"Try not to hit too many times in the same place or you will wind up with a ---squish"---HA! I love it!

That spring fuller is genius ... great video, thanks!

@4wheelwarrior

Жыл бұрын

Gotta add ... I made a spring fuller today ... total game changer for my fledgling shop! Also wanted to say thanks for the vinegar trick on fasteners ... I was burning them before, this is far nicer. Keep up the great videos!

When you said Make a Cold Shut I believe I felt a disturbance in the Force.

Nice coathanger! Nice to see how you made the balls. I' ll try to make them tomorrow. Greetings Fred Bos. blacksmith

Nice job you can learn so much by watching you another nice video.

I have made several of these hooks now and have come back to see what else I can learn from your instruction. What a fun project and everyone that sees them likes them. I made several with the long arm being the top hook and like it better that way personally, mostly because it leaves plenty of room for a wide brim hat. Thank you again John for a very fun project and the usual fine instruction. I must thank you for showing me how to quiet down my anvil too. This video was shot before you reset your anvil and it clearly points out the difference once again.

Merry CHRISTmas Iron Friends

Hi John love the hook you make in this video which is yet another clear illustration of fundamental forging skills.,.....and your comment "it won't be a ball,.......... it'll be a squish". Do not know how I missed this forging demo for so long. Cheers and beers for Christmas.

@BlackBearForge

Жыл бұрын

Merry Christmas

just subbed ya...your a true craftsman...iam a custom boat carpenter 50 yrs or so..love the craftsman trades.thinking about starting some blacksmithing. for fun

would love to see the making of the ball in close up. also loved the armani suit comment. i doubt the folks who forge and the folks who own armani suits encounter each other very often!

I like the samples you keep for reference, very smart. Thanks for the ideas, tips, and tricks you provide, as well as the fails so we can know to expect not everything goes perfect, even for a seasoned veteran of the forge. Thank you.

Good info . I have 40 years of steel work but Im just now wanting to smith. This is exactly the kind of stuff I want to make

Really enjoy your vids, you're a good teacher and blacksmith - keep up the good work.

Nice hook! I kinda love this! I never thought a cold shut could be so pretty

Always wondered how you did this great Vid

I admire your hammer control.

I just happened to stumble upon your channel, and I have yet to even swing a hammer, however I feel that even though these projects are not the most glamorous it is extremely good for foundational knowledge on Blacksmithing that you will need if you want to continue the craft. Great video, and I will be sure to revisit this when I get my workshop setup.

I really appreciate how your focus is always on teaching! Thank you for making these videos! Also, thank you for showing us you working at your "true speed" for the second ball formation. (j/k)

I have watching your videos for a few weeks. I built a forge and gas burner. (Cheaply as possible). I made a few marshmallow roasters for my Grand Kinds as we are going camping in a couple of weeks. I appreciate the skills you are teaching and the vast amount of experience you seem to have. Thanks for sharing.

@BlackBearForge

5 жыл бұрын

I’m glad the videos are helping.

I am surprised that you did not weld the ball, but you are the Master, so I will take your word for it.

Oh oh you forgot to tell us to remember our safety glasses. Nice lesson on that hook John .....Thanks

Oh Boy, I had to look way back to find this one again. I thought that I would check your video out again and get a little refresher. This is still one of my favorite projects and I've made several by now. I jumped up somewhere along the way and use 1/2 X 11-inch steel now. It makes for a nice beefy look that suites me fine. I'm still working on not creating "squishes" and haven't got it down yet but sure do enjoy trying and everyone looks better. Pretty soon I'll turn it into a six-sided ball a-la Brian Brazil---HA! Thanks again, John.

Just getting started in the forge. So far I'm the master of the 15 heat nail that's still lopsided! Practice, practice, practice I guess. Thanks for the great videos John.

@BlackBearForge

Жыл бұрын

Soon you'll have it down to 10 heats.

Thanks for this

Thanks for another great vid Ive just started blacksmithing and so far Ive made a couple knives and some flowers , you inspire me to do a lot more thanks.I have an excellent teacher locally also that im taking classes from.

Nice, now I know what you did with the bolts/screws for the air hose hanger. Thanks John.

Very Informative and inspiring Video ! I have not seen a ball End , made it that manner ! More knowledge for me and I Am still making NOTES ! THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR KNOWLEDGE ! Be Safe and have a good Day !

Came back to visit this one again. I am going to forge at the Pioneer Village at Springmill State Park the first two weekends they are open and thought this would be a good project. Make about 5 of these and have the carpenter mount them on a strip of wood cut in the mill off of the water wheel.

