Blacksmithing Tips! Perfect Holes Every Time! 

I really like your technique of using a small, narrow slitting punch to start the hole making process rather than a round punch. It really does minimize loss of material. Thanks for pointing out something to make hole punching more efficient.

Always interesting to see how you do things and pick up little things I might have missed in my process. Always trying to improve. Thank you.

Anything you show is helpful . This video really changed the way I well be punching holes .cheers.

Hi Daniel, Your videos are very informative, I'm in the throws of setting up my own shop, I trained as Blacksmith in the Army back in 97 but time and circumstances have prevented me in getting started so your videos are helping remember some of the skills I forgot. I shall look forward to more of your videos 👍

Great Instruction ! Thank You !

Excellent video. Found this really helpful and I’ll give it a try next time I’m at the farm. Cheers for sharing the knowledge

love these detailed vids of basic smithing- with real skill level. Keep it up Mate!

This practical day to day stuff is great. Have a great day.

Excellent video Mr. Moss 👍✌

This is terrific. You take the time even though you could be whipping through. Thanks.

As usual another great teaching video Dan Big Thumbs Up !

Hey, great video great job great instruction great everything! As always. Very skilled and very good manner of explanation for the beginner or even slightly advanced or possibly advanced depending on the people. Just wonderful. Thank you for sharing. Have a beautiful day or evening and be well. Jim

Very nice demo. Thank you.

Always a pleasure. It might be nice to see your favorite female blacksmith!

Great video, really helpfull...always enjoy seeing your vidéos. Thanks Dan

Great video, I will definitely try this method soon

Tools don't make the blacksmith, but they sure do make the job easier!

Pretty darn awesome Dan! Thanks and God Bless you sir!

Beautiful, clean work and very well explained - thank you very much! :-)

Great video! Heading out to the forge right now! Thanks

Very helpful video thank you so much. keep up the great craftsmanship and hard work my friend forge on love the videos

I like your videos there always so interesting keep them coming.

Very nice , enjoyed. Very instructive.

Very cool Daniel thanks for sharing I’d love to see some traditional jointery

Thank you, Daniel. Been a while since I checked in. Love the video, great job. Hope all is well... Take care...

Something satisfying about a perfectly formed slug.

Fabulous video!

This video was very helpful, thanks.

Very cool, and great show!! As for suggestions, do the rest, as for tennons n such. Great stuff in that. Thank Sir !!🍺😉⚒️❤️👍👍

Thanks! Very helpful!!

Great pure content, would love to see a series on joint samples, ie, punching 20mm square through 20mm square, Joints tensioned & riveted etc breaking each individual joint into easy to follow steps. ATB, Dave

Great video, thank you for sharing

Very useful. Thanks

Hey Dan, thanks for the video, take care 👍

Awesome job sir, loving the videos. As far as a suggestion I would say keep it going through the project there are tenon's still and some of the other tips on footing things up.

Thanks Dan... As usual, great vid' instructive and clear. I'd love more forge-food... Take care!

love to see a bit about how you get your ideas for your artistic architectural forging it is the type of work I want to get into

Very helpful.

Отлично, спасибо, посмотрел с удовольствием

You mentioned upsetting after slit punching to help open up the hole. I must try that!

Nice video you did a great job. I would like to see how you make slot punches, hot chisels and drifts . Thanks have a good day

Thanks for sharing

Thanks for sharing your process. I've had good success using coal dust as a lubricant when punching, curious if you have as well. Looking forward to the tenon video, as I will be starting my first gate soon.

Hi Dan, I've recently gotten into your channel and I think you deserve far more subscribers than you have presently! You have a really nice way of instructing - calm, friendly and in no way condescending, but brimming with useful information. I've already picked up a lot of things from you that I hadn't heard mentioned elsewhere. I haven't looked through all of your videos so apologies if you've covered these, but I'd love to see your take on a basic forge weld tutorial, perhaps for something like a turkey's foot poker end. I'd also be interested to hear your tips for getting really clean-looking half-lap rivet joints; I've really started to favour these recently but my success rate at getting them all looking uniform is not great! Luke

Have you tried striking chisels, punches, stamps etc. with a soft head hammer? Just annealed low carbon steel and the blow is more even and the tool last longer. It really is impressive. It doesn't crack like brass and it's much cheaper. Jewelers use soft tin hammers for fancy stamps. Good instruction.

