Hand Forged Nails

How To Make Hand Forged Nails

Thanks for the black smithing tips. I have been enjoying them. I am a beginner. Right now I am learning to make a nail. Can you tell me what size of a hole you need to hammer the nail through to create the head if you are working with 1/4" round stock? And is the hole a little wider at the opening? I am making my own tool to help form the nail head.

Glad you are starting out. Nail making is a good place to start as it teaches you hammer control and speed.
The nail header is a flat bar which can be mild steel to start, but if you make a lot of nails you may want to use a piece of tool steel such as car leaf spring. It should be fairly thick about 1/2 an inch.

You hot punch a square tapering hole in the bar. For the 1/4 round you mention I would not go bigger than 3/16 square. Now the key is that the hole is smaller at the top and larger at the bottom.

This means that after you draw out the point on the 1/4 round and position it . Make the partial cut so that about 3/8 to 1/2 inch sticking above the heading tool. Then take a good upsetting heat on it (bright yellow) then place in the heading tool and twist off the "handle" then quickly drive straight down into the heading tool.

It is best if you cut from all sides not just one side.

As the nail gets driven down onto the nail header the first thing that happens is that it slides until the sharp edges of the sides grab onto the steel. Once it grabs then the hot metal deforms "upsets" to create the head. Once it is well seated you can use angled hammer strokes to make the rosette head.

When it has cooled a bit a tap on the point or simply turning the heading tool over and tapping on the anvil and it often releases the nail. If the heading tool has the small opening down you are wedging the steel into a socket and it is much harder to get out and it doesn't make a nice shoulder.

If you are just starting you will find bigger nails are easier to make. 5/16 or 3/8 rod size. They hold the heat longer so you don't have to work quite so fast.

David Robertson
Artist Blacksmith
www.ArtistBlacksmith.com

Review of Kevlar Flame Resitant Apron

Puncture and Flame Resistant Apron Review

Review of Kevlar Spark Resistant Apron by Magid Glove and Safety

I have been asked to do a review of a heat resistant apron for use in blacksmithing.

You can see it in the photo. It has full coverage and is quite light material. There are cross over straps that are quite comfortable and easy to adjust for sizing. It is also easy to get into and out of.

I am not a huge fan of the color but in a blacksmith shop that will change.

The traditional leather apron is used to deflect sparks or falling hot metal away from your body. Leather is quite durable and will take a beating. But in cold weather (as you see I am wearing my hat as it was chilly today in the shop) leather stiffens up and you practically have to thaw it out.
With this apron it was soft and pliable all the time. A nice bonus.

So How did I test this apron out? Well I simply stretched the fabric across an opening and secured it with two magnets.

I then heated a 3/8ths square bar about 3 inches long to about 1800 degrees F. See the photo on the left.

I then placed the hot bar on the fabric and watched what happened.





So it turns out that after about 3 seconds the heat transfers through the fabric and scorches the underside. Now this means that if you were inc contact with the hot steel for 3 seconds you probably would get burned.

But after smoking a bit (stinks a bit too) the bar was still well supported after 15 seconds. This means that the fabric was still intact after 15 second direct exposure to 1800 degree heat.

Now in the greater schem of things 3 seconds is a long time to have something hot brush up against you in blacksmithing. 15 seconds is an eternity.

So my feeling is this is a good product for general protection.








You can see the smoke in this photo.














This final photo shows the scorch mark. Not bad for 15 second exposure.

More on Forge Welding

Forge Welding Tricks and Temperatures

Hello Mr. Robertson:

I very much enjoy your website (www.ArtistBlacksmith.com) as I am new to blacksmithing and value the articles as a learning resource.

My two questions deal with technique to follow when hand forge welding:

Q#1) I have used both a gas forge and an oxy/acetylene torch to heat small parts when I need to shape and forge weld tool steels (D2) to mild steels. From my research, I understand that the best forge welding occurs when steel temperatures are both above 2400F and when both surfaces are well cleaned. I have a very difficult time seeing the difference in color between dull yellow/orange, bright yellow and yellow/white to know when the materials are both hot enough to effectively weld. I have tried using "Tempsil crayons" to measure surface temperatures, but these crayons only indicate when surface conditions are above 1850F.
What trick or tool do you use to insure that both steel parts are adequately heated to guarantee a good quality forge weld?

There is a lot going on with a forge weld. You certainly need a high temperature and scrupulously clean all helps. At these temperature it is very hard to see and judge the colors of the steel. I usually tell people to look for a lemon yellow or melted butter color or the same color as the interior of the gas forge running at max. But there are some tricks that can be used.

