Beginning Blacksmith Project: 1/4" Square Hooks

These types of hooks are one of the basics of contemporary hobby blacksmithing. Many a blacksmith shop has been built and many a blacksmith tool has been purchased based on the sales of these small hooks. Usually these hooks go for about $4-$5 a piece, more if you can make them fancy.

Probably one of the first things that most beginning blacksmiths make is a hook from 1/4" square stock. Actually that is a pretty good first project. It incorporates most of the basic forging skills: upsetting, drawing out, bending twisting and piercing. The following sequence will show you how to take that most basic of exercises and expand it into a full repertoire of associated hooks. So properly making these hooks will both improve your forging skills and add dollars to your tool fund.

The basic process shown here will allow you to make at least 6 different types of hooks:

• Tab hook with pigtail
• "S" hook with pigtails
• Tab hook with fishtail
• "S" hook with fishtails
• Drive hook with pigtail,
• Drive hook with fishtail,

Each of these can further be varied by including or not including a twist. They can also be varied by using round stock instead of square. Which gives you 24 different possibilities.

A variety of different size hooks can be made, based on the size of the blank you start with. Furthermore, this same process can be applied to stock larger than 1/4".

As a general rule, it is preferable to use 1/4" square hot rolled steel. However, 1/4" square hot rolled is becoming very difficult to locate. Consequently you will probably have to use cold rolled. The biggest difference between the two types of steel is price. Cold rolled steel is more expensive. Also, as you forge cold rolled steel you need to pay closer attention to your heat. If you forge the cold rolled steel too cold, you will end up with the very ends of your hook splitting. So make sure you can see at least a low orange to high red when hammering, otherwise, it is time to go back into the fire.

1. Start with a 6" long piece of 1/4" square mild steel.

* Step 1:

2. (Optional) Break the edges of the blank, hitting lightly on the diamond. This can be done cold. The domed side of a rounding hammer works especially well here. (This is a little more important with cold rolled steel, as it has sharper edges than hot rolled steel.

3. (Optional) Take one or two heats and upset the tab end, to allow for a wider, more dramatic tab (Step 8.)

* Step 3:

4. Draw the blank out to a tapered point at the end.

* Step 4:

5. (Optional) Round up the last 2-3 inches of the hook, the part that will make up the bend.

6. Form the pigtail on the end.
a. Cool the tip as needed to prevent it from burning up.
b. Hang about 1/16" of inch over the far edge of the anvil and use a glancing blow to drive the tip down. (Think of it as if you were trying to wrap the tip of the hook around the edge of the anvil.)
c. Push out another 1/16" and again use a glancing blow to push down.
d. Once you have about 1/2 of a circle formed, turn the piece 180 degrees and continue to close up the circle, making sure not to hit in the same place twice in a row (this will give you a flat spot, rather than a nice smooth curve). Make as tight or open as you want.

* Step 6:

7. Form the "J" bend.
a. Take out of the fire, cool the pigtail and form "J" bend over the horn of the anvil
b. Hold the hook near the tip of the anvil and perpendicular to the SIDE of the horn, not to the length of the anvil.
c. Initially hit down on the pigtail to start it turning down.
d. Next hit "over air" just past the far edge of the horn to continue driving the hook down.
e. Finally, flip the hook over and finish the "J" bend from the top.

* Step 7:

8. Form the tab.
a. Switch ends, heat the tab end in the fire. Place about 1/2" to 5/8" of the tab end on the near side of the anvil with the "J" bend pointing down and strike with a firm half face blow (hammer strikes half on and half off the anvil)
b. After the first blow gently push the hook into the side of the anvil, so that the shoulder formed is against the near side of the anvil.
c. Spread the tab. Do not hammer too thin. Do not hammer once the metal looses color, or the thin tab will split.