@BlackBearForge

6 жыл бұрын

Sounds like a good project, stay warm

@bc65925

6 жыл бұрын

That will be the one thing I'll have to work on... staying warm. I'll be taking the camper out of hibernation and dragging it down there as it's about 80 miles from the house but it comes with a camping spot. It can be a full time paying position however I'm just volunteering these two weekends.

Thankyou sir. Learning so much from you,

I love your rambling when you forge

@BlackBearForge

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks. Many people complain when I talk that much.

Awesome stuff. Your vids are really fun to watch. Can't always be in the shop, unfortunately, so it's nice to watch a good maker making.

Thanks John I always love ree watching your videos. Going out to make some hooks right now👍👍👍⚒On!!

nice tip about how to make the first bend. THX

Really enjoy all of your videos,they have a way of making you feel like your right there in the shop with you right at home amd always some great content. Thanks for sharing

so love the way you work and teach how to work with the anvil and what tongs to work with as well so thank you so much from Colin from down under

@BlackBearForge

6 жыл бұрын

Thanks

Always fun and encouraging John. Thanks!

Thanks for the video. It's really important to know the size of the material when trying to copy your work, thanks for that info.

@BlackBearForge

6 жыл бұрын

I try to mention it in most videos if it matters, but I know I do forget sometimes

@pvtimberfaller

3 жыл бұрын

It’s really not relevant. Every application is going to require different stock and you can use whatever you have on hand, I think that is the main lesson of the hook series. It’s about teaching craftsmanship not a project to copy exactly. I personally would start with round bar and flatten the center.

@5x535

3 жыл бұрын

After using up well over 40 feet of steel so far making this particular hook, I can say with certainty that the size of your starting material has much to do with what the finished hook looks like. My favorite so far is 1/2 X 3/4 X 11. It yields a nice beefy rustic barn type that will hold whatever you ask it to hold.

Sir, thank you soooo much for sharing your knowledge. Plus your Cool as Hell 👍🏼🆒🔥

Thanks for yet another great video! Just made a few of these for a family member gift, turned out pretty well. It’s kind of you to share your knowledge.

Planning on making these to go with a Christmas gift project for family. What about using a brass wire brush for extra color to the ball ends?

@BlackBearForge

Жыл бұрын

No reason not to

You sure make that look easier than it is John. I just made two squishes ---and then broke them both off. Drat, I hate it when that happens!

@BlackBearForge

6 жыл бұрын

Its easy to create a stress crack if the neck gets cold.

Love it. Not to mention, I've been wondering how to forge ball ends.

@BlackBearForge

4 жыл бұрын

Glad to help

Forged hooks are the only hooks I hang my Armani suits off of.... If I could afford them :P

@Glaswalker1001

4 жыл бұрын

Forged hooks aren't THAT expensive!

Thanks for this. I’m new at blacksmithing and already my daughter has asked for a set of ball end hooks. Now I’m confident I can do it, while learning another skill at the same time.

@BlackBearForge

6 жыл бұрын

They're a fun project

Thank you for the video, really nice coat hooks. I really appreciate your blacksmithing style.

Thanks for all your great videos.

I am 62 years of age with an engineering background and have not forged anything. Now being made redundant I am building a forge, Gas as coke is like rocking horse shit in New Zealand, so I can explore this fantastic method of manufacturing useful items. Out of respect to the teacher I do not want to copy others work, just the how, but the measurements are interesting from the point of what proportions of material are required to make the shapes especially twists, wraps and spirals. I have no tools and I am starting by repairing a broken anvil using a forklift tine to make the back of the anvil where the hardy should be. My first tool, Thanks for the motivation and thanks for the essential how to uploads.

@BlackBearForge

3 жыл бұрын

Many of these things are not original enough to worry about copying, nearly every blacksmith makes similar hooks

Really nice project. You make forming the ball element on the end look easy. But I think it really takes a lot of practice to get right.

@BlackBearForge

6 жыл бұрын

It all takes some practice, but even a less than round ball can look good

@5x535

5 жыл бұрын

After making several of these hooks, neilyeag, I can tell you with certainty that you are right! But they are a lot of fun to make.

Thanks John, another winner of an idea. Love it!

Really great video, well described and demonstrated I have tried a few of your ideas and really enjoy forging them, thanks again from the UK

Thanks man, great inspiration for my efforts.

