The Armour Archive

I need to get a planishing/ball stake. As of now, I don't have a welder so I don't think I can make one. I would be grateful for any ideas or direction in this pursuit.

Thanks!

Euan MacFhearghais wrote:I need to get a planishing/ball stake. As of now, I don't have a welder so I don't think I can make one. I would be grateful for any ideas or direction in this pursuit.

Thanks!

I can sell you the ball ($10 plus flat rate shipping). If you take it to a local welding shop/fab shop they can attach it to a piece of steel stock for you for $20 or less.

I know that I will regret this question, but here goes. How big of a ball do you have for sale? There I said it, can't take it back. AAARRRGGGGG!!!!

AKA.WilliamUlfer wrote:I know that I will regret this question, but here goes. How big of a ball do you have for sale? There I said it, can't take it back. AAARRRGGGGG!!!!

2.5" as seen here: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=146788&hilit=+ball

I build custom armoring tools.
What diameter, how long and what size the shank.

This is a typical off-center planishing ball stake.



At your service.

Hal

also do them but am on the wrong continent, ball bearings up to 4" diameter

Euan MacFhearghais wrote:I need to get a planishing/ball stake. As of now, I don't have a welder so I don't think I can make one. I would be grateful for any ideas or direction in this pursuit.

Thanks!

Ancillary to Halberds' most excellent and reasonably priced product & shipping, have you a railroad anywhere nearby?

There you will find discarded railroad spikes, the points of which make good creasing stakes, the heads of which, polished shiny, make good planishing surfaces for the smaller pieces and shallow curvatures. Not so good for entire helms nor some portions of elbow cops -- though either depends on your method there. All that's wanted else is some means of holding your RR spike, viz., a bench vise. Got Vise?

If your wandering along any nearby RR track also leads you to come across a hefty bolt with a hemispherical dome head, snatch it up. These are track bolts. Doubly grab it if the bolt still has its threads and there is a nut on it to match: there are a couple of ways to make that nut into a good holder for that bolt. Grind off the letters in the head of the bolt, polish shiny, quickie mushroom stake. And life is good.

So there you are: four options, and counting, where you had none before.

Awesome. I'll be wandering the railroad ASAP

Almost forgot: have you ever tried "soft-hammer-hard-anvil" forming? Makes smooth curves, minimal planishing at all. No bag'o'marbles effect.

A No. 2 Garland Mfg. Split Head hammer (they come in sizes 1 through 5) is about right for most apps, with the rawhide faces. These are replaceable but you won't need to for a looong time, because they keep working making smooth curves in metal even with their edges all chewed and raggy. As hammers go they are expensive. Like most expensive tools, I've never heard of any actually being worn out by use. Destroyed in a house fire, maybe.

For this, the only other thing you want is your anvil or redneck-anvil,* to be the hard surface. You "hammer on air" just above where the piece is propped on the anvil face. In effect, your soft hammer becomes the stake around which the piece is formed. Apparently your workpiece much more "sees" the hard, very elastic collision with the anvil face than it does the mushy collision with the soft hammer. Curves noodge right into steel this way. I don't even think it stretches the metal out in the center of the curve, so the metal isn't thinned. Very nice for knees, elbows, helm parts and spauds.

*Couple feet of heavy I beam (which may be torched into an anvil horn shape for added utility and working on helms) or similarly, scrap RR track. Slab of 1" steel plate works too.

RR bolts also make nice dishing hammers for hot work. (and they can be turned into a hammer with out access to a forge!---but it sure is easier and better to use one!)