I generally try to make Christmas presents, rather than buy them. Partly because it's easy to buy stuff, but if I'm honest mostly because I like to make stuff.
My missus likes to cook steak (which is nice), so I decided to make her a steak weight. You can buy them, but I can make a better one.
To start with, I found some reasonably heavy steel. I'm aiming for about 1/4" thick and the middle section of some old C section structural steel was just thick enough. I cut off a length in the band saw and cut the sides off (maybe I can use them for something one day).
The edges and one face were trued up in the mill. The fly cut finish on the base is very smooth and flat.
Then it was on to the handle. Some short sections of 3/4" copper pipe were cut and squared up on the lathe to a consistent length.
These are then formed over a steel core. After some hammering, they are annealed in the forge (takes seconds) to soften them for further bending and prevent cracks.
With the ferrules done, a length of plum wood (from the garden) was cut and turned down to a snug push fit.
With the handle shaft turned small enough to fit in a collet, each end was tapered to meet the ferrule shoulder.
After a bit of sanding and some Danish oil, the handle is done
Some steel bar was forged down and bent into the side bits
With the handle assembly completed (with the addition of an 8mm steel rod threaded at each end M6), we can determine where the holes need to go to attach it.
Flat bottomed blind holes were drilled, leaving ~2mm stock, and a generous countersink was added to allow for some weld fillet.
Stub rivets (bits of 8mm rod) were welded in. The excess weld, of which there was plenty, was grinded, filed and eventually counterbored (just because I wanted to use the boring head I made) until the side bits fit nicely.
The rivets were peened over after warming the area up in the forge (I really should get a gas torch, that's a bit excessive).
After a bit of clean up it's all done.
Shiny side
Standard dog for comparison photo
