I've been toying with trying to do some basic finishing of my hook tools without having to borrow a friend's forge. As it seems to be metal working month for me, I decided on some light relief and to try and finish the second hook tool I was making at the Weald and Downland forge recently.
To do this I created a small chamber with fire bricks and used a propane torch connected to an old cylinder I inherited. I suppose I ought to say something about 'Don't try this at home kids.......' but then I'm not at home, I'm down the shed!
The hook tool is one that I wasn't able to even hot file when I was at the forge so I used a bench grinder to put the bevel on the end of the tool.
The cylinder seems to be a little low on gas but the furnace worked well enough to get the end upto beyond cherry red. Hard to photograph and do at the same time with limited time to work the metal.
Without an anvil I am reduced to using a big pair of pliers to twist the hook into shape and with a little persuading from a hammer on the side of a vice I managed to create something approximating the shape I needed before the gas gave out.
I only gave the tip a very slight temper. The spring steel had already snapped in service and remained hard even when annealed so it seems to be very high in carbon.
Pressed immediately into use the half sharpened tool seems to be quite useable and allowed me to make one bowl without it dulling enough to need more sharpening.
For a first attempt the propane fired furnace worked quite well for finishing small items like the bowl hooks, as soon as I get another cylinder of gas, and maybe a newer torch I will be giving it another try. It seems like a good way to allow refinishing and repairing of broken hooks, and it has the bonus of providing some heat in the shed at the same time.
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