As I watch, I can see one of my problem is my noster bounce about.Might get a bigger and heavy noster or use my hold down clamp Thanks it's great to see someone confident Blacksmith showing a upgrade of the right way. Daniel I thank you Sir

I day I will learn something... Maybe. Thanks dude

Merci 👍

There's great holes and then there's EPIC holes.

Great video Dan. Do you always work this methodically or just for videos? I enjoy the pace at which you present tutorials and I’m curious if it changes when you’re working alone. Thanks again for the great content.

Great video! I should invest some time to do some proper drifts, punches and a bolster.

Enjoyed the video, have it filed for future reference. Noted that the the second color (RED) used with captions was very difficult to read as it was over the darker area (anvil) at the bottom of the screen. Maybe try a different color or lighter shade.

How about an upset shoulder mortise & tenon joint like those done on the top rails of old blacksmithed gate's

Have you done a video on making a slitting punch? If not, could you? All of the holes I’ve seen done have been with a round punch, but it looks a lot quicker with the slitting punch.

Very nice video Is there some other simple projects you could create videos for? Your back to basics videos were very informative. Army SE Oregon USA

Enjoyed the video however I would like to know what you do with the rounded out sides?

Really like the detailed instruction. I've punched some with poor results. Draw through is my nemesis.

Nice...What material do you recommend for the slitting punch and sizing punch? Thanks

Great Video, are the holes in the bolster the same size as the punch used or are the slightly over sized?? Thanks joe

Does lump charcoal dust work the same as coal dust for a drift/pinch release agent?

Danny boy, like the silent show at the end! Like "enough said "

Great video Dan! Quick question: What kind of steel did you use for the slitting punch, the drift, and the bolster plate?

Dan Do you make your own beeswax graphite lubricant or do your purchase it? if you make it what is the formula and where do you get components

My only question: At what size of a hole do you use a slit punch vs a round punch? Is it a difference in the hole size vs stock size or just a generalization (say 6mm or smaller gets a round punch and drift to size and over 8mm gets a slit and drift to round)?

I noticed that you rotated the punch 180 degrees I will try that

I'd like to see more forge food. Blacksmithing related, a draw knife.

Is there any reason you couldn't have a slot punch/drift all in one tool? Slot punch that gradually tapers up to the hole size you want all in one go?

I have forklift tine. Steel prices have gone up. But cutting it with an angle grinder is not so simple. Any special tech to do it?

Ok, well the thing I'm currently having trouble with is brazing in the forge. I don't own a torch, so figured I'd try it in the forge, but it did not work to plan as yet. Any tips on that front would be most useful.

Dan what happens if you don't have some of the gear you have for hole punching?

Nice video as always Dan. What metal did you make your slitting punch out of?

I've only ever used oval and round punches, seeing this demonstration, I kind of wonder why even bother with them? The slitting punch seemingly removes very little material and has less resistance to punching through. The ony thing I can think of right at the moment is for quite small holes where making a drift that's actually sturdy enough could perhaps be problematic.

I like perfect holes.

Where do i find your etsy products(i am in canada) not having any luck finding

I dont know, I would always use chisel plates. Either mild steel or aluminium just to reduce the risk of damaging my anvil to zero.

How bout a dragon slaying tutorial? Not enough of those on RU-vid.

I've never seen someone weld tongs, I get impatient with upsetting, so this seems like a much better alternative. Beautiful work by the way

👍👍😎👍👍

Do you have a video on making your own bolster plate as well as drifts and punches? That would be a good video showing how to make those tools.

The grease cooling bubbleing and smoke worrys me a bit 🤔