mild steel... yea, i am in this moment that i can't spend a lot of money for tools from shop or second hand but i need to collect tools to go forward. So once again You helps me to understand that few tools I can make from mild steel. Thanks Roy !
thank you for taking the time to explain this, wasn't expecting a vlog.. but, hey thank you kindly. Am a welder fitter, custom fabricator with a degree in mechanics. Was lucky to inherit much of my grandfather bits / tooling as he was a machinist and made some sweet tooling over the years for himself and my father taught metallurgy and other metal skills. So I was taught growing up get the best tools you can afford or make, make them once. Don't feed bad for cutting up or modifying cheap tools, they are only that..a tool. Something to get the job done. Without scars is a bonus!
Great information. I’m new to blacksmithing and have built my first forced air ribbon. I’m just now in the process of forging my first pair of tongs (man, what a workout). The need for more tools and what kinds of metal to make them with is something I’ve been searching for and I found this video very helpful. I’ve been thinking about the cost of the metals, trying to find where to get them and was thinking I would be wasting my time making them from mild steel, but you brought up a really great point. Even if I make them out of mild steel which might not last as long I’m still gaining much needed experience without wasting higher cost metals. Thank you and I’ll continue to watch you video.
I have been told that tongs should NOT be made from a higher carbon steel because tongs get heated (holding hot metal) and quenched (dunked into the slack tub/oil bath/etc) often. Tongs (especially the ones you used most) should be made from a good quality steel, but shouldn't be able to be hardened to any significant degree.
This is great to see. I am a tool junkie, and building tools is something I really enjoy. But i can get carried away with finding the right materials, and end up taking valuable time away from what the tool is being built for. Always want to build a tool to last, but never considered just saving time and money to make a tool that I can easily build again, or dress for reuse. I have been curious about using mild steel for certain tools. Thank you for answering that question..
I've been a hobby blacksmith for over 40 years, and in my area there were no smithing orginizations at that time, then your master could declair you a journyman or master, by his standards I reached Master. With that said, your advice is very sound, don't waste time and money on thing your going to use infrequently, and don't realy need to be tool steel. With a few exceptions do what works best for you. Thanks for the goods vidios
You know just yesterday I hit a piece of annealed leaf-spring with a hardened hammer. The leaf-spring is a bit softer than the other hardened leaf-spring I have but to be honest was thinking I could easily make nearly everything out of annealed leaf-spring apart from a knife and I would have it for life. If I am mad enough that is.
Good point about the drifts I made a few drifts of different sizes for working on bikes, good for bushes, bearings, spacers ect. I'd rather my drift mushrooming than harming a bearing or bush which would be a bad day haha, just found your channel and really enjoying it
Good videos and like your rationale on using what is available to get the work done. I have just started out in metalsmithing (2 years) and the spent heaps on new and used tools. Recently started on blacksmithing and the tools, forges and benches etc are recycled/rusty old pieces of scrap that I have accumulated over the years. Just started on a welding tble and it is old 1/2 inch thick BBQ plate with rusty old rhs 50x50mm legs so at least its cheap. But getting used to grinding and welding rusty old pieces is become second nature. will be glad to weld some new peices of mild steel though haha. Thank you for your videos they serve as a bit motivation to me, when I feel like giving it all away. Cheers
*Thumbs up*. PS: do you have thoughts on treadle hammer vs DIY little power hammers? I'm thinking of making a treadle hammer as it seems cheaper and easier.
Hey Roy, I'm just starting to learn and get into this craft. Do you have any tips for finding a good supplier of material or what to look for at the big box hardware stores?
That power hammer looks perfect for the knife maker! Mild steel tooling seems to be the way to go for various kinds of tools like you mentioned. I believe that they can be inexpensive studies for the higher carbon steel varieties in tool making. Still though the 10 series of high carbon steels are fairly reasonably priced from various online metal retailers that they may be the way to go. Still mild steel is easier to move than the higher carbon varieties and for the beginner it may be the way to go. Question: I have been offline for the most part for weeks now, moved a house, getting my shop in order and in the mean time I acquired a post vice that I need to make a new spring for and get it installed. I am not sure if you have one but if you do could you show us how you installed/would install one? Thanks Roy, I always appreciate what you are doing on here. Don't let the trolls and armchair blacksmiths get to you. I have noticed a tone of anger in your vids lately and want to encourage you to continue to cast all your cares on the Lord. Blessings Bro! B.
