How to make and sharpen hammer and chisel gravers

[@dannygilmore7899]

Thanks so much for the most informative video on fabrication of gravers. No loud music or comedy, just professional and educating. So glad I found your site.

[@javapua]

I really appreciate that you explain for each step you do. Everytime, before my brain finishes to ask why, you explain it. I just smile. Thanks for that.

[@andrewedgecombe]

Awesome detail! Appreciate the specific call outs to the home gamer with limited workshop 👍

[@paulorchard7960]

Finally got watch, just a quick look at lunch. Glad the hand is ok apart from a bit of healing needed. You have hit the fundamentals of blacksmithing in this video, its toolmaking! Thats what took us from hunter-gathers to the modern life we live today. In past times everyone, the butcher, baker, candlestick maker and those who provided them with product, depended on the blacksmith to provide the tools needed for them to provide the community. Before the industrial age the smithy was king, great to see the craft being re-established, even in a small way amongst the nutters we are so skills are not completely forgotten!

[@matthewmarting3623]

Thank you! I’ve read up on lots of engraving and there’s lots of information on tip geometry. This is the only video I have found on graver blank geometry. Once I get my shop re established I can finally make some Japanese gravers that work.

[@samcoote9653]

Cheers Sam, made a graver tonight after watching a few vids, and trying to nail down the geometry when I found this video, cuts like a champ now, cheers mate

[@SamTownsBladesmith]

Excellent! Glad to hear mate

[@caneycreekwoodcarver]

Thank you very much for going through all the different ways to make gravers. Showing that you don't have to have the most epensive equipment to get started so you don't have to spend thousands of dollars to see if it is something you want to do. Thank you again very much.

[@SamTownsBladesmith]

You are very welcome! Making things accessible is one of my biggest goals!

[@jacobvisser579]

Can't wait for the next video! Thanks Sam for doing this series

[@SamTownsBladesmith]

No worries!

[@roberthayes9615]

Keen to see more graver and graving videos!

[@SamTownsBladesmith]

There'll be another next week!

[@Hammerandhilt]

Very informative, thank you Sam for taking the time to make this video 👍

[@brysonalden5414]

When this video was released I didn't watch it because I knew I would never, ever need to know this information because I would never, ever do inlay work. Sigh. I am going to be doing inlay work, so here I am, studying at the feet of one of the masters. Thanks, as always, for providing instruction on this and all the other areas you've addressed which have made me a more informed smith.

[@catcobralizard]

really like all the different methods shown

[@Carterironworks]

Loved the video sir. One of these days I'll try my hand at this.

[@LaserGadgets]

I saw a guy annealing it buy heating the part just above the center towarts the tip, with a torch...until it was blueing, then he was waiting for the "heat to crawl up" to the tip. Seems a bit...like guessing. You heated it up just past the point where it turns blue. Will that do? Just after sending the comment you did it as well. I would have quenched in oil when it glows red!? I was sure it goes soft again when you heat it up to glowing red orange then let it cool down slowly?

[@SamTownsBladesmith]

What you're describing is tempering, first you heat it to red and quench it, then you have to heat it again to a slightly lower temperature to increase toughness with a slight loss of hardness, I have a playlist on my channel explaining heat treating in depth!

[@LaserGadgets]

@@SamTownsBladesmith RIGHT, tempering. I just bought HSS square steel, 45° diamond face, heel....and it cuts like crap. First it kept diggin in, now I get stippled lines. Any idea why? Is it the heel? I did just gave it a quick touch on the belt sander and a quick touch up on 1000 grid sandpaper due to lack of options.

[@SamTownsBladesmith]

@LaserGadgets digging in would tell me your heel is too shallow, I tend to go for 45 and 15 for face and heel angles, if you're using a hammer and getting stippled lines it means you're hitting it too hard and holding it at too high an angle, try being a little less aggressive with the chisel 😁

[@LaserGadgets]

@@SamTownsBladesmith Yeah thats why my girlfriend told me GRAB IT, IT WON'T BREAK OF YOU SOFTY (she didn't say softie but I already tell her she did just to annoy her :P )....there too soft, there too hard. I even made a chasing hammer that is superlight. Thanks for the hint though! I will try that out. I still got no honing guide, doing it by eye is kinda tough.

