Forging arrowheads
I made my first attempt at forging arrowheads recently. Because my research in arrowhead forging technique reaches only the subject concerning heads with socket for attaching to shaft I naturally started my work with socketed heads. Having forged successfully few heads I would like to try my hands at arrowheads with tang. I particularly think of heads like those used by Turks and Tatars and rather for use with wooden shafts than cane. I?ll try to forge some soon without any instructions, but any tip would be useful.
I hope there are some amongst ATARN members who have experience in forging tanged heads (or in fact any kind of iron or steel heads for use with Asiatic traditional arrows) and would like to share it with others.
There are a few things I was thinking about when one is forging heads with tang;
-Do you forge the head/point first and tang last? (When you forge heads with socket you forge the socket first.)
-The head (or tang) is forged while attached to parent bar or strip and later cut of (before the second part of the head is made) or maybe you use separate pieces of metal for each head?
-Is there any particular way of forming pronounced ?shaft stop?( the part where the tang meets the actual head)?
-Are there any particular additional tools one would need?
I hope there are some amongst ATARN members who have experience in forging tanged heads (or in fact any kind of iron or steel heads for use with Asiatic traditional arrows) and would like to share it with others.
There are a few things I was thinking about when one is forging heads with tang;
-Do you forge the head/point first and tang last? (When you forge heads with socket you forge the socket first.)
-The head (or tang) is forged while attached to parent bar or strip and later cut of (before the second part of the head is made) or maybe you use separate pieces of metal for each head?
-Is there any particular way of forming pronounced ?shaft stop?( the part where the tang meets the actual head)?
-Are there any particular additional tools one would need?
Ash; It is good that you are thinking about this project and working on it, and you recognize the shoulder of the late points which abutts the end of the shaft. These did not always occur in iron points, for instance in the first centuries AD. But having them is an improvement.
I would forge the tang first from stock and taper. Then drive the tang into a heading plate to form the shoulder. Then neck down above the shoulder and cut off enough of the stock to finish the point.
Turn around and hold the tang with a tong with a V groove in the pincer for best control. Shape the head.
Alternately, the tang, shoulder and neck can be cut off and forge welded to special steel before shaping the point.
What we call a scaffold nail, a nail with two heads would be a perfect preform for the latter opperation. -j-
I would forge the tang first from stock and taper. Then drive the tang into a heading plate to form the shoulder. Then neck down above the shoulder and cut off enough of the stock to finish the point.
Turn around and hold the tang with a tong with a V groove in the pincer for best control. Shape the head.
Alternately, the tang, shoulder and neck can be cut off and forge welded to special steel before shaping the point.
What we call a scaffold nail, a nail with two heads would be a perfect preform for the latter opperation. -j-
Jack, thanks for your support.
I'll be rather trying a one piece technique as I'm a beginner at forge work.
I should give your idea a try and then compare it with the different way (forging the tang last).
I'll be rather trying a one piece technique as I'm a beginner at forge work.
I should give your idea a try and then compare it with the different way (forging the tang last).
I?m using a tool ,similar as scissors for making the tang. It is input to the square hole of the anvil or to the leg. First step is making of shape of arrowpoint, next is "settling" (I don?t know english term) of start of tang. After that cuting with a small reserve for making tang and drawing and forming tang on the cone nose of the anvil.
http://nasralnahrob.rajce.idnes.cz/Persian_Arowpoints/
It is finished using the file
http://nasralnahrob.rajce.idnes.cz/Persian_Arowpoints/
It is finished using the file
Qualiti of My?as arrowpoint is visible in pictures from Korea meeting. Arow shot cross Turks helmet... :lol:
M??a, thank you very much for sharing the information, that ?scissors? tool of yours seems to be a good solution to forming shoulder/tang joint.
I?ve just had a long talk with Jarosław Bełza, a very fine arrowsmith himself. He approved M??a?s advice and confirmed me that concerning arrowheads with tang, the usual way is to forge the point first then form the shoulder/tang joint (or whatever it should be called) and do the tang last. If I get it right that?s mostly due to fragility of such a tiny and thin thing as a tang.
I abandoned the forge for some time due to my experiment with a cable backed bow (a miserable failure ;) ) but now with the new dose of advice I?m going to grab the hammer asap.
I?ve just had a long talk with Jarosław Bełza, a very fine arrowsmith himself. He approved M??a?s advice and confirmed me that concerning arrowheads with tang, the usual way is to forge the point first then form the shoulder/tang joint (or whatever it should be called) and do the tang last. If I get it right that?s mostly due to fragility of such a tiny and thin thing as a tang.
I abandoned the forge for some time due to my experiment with a cable backed bow (a miserable failure ;) ) but now with the new dose of advice I?m going to grab the hammer asap.
Yes dear Ashbow :wink:
Making tang as final operation is much easier, quiklier and with better acuracy. If you will start with tang, it approximately cracks in the point of joining to the neck of arrowpoint. At first you must to heat with very caution, because tang is heating much quiklier and Itś geting cold to. If Arrowpoint is held in the tongs with the help of tang and forged, tang is getting cold too quickly and with connection to soft moving easy cracks.
If you make a tang on the end of forging , there is possible to make quite complicated forms of arrowpoints
[external image]
Making tang as final operation is much easier, quiklier and with better acuracy. If you will start with tang, it approximately cracks in the point of joining to the neck of arrowpoint. At first you must to heat with very caution, because tang is heating much quiklier and Itś geting cold to. If Arrowpoint is held in the tongs with the help of tang and forged, tang is getting cold too quickly and with connection to soft moving easy cracks.
If you make a tang on the end of forging , there is possible to make quite complicated forms of arrowpoints
[external image]
![[external image]](http://img1.rajce.idnes.cz/d1/1/1244/1244583_494bcb107d7455355ae39fb73dd7fe56/images/S6001522.JPG){kind=link}
Mysa; Excellent work! What is the metal? How is it hardened?
Midle carbon steel , surface is enriched by carbon (in czech is called "cemented") . Hardened on 61 HRC.
I made next one from welded damaststeel
I made next one from welded damaststeel
Experiment with Japanese Yanone. :lol:
Welded damasteel from ironsand. About 7OOO layers. 62 HRC
[external image]
Welded damasteel from ironsand. About 7OOO layers. 62 HRC
[external image]
![[external image]](http://img1.rajce.idnes.cz/d1/1/1244/1244583_494bcb107d7455355ae39fb73dd7fe56/images/jap.hrot.JPG){kind=link}
Very, very nice. What tool did you used for carving? Don't tell me that you have used some electric tool for this.
only for drilling :lol: Files,scrapers,chisels,engraving tools.
But I haven?t enough time. I spent with this work about 5 hours and there are a lot of mistakes on the arrowpoint
But I haven?t enough time. I spent with this work about 5 hours and there are a lot of mistakes on the arrowpoint
Mysa; really very nice; exemplary. Keep up the good work. -j-
Only drilling? You are good. Can you post picture of tools that you used?
You're a talented artisan!