If it doesn’t need to be high carbon it’s mild steel in my shop. Unless I’ll use it a lot of have the time and high carbon available I usually use 1045 or 4140 then
Hey roy, could you do a video about your welded tongs that don't require forging. I recently bought a welder and want to practise by welding tongs, because it will improve my welding skills and i'm always short on tongs.
My local scrap yards receptionist is gonna get so tired of me lol. I call most of the time before I head out. I trade copper for steel, and always asking if they can just set aside coil and leaf springs for me. Eventually I think they'll give me a tiny section of there yard with nothing but auto scrap if I keep pleasantly bugging them ha🍻
Hello friend, good night your video was wonderful but wanted to see how you build your hammer mechanic please show more details of the hammer mechanic. After i want to build one for me.
For some work you also must think about how long will that tool be heated. Things like drifts stay in heat a long time and will pull out any temper so why not use mild. Or an air hardening steel
I want to see one of your tear shaped frying pans if you don't mind...I work at blanc creatives and we hand forge high carbon frying pans I'd just like to check yours out.
I too need a mild steel hammer ,sounds safer . I just made galotian. and my first die after only after a few hits mushrooming done stared.Think die is to soft. Thanks Roy
God view point. People may not agree but I like different views on things. t try the different things then use what I like. Sometimes there s good stuff and sometimes not but that is learning.
i got a whole lot of springs from a metal recycle place so i need to work more of it in my tools but im slack at tool making because of lack of space even though springs take up a lot of space but then there is gas that i need to work the steel so its on the to do list
Great Video . You Said it , TOOLS They are to help us to make something or complete a job . Use mild steel all the time . Have had to make specialty tools to complete a certain job , and may never use that tool again it ,but it did the job to complete the task .
As Salam Alaikum i use what i have to get the job done, if the need/usage etc. Demand something more suitable then the piggy bank starts looking nervous! Making tools out of mild steel is also a great inexpensive way to work on those all too important hammer skills
Guilty Spark both come in different grades, rebar comes in either structural, intermediate, or hard. and structural steel is just mainly a shape like i-beam, z bar, etc. also has many different hardness factors. the main factor usually boils down to weight vs strength vs cost. or fire resistant or flexibility and many other factors. steel is less malleable than mild steel, mild steel is less brittle than steel, steel is more resistant to corrosion, mild steel can further be strengthened by the addition of carbon. Mild steel is commonly found in standard bolts, hinges, cable, and many knives. hope that helps. ... old concrete rebar is mostly mild steel, the new stuff is mostly intermediate, hope this helps a little
+Bryan Morgan actually they're not the same design at all the Appalachian style Rusty has a lift in pickup point from the reverse side of the power hammer also the cam assembly itself is a completely different design mirroring an old Bradley Helve hammer. As where the Appalachian style is a simplified cam system. I will go over all this much more in detail when I have the plans available for the hammer.
carburize, temper, cool the lower the temperature of the tempering process the better!. 280 degrees Celsius for tool steel you want to do this process for about 20 - 30 minutes to prevent your tools from breaking. you want to increase the toughness of the metal. to control the hardness and increase the toughness anneal. its finding the proper balance that is the trick. mild steel is no good for tools.
I don't think you know how valuable these videos are for me! Thanks.
mild steel... yea, i am in this moment that i can't spend a lot of money for tools from shop or second hand but i need to collect tools to go forward. So once again You helps me to understand that few tools I can make from mild steel. Thanks Roy !
thank you for taking the time to explain this, wasn't expecting a vlog.. but, hey thank you kindly.
Am a welder fitter, custom fabricator with a degree in mechanics. Was lucky to inherit much of my grandfather bits / tooling as he was a machinist and made some sweet tooling over the years for himself and my father taught metallurgy and other metal skills. So I was taught growing up get the best tools you can afford or make, make them once. Don't feed bad for cutting up or modifying cheap tools, they are only that..a tool. Something to get the job done. Without scars is a bonus!
