Don't forget to match your tools.
fuller , drift, punch, forepunch, pritchel
You should match the widths of tools to get a lot more uniform, cleaner job.
Someone else could probably explain this alot better. P Bower showed it to me.
Dave

Ron Oldenbeuving wrote:
That's exactly what I do - oil quench the pritchels. Forgot to say that. I am suprised how good they hold up.

Mikel

Hi all,

I have had a go at nearly every tool except hoof knives. Clinch cutters are easy and work well. Hammers are a lot of grinding. I have yet to make a decent creaser because of the steel. Stamps are not too hard to make these were forged out of H13 not shown is the horse heads forged onto the other end that makes these nice.

Kevin

I haven't done it myself, but, I have seen hoof knives made from the exhaust valves of engines. They seem to work well.

Some of my homemade stuff I work with daily.

Punches, tongs, creasers, forepunch. The shoes I posted have been made with the creasers, forepunch and punches. Used the tongs to work with.

Hoof knife made from a VW coil spring. Holds good edge.

Cutter for 8mm & 10mm steel

Double burner forge, can use single burner also. The right side of the opening is taller, have a piece of steel over it when not in use. For taller things in the forge. Also have a hole in the side for longer steel

Build my anvil stand with a shelf under the horn.

Already posted some of my stuff I built for my van i.e. forge swing are, bench, shelves, shoe holders, anvil stand and shoe vice.

I always figure if I can make it and it works good, why buy it. When I have the time it is great.
Mikel

Mikel,
Outstanding, nice work. Looks like a carriage makers anvil you're using there. Didn't know they still made them!

See this is what I'm talking about, once was a time guys were proud of the stuff they made. Now everybody seems to be looking for where they can buy things. Changing world.
George

EileenHughes wrote: I think Bloom Forge makes them. It is a small template to check the angle and depth of your punch and pritchel (city or E head).
The Horseshoe Barn in Sacramento sells them.
Bill

IRNWKR_2 wrote: I haven't figured it out yet. I've wrecked $200 worth of tools. But I've also gotten better at fixing most of the wrecks.

Thanks Bill.

I've wrecked a lot of tools. I have yet to try a flatland forge punch or creaser. So far, I've had very good experiences with chip hunts punches and Jim Keith's creaser's. Bloom's tools don't hold up for me.

I agree Andrew. I have a Bloom Punch. Used it once and the tip broke off. I still have it. I suppose I could send it back, but what are they going to give me? Another tool the does not stand up?

Maybe I am a little ... bassackwards in my thinking, I understand some tools are going to be defective. I think that the $ spent on shipping would be more worthtwhile on a differsnt punch... possibly an Eagle Point.

Do they have a website? What is their address and numero de telephono?

Tony

[QUOTE=beslagsmedBuild my anvil stand with a shelf under the horn.
Mikel[/QUOTE]

I like that idea! Made mine with a shelf at the end but picking up tools is a lot easier with a shelf forward. Thanks Mikel

Another thing you guys may be able to help me with. I have a piece of Hardox 600 lying around and I was toying with the idea to make cutters and punches out of that. On account its weldable and apparently forgable without any loss of steel quality.

Any thoughts?


Ronald Aalders

Just thought I would throw in my 2 centavos

Using home/shop made tools has a nice feel to it.
I make my punch to the shape of the nail head that I am using,
with the end being the same as the sagitale view of the nail that
exits the shoe, on the foot surface.
The pritchel end is the same as the punch,
and the shape up the shaft is longer and slimmer than the punch.
This way the pritchel is only knocking out the last bit with out
distorting the shape already obtained with the punch.

Below is the method for heat treating.

Heat Treating H13
First h13 is the best Tool Steel to use for hot work, and this is why,
when you are working hot the tool heats up, and of all the tool steels,
it will retain its hardened properties, to a higher temp. And will retain it's
properties at that heat for a longer period of time, than all other steels.
When you buy h13, it is in its annealed (softened) state, so those who
machine the steel are able to, off the rack.
These are the steps necessary to have nice working tools that you will
only need to touch up once a week or so. (That’s one punch and one
prichel per week!!! Even making a lot of shoes.) First never work h13
as high a heat as yellow, or as low as a dull red, or less, as you will
destroy the steel for the intended use. First raise the temp. of the steel
slowly as this will ensure there is a core heat. Work h13 at a near yellow
heat to a red heat. After you forge h13 to a punch or prichel, you need
to relieve the stress created by hammer forging. This is done by after
cooling the worked h13, reheat slowly to near its critical temp, which is 1860’f.
Then stuff it into a bucket of finely sifted coke ash and allow to cool slowly.
Now it is ready for heat treating.
NOTE:
NEVER EVER QUENCH IN WATER OR OIL,
AS h13 IS AN AIR QUENCH STEEL ONLY.
Heat treating h13 is as such,
Again slowly raising the temp. to near critical, and holding for a time
then raise the temp. to the upper critical temp. about 1870’f. ( near yellow )
Hold at this temp for a time. Then quench the h13 with pressurized air.
I use a portable air tank rigged with a regulated air flow so as 100lbs will
release slowly over ten min. or so. I shoot the air at the tip of the punch
so it flows around the tool and down the shaft until a black heat,
and then let cool in a standing air ( still air )
I don’t temper the hardness, but for the odd time that you might beat the
end of your punch into the anvil or use your prichel on cold steel to open
cold a nail hole you forgot to check, then you may wish to temper the hardness
by taking the hardened tool and raising the temp into dull red, and the
leave in still air till cool to the touch, then repeat the step again.

The next step is hard for me to reveal as it maybe the edge needed
in a competitive arena.So for the working Farriers,
I have a belt sander with a 6” disk, which I use
to work the five surfaces of the punch and prichel,
giving it a very smooth surface with razor sharp corners.
This is now a cutting tool. One hit to set the punch into the shoe,
the next to drive it, the third, a little softer to hear it hit the anvil. No more.
(when the punch has gone as far as it can through the hot steel,
there will be a distinctly different sound when you strike the punch).
When using the tool I quench in pine tar ( forshners ) every hole or
every second hole. One, not to cool the tool, but to keep it from getting to hot,
and two, the pine tar liquefies on the tool lubricating it.
No matter what you do to treat your tools or what type of tool steel you use,
if you beat it into the anvil the end will mushroom. With this method,
after I head set, and then prichel, one or two hits with the prichel,
as I’m lifting the shoe with the prichel, off the anvil many times
it will just fall off of the prichel. I really love it when that happens.
I hope this helps. Let me Know.

Nice writeup Bradley. I could use sand instead of coke-ash for quenching h13 right?

What type of steel are punches (like you would buy at the hardware store) made from?