It's stuck Helen?

[JWBIRONWORKS]

I needed to make a batch of courting candles for next weekend and I decided to try BP326 by Gerald Franklin. I usually just make one at a time but this looks to be a better way. I cut my stock and wrapped the 2 pieces around my jig, and yes by golly it does wrap better and easier Geralds way.now comes the problem. My jig is a piece of 3/4 pipe welded to a piece of 2" angle so it can easily be clamped in a vice and won't move around. I can't get the wraps off the pipe with out deforming them. I have tried light oil and wd40 and a small punch. Is there something I'm missing here? OH and yes about now I feel stupid. Any suggestions short of removing my head from my rear(I don't have a big enough bar for that) would be appreciated.

Thanks,

JWB

[Thomas Dean]

JW. I'm not sure this will work, but hey, I guess you'll try anything right about now. Grab the bottom of the cork screw and try to unscrew it from there. I think it will open just slightly from there up and slip off. Don't put too much pressure as this will open it too much can it may not spring back where you want it. Not trying to tell ya how to do it mind ya, but maybe you are getting it too hot and it is shrinking onto the rod. Good luck!

[6013]

It is an old blacksmithing trick taken from the Chinese finger trap. Pull and it tightens. Unscrew the coils just a bit and they expand and slip off.

[JWBIRONWORKS]

Thanks for the replies guys. I have tried "unscrewing" the spiral, that is how I do the singles that I make. However it distorts the spiral before they comes off. Maybe I will try heating it alittle before I unscrew it. I'm sure the solution is something simple I have overlooked. Maybe I'll have better luck this morning.
The problem may be that I dunked the whole thing in the slack tub so I could get them done "quicker".

Thanks again,

JWB

[Ten Hammers]

My humble opinion. Heat your tooling with a bernzomatic a bit. I have not used this tooling per-se but I use tooling a lot. Stuff will stick, yes. Wrap it, let the color go out and try and unwrap it. I absolutely would not quench. Keep the scale cleaned off ( air hose close by for a quick blast is handy ).

[irnsrgn]

pipe has a rough texture, and it gets hot and expands quick, use a slick smooth shaft for a mandrel, and don't quench it will shrink tight on the mandrel.

[MOONY]

Hit it with a bigger hammer! (just kidding)

Try unwinding it from the top and bottom a little bit, and make sure your pipe mandrel has no burs or marks on it, especially near the top. Linish a bevelled edge at the top to be sure.

[JWBIRONWORKS]

I finally got thr first set of the jig and wrapped the second set then before it cooled I put on a pair of gloves and it unscrewed off the gig just fine. I made the other jig that Gerald had in his bp also. Worked like a charm. I had always freehanded them before.
Irnsrgn, I put the pipe on the belt sander after I removed the first set that was stuck and also cut off about 4" of excess. I beleive that also helped.
Ten hammers, you an Iron were both dead on about not quenching.
Moony. I also beveled the top of the pipe after I had removed the excess length and put it on the belt sander.

Thanks everyone who responded with suggestions, I hope this helps others in the future.

JWB

"I like happy endings"

[Site Admin]

This has been added to BP0326 for reference.

[Ten Hammers]

( re-reads the original post ). I wholeheartedly agree with Irnsrgn. Now that I have read the post again I will say this. If you can, heat the tooling to remove all the case stuff off the pipe ( read any paint/varnish etc that factory uses ). Heat to fairly hot and brush the scale and smooth it up. Pipe will still not be as smooth as you want. This being not the solution to the problem, rebuild the tooling using some rod ( cold rolled will be the nicest smooth finish ). JINX, you already responded while I was typing this...