Great information. I’m new to blacksmithing and have built my first forced air ribbon. I’m just now in the process of forging my first pair of tongs (man, what a workout). The need for more tools and what kinds of metal to make them with is something I’ve been searching for and I found this video very helpful. I’ve been thinking about the cost of the metals, trying to find where to get them and was thinking I would be wasting my time making them from mild steel, but you brought up a really great point. Even if I make them out of mild steel which might not last as long I’m still gaining much needed experience without wasting higher cost metals. Thank you and I’ll continue to watch you video.
This helps,,,,,,,,,,,,a lot. Thanks Roy 👍
I have been told that tongs should NOT be made from a higher carbon steel because tongs get heated (holding hot metal) and quenched (dunked into the slack tub/oil bath/etc) often. Tongs (especially the ones you used most) should be made from a good quality steel, but shouldn't be able to be hardened to any significant degree.
This is great to see. I am a tool junkie, and building tools is something I really enjoy. But i can get carried away with finding the right materials, and end up taking valuable time away from what the tool is being built for. Always want to build a tool to last, but never considered just saving time and money to make a tool that I can easily build again, or dress for reuse. I have been curious about using mild steel for certain tools. Thank you for answering that question..
I've been a hobby blacksmith for over 40 years, and in my area there were no smithing orginizations at that time, then your master could declair you a journyman or master, by his standards I reached Master. With that said, your advice is very sound, don't waste time and money on thing your going to use infrequently, and don't realy need to be tool steel. With a few exceptions do what works best for you. Thanks for the goods vidios
You know just yesterday I hit a piece of annealed leaf-spring with a hardened hammer. The leaf-spring is a bit softer than the other hardened leaf-spring I have but to be honest was thinking I could easily make nearly everything out of annealed leaf-spring apart from a knife and I would have it for life. If I am mad enough that is.
Awesome a lot of new information I didn't know and I hope I can meet you at quad state this year good luck and looking forward to more videos.
Good point about the drifts I made a few drifts of different sizes for working on bikes, good for bushes, bearings, spacers ect. I'd rather my drift mushrooming than harming a bearing or bush which would be a bad day haha, just found your channel and really enjoying it
Good videos and like your rationale on using what is available to get the work done. I have just started out in metalsmithing (2 years) and the spent heaps on new and used tools. Recently started on blacksmithing and the tools, forges and benches etc are recycled/rusty old pieces of scrap that I have accumulated over the years. Just started on a welding tble and it is old 1/2 inch thick BBQ plate with rusty old rhs 50x50mm legs so at least its cheap. But getting used to grinding and welding rusty old pieces is become second nature. will be glad to weld some new peices of mild steel though haha. Thank you for your videos they serve as a bit motivation to me, when I feel like giving it all away. Cheers
*Thumbs up*. PS: do you have thoughts on treadle hammer vs DIY little power hammers? I'm thinking of making a treadle hammer as it seems cheaper and easier.
Thanks a lot. You answered the questions that I had. Blessings!
Hey Roy, I'm just starting to learn and get into this craft. Do you have any tips for finding a good supplier of material or what to look for at the big box hardware stores?
I have some old wrenches. Can I use them to make chisels and punches for hot work?
Not sure it would depend on what they are made of :-)
Christ Centered Ironworks I know some are made of chromanium. Not sure how this will work but we will see.
That power hammer looks perfect for the knife maker!
Mild steel tooling seems to be the way to go for various kinds of tools like you mentioned. I believe that they can be inexpensive studies for the higher carbon steel varieties in tool making. Still though the 10 series of high carbon steels are fairly reasonably priced from various online metal retailers that they may be the way to go. Still mild steel is easier to move than the higher carbon varieties and for the beginner it may be the way to go.
Question:
I have been offline for the most part for weeks now, moved a house, getting my shop in order and in the mean time I acquired a post vice that I need to make a new spring for and get it installed. I am not sure if you have one but if you do could you show us how you installed/would install one?
Thanks Roy, I always appreciate what you are doing on here. Don't let the trolls and armchair blacksmiths get to you. I have noticed a tone of anger in your vids lately and want to encourage you to continue to cast all your cares on the Lord.
Blessings Bro!
B.
I use mainly rebar and whatever scrap I scrounge.