The first one and will gain you the most success is to use special shade 2 welders glasses. Click Here for selection of Amazon Infra-dura safety glasses. I use either the infra-dura shade 2 or rose dydmium glasses for the forge welding. The infra-dura lens actually filters out more of the harsh light than the dydimium. Both of these lenses allow you to see the surface of the steel at high temperatures. The shade 2 lens is green and you have to get use to the color shift but with a little practice this is not a problem. I would suggest wearing them for all forge work.

When using these glasses I am looking for a surface that has a bright greasy look to it. It should also have a look like it is almost slithering around. This is not liquid but getting close to it. The whole weld area should be the same color with no shadows. If it is an uneven heat turn the bar over in the fire and soak it from all sides. It should be an uniform temperature all the way through.

Another trick to try when starting out is forge a 1/4 inch round bar to a point and bend the point over a 90 degrees. Bring the bar that you want to weld up to temperature with the 1/4 round pointed one beside it. When you think it is right touch the point to the part that you think is at welding temperature in the fore fire. It should stick. If it doesn't stick it is too cold. Soak it longer.

If it sticks ( you should be able to pull it apart) take the weld. Start with simple fold over welds such as handles or even 1/4 by 1 inch flat bars just folded over on itself to learn the temperatures required.

Remember in gas forges this is working right at the top of what they are capable of. A high altitude makes a big difference as well. Above 4000 feet you may need a blower to provide extra air.

Q#2) I have heard that some blacksmith's prefer flux when forge welding while others strictly refrain from using flux because flux introduces contamination to the weld site. If flux is preferred, what are the best flux formulas for forge welding steels, stainless steels and wrought iron?

Flux is a bit of contentious issue. If using no flux your joints and fire have to be as clean as possible. Flux keeps the scale from forming on the bar. Scale does not weld. Some fluxes contain a ground metalic ingredient that lowers the welding temperature and increases the surface area at the joint. All these are good things when joining mild steel. I have used these compounds and they do work well. Trade names that come to mind are EZ-weld, Cherry heat, Antiborax, There are others. The problem comes when you are welding damascus billets as this metallic grains introduce a new layer into the billet and it can muddy the sharp transition between the layers.

20 Mule Team Borax found in the laundry isle has been used for years and works well for all general forge welding. It introduces no metallic contaminate. However there is a downside to using 20 Mule Team Borax. On regular joints it leaves a residue of borax that is very hard to clean off. It can be ground or sand blasted off. The problem with this residue is that it will start to turn white as it is exposed to moisture. So you may have this lovely forge welded piece then it starts to get this frosted appearance at the joints after a couple of years. Not pleasant

Different fluxes for different steels.
I have not forge welded stainless steel, but I understand you require a special flux with a Fluoride component to clean the stainless. Wrought iron should have enough slag in the matrix of the bar that you don't need flux but Borax wouldn't hurt.

I hope this helps
David Robertson
Artist Blacksmith

Blacksmith Protective Eyewear Questions

Protective Eyewear Questions

1. Can you comment on fit for people who normally wear glasses - i.e. isn't it necessary to get safety glasses that fit over the regular eyeglasses. I've ruined two different pair of regular glasses because I thought that if I got lenses comprised of 'safety' rated material, e.g. polycarbonate that would work. Well, it might work for safety features, but after a short while I had so many small pieces of metal shavings and welding rod flux imbedded in them, the visibility through them was degraded. To replace these is quite expensive.

2. Why is the tint necessary if the eyewaer has UV protection?

Hi Doug
1) Prescription glasses are a problem. Although if the safety lenses protected your eyes from the metal shards and flux yes they did their job. This is a personal fit thing and yes best option is glasses that cover completely your regular glasses.

2) The forge like a cutting torch puts out UV and Infrared. Most glasses are well protected for the UV but very few protect for the infrared spectrum. The chemistry of the additives in the lens can filter out the infrared. Various tints help you see the metal better by filtering out different spectrums of visible light. The didymium ones I use filter out the sodium flare which is the bright yellow light from the forge.

I recommend shade 2 welding lenses such as Uvex Infradura shade 2 (shade 3 which is more common is pretty dark for shopwork as I start to trip over things). You may also find clip ons available that would protect both you and your prescription glasses but you may have to dig a bit for those. I use a pair similar to the above glasses for forge welding and find them much cooler on the eyes Than the rose didymium that are my regular forging glasses. The infradura filters 85% of the infrared and about 99% of the UV

Also www.auralens.net has a more extensive line of specific high temperature lenses. Look for metal working.

