.........in my view its true craftsmanship.....that said, I only tend to make tools that I cannot easily buy!
Can I make a suggestion? Try mounting your polisher on a piece of board, MDF or plywood, with another small batten on the front edge underneath, then you can hold it in your bench vice and stop it wandering around as you are using it.
Like the bmw part number from the car spring. Cool factor of 8 out of 10 (always leave room for improvement)....:o) Will have to fire up my forge and give that a try. Thumbs up ! Thanks !
An easier way to unwind the spring is a bar clamped into a leg vice, simply heat the section, chuck the spring on the bar so the coils sit around it, and pull on the free end with tongs or molegrips, pulls right out straight.
Very nice. I carve a bit and always seem to want a particular profile I don't have. I have my own forge and I think I will try to make my own now. Thanks for the nice video.
Great video. Just want to make 2 suggestions. Use your vise and get some bolts for your bench grinder. Probably have a little more control with the flex shaft and easier to keep up with the where your polishing wheel is going to be. Lol
Looks pretty good. I am impressed. I often wonder who worked out all these techniques like tempering and hardening processes. Not that it was a solitary person but many over many years.
Haha! Well I think if people can't use their own common sense when it comes to safety then they're gonna run into some problems. UA-cam is a strange place sometimes.
Timber Anew if you need any help/pointers.....ask away. Btw, I sell refractory bricks, ribbon burners etc if you find yourself in the position where you wish to take this up seriously.
it/s a mora spoon carving knife from sweden.There is a lot more variety and choices of spoon knives today. I also use old files to make an indian style crook knife.
Excellent stuff I really like that forge, I bought a spoon knife and it came with a plaster, I thought that was funny until nicked my finger about 2 mins later lol.
Reguarding the anvil. google old world anvils they have a 4x4x4 stump anvil for 125 with a spike on it. I put diferent edge radiuses 1/16, 1/8, 1/4, 1/2 . its mounted on the end of a railroad tie cut to a comfortable height. I am going to cut another tie, drill a hole and pound a piece of square tubing with a 1 in id for a hardie hole. a1/4in piece of steal plate arround that and hanging off the edge for the pritchel
HI Harry thanks for the excellent video. I might have a go at making one. I would call it a gouge more than a knife though. I like the idea of your flexible drill running from your drill press I might steal that too.
Hi - yep its more of a gouge, but somehow that does not work as a title, hence knife! The flexible drive is good, but be careful not to put too much pressure on them as they can wrap up and be very dangerous!
Very nice!!! hahaha at first I think that you are going to do a spoon one end and the other a knife, but then along the process I read the title right.
Dan - a good safety tip, but its so underpowered as to be pathetic so the prospect of kickback is virtually zero.....yes I agree you are quite right though....and best to set the right example! Regards Harry
I love that you used a part of the spring with the BMW and part number stamping. That was a very nice touch, planned or otherwise. Long after we’re gone, someone may pick that tool up and say, “BMW? This was a coil spring?! WOW!!”
I think my favorite blacksmithing videos on UA-cam are not people making swords or knives, but people making practical tools. Great video, love your channel!
Jackson I agree. The knife fans and makers always say a knife is the hardest to make, i defo do not agree with them any nom regular tool be it improvised or just a general utilith tool is way harder to make. Not only bcos of the structuring but also bcos its just uncommon to do so in these days
The thing I especially like about this one is the pressure one can get behind the sharp edge, and the leverage across the bowl. I also have hook knives, but they do not have the power behind them in my view. Thanks for your comment. Harry
So glad I found this subscription! Almost as good as "Secret Life of Machines!" Love the subtle, humble humor and English modesty.
Loved watching you chase the unsecured grinder around while polishing the spoon. Reminds me too much of my shop!
Great, as I get bored with being told off about that!
Harry Roger's, Your the man ! I had two Khukuris made out of truck leaf springs, and the steel is 5160, but its deferentially tempered, the Himalayians mastered the tampering process and they told me they use a tea pot to temper knives, its also a two men operation, I'm impressed Harry.
Thanks and I like the idea of a tea pot...have a cuppa when its done.
Great job. Nothing more satisfying than making tools to fit your needs
I really enjoy how cheerful and pleasent you are in your videos. It makes me feel happy too!
Ah, the clings and clanks of hammers on steel. Most soothing sound in the world, reminds me of summer nights at grandpa's. I could nap to it in the background.
Great work. As a lad, I grew up on a farm on the Canadian prairies and my Dad was always fabricating things. I wish I had paid more attention because I find myself wanting to do that myself now that I am older.
