DIY Forged Bodkins

Egstonvonbrick

New member
DIY Forged Bodkins and a two-brick forge.

Well... i've been promising myself that i would go self-sufficient in archery kit.
The thing holding me back was bodkins.
So after swotting up and some consultancy (thanks Paul)... here are my efforts.

The goal was to come up with a DIY forge that the average chap could safely use and make with minimal investment.
It all worked better than i had hoped, even allowing for temperatures (yellow) to allow hammer welding...
(knifes and pattern welding are also on the list)

The setup involves the following kit...
1 x Propane canister, regulator and torch (commonly available and not that expensive)
2 x fire bricks (attack these with your tool of choice - and hollow a semicircular groove lengthways in both bricks and a similar channel halfway along the bricks).
Some tongs and hammers
Something to forge against - anvil, railway sleeper, hardened hammer head or anything suitable
Water
Belt sander for finishing
Oil for tempering

<<Man with clipboard mode = ON>>
NOTE: Now i'm not usually one with much time for Elf+Safety a-hattery and telling other people how to live their lives.
But - If you are going to dick around with very sharp things, very hot things, gas, grinding etc. then please put on your goggles, pinnies, sensible footwear, mask - when grinding - and ensure tiddles and all those you love are out of harms way and know what you are up to!
<<Man with clipboard mode = OFF>>

Hopefully the series of pictures below will explain the process.
To encourage you all, in a day i managed to produce 10 bodkins and reach a level of competency i was happy with. I have now told myself i have to make 12 dozen bodkins until i can do it blindfold!
At the end of the day i could happily knock out a thin-walled socketed bodkin better than most i have paid for and as good as the others! ;)

I also tried a fatter 'war' 'broadhead' from 1/2" stock that went well and a hammer welded broad head that although ugly taught many lessons and will only be improved on!

The cost of this setup has more than saved me the cost of a dozen hector cole bodkins! ;)

So... on with the pics...
Hopefully i have proven some more of the mystique and juju associated with such things is not hard or beyond the ken of most men, cos if a biffa like me can do it... :)

Pic#1, Pick#2 and Pic#3: Two-brick Forge - Here we can see the two brick forge with the heat being directed through the centre hole - the stock is fed in longitudinally allowing you to direct heat efficiently where needed.




Pic#4, Pic#5, Pic#6, Pic#7,
Here you can see the stock (8mm mild steel) after heating and offered up to the anvil, the socket-flat being created, reheated, beaten some more and the socket folded.





Pic#8, Pic#9 and Pic#10
The bodkin has been reheated and the end chisseled off so that if can be beaten and drawn to a point. An intermediate stage is to define the transiton between socket and head by rolling and beating. The last pic shows the fiished item and the next piece in the forge.




Pic#11
A collection of bodkins building up, steadily improving.
The one stuck in the desk was thrown and landed with a most agreeable thud and you can in this one i have achieved a nice thin-walled circular socket.


Pic#12
Here is a progression from the first i made to number seven, as you can see the first although serviceable is not very aesthetically pleasing, has no definition between socket and head and the head is quite small. The middle one has gone a bit chunky and still lacks definition. The third i hope you'll agree is not a bad looking fella at all - even if do say so myself! ;)


Still work to do and i plan to 'production-ise' the next batch so that i make consistent batches of 12.

Pic#13
Here are my attempts at the 'war' bodkin and a swept type-15.
Again although these lack the aesthetics i was after, for my first attempt i was quite chuffed.
The war bodkin needs to be 'chunkier' with a fatter head and the type-15 needs more work, but was a test on a part made bodkin (you can see the notch that was not needed) but did prove the forge can cope with hammer welding.


Stock - I used 8mm mild steel for most and for the next batch will move up to 10mm.
The war bodkin was 1/2" mild steel and the type15 a mild steel core with EN9 tangs that will temper up nicely.
The next batch will be EN9 that works like mild steel (although you can't get away with cold working) and i will then temper them with blue heat and a dipping in oil.

Hope this was of interest, apologies for rambling on and if you have any questions please ask away!

Cheers
Ev
p.s. Look what i picked up at a car boot for ?15 - a leg vice which will suffice as a decent anvil - blooming bargain!
 
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Deleted member 7654

Guest
Odds bodkins Dude!
That two brick forge is a thing of elegance and beauty. I shall make one for Mrs Cat's wedding aniversary present forthwith (although, maybe I'd better give her the Ruby ring as well?)
Ah, leg vice... yup I recognise that fellah.
That pretty impressive hot-osity for just propane and air.
Excellent bodkins, I doff my metaphorical cap to you.
How did you make the grooves in the bricks without smashing 'em into bits?
And does the longitudial groove go right through?
Great post :)
Del
BTW. I have a dirt gert bar of EN8 from a bout 30years ago. I though steels all had fancy Euro numbers or some such tosh these days. I expect mr Google can elucidate :)
 

Egstonvonbrick

New member
>>How did you make the grooves in the bricks without smashing 'em into bits?
Angle grinder - cut a V-notch then just nibble away... best do this outside tho! ;)

>>And does the longitudinal groove go right through?
Yep - if you were just making bodkins i think an enclosed one brick forge might be more efficient, but this fella allows for longer items such as knives , wider items like type15 bodkins and daggers/knives and allows you to hammer weld tangs on etc.
Worked a treat and the fact that it could get hot enough for welding is brilliant.