I hope this helps.
David Robertson
Artist Blacksmith

Tips For Forge Welding Above 4000 Feet

Forge Welding at Higher Altitude

By the way I am at 4000 ft. I am told that it is very hard to weld with a propane forge. Is there something you can share with me on what I can use or do before I start to try this????

Most of the trouble with higher elevations is the thin air. You just need more air to compensate for the fuel required to get enough heat for the forge weld. Some people are successful with an atmospheric forge forge welding at 4000 feet. Above that it seems that they need to add a blower to increase the air (oxygen / fuel ratio) . I would try just normally but run your forge hot as possible. Higher pressure. This depends on what type of forge you have.

For forge welding here I use 20 to 25 psi although I am not very high. This does depend on your particular forge though.

If you find you do not get the temperatures required (lemon yellow at least) then you will probably have to look at adding a blower to the system, if your forge doesn't already have one.

The other thing is to put a piece of scrap plate steel down (1/8 th is fine) to cover your forge bottom to catch any drips of flux as it will eat into the ceramic fire brick or the insulation. I use 20 Mule Team Borax and that works fine for me. If you buy "Cherry Heat" or "Anti-Borax" or "EZ Weld" or other trade name flux from either Centaur forge or Pieh tool company or Blacksmith Depot (addresses in the resource section on the website, members area) this type of flux will help lower the temperature for mild steel.

I hope this helps.
David Robertson
Artist Blacksmith

How to use Thermal Cycling in Heat Treating a Knife

Thermal Cycling Steps for a Hand Forged Knife

I have a knife that needs to be hardened and tempered. But I read your thermal cycling article and thought that this would be a time to test it. My question is, is when you thermal cycle the steel is that all that needs done or if the knife needs to be tempered after the thermal cycling process? Is all I need to do for the knife is the thermal cycling process that you describe on your website? could you give me instructions for heat treating a knife and axe using the thermal cycling process?


The thermal cycling process is part of the annealing process. So this means it is done before hardening and tempering.
The thermal cycling process changes depending for what type of steel that you used for the knife. Below are the steps for 5160.

The steps

1. Bring to a bright orange, allow to air cool on an insulating surface such as fire brick or kaowool or vermiculite. This is important for knives so that they don't warp in the cooling process.
2. Bring to medium orange, the cool as above.
3. Bring to bright red and slow cool covered in vermiculate, kaowool etc. You may want to heat a bar and leave under it for added thermal mass. Allow to cool over night or until room temperature
4. After cool it is annealled and ready for the hardening process. Now at this point I do my primary grinding. Shaping the knife but not putting an edge on. I do this after hardening and tempering.
5. Hardening - depending on the steel and the quench media require air, oil, water etc.
   I heat the knife to an even medium red temperature and check to see if it is non magnetic. If not I will go a bit hotter. If it is non magnetic I will test until the magnet just pulls, then quench completely in the quench solution. At this point the whole blade will be quite hard and brittle. Don't drop it!
6. Next is the first tempering. I place in a small oven at 425 degrees F and bake it for 1 hour. Best if you have a digital thermometer to check this temperature accurately.
7. Last step of the tempering process. After the hour in the oven the knife will be evenly tempered to edge hardness all the way through the blade. The best blades have a softer back. So I now take a shallow pan of water (about 1/2 an inch deep) and place the edge down and heat the back of the blade with a torch and you should see the colors move to the edge but stop at the water level. Blue on the back and dark straw on the edge.
8. Last step. Final grinding and polishing always keeping the blade cool so that you don't mess up the temper already acheived. I usually do one or two passes on the sander then dip in water.

I hope this helps.
David Robertson
Ontario Artist Blacksmith

How To Identify Different Steel Types For The Blacksmith Shop?

How To Identify Different Steel Types in The Blacksmith Shop?

Your website and newsletters are very interesting to me a person learning the art of blacksmithing.

On the issue of topics you could cover in your newsletters what about workshop techniques for identifying steel types!

Thanks for the idea of identifying steel types.
This is known as the spark test. Many of the blacksmith books cover it in detail but it would be a good idea to cover it in news letter. I will add it to the list. I am a little concerned that my video camera would not pick up the true nature of the sparks. I will have to try it and see what quality of image I get.

Essentially as there is an increase in carbon content the complexity of the explosion of the sparks increases. When different alloys are added the amount, color and length of the sparks change. Use a set of known examples to test an unknown to. This will get you pretty close in determining an unknown steel.

A good reference book that I use often is The New Edge of The Anvil by Jack Andrews (See picture)
It has a good section on using the spark test to identify different steels as well as a number of basic techniques and good background reference information. Check it out if you get the chance.

Thanks again.
David Robertson
Artist Blacksmith