Yes I know what you mean....I used to watch my dad gardening but never liked it....now I grow stacks of vegetables....he must be laughing at me!
Here's a tip for you, Harry. Grind your bevel before you form the gouge on the block, and when you do form the gouge use a wood faced hammer. Smokey but works a treat. A sisal buffing wheel is also very effective at removing grinding marks. Great vid.
Thanks - I like the idea of the wood hammer......I also have a rawhide that smells great!
Brilliant that the finished tool has the BMW maker's mark reminding us of its prior life as a spring! Excellent work as always Harry! Thanks for another enjoyable video!
it's great that you have friends that are interested in your hobby
Hi Steve - yes it really is ....I get great enjoyment from my membership of bodgers.org.uk. ....they are a great bunch.
i know i'm gonna regret this , but whats a bodger?
steve leathers steve - its basically someone who works in the woods making things like chair legs....like the pole lathe turners who used to make chair legs by the gross. regards Harry
Well done Harry. I love that you kept the BMW mark. That makes it priceless!
Hi -its a Faithful tools flexible drive and seem to be very well made - I have used it a lot! Its about £18 on Amazon. Its good for getting into difficult corners etc given the small chuck. Harry
Love your presentation - very British and very informative. Thanks.
I'd love to be your neighbor. I dig the fact your appearance in no way reflects your love of the metal.
I love the BMW touch. Cheers!!!!
I had no idea what that was for till I seen you working the wood. Very well done
Excellent teaching video Harry. Should be used as a teaching time segment at woodworking guild meetings, metal-working guild meetings and school shops around the world. Saskatchewan Woodworkers Guild members will be interested. Very useful tool. Thanks. Kurt
Thanks Kurt ...I'm pleased to hear its useful. I enjoyed making it.
Someone may have told you by now, but the easy way to unwind a large spring is to thoroughly heat to orange the portion you need. Slide that end over a round bar or length of pipe held in a stout vise. Grab the hot end with heavy tongs and pull it. It will unwind like thread from a spool - until you reach the cold part. You may need a larger fire than you had - or use mineral coal or coke to more easily produce the needed BTU output. Nice bit of work you did on that carving tool. Cheers from Texas.
good suggestion - one of my friends has fabricated a spring unwinding tool he uses so many of them!
I've no idea how I got here, nor in fact did I understand most of the terms you used in this video. Nonetheless though, I found it quite interesting and happily watched the whole thing!
Just some advice, when you use a bench grinder, make sure you use the entire width of the wheel that way the wheel will maintain an even surface, I learnt this in a course when we sharpened chisels.
I understand in your case the spoon is a bit different than a chisel, and I don't mean to nitpick at you, just thought it might help.
But great video, I like the bellows, really cool (it's really hot).
Nice work man. We toolmakers will always be able to "forge" our way in the world.
Thank you for sharing the making of the Spoon knife very clever. ☺
+Steve Pettit Thanks Steve.
+Harry Rogers OMG THAT WAS AMAZING HOW DO YOU DO IT!!!??
In the UK we lost lots of railings as they were melted down in WW2 to make tanks etc - looks like in USA quite a few anvils and swage blocks got melted down??? Swage blocks are not that common here, though anvils are in fairly plentiful supply. Thanks for your comment. Regards Harry
Thanks Shannon - your shave pony was a great project, and a really useful item. Harry
When I saw the title for this video I thought you where going to make a hook knife, but I like yours better!
The best way to mount a handle on a chisel is to drill an undersized hole in the wooden handle and then chuck the blade in a vise, working end pointed down, then heat up the tang till it is red hot. Then take your handle and carefully but firmly, push it down onto the cherry red tang. Allow it to burn it's way down. This handle will never come off under normal use. This works great for tapered square tangs. Make sure your handle has a ferrule.
Fascinating. I've no need for a spoon knife but at least I now know what it is and how one can be made. Great stuff. Love the old forge too !
Thanks Paul - i will be posting a film on making a rams head poker in two or three weeks time.
I am not at this stage of forging yet, but I believe I will get there with the help of people like you. Cheers bud.
Thats great Bryan - thanks.
Hi - its pretty good across the grain as well, I have now given it a fine diamond hone and you can hear the difference as it cuts - and obviously see it. The fine diamond hones are very good for getting a first rate fine edge. Harry
Really enjoyed this video, that forge is a trip, I've been blacksmithing about 25 years and don't think I have ever seen anything like that. I've had lots of small rivet forges but with pump handles or hand crank blowers. I work on a big table forge with hand crank blower, made 18th century axes and knives for a living.
Best way to fit a tang like that to handle is to drill a slightly undersize hole and heat the tang up and burn it in.
