DIY Forging Tooling to make mortise and tendon joints

I start out forging 2" truck axle to a square and let air cool.

I cut 1 chunck at 2.5"  then I cut that chunck diagonally giving me 2 triangle pieces, and 2 more chuncks at 1.25". I weld the "triangles" to a 2.25" piece of 1" square bar. This gives me a shoulder swedge to start the tendon on a piece of desired bar stock.

I clamp the 2- 1.25 pieces 2 ways and drill the size hole I want my tendon to be. These are 3/8"

I then make my "spring handle" from 3/8" round rod. Cut a 30" piece then draw out 2" in the middle flat untill the total length is now 31"...... This will give you a 3" flat area in the middle of the rod. I bend that over a 1.5" piece of pipe thus folding the 31" rod in half. I drill a 1" x 3/8" hole in each of the 2- 1.25 pieces to insert the spring handle ends in to them.

I vise up the 2 pieces with a piece of the 3/8" in between the 2 pieces this make sure they are prpoerly aligned to each other before I weld the spring handle in place. 

I heat treat the spring tool ends and the actual spring end as well as the hardy shoulder swedge. You need to take a 3" piece of heavy square or round stock and drill a 2.5" hole in the center of it to make a monkey tool. this is used to set a crisp shoulder at the start of your tendon so the joint will be tight.

Tools from left to right

Hammer, monkey tool, shoulder swedge hardy, tendon I just made, 3/8" spring swedge, tongs.