I am also planning a more tradition forge - well a corner of fire bricks so that you can temper a greater area but this is for later, as i've told myslef i can only move on to knives when i've 12 dozen decent bodkins under my belt! :)

Cheers
Ev
 
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Deleted member 7654

Guest
Ah, angle grinder!..... I knew that :liar:
Didn't they used to say an English archer held 12 Scotsmen under his belt? Or somesuch.
I'd been looking at various torches but was biding my time, I have one of those MAPP gas jobs but the gas costs a fortune.
It's V encouraging that the propane can do the job.
Give a man an bodkin and he'll shoot a Frenchman. Give him a forge and he'll make tea (to confusticate the old saying).
Del
 

modernlongbow

Active member
Del:
That, my man, is some impressive bodkin-smithing. One suggestion: when you quench the cherry-red steel in oil, let it be 90 weight. Hardens better than the lighter stuff, but smokes like a musket. If you are lined up against me with that kit, I'll find somewhere else to be. My chainmail will not keep those out.
 
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Deleted member 7654

Guest
Del:
That, my man, is some impressive bodkin-smithing. One suggestion: when you quench the cherry-red steel in oil, let it be 90 weight. Hardens better than the lighter stuff, but smokes like a musket. If you are lined up against me with that kit, I'll find somewhere else to be. My chainmail will not keep those out.
Not MY bodkins! it's EV's post! Credit where its due!!!
Del
 

Egstonvonbrick

New member
>>How do you prevent the metal getting too hot and being ruined?

MKI eyeball - just have a shufty down the hole/s and see how its looking.

Pretty hard to ruin mild steel or even EN9 quite forgiving - just have to remeber which bits you've tempered! :)

If you fancy a go, start with mild steel as you can cold work and forget about hardening etc until 'you've got your eye in!'.

Cheers
Ev
 

Craftsman

New member
I make all sorts of items using a similar set-up but I tend to quench in used engine oil, it has all sorts of carbon in it and leaves a lovely colour!
 

modernlongbow

Active member
The grooves in the firebricks are Egston Von Brick's stroke of genius! This allows one to tote the field smithy to the camp. A breakthrough for archaeometallurgy and smithing in the field..
 

Egstonvonbrick

New member
>>So..........when are you going to start selling?

My goal is to get a temporary set-up soon and a proper workshop sorted over the summer.

Then i need to get 12 dozen under my belt so my eye is well and truly 'in' and then start popping them out at a very reasonable rate compared to a leading manufacturer! ;)

I'd hope that standard 3/8th bodkin will be around sub-fiver and the other types about ten - maybe cheaper... depends how well i make em! :)

Will also be open to 'requests' and a sideline in Tudor/Saxon everyday knives... the Seaxes will need a bigger setup! ;)

Why are you interested? The more 'requests' i get the sooner this will get me of my A and a making them! :)

Already have some Tudor chaps interested!

Cheers
Ev
 

Egstonvonbrick

New member
... oh and rest assured any profits made will not be wasted on dolly burds and booze but ploughed back into facilities... i need a proper forge! :)

Cheers
Ev
 

Egstonvonbrick

New member
>>I'm always interested in well made arrow heads, just wish I had somewhere I could use them

My old club didn't mind bodkins thunking into their targets, just not broadheads!

They also puts aside 'older' targets for this kind of activity... i could make you some nice victorian round tapered jobbies? :)

You can always knock up a cardboard french knight at 100y to plink at! ;)

I have some hand cut Ash shafts ready for these bodkind and will make up some EWBS spec arrows to help sell my wares!

Cheers
Ev
 

Raven's_Eye

Active member
Ironman
>>I'm always interested in well made arrow heads, just wish I had somewhere I could use them

My old club didn't mind bodkins thunking into their targets, just not broadheads!

They also puts aside 'older' targets for this kind of activity... i could make you some nice victorian round tapered jobbies? :)

You can always knock up a cardboard french knight at 100y to plink at! ;)

I have some hand cut Ash shafts ready for these bodkind and will make up some EWBS spec arrows to help sell my wares!

Cheers
Ev
I brought down some short bodkins and after looking at them the equipment officier said no, with a fear about the sharp edges cutting the strings holding the straw of the boss together. I might put a suggestion that older bosses could be put aside for edged heads, but technically they are against GNAS rules.
 

Egstonvonbrick

New member
>>they are against GNAS rules.

There is a solution to this... :)

My contempt of GNAS was the reason i left the club and went and found something less full of a-hattery and understanding of biffas like me!

Now... i see my contempt for GNAS as highly rational :)

Others may disagree and i'm cool with that - i can be a stubbon old A - but they made me cross* and i'm happy i no longer give them my cash.

Apologies for the rant... :)

Cheers
Ev
* I do tho have issues with 'authority' and am actually quite surprised i am still employed! :)
 

Raven's_Eye

Active member
Ironman
Where I currently live as far as I'm aware all clubs are GNAS affliated. Personally I quite like my club and have had no real problem with GNAS aside from some of their limitations on arrow heads, but its understandable as they can be very damaging to bosses. Where may I ask do you shoot, and are you under a governing body?
 

Egstonvonbrick

New member
NFAS, predominately Primitive and occasionally Longbow.

If your club don't like 'square' bodkins then these could be forged 'round' and ground to a decent finish to allow them to 'pass'.

May not be what you want but would at least allow you to shoot hand forged bodkins which to me would be more aesthetically pleasing than the modkins (which i like - but are not primitive enough for me).

What i will say tho is that if you are taregt shooting and have them mounted on neary threefoot of ash and spldidly long traling feathers youe will need a hefty old bow!

Have you tried clout? :)

Cheers
Ev
p.s. I do tho want to try dainty bodkins suitable for target* archery and the kinder, may need to dig out the toffee hammer! ;)
* I was going to say ladies but thought that might get me in trouble.... oh!
 
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