10 replies to this topic

[northcoasthobbiest]

Well, this is my first post as I'm new here and to the black smithing in general. I happened across this site while researching foundries for my aluminum casting project and thought I'd give it a try! Anyway, I have no black smithing tools so I thought I'd start by making a set of tongs. They're ugly as sin but they seem to work. Here they are, feel free to comment!  IMG_2082.JPG   4.11MB   214 downloads

[Rob Browne]

You're right, they are ugly but they have taught you LOTS about smithing and will do good work for you while you make some pretty ones.

Great first effort.

[CurlyGeorge]

They may not be the prettiest tongs around. But I'll bet that you will still be using them for years to come. I still use my "ugly tongs", just because. You'll get better at making them. You actually did a pretty decent job on them, for never making tongs before. Keep up the good work, and thanks for sharing the pix.

[northcoasthobbiest]

Thanks guys! You're right they did teach me a ton! Prior to making them I'd never even bent a piece of hot metal before so it was a whole new experience, a great learning experience and a heap of fun! I think my next project is going to be making a cross peen hammer to replace the 4 pound sledge I was using I read half shafts from trucks make good stock for this, can anyone verify this?

[Bryce Masuk]

many car parts will work like axle shafts, transmission main shafts, springs and torsion bars.

you might be able to find a chart i know there is one relating to GM car parts explaining which steel is where for 80's and older cars


your tongs seems pretty good for your first ones, when i first started I could barely control the hammer and I got tired real fast it would take me several sessions to make one set of tongs

[Nakedanvil - Grant Sarver]

Glad to say, after doing this for most of forty years I still get that same tingle from making something. Go to this thread, it'll make your jaw drop, now that you've tried it.

http://www.iforgeiro...eat-tong-blank/

[AndrewOC]

northcoasthobbiest, on 11 March 2010 - 09:38 PM, said:

They're ugly as sin but they seem to work. Here they are, feel free to comment

My comment would have to be 'good on ya!'
This is a great reminder that blacksmithing is about making your own tools, AND i must get into more tong making myself!

Now you can make your own perfectly suited crucible tongs, crucible pourer and dross rake to be the envy of all other alunminum founders.

enjoy
AndrewOC

ps what do you intend to cast?

[ironstein]

Nice tongs! I bet that was some work forging rebar! Hey Grant, is that Frank Zappa on your profile picture? LOL

[northcoasthobbiest]

Nakedanvil - After spending hours getting mine to where they're at watching him do that in 30 seconds makes me want to make another set of tongs he made it look so easy! Amazing job, wow.


Thanks for the reply Bryce! I guess I should clarify though and I apologize in advance if it runs on. I'm using a PDF that I found linked here called Basic Blacksmithing by David Harries and Bennard Heer. They listed some good accessible sources for low medium and high carbon steels suitable for various tasks. My question though is will a truck half shaft give me the right diameter (I'm guessing a half shaft would be a 1"-1.5" diameter?) for a heavy enough hammer? This will be my first hammer and will hopefully replace my 4 pound sledge. I live in a very small, remote community where buying proper black smithing tools is probably out of the question and I'd prefer to make them myself.

To be quite honest I'm not entirely sure what sort of hammer I should start off with or what weight. Advice on this topic would be greatly appreciated!

[northcoasthobbiest]

Thanks AndrewOC

As for what I plan on casting...I mean, what don't I plan on casting?? I do a lot of projects and having the ability to cast custom brackets, parts, etc is very very handy. My current project is a 2-3 kilowatt windmill with a homemade permanent magnet generator. I've also built a desktop CNC mill which will be cutting my foam billets for lost foam casting. I may start making small plaques for friends but I'm not sure if I'm going to go that route yet.

[youngdylan]

Nakedanvil - Grant Sarver, on 11 March 2010 - 10:33 PM, said:

Glad to say, after doing this for most of forty years I still get that same tingle from making something. Go to this thread, it'll make your jaw drop, now that you've tried it.

http://www.iforgeiro...eat-tong-blank/

.... or for sheer skill and as the cheesing eating surrender monkeys say "joie de vivre"