maxb46•7d ago

Found a trick for upsetting mild steel without a power hammer

I was trying to make a set of T-handle chisels for my shop near Lansing, and upsetting the heads on a hand hammer was taking forever. Then an old timer told me to heat the bar to a bright orange, clamp it in the vise with the hot end sticking up an inch, and hit it straight down with a 4 pound sledge. It mushroomed out perfect in about 6 hits instead of 30. Has anyone else tried this method for tool making?

3 comments

3 Comments

nathan_barnes7d ago

That clamp and sledge trick works great, did the same on my railroad spike knives.

xena_miller317d ago

@nathan_barnes did you heat the spike first or just go cold?

jake_walker7d ago

Did you quench it in oil or just water after?