[@TalRohan]

cool video, I don't know if youhave seen but accoding to the subtitles you have seven types of Gravy on your vice ...lol great to see just how small they can be I think for engraving I would go with this kind of graver too, I like being able to see what I am doing and to be honest its how I carve wood so fairly natural angles for me Thanks for sharing

[@thefamily_ak1863]

thx sam cant wait 2 give it a try

[@SchysCraftCo.]

Very good video today keep up the great craftsmanship and hard work my friend forge on

[@SamTownsBladesmith]

Thanks, you too!

[@mulekickforge4242]

Looking forward to follow up videos 👍😎

[@SamTownsBladesmith]

Thanks 👍

[@shirleymalar304]

Awesome video! I especially liked the parts you included for people who don't have any professional tools! I have been wanting to make some tips for a 'hammer handpiece' which will be used on my Marathon III machine (if I can find one compatible) to tool leather. I'm thinking I might not have to harden the metal at all, since the leather will be soft and the tips only need to depress it -- not cut it. Would I be correct in that assumption? Thank you.

[@SamTownsBladesmith]

You're very welcome! yeah with tooling punches you can get away with no heat treatment, though for the fine detail ones they may lose detail over time, as Leather gives more resistance than it seems!

[@Paulsinke]

THankyou so much for this valuable lesson, this is exactly the video I was looking for!

[@SamTownsBladesmith]

Glad it helped mate!

[@featherman51]

Love your videos. Thanks!

[@ValhallaIronworks]

Ah, gotta love the ol' Bogan Lathe technique

[@EffectivelySafe]

This is a great video. Thank you so much for the work and thought you put I to this

[@alexandreambroisine6891]

Thanks for this very handy tutorial 🤩

[@YooProjects]

Professional work. And very good channel 👍

[@angbuilder9019]

Many thank for sharing this video my dear

[@stevenmccrickard1401]

New sub. Thanks for the content. I found your video interesting and informative.

[@pauls5745]

24:14, tho it is a good habit to file on the away stroke, I get files that are double cut to speed things up. I think these are generally a cheaper made file and they do load up faster

[@SamTownsBladesmith]

Double cut files still only cut in one direction, the "double" refers to the two angles, creating smaller individual teeth which cut more aggressively, but they are still all facing forward.

[@jemalted5232]

Thank You!

[@DancingMachine1]

Hi. I am trying to learn hand engraving. Thank you for your video. I have a lot of trouble with graving small, tight radius because I guess the back edge of the graver starts scratching the surface. I guess my geometry isn't correct yet, but I just dont seem to get it right :( . Any thoughts on that? Thank you - greetings from Germany

[@arelgr9407]

excellent details.

[@davidmorgan7586]

thank you for the info i have been wanting to learn this i want to further my metal work

[@RainyDayForge]

I have to make these tools.

[@naturundhund]

Sehr gute Arbeit.

[@SamTownsBladesmith]

Danke schön

[@drason69]

Love, how you put some "easy/simple/ new guy" aspect to doing this. Cheers mate! And thanks!! All great tips n tricks. 😀😀👍👍⚒️⚒️🗡️🗡️

[@grandadz_forge]

Awesome. You have me watching Ford

[@SamTownsBladesmith]

He's brilliant!

[@christopherconkright1317]

Did you take the round bar turn it square?

[@rhino3hh]

Great video. I’m interested in creating my own leather stamps which lead me here

[@raymondmirabal5879]

Have you made a video using them if you have where can I see it?

[@SamTownsBladesmith]

I have, you'll find them on my channel 😁

[@ThatOneOddGuy]

I got 12mm round and square M2 hss blanks for this and its 100mm long

[@camagongtv4904]

Nice..thanks for sharing bro.

[@aaronvanfossan3288]

Do you think 52100 steel would work for gravers?

[@SamTownsBladesmith]

Absolutely, I have used 52100 in the past, though it can be difficult to work in such small cross sections

[@hojjat413]

the only thing i can say is thank you you should become teacher great explanation definitely you have my subscribe and like.

[@RainyDayForge]

How do you lock down your work when graving?