If it doesn’t need to be high carbon it’s mild steel in my shop. Unless I’ll use it a lot of have the time and high carbon available I usually use 1045 or 4140 then
Hey roy, could you do a video about your welded tongs that don't require forging. I recently bought a welder and want to practise by welding tongs, because it will improve my welding skills and i'm always short on tongs.
My local scrap yards receptionist is gonna get so tired of me lol. I call most of the time before I head out. I trade copper for steel, and always asking if they can just set aside coil and leaf springs for me. Eventually I think they'll give me a tiny section of there yard with nothing but auto scrap if I keep pleasantly bugging them ha🍻
Hello friend, good night your video was wonderful but wanted to see how you build your hammer mechanic please show more details of the hammer mechanic. After i want to build one for me.
Thanks for posting
For some work you also must think about how long will that tool be heated. Things like drifts stay in heat a long time and will pull out any temper so why not use mild. Or an air hardening steel
Would 4140 be good for chisels and harty tools/ something that needs to cut or penetrate or would you want something like 5160 or 1084/1095?
I made all off my chisels, hammers and cut offs from 4140. Works very well.
actually, there's a school of thought that mild steel cutoffs are better because they're soft and don't chip so they're easier to redress.
How big (weight) on that power hammer i don't want big i have suburbs around me i need small but more than i can outwork.
I want to see one of your tear shaped frying pans if you don't mind...I work at blanc creatives and we hand forge high carbon frying pans I'd just like to check yours out.
Holdfasts and spring fullers are some other tools that I make from mild steel.
I too need a mild steel hammer ,sounds safer .
I just made galotian. and my first die after only after a few hits mushrooming done stared.Think die is to soft.
Thanks Roy
God view point. People may not agree but I like different views on things. t try the different things then use what I like. Sometimes there s good stuff and sometimes not but that is learning.
i got a whole lot of springs from a metal recycle place so i need to work more of it in my tools but im slack at tool making because of lack of space even though springs take up a lot of space but then there is gas that i need to work the steel so its on the to do list
Very interesting video. Didn't expect you to use mild steel that much. Do you use super quench as well?
Great Video . You Said it , TOOLS They are to help us to make something or complete a job . Use mild steel all the time . Have had to make specialty tools to complete a certain job , and may never use that tool again it ,but it did the job to complete the task .
As Salam Alaikum i use what i have to get the job done, if the need/usage etc. Demand something more suitable then the piggy bank starts looking nervous! Making tools out of mild steel is also a great inexpensive way to work on those all too important hammer skills
I would like to make a frying pan one day.
Lol mild is what i have right now besides lawnmower blades. So if i need something it is going to be mild.
most of my tooling is mild steel or coil spring
Crap. I just spent the long weekend trying to make an axe eye drift from 4140 when I've never made an axe. Should have gone simple.
What is mild steel? Rebar or construction steel ?
Guilty Spark both come in different grades, rebar comes in either structural, intermediate, or hard.
and structural steel is just mainly a shape like i-beam, z bar, etc. also has many different hardness factors. the main factor usually boils down to weight vs strength vs cost. or fire resistant or flexibility and many other factors.
steel is less malleable than mild steel, mild steel is less brittle than steel, steel is more resistant to corrosion, mild steel can further be strengthened by the addition of carbon. Mild steel is commonly found in standard bolts, hinges, cable, and many knives. hope that helps. ... old concrete rebar is mostly mild steel, the new stuff is mostly intermediate, hope this helps a little
if anyone just googles "Rusty Power Hammer" you can get the plans. That's an Appalachian Rusty. Very common.
+Bryan Morgan actually they're not the same design at all the Appalachian style Rusty has a lift in pickup point from the reverse side of the power hammer also the cam assembly itself is a completely different design mirroring an old Bradley Helve hammer. As where the Appalachian style is a simplified cam system. I will go over all this much more in detail when I have the plans available for the hammer.
👍
Just grind off the rag
carburize, temper, cool the lower the temperature of the tempering process the better!. 280 degrees Celsius for tool steel you want to do this process for about 20 - 30 minutes to prevent your tools from breaking. you want to increase the toughness of the metal. to control the hardness and increase the toughness anneal. its finding the proper balance that is the trick. mild steel is no good for tools.