* Step 8:

9.Punch screw hole.
a. The punch should have a flat end with sharp edges. Occasionally dress with a file.
b. The bolster plate should have a hole that is a little bit larger than the punch. Ideally the edges of the hole should also be sharp, not rounded over. It is useful to scribe a set of "cross hairs" over the hole. This will help in setting the punch.
c. Take a red/low orange heat.
d. Observe the location of the hole, place the tab over the hole so that it is centered over the hole. Place the punch into position and firmly hold it against the tab. Let go of the tongs, pick up the hammer and strike the punch. At this point there should be an indentation in the tab and you should be able to feel the hole underneath with that indentation. Making sure that you feel that the indentation is in the hole, drive the punch the rest of the way through the tab.
e. Grab the hook with the tongs and usually you can turn the hook over and insert the punch into either the hardy or pritchle hole. Gently tap the tip of the punch to drive it out of the tab.
f. There may be some flash on the back side of the hook. Tap with the hammer to drive the flash back into the hole and to straighten the tab.
g. (Optional) drill screw hole once all done instead of punching the hole. . Generally it is easier to center the hole if drilled. Use a center punch to keep drill bit from wandering.

• Step 9:

10. (Optional) Place twist in shank of hook.
a. Get an even high red to orange heat across the section to be twisted. Place the hook into the fire so that the pigtail is pointed up.
b. Grip hook in the vise, even with the pigtail.
c. Using tongs or twisting wrench, grip hook just below the tab and give one full twist (or more if it is a longer hook), be sure to end up with tab in proper orientation to the "J" bend.

• • Step 10:

11. Tweak the hook to make sure everything is straight and lines up properly.

12. Take final heat and wire brush vigorously. Position the hook against the anvil when brushing, don't brush with hook held up in the air. Or better yet, clamp the hook in the vise. To get the forge scale off of the hook with a hand held wire brush, the hook needs to be at least at a high red heat.

13. (Optional) At a black heat, just below a dull red, take a brass brush and brush lightly to give gold highlights to the hook. Only if using a wax/oil finish, not if painting.

14. Apply final finish. Some finish will be needed to prevent rusting. Paint with 2-3 light coats of paint. Or, apply a wax or oil finish. These finishes are generally better if applied to hot metal. The wax or oil should just barely smoke when applied. Carefully wipe off excess oil and/or wax.

Variations on a Theme

"S" Hook

Start with a longer blank. Follow steps 1-7 as above for a pigtail, or do a fishtail

Do the same thing to the other end.

(Optional) Put a twist in the middle of the hook. Step 10 above.
a. If twisting an "S" Hook, first make it as a "C" hook. This will facilitate heating up the back of the hook, with out burning off one of the ends.
b. When twisting, go an extra half turn so you have an "S" hook when finished.

* "S" Hook:

Fish Tail Tab Hook

Perform the same steps as above, except instead making a pigtail, make a fishtail. Carefully roll the fishtail so that it ends perpendicular to the length of the hook. For a more dramatic fishtail, first upset the end of the steel.

* Fish Tail Tab Hook:

Pig Tail Drive Hook

1. Follow steps 1-6 above. But instead of forming a tab, draw that end of the hook to a point.
a. Holding about and inch and a half of the hook in the vise, point down, bend over to 90 degrees. Hammer down to get a nice square corner. Experiment to get the right length for the "nail" portion of the hook.
b. (Optional) Instead of just bending over at a right angle, bend all the way over to a "U" shape. Grip in the vice about 1/4" below the base of the "U" and bend back until the "nail" is perpendicular to the hook. This creates a "nail head" to hammer on.
2. Finish as described for the tab hook.
3. Note: Always pre-drill a hole in the wood. Never drive the hook "blind" into wood, this hook is made from mild steel.

* Pigtail Drive Hook:

Fish Tail Drive Hook

Make the drive hook as described above, but instead of putting a pig tail on the end, put a fish tail.

-- AlbinDrzewianowski - 09 Feb 2009