FieryFurnace Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 Well, I started back out in the shop today. We've been doing more construction to try to use up the wood that is stacked where my air compressor needs to go. I decided to go with "Mainly Bob's" suggestion of free-forming the scrolls on the dinner bells. (See the scroll jigs thread.) It was taking two heats last October, but on the first try this year I got it in one heat easy. This was due to switching to a lighter hammer to do the scroll. I'm tapering with a short-handle three-pound sledge, so I have been rolling the scrolls with that too. But the bigger hammer is absolutely useless. It takes very little force to scroll a 4-inch taper in 3/8" round, so I was just slowing myself down using a three pound. I switched to a one pound ball peen and it's like eating cake now! Super easy and the entire scoll can be done, evened up, and brushed before it gets into black heat. Funny how we overlook the smallest most obvious things sometimes! Now all that was off topic! I did make the triangle jig for cold bending the dinner bells. I had thought about using stobs in a piece of plate steel as someone had suggested over on the scroll jigs thread. I have a good piece of 3/8" plate that I'm not really using, and I thought about drilling and tapping 3/8" holes with the taps "Spears" so kindle gave me. However, I need some more book knowledge on threading before I try it in the shop. So anyway, I made a clamp-in-the-vice jig for cold bending triangles. Enough talk.....you're probably screaming for photos! Sorry, I forgot to take any! JUST KIDDING! The triangle: 1x1/4 FB The bending method. The fork is 1 inch round bar with a 2 foot-long handle! This is why I don't make hammers! LOL Works good! Some adjustments could be made, but it turns out a good even bell! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marksnagel Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 Dave, That is a great looking jig you've made. Question time. 1. How long does it take you to turn out a bell with the jig? 2. Is the Hole in the last photo for hanging the bell? 3. Can I see a photo of a completed bell. Thanks for the photos and tutorial. You are a good teacher. Mark<>< Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurlyGeorge Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 Good job Dave. Glad to hear you got back in the shop. I've been staying inside the house, lately. It's been hanging around single digit temps during the day and just under Zero F at night. Come on Spring!!! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FieryFurnace Posted February 10, 2011 Author Share Posted February 10, 2011 Oh yea! Bring on spring and summer! Mr. Mark: I'll run out a few more bells tomorrow as I'm still getting the hang of where to position the bell before bending. Just a little off and by the time I make the second bend, wew....it can get ugly. I'm probably going to make a stopper to pull the scroll end up against so that each bell is placed exactly the same. I will try to get those extra photos tomorrow! I will also get a start to finish time and a breakdown time of making dinner bells tomorrow! The hole in the last photo is in the handle of the bending tool.....it is just for hanging the bending fork by. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Einhorn Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 Dave, nice job as always. The pivot points at the corners are great ideas. Two points on making jigs that might make bending easier and faster. 1) putting the jig on a plate or otherwise supporting the piece at the bends makes it a lot easier and faster because you will not have to worry about positioning and re-positioning. 2) step-down jigs. As your jigs get more complex having jig parts for the first bends higher than later bends allows for easier clearance of the jig parts that will be used later. As the bending progresses, the project steps down lower into the jig to engage the jig for the next bend. In the attached photograph you will notice that the last bend is performed by dropping the hot iron downwards so that it can engage the part of the jig that are shorter. Also note that the curl on the end of the cheese cutter sets against a piece of angle iron that acts as a stop. Thus a jig can have multiple steps and provide for more complicated and numerous bends than demonstrated in the photograph. In a step-down jig it is not possible to provide support for all of the bends. But when you can support the bends, it is especially handy with heavier/longer pieces. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 Are all those sides "equal" in length? I was taught to have different length sides so as to get different tones from each as struck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FieryFurnace Posted February 10, 2011 Author Share Posted February 10, 2011 Are all those sides "equal" in length? I was taught to have different length sides so as to get different tones from each as struck. Yes they are even sides! I like an even look. I have heard and thought about doing uneven bends but if I do I will probably freehand them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francis Trez Cole Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 very nice Jig good welds as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FieryFurnace Posted February 11, 2011 Author Share Posted February 11, 2011 Mr. Mark! Sorry man, I wasn't able to get to the bells today! Had some stuff come up and I had to do some other stuff in the shop. I should be able to get them tomorrow though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FieryFurnace Posted February 12, 2011 Author Share Posted February 12, 2011 Mr. Mark I timed the bell making today! 36 inches of 3/8" round with a 12 inch dinger. Taper both the bell stock and he dinger. Scroll bell taper. Finial scroll and circle the dinger. Cold bend the bell, and coat all hot in beeswax. 12 minutes! I don't have the pictures yet because I am still tweaking the jig to get everything even! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurlyGeorge Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 Dave, you said that you coated the bell hot in bees wax. Does it dull the ring? I use 5/8" round stock and get a real nice ring. But I hot coated one with bees wax, once, and it dulled the ring. So I burned it back off and ended up using the dreaded flat black paint. