Very much a novice to blacksmithing and not had any formal training so I greatly appreciate the detailed instructions and explanations for these processes. Thanks.
I really like how you take it back to the basics for us. I've been hammering on hot metal for a year now but never had an actual teacher, and your videos help out tremendously. Thank you.
Thanks Toby, I appreciate you saying that. The purpose of these videos is exactly that, break it down ti the basics so people can understand the technique. Thanks for following my channel!
I'm glad they're helpful. I am learning a lot from your videos too. I will be in touch with you about the projects I mentioned, I'm just going through a lot right now. I will relocate in September, so I have a lot on my plate. I hope thing calm around November and I will have time to be creative again.
No Problem Vaughn, If you manage to forge some tweezers I'll show it off. I am planning to do a section on my website where I'll showcase all the picture my subscribers send me and will include names as well. Just to build up the community. Thanks for your support again!
Sorry but your comment makes no sense. What cast hammer are you talking about? Also to be able to drift you need to cut or at least have an existing hole.
when it cools it shrinks so you got to use a punch slightly larger than the bar you want to put through it. not sure what the exact math is for calculating it but im sure you could eyeball it.
Octoflex, the exact math depends on the amount of heat used and the material composition (alloy). So there is no exact math. I recommend doing a few trial runs to figure out the formula for the thing you're trying to achieve. I hope that helps.
Why is slit and drift used, rather than only using a drift punch of the final desired shape the whole way? Is it only because of the limited force you can apply by hand?
Derek, #1: the slit and drift is used to make a stronger hole. When you use a punch only, you compress the material and that small compressed piece falls out. You loose that amount of material and thus, crate a weaker area. With slit and drift you punch the material aside and will not loose anything. #2: if you want to pass the same or larger section through a piece you cannot just use a punch, that is the same size as the "host" material. You would just simply cut the material in half. You use a chisel to cut a longer slit, then a drift punch to open it up. #3: drift punches are not designed to use for direct punching. I hope this answered your question.
@@DesertOwlForge Thank you for your answer! I already understood the #1 and #2. I guess I don't see the reason for #3. It seems if you drove a drift punch with a very small point down to the soft plate and turned it over and did it from the other side, you would loose little to no material and have a hole that is the proper shape that could be drifted to the desired size. Why does starting with a linear slit rather than a small round or square hole work better?
@@derekhartzell3161 In my [limited] experience I found that if I took the approach of driving a pointy drift -- of the final size I want -- that I didn't get the nice results shown by the video. Even if driving into a small pre-drilled hole what ended up happening is that the sides didn't bulge out as much as desired, but instead, as the drift was forced in, the sides simply stretched length-wise to accommodate the drift instead of bulging outwards. The initial slit approach sets the stage that the drift can then push the side material outwards and not stretch length-wise. Your question is very logical, but in this case the results are not intuitive; until you actually try it... 🙂
Sorry for the late reply. You just simply can't drive a pointy drift punch straight into the material. It just doesn't work that way. The material just would move out of the way. It has way to much resistance. Try it out and you'll see. This is a technique that was developed thousands of years ago and for a reason.
Awesome video
Very much a novice to blacksmithing and not had any formal training so I greatly appreciate the detailed instructions and explanations for these processes. Thanks.
Excellent explanation. Your work is very inspiring. Thank you.
Very good explanation. Thank you Tim.
You're welcome. Thanks for following me!
Excellent work and instruction Tim.
Thanks Jared!
Wow. That piece in the end is amazing.
Thanks.
I really like how you take it back to the basics for us. I've been hammering on hot metal for a year now but never had an actual teacher, and your videos help out tremendously. Thank you.
Thanks Toby, I appreciate you saying that. The purpose of these videos is exactly that, break it down ti the basics so people can understand the technique. Thanks for following my channel!
Thanks for these videos. I always learn something.
I'm glad they're helpful. I am learning a lot from your videos too. I will be in touch with you about the projects I mentioned, I'm just going through a lot right now. I will relocate in September, so I have a lot on my plate. I hope thing calm around November and I will have time to be creative again.
..Outstanding explanations Tim, along with the demonstrations...!!
Thanks! Y-Not Forge! By the way what is your name? You comment a lot and it's awkward to call you Y-Not Forge.
@@DesertOwlForge ..just call me Ol James...
Will do.
Love watching your how to videos. Looking forward to more.
I have found that opening up the slit by upsetting alleviates the oval gaps in the mortice. Its a more symetrical square hole.
Great video!!!
Thank you for the mention! I wonder if I can get that logo any bigger! :D
No Problem Vaughn, If you manage to forge some tweezers I'll show it off. I am planning to do a section on my website where I'll showcase all the picture my subscribers send me and will include names as well. Just to build up the community. Thanks for your support again!
Great video
Thanks!
very pretty but being a cast hammer, shouldn't the hole be drifted not cut?
Sorry but your comment makes no sense. What cast hammer are you talking about? Also to be able to drift you need to cut or at least have an existing hole.
when it cools it shrinks so you got to use a punch slightly larger than the bar you want to put through it. not sure what the exact math is for calculating it but im sure you could eyeball it.
Octoflex, the exact math depends on the amount of heat used and the material composition (alloy). So there is no exact math. I recommend doing a few trial runs to figure out the formula for the thing you're trying to achieve. I hope that helps.
Why is slit and drift used, rather than only using a drift punch of the final desired shape the whole way? Is it only because of the limited force you can apply by hand?
Derek, #1: the slit and drift is used to make a stronger hole. When you use a punch only, you compress the material and that small compressed piece falls out. You loose that amount of material and thus, crate a weaker area. With slit and drift you punch the material aside and will not loose anything. #2: if you want to pass the same or larger section through a piece you cannot just use a punch, that is the same size as the "host" material. You would just simply cut the material in half. You use a chisel to cut a longer slit, then a drift punch to open it up. #3: drift punches are not designed to use for direct punching. I hope this answered your question.
@@DesertOwlForge Thank you for your answer! I already understood the #1 and #2. I guess I don't see the reason for #3. It seems if you drove a drift punch with a very small point down to the soft plate and turned it over and did it from the other side, you would loose little to no material and have a hole that is the proper shape that could be drifted to the desired size. Why does starting with a linear slit rather than a small round or square hole work better?
@@derekhartzell3161 In my [limited] experience I found that if I took the approach of driving a pointy drift -- of the final size I want -- that I didn't get the nice results shown by the video. Even if driving into a small pre-drilled hole what ended up happening is that the sides didn't bulge out as much as desired, but instead, as the drift was forced in, the sides simply stretched length-wise to accommodate the drift instead of bulging outwards. The initial slit approach sets the stage that the drift can then push the side material outwards and not stretch length-wise. Your question is very logical, but in this case the results are not intuitive; until you actually try it... 🙂
Sorry for the late reply. You just simply can't drive a pointy drift punch straight into the material. It just doesn't work that way. The material just would move out of the way. It has way to much resistance. Try it out and you'll see. This is a technique that was developed thousands of years ago and for a reason.