Like seeing the breast drill in action, if handle was in the vise horizontal it would have been easier
Great job though.
Thanks for the tip about burning the tang in - sounds a good idea. Your axes and knives sound good!
Dont understand the hate, i find this man very knowledgeable, smart, interesting AND funny... Believe me, that combination can be hard to find in humans
Marcus Mckenzie Thanks Marcus.
I can just tell that you must be so fun to be around
Thanks very much for that - it did kind of work out as textbook tempering, and the tool has since held its edge really well. Harry
Another interesting video harry.certainly makes you want to have a go at making this tool .I don't make spoons (yet!) but I can see it's uses for cleaning out bowls.
That looks very satisfying.
Harry you are inspiring me with each video. I have been doing a bit of bush-craft and spoon making is a large part of it.
Dave - I have been enjoying yours - happy posting. Harry
Hi Bill - yes it would be around 5ft unwound - so thats about 10 tools - not bad for one spring!Harry
I bought a swedish short handled spoon knife about 35 years ago.It doesn/t have the same leverage as your spoon gouge ,It cuts across the grain. But it takes smaller shavings.A job well done on this tool
Thats interesting ernie, I have been experimenting making a few different spoon knives...some are now on my channel header...there is something very relaxing about carving spoons.
This looks like a better spoon carver than all the ones I have bought over the years. I have a small scorp and two hook knives which don't work well in the hardwoods I use for making spoons. I'm always relying on routers and dremel tools to carve spoons.
Awesome thing to be able to make your own tools!
Thats a drum sanding disc on a flexible drive running off my drill press - its very useful for a number of sanding and sharpening operations. You can often buy packs of the sanding drums in different sizes. Harry
must be an awesome feeling to just be able to make the tools you need when you need them. And what kind of impression would it make to say to some one that everything in your workshop is made by your hand.
Thank You for your Video!! I love watching how different carving tools are made and your video was perfect. Love the BMW insignia at the end there!!
Thanks Jeff
Great video, great piece, very impressed with those nice smooth bends in particular- it can be hard to get those right :-) (and I'm very jealous of your setup as well haha) good on you mate and keep whacking metal :-D
Harry, hope all is well. Fantastic job! Thanks for sharing!
Keeping in mind that because of the way "old car springs" are used, they can develop cracks that are not obvious when just looking at the spring. I know a few black smiths that won't use them, especially for tool making.
Nice. I can always admire craftsmanship.
Very nice video. You can see the quality of the steel when you grind it by the sparks, nice hard, high carbon steel giving off multiple dividing sparklers at the wheel.
Very nice tool, I'll build one for use in guitar making, thanks.
awesome outcome from a BMW spring. very nice work, sir.
Thanks Dave - I enjoyed your trap / cart runs film. Harry
Loved your vid. I tried forging in high school unfortunately the teacher didn't have much interest in me or it lol too many for the class i guess. you put the forging into perspective for me now ty.
Thanks Stan - I hope you do give it a go, as its great fun and there are lots of good films on UA-cam to help......I enjoy those by garyhuston......its fairly cheap to set up ....I will be posting a film on restoring an old bellows forge using pond liner at some point. Regards Harry
yeh i was impressed by ur bellows setup on ur forge. would love to try it again but won't happen so i will live on im=n my dreams through u all out there.
Greetings from Canada. Thank you for the lovely walkthrough
Thanks and what a lovely country you live in.
Harry Rogers Hi Rogers I am Naveen From India I am an artist i can work on wood and stone to , I seeking for wood carving tool , i thought to import from Swiss , is it best of i have to make it on my own with an expect like you,,please suggest me, IKREATIVESSINP@gmail.com
Ikreatives The swiss make some lovely carving tools; but there is something about making your own tool, and using it.........in my view its true craftsmanship.....that said, I only tend to make tools that I cannot easily buy!
Can I make a suggestion? Try mounting your polisher on a piece of board, MDF or plywood, with another small batten on the front edge underneath, then you can hold it in your bench vice and stop it wandering around as you are using it.
Hi HarryI love all the things you do and share w/ the world. It looks like your buffer could use a couple of anchor bolts.
very well done. Always good to have friends around for motivation., Riiiight., Any way, nice bit of work on the spoon knife. cheers
Thanks
working metal i
Great work. I love this spoon-knife tool.
getting ready to take a shot at some blacksmithing myself...can't wait to get my hammer on iron! great vid!
Like the bmw part number from the car spring. Cool factor of 8 out of 10 (always leave room for improvement)....:o)
Will have to fire up my forge and give that a try. Thumbs up !
Thanks !
wow great work sir !! thanks for sharing with us all !!
