My name is William L. Howard, Bill for short, and I have made my living as a metalsmith for the last 30 years. I am considered a master goldsmith by those who care about such things and I also engrave, sculpt, mint, cast, forge, make prototypes, teach, consult, appraise, weld, do seminars and most anything else which is legal, fun, informative and earns fair wages.
     I've had to do some pretty weird things with metal in the course of making custom orders and one of the most useful skills I ever learned was how to make those special tools you couldn't buy if you wanted to but really make the job happen faster. Not everyone has vast resources of cash or tools so I have presented this information based on a low tech, low cost approach. You will need some concrete nails, a belt sander or grinder, a heat source, hammer, striking surface, a can of water, a vise and about 20 minutes.