Forging a nail

The clip is a brief demonstration of my style to forge a nail.

As you see, my anvil was not stable while filming this. Some of the energy from the hammer blows is shaking the anvil, which is not good. All of the energy from the blow should go for the transformation of the hot metal.

Making of nails is relatively easy. You just have to be fast and accurate. Keep your tools ready and in place where you can get them fast.

The resulting nails should of course have uniform shape and size.

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• blacksmithing
• blacksmith
• forging
• forge
• nail

[MrCelloman21]

please tell me where do you get a anvil and what metal did you use for the nails?

[juspak]

@MrCelloman21 I bought the anvil as used from the junkyard. The anvil is really old, it was made in Finnish foundry called Dalsbruk, which operated between 1686 - 1928. The metal I use is just scrap metal, short rods gathered from junkyard, and it can be anything... The best metal for nails is not too hard, but quite soft and flexible, for not to break when nailing.

[juspak]

Thanks for your comment.

I am doing the drawing on the horn, because that is the way mastersmiths have taught me. Perhaps it's the Scandinavian style and more difficult, who knows.

But drawing between two round surfaces (for example horn and hammer peen) has bigger effect on the iron than flat and round surface (for example anvil flat and hammer peen).

One could use the anvil's edge, but it requires smooth and rounded edge, and the hammer strikes can not come directly above.

[gaert99]

u got a very nice quality camera!!!

and when i grow up ill be just like a blacksmith!!!

[juspak]

Thanks, it is a Canon A610, quite old pocket size digital camera.

[poppiesrule]

first of all, stop drawing out metal on the horn. draw out on the edge of the face where hammer blows will go right down to the base. the horn is for making bends. second, get that cutoff out of the hardie hole when you are hammering on the face! you will chop your fingers off one day. it is not safe. lay down the cutoff and only stick it in the hole when you are ready to cut.

[juspak]

Thank you for the comment. A blacksmith can use what ever part of the anvil he or she thinks is suitable for the work at hand. For me, for a small item as a nail, anvil edge draws the material "too quickly". And for the safety tip, you are right, cutoff (and other hardie tools) should be removed when it is not used...

[swedishhunter21]

really really amazing blacksmith!

[BackWoodsPuppy]

Nice nails ;)

is that a square or round hole in your header? and is it tapered?

[hbronco96]

Can you make me some nails.

[crashga1985]

back in the day you would need to make round about 1000 good nails a day to make a living at it.

[beauteouschaos5]

this certainly makes me appreciate the value of a nail

[slab698]

Very nice work, from what i've read having nails was limited to the wealthy back in the day. Its amazing all the things we take for granted and nails certainly being one of them.

[swedishhunter21]

DEAM! you'r a pro!!! :O:D

[blacksmither1]

@dawg1157 i would think it would be the same but much more massive

[TechnicusJoe]

@dawg1157, probably a weird answer, but it's yes and no.

[TechnicusJoe]

@ihateintel1 OH GOD THE COMMENT OF A NONE IN BLACKSMITHING INVOLVED PERSON.

First: the new anvils of today suck, all cast-iron, which sucks, exept for Kohlswa, Peddinghaus and Refflinghaus, they make the best anvils of tool steel of today's world. Second: what do you know about blacksmithing, you have nothing in your channel about it. Third: there is a mute botton or a swith for sound levels. Fourth: If you dont like ringing you got: magnets (under the horn) or buy ear plugs.............