Sweet video! Like the start to finish education! BMW FTW!
An easier way to unwind the spring is a bar clamped into a leg vice, simply heat the section, chuck the spring on the bar so the coils sit around it, and pull on the free end with tongs or molegrips, pulls right out straight.
Very nice and effective and durable looking too!
Very nice. I carve a bit and always seem to want a particular profile I don't have. I have my own forge and I think I will try to make my own now.
Thanks for the nice video.
Frank - thats great - good luck with yours.
Looks like a good tool, I'll have to add that to my projects list. Nice work!
Well done, and thanks for posting. You gave me some ideas and inspiration for my next smithy project. Kudos!
Great video. Just want to make 2 suggestions. Use your vise and get some bolts for your bench grinder. Probably have a little more control with the flex shaft and easier to keep up with the where your polishing wheel is going to be. Lol
Looks pretty good. I am impressed. I often wonder who worked out all these techniques like tempering and hardening processes. Not that it was a solitary person but many over many years.
I'm perplexed at the amount of dislikes in this video. Its wonderful, makes me want to have a forge set up one day, looks great Harry! - Clint
Timber Anew Thanks Clint...some people do not like my approach to safety...and some well.....
Haha! Well I think if people can't use their own common sense when it comes to safety then they're gonna run into some problems. UA-cam is a strange place sometimes.
Timber Anew if you need any help/pointers.....ask away. Btw, I sell refractory bricks, ribbon burners etc if you find yourself in the position where you wish to take this up seriously.
Harry Rogers HAPPY CHRISTMAS HARRY
Cool video, thanks for sharing it. My fire cooks pizza !
Thank you for sharing. Wonderful video and instruction!
Nice job on the tool. Try and find a swedge block in the states. You have one in your backyard. Old tools all over England. Keep up the good work.
Quality. Great workmanship. I'm subscribed.
Thanks Will - there is also a film on making a small adze, and also bowl turning hooks if either of those ae of interest. Harry.
Hi Ken - one of my friends has just suggested it could also be used to make a shallow plate - might be worth a go!
it/s a mora spoon carving knife from sweden.There is a lot more variety and choices of spoon knives today. I also use old files to make an indian style crook knife.
Excellent stuff I really like that forge, I bought a spoon knife and it came with a plaster, I thought that was funny until nicked my finger about 2 mins later lol.
Great video! I have to admit I didn't know what a spoon knife was.
Excellent instructional. You have inspired me!
Reguarding the anvil. google old world anvils they have a 4x4x4 stump anvil for 125 with a spike on it. I put diferent edge radiuses 1/16, 1/8, 1/4, 1/2 . its mounted on the end of a railroad tie cut to a comfortable height. I am going to cut another tie, drill a hole and pound a piece of square tubing with a 1 in id for a hardie hole. a1/4in piece of steal plate arround that and hanging off the edge for the pritchel
Thats great, I will be putting one up on making a small adze soon. Regards Harry
Good Job Harry! Thank you for your videos.
fabulous video, and a really lovely looking tool too. Impressed... :)
Thanks very much.
Nice tool, well done
your air blower system remind me blacksmith of ancient times, it means that it's useful i think ^^
nice video, i like your set up. it looked like soft wood you were carving haha. take care
Well Done … I think I ran across this one when I was making my carving/dove tail knives.
Yet again.....brilliant.
LOL! "Made by BMW!" Well, you can't beat German engineering! ;-)
This looks really good, I need to make one!
I love the old masters handicrafts
HI Harry thanks for the excellent video. I might have a go at making one. I would call it a gouge more than a knife though. I like the idea of your flexible drill running from your drill press I might steal that too.
Hi - yep its more of a gouge, but somehow that does not work as a title, hence knife! The flexible drive is good, but be careful not to put too much pressure on them as they can wrap up and be very dangerous!
What a craftsman
"Use your man strength!"
Thanks dude, wouldn't have done it without you.
reindeerman214
reindeerma
millennials : so touchy (it's banter m8, im also a millennial )
I learned from this video. Thank you.
Thats great - thanks.
Very nice!!! hahaha at first I think that you are going to do a spoon one end and the other a knife, but then along the process I read the title right.
You've GOTTA mount that polishing wheel.
Dan - a good safety tip, but its so underpowered as to be pathetic so the prospect of kickback is virtually zero.....yes I agree you are quite right though....and best to set the right example! Regards Harry
Underpowered, I see. I was alarmed at first because my buffer is so strong, it's scary.
Harry, you could just clamp it down
GOTTA live on the edge
thats awsome I liked the videos and the tool you made keep up the good work