I’ve made some more nails, mainly as an exercise in old-school forging. The aim is to be able to make a nail with minimal tools in just 1 heat, a ‘heat’ being a single heat cycle, so from the forge to anvil and tools without reheating for more work. I am only managing 2 heats, but this is mainly due to using the vise to create the head and not yet having made a header tool specifically for nails (my next job).
The thickness and the length of the nail is determined mostly by the diameter of the steel bar I started with, smaller nails are possible with this 8mm bar but I was keeping it simple.
