[TheForge] nail header

[Ralph E Douglass]

Albin Drzewianowski wrote:
> 
> Tom Clark has a good suggestion for making nails.  He always does it in 2
> heats.
> 
> In the first heat,   he shoulders, draws out the nail and then notches
> almost all the way through.
> 
> (Now here is what he does different) Bend the nail rod at the notch to about
> a 60 degree angle and put it back into the fire with the notch/head down
> into the fire and the tip pointing up.  (what this does, is it heats up the
> head with out the  risk of  burning off the fine tip of the nail.  By
> reheating the head in a 2nd heat, you insure that the head will spread out
> nicely.)
> 
> Then take the nail out of the fire, twist it off in the header and form the
> head.
> 
> I now use this is system and definitely get larger and better shaped nail
> heads.
> 
> You can do a nail in one heat, but I think that no matter how fast you are,
> you are really forcing the steel to form the head at that point. The head
> forms so much easier after the 2nd heat with Tom's system.
> 
> Albin Drzewianowski
> Westminster, MD.

Have you ever seen Peter Ross or any of the other smiths form Old
Williamsburg make nails?
The nail is still pretty bright red when the nail hits the floor. And
with only one heat.

I timed him. It was an average of about 24 secs per nail and 25 hammer
blows. 
Best I did was 30 nails an hour.

But I will say that I do like reheating the nail in exactly the same
manner that Tom does. 

Ralph
-- 




                                                        
					
"Good is the enemy of Excellent. Talent is not necessary for Excellence.
Persistence is necessary for Excellence. And Persistence is a Decision."