Best Way to Flatten Round Stock By Hand??

[East Branch Knives]

When forging from round stock (usually 1/2" which is a little thin, I think) I can pretty easily flatten it down to about 1/4", but from there it's pretty difficult. I encounter the phenomenon similar to when you're flattening a ball of dough (or playdough or clay) and once you've got it into a pancake you can pound it w/ your fist as hard as you can but it does nothing, and from there you need a rolling pin.

I'd like to widen it rather than draw it out lengthwise as I flatten it. So I've been using the cross peen and striking it parallel to the length of the stock. This works okay, but it puts lasting divots into what will eventually be the blade. Is there a better way to flatten/widen? Should I buy/make a hardy tool? If so, which one? I was thinking either a "fuller" or a half cylinder-shaped tool? What do you guys use?

Thanks very much for your help!

-Mike

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

First, work it hot! It should be at the upper forging range...normally about 2000-2100F. When it gets to plain red or about 1500F put it back in the forge.
Second, use the standard drawing face on the hammer. Make the blows at 90° to the bar, with the swing toward the direction you want to draw the steel. Turn from side to side as you flatten and draw the rod.
Third, once it is flattened out into something roughly bar shaped, work back from the edge as if drawing down flat stock into a bevel. Make a series of blows directly along the edge, then a second series of blows about 1/4" in from there. Walk the sets of blows back toward the spine area about a 1/4" at a time. Flip and reverse the bar as needed. You will be surprised at how much and how fast the bar widens. Once moving as you want, start tapering the bevel and work the flats to shape.

 

[CrookedPath]

Stacy of course nailed it, but using the horn of the anvil can help too. It provides a rounded surface that isn't quite as extreme as the peen of the hammer.

 

[elementfe]

^^ What they said.
Plus, it's surprising how much work a slightly domed hammer face will do if you do your part. I've also used very wide radius cross piens for what you describe....like, 8" radius or more. The cross pien on a factory hammer is trouble, for this kind of stuff.

 

[Bo T]

Get a flatter and use it to smooth out the bar when is it getting close to the desired thickness.

 

[East Branch Knives]

Thanks for the responses, guys. I've tried each suggestion (except for the flatter, because unfortunately I don't have one yet ) and all have helped.

Stacy, that technique is pretty awesome, except that it has exposed how poor my hammer control is and how much I need to work on directing my hammer blows with precision. You were also right on about temp. I had thought I was forging hot enough, as the bar would get yellow-orange, but I got out my pyrometer and stuck it in the forge, and it turned out that the hottest I was getting the chamber was in the 1750-1800f range. I made a couple burner adjustments and now I forge w/ the pyrometer in there constantly, and take the bars up to 2000-2100f, w/ each heat. They glow yellow and move a lot easier!

CrookedPat, the horn has also been really helpful. I get my anvil jumping a bit (its a peter right 125# chained to a stump) but it really does offer a "bottom fuller"-like surface to spread the stock.

elementfe, I've taken two of my cross peen hammers and brought the peen radius way back. They are both a lot nicer now and don't leave those nasty divots that I was getting before. I also splurged and bought a diamond brand rounding hammer ($45 at the local ferrier/farm store) with a great domed face, and that's been a real pleasure to work with. It just feels more solid than the rest of my hammers, none of which was more than $18.

Thanks again to each of you! My next obstacle will be insulating my shop and figuring out how to run the forge in there without poisoning myself w/ CO.

 

[JMJones]

One thing to mention on hammer control is to think of your arm working like a power hammer, the hammer comes down in the same spot every time and the piece you are hammering is the one that moves. Trying to aim or direct the hammer at the piece drastically reduces control. Also trying to over power the hammer reduces control, just hit moderately and consistently, while keeping the work hot and forging becomes so much easier and more effective.