[TheForge] Drift?

[David E. Smucker]

Harry,  Drifting a hole is an important part of blacksmithing and you need 
to start out by just trying it.  First work with a round drift -- you can 
make one out of mild steel because drifting is generally done hot.  Let us 
say you want to "drift" a 1/2 inch hole.  Start with some 1/2 round stock 
and draw down on end to about 1/4 inch or 3/16 and taper for about 3 to 4 
inches.  Then leave a straight section  of about an inch then turn it around 
and taper the last inch down to about 3/8 dia.  That is the striking end and 
it is smaller so it will pass through the hole.  So you finished drift looks 
like the iron workers drift only on the bottom end -- it then has a straight 
section -- followed by a short top tapered the other way.

Now in many cases the blacksmith would punch the starting hole -- but since 
I assume you don't have any punches yet, take a piece of 1/4 x 1 inch stock 
and drill a 1/4 inch hole in it.  Then heat it hot and drive you drift 
through the hole enlarging it.  It may take you more the one heat -- but try 
it.  Metal is hot, drift is cold.  But you will only pick up a drift off the 
floor once -- they get rather hot in the process.  Use tongs to "get my 
drift".

Here is a link to a video of the drifting of a much larger hole

http://video.aol.com/video-detail/blacksmith-art-part-6/3057720516

Good luck,

Dave Smucker
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "IowaHarry" <iowaharry at fastmail.net>
To: "The Forge" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Thursday, April 10, 2008 8:45 PM
Subject: [TheForge] Drift?


> Hi All,
>
> Being new to blacksmithing I am unfamiliar with the concept of drifting. 
> At work I am familiar with the iron workers drift pin. A fairly hefty lump 
> of steel tapering from approximately 1/4 to 3/8ths of an inch at the tip 
> to the fat end near 2 inches being 14 to 16 inches long. I have some 
> fairly large scrap stock I thought I might make into hammers and handled 
> punches. Is this the type of drift I need to do this or is a hammer drift 
> a special tool?
>
>
>
> thanks, Harry
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