i was trying to come up with a decent looking shift shaft for my truck and just didn't want to go with something off the shelf or some screw on extension so I decided to have a blacksmith shape the existing shaft. I can't take credit for the idea of having a blacksmith stretch and shape a gear shift shaft as it came from a fellow HAMB'er, but I'm quite happy with the results. Here are some pics of the process. First blacksmith David Collier, hit the threads of the T5 with a grinding wheel. Then he heated the entire length of the shaft to even out the hardness so as not to fracture it during stretching. Then the work begins with the hammer and power hammer. We traced out the original shape and what we hoped to get when finished. If you look close you will see the original shape and the final length (at hash mark) Starting to take shape.... Got the length desired. Putting the bend in the shaft. All done! Welding a 3/8-24 bolt stub onto shaft end. A little clean up with wire wheel. In place and all done. Hope this helped those of you trying to figure out a shaft solution. I think the hammer marks give it a nice vintage look. Thanks to blacksmith David Collier of Broken Hammer Forge in Maryland!
Looks like a good march with the theme of your truck judging by the steering column, it's drop and the steam gages. Nice.
Looks like you had the right person work on your shaft. That is one beautiful anvil in his shop. Turned out great!
Looks good but you could have done it at home with a rose bud on your torch. Neat idea though using a forge and a hammer.
My way long gone Blacksmith Buddy taught me how to do that stuff back in HS after my Dad died. I started hanging out at his place after school and on Sat. mornings. He took a liking to me and showed my how to do a bunch of stuff using a coking coal forge and anvil. His dad made the trip hammer that he used to sharpen plow shares.. I made a forge after he taught me, but by that time Mom moved us kids off the farm to town. Then I started working on the N&W RR Co's Traveling Tie Gang and that was the end of that. I still remember how to make cold chisels from Model T axles and leaf springs. Great looking shifter AND so glad you got to watch it being made!! There's not many REAL Blacksmiths around anymore.. Most use gas-fired forges now.. pdq67
Only one question... did he heat treat it to get the hardness back? If not, you are going to have some trouble down the road as the shifty part in the transmission starts to wear away...
I know what you mean my little brother took up blacksmithing before he passed went to far as to hang out with a real blacksmith as his helper so he could learn the tricks of the trade. Fun to watch and a dying art. I was just making a statement not saying that it is the wrong way to do it. Unless of course you are doing it that way because that's the way that "Jesse" does it then it is absolutely the wrong way to do it.
Thanks for all the comments guys. And yes that anvil of his is a beauty. He owns 8 anvils because he teaches classes on forging but this one he said he bought new and ran him $2000. Regarding the hardness issue, I don't think he put any hardness back into the shaft, but he did let it air cool to even out the metal. Not sure if that was done to prevent brittleness? Im not sure I will have any issue with the shaft wear as the shaft sits in a plastic ball socket that I greased up real good and the tip being round makes contact with a metal socket that has a curve to it as well. I guess time will tell? I'm waiting on an adaptor bushing from1954 Designs ( as soon as they answer their emails) and will install my #99 HAMB shift knob!
My pal Bonneville Butch gave me the anvil that the elderly man used for years at San Jose Forge. When the San Jose Sharks coliseum was planned, San Jose Forge sold off the back lot where the old forge was, and Butch scored the 1860 Wright anvil. I built a coke forge, coal available in Hornitos, East of here...also use an electric blower, but the rest is all the real stuff. Jesse has a forge, it's at his house. Is he still around Austin Speed Shop?
The Jalopy Journal