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FieryFurnace Posted February 12, 2011 Author Share Posted February 12, 2011 Mr. George: I don't have any problem with ring. A customer will never know the difference if it does dull the ring some. No offence, but the paint will chip off big time the first time it gets used.....that's why I use the wax. Oil might be a better choice to prevent dulling the ring! just my thoughts! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhrocker Posted February 13, 2011 Share Posted February 13, 2011 Were these really called "dinner bells" in the past? Did they perhaps have another type of use, as in warning of impending attack or something? Was there ever a set size, and style for these things? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FieryFurnace Posted February 14, 2011 Author Share Posted February 14, 2011 RHROCKER Good questions! I've heard them called dinner gongs as well. I doubt that every farmstead from east to west cost had one, as so often portrayed in every "old timey" movie. Usually a town or settlement would have a town bell (often located in a church tower or a general watch tower,) to warn of impending danger or attack. This would be more like a traditional bell type instead of a triangle bell, as much more sound would be needed to call in farmers from outlying fields, possibly a half mile or more away. Even now with traffic, a cedar shavings mill, and farm implement noises, I can hear the church bell from a church 2 1/2 miles away on a clear day. Take away all the modern noises and a "traditional bell" type could be heard from quite a ways away. I do not know about a "standard" size or design! Here are some revisions to the original jig. I rounded up the corners quite a bit and found that change to be a great help. I added a stopper that helps me place the bell correctly on the jig everytime! Next I added a little "clip" that keeps the side of the bell from bulging when I bend it on the corner. This "clip" is snug and is welded onto the jig right before the first bend! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FieryFurnace Posted February 14, 2011 Author Share Posted February 14, 2011 I could not weld a similar "clip" before the second bend for obvious reasons so I made another snug clip that can be placed on the bell after the first bend is done and just before the second bend. This is how that clip works! The jig that turns out a bell that looks like this! A little tightening in the vise turn out this! Here are two bells that came off the jig. The one on the left is waxed and the one on the right is not finished yet! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nathan Hall Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 Hey man those look great, I have heard that even in low carbon (like hot roll) steel that heating and quenching different areas or bends on the bells will change the tone, have you by chance tried or noticed any of this yourself? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FieryFurnace Posted February 15, 2011 Author Share Posted February 15, 2011 I hot wax so I don't quench. It would be interesting to experiment back-to-back with a quenched bell and an air cooled bell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John McPherson Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 I found that heating the mild to non-magnetic and quenching in SuperQuench drastically improved the ring, even if just the corners are done on big triangles. Downside, the salt has to be cleaned completely before finish is applied. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 Why can you not quench AND hot wax the same bell? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FieryFurnace Posted February 16, 2011 Author Share Posted February 16, 2011 If you quench after waxing, it removes the beeswax. My thoughts were that if you quench, then reheat to wax, you are ruining the effects of the quench. Is that incorrect? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John McPherson Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 Not unless you are overheating the iron. If the wax smokes and burns, its way too hot. 200 degrees is plenty to set a beeswax finish on anything but cookware. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhrocker Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 Your finished bells really are nice. Can't recall if I've seen the dinger (ringer?) yet, but it probably will hang on the bottom part right? Does your bending fork ever have a tendency to bind a little in the pipe you used in the corners? It looks like you may have filed a little on the one leg that goes in the pipe. If it does bind a little, you could weld (from the topside) a washer on the leg so that the fork will slide into the tube, but not go as far as it's doing now. It's probably fine though. Great post, many thanks! What's next? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FieryFurnace Posted February 16, 2011 Author Share Posted February 16, 2011 I did grind down the fork quite a bit! I used one inch pipe and one inch solid bar and so you can guess how that worked.....just what I have on hand though. It fits snug but not stiff, meaning it rotates smoothly but has no room to spare. It was a little snug to start with, but I got the bending fork hot and rotated it inside the pipe and that sized it perfect. Yes I need to get a picture of the dinger up! I've changed how I do them slightly so I'm still working kinks out.....literally! Oh and yes they do hang on the bottom of the bell! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nathan Hall Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 I wouldnt think you would be getting it hot enough to hurt the quench too apply wax, ive never done that, but I wouldnt think you woukld be anywhere near a critical temp to apply wax Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sabc15 Posted April 18, 2019 Share Posted April 18, 2019 Hi. can any of you guys point me in the right direction as to where to buy a dinner bell triangle, I am looking to buy a large one to go on the porch of a ranch style house I am building in France. regards.stuart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.