[@SamTownsBladesmith]

I have both a ball vise and a pitch bowl, it depends on the shape and size of the piece

[@Kurogane_666]

I'm just getting into engraving and I need a set of chisels I'm trying to make my own or find a set I can buy a cheap or decent price budget friendly, and advise? I know you explain in the video, but it's not settling in it seems for me

[@SamTownsBladesmith]

The best thing you can do is make a few, and try them. There aren't really any places you can buy them, so it's down to you to learn by failing a few times, sorry mate

[@wenwren]

Very enjoyable video- so thorough! Did you make your bracelet? Fun looking bench project. Thanks.

[@SamTownsBladesmith]

Thanks! Actually Alex @Valhalla Ironworks made it for me

[@dkironworks4037]

I have I think 3 ft of 1/4" O1 Drill Rod, Hmm to make or not to make.

[@CitizenSmith50]

Just a quick question from an amateur: why when you are working continuously on one face of the object do you give 4 or 5 blows and then bounce the hammer on the anvil and then 4 or 5 more blows, rather than beating the object continuously?

[@SamTownsBladesmith]

Most of the time you are simply "resting" the hammer away from the work so you can take a look at how the piece is developing. Bouncing the hammer keeps your forging rhythm, and the extra rebound from the anvil makes lifting the hammer for the next blow easier

[@CitizenSmith50]

@@SamTownsBladesmith Many Thanks!

[@eliasdib5538]

Thank you🖒 God bless🙏

[@OKBushcraft]

Hey Sam, I'd be interested in about anything you want to teach. Great tutorial my friend. John.

[@outsidestuff5283]

Is CRV steel ok for this? Was considering making something like this with a long broken impact driver bit

[@SamTownsBladesmith]

I haven't worked with 80crv2 so I wouldn't be able to say, from the charts I would say itight do the job, but you'd have to test it out!

[@outsidestuff5283]

@@SamTownsBladesmith cheers, ill give it a bash

[@anakbaik4828]

Awesome!

[@bsforge]

Sammy, is 5160 hard enough for these? Or should I just suck it up and cut up my chainsaw files? Great video as always, sir! Thanks for sharing your knowledge!👍

[@SamTownsBladesmith]

5160 will do ok, but you'll be sharpening them a lot more often! Leave them as hard as you dare.

[@bsforge]

Sam Towns, Bladesmith Ok, cool! That’s sorta what I was thinking, but I’m trying to use some of what I have in my inventory. I have 1 foot of 1/2” round S7 that I’ve been saving for special projects. I have never used it, so I don’t know if it will even hold a fine edge like that. Thoughts?

[@SamTownsBladesmith]

@@bsforge S7 is very impact resistant, but doesn't get hard enough to hold the fine edges needed for gravers

[@paulorchard7960]

Hows the hand Sam?

[@SamTownsBladesmith]

yeah fine, nothing broken

[@veteranironoutdoors8320]

I’m supposed to be sleeping! But gravers sounds better.

[@SamTownsBladesmith]

🤣🤣 it'll still be here after you sleep!

[@veteranironoutdoors8320]

Sam Towns, Bladesmith ain’t nobody got time for that! You broke that down excellently and made it very understandable. Made it look easy too. I thought they’d be more complex

[@SamTownsBladesmith]

@@veteranironoutdoors8320 yeah they are surprisingly simple!

[@bentoombs]

Wow I'm first.... Ok carry on Sam

[@SamTownsBladesmith]

Haha you are!

[@SpaceRanger187]

If you made kits and sold them I wouldn't have to worry about them being to big etc.🤔🤔😉

[@Tr3smass]

Is it just me or all Australians sound like Chris Hemsworth?

[@SamTownsBladesmith]

Who's saying I'm not? 😏

[@iliezota4997]

I don't understand why you bother to file with one hand the other hand being busy holding the piece in the vise of the hand. It is better to catch the piece in the bench vise and file the piece with both hands as is normal.

[@giangmelinh]

*?? ???? ?? ?? ?? ???..*

[@featherman51]

Great tutoriol, but for all the tools, gas,and time it takes, wouldn't it be much less money if you bought gravers? For all the time it takes, you could be spending that time on engraving. Just saying.

[@SamTownsBladesmith]

It would be if you could find a place to purchase Japanese style gravers, but there aren't. Besides, in hammer and chisel engraving you end up making custom chisels for nearly every project, most masters have between 3 and 4 hundred chisels!

[@Ye4rZero]

I'd like the video alot better if you weren't making it look so damn easy lol