Thanks John! Very helpful!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

Really enjoying your videos thanks for taking the time to make them

@BlackBearForge

6 жыл бұрын

You're welcome

Awesome informational educational video experience Y'alls

Love it!

Awesome............!

It looks like with a little finesse you could forge those ball-ends into tiny fists with fingers as well... something I might try :)

Just subscribed today, that was amazing.

Nice anvil- looks like my Haybudden

@BlackBearForge

6 жыл бұрын

This one doesn't have a makers mark. It has a hardware store name on it. Likely made by someone else and sold through that store. Perhaps it is a Haybudden.

Awsome work.. you are the master and you are generous with your knowlege and expertise.. a random question about how you mounted your vise to the corner of your table.. i bought a similar one to yours

@BlackBearForge

5 жыл бұрын

There is an angle iron welded under the top and a large U bolt around the vise leg through that piece of angle

I forged one of these this afternoon, your instructions really made sense, and I was very happy with the end result. I emailed you a photo!

@BlackBearForge

6 жыл бұрын

Great job

Maestrooooooooo loveeeeeee of albani

thanks sir, nice video.

@BlackBearForge

6 жыл бұрын

I'm glad you liked it

I prefer hot punching holes, but, I might be a bit biased, only a handful of drill bits (half of which are dull from drilling stainless), and, just a B&D wannabe cordless drill. Maybe when I get the gear fixed on the post drill, I might change my mind.

Just a little thing you might want to remember one day:A German blacksmith does not work with hot metal, but with warm metal. One works "a heat" just as in the US, but one needs to get the metal "warm" rather than hot. A frequent explanation is that the only thing hot around the forge is the blacksmith's wife. So - if you should come to Germany for a blacksmith convention (which I strongly suggest doing) - you may want to remember this bit of trivia.

Thank you fornyour clear instruction. I'm just setting up my home workshop and getting ready to forge. Have you got a video of forging tongs without tongs? I'm going to learn by making tools.

@BlackBearForge

6 жыл бұрын

Not yet, but that is something on my short list of videos I need to do.

Can you control upset the square into a ball without getting a cold shunt? 🤔

🤔I’ve been struggling to create these ball ends with the narrowed transitions. I’m wondering if the squared hammer face might be helpful to bring my blows closer to the edge of the anvil. My hammers are all round.🤷‍♂️. I also never used a butcher or fuller. Plenty of areas to consider. Thanks for the long explanations.

John when doing the end over the anvil, do you hold the stock flat on the anvil or hole it up a bit??

@BlackBearForge

6 жыл бұрын

I hold it up to keep the tapered arm in contact with the anvil.

Lovely work. But I wouldn't want to put a wet coat on it or it will rust.

@BlackBearForge

6 жыл бұрын

Actually I find the wax finish does a very good job at preventing rust for interior use.

Why is a "controlled cold shut" ok in this instance? It seems like the rest of the time you are working quite hard to avoid them.

@BlackBearForge

5 ай бұрын

There is no stress on the ball portion, so the cold shut isn't an issue. A cold shut at the transition point between the ball and the arm of the hook would be a problem.

Is it possible to forge something similar out of 10mm round bar

@BlackBearForge

Жыл бұрын

It would be smaller, but the general shape can be done

How many pounds is the hammer u use do u sell em

@BlackBearForge

6 жыл бұрын

It is about 3 pounds and was made by William Bastas quite a few years ago

@cgmcpherson33

6 жыл бұрын

Man u swing that sucker like it's a pound an a half

No hammer choking here. Swell hammer end; purpose?

@BlackBearForge

6 жыл бұрын

I am not completely sure what you are asking. If you are referring to the wide end of my hammer handle, it is to help keep the hammer from sliding out of your hand. I try to keep a loose grip so I like the extra swell on the end.

@reverendbrothergenerik7976

6 жыл бұрын

I was wondering if it had a use such as pushing or non deforming final adjustments of a scroll. I am currently working with round stock and am trying to leave as few hammer marks as possible, using leather mallets and the end of my hammer handle a bit. Stinky.

Where did u get the metal rule / mesure u use?

@BlackBearForge

6 жыл бұрын

The hook rule is one I made by modifying a square kzread.info/dash/bejne/ZZOO08ODaZbKoMY.html

Why don't you simply upset the ends into an actual solid ball? I imagine that there is a reason, but why?

@BlackBearForge

5 жыл бұрын

The stock dimensions and the approach go hand in hand. Upsetting is an option, but is better done in round or square bar, then flatten the center of the hook.