Dogsoldat Posted April 5, 2015 Share Posted April 5, 2015 Had a little time to play today. Cranked the forge up way hot and gave a few handled tools a try and a new hold down from an old coil spring. Been thinking of making a turning wrench the way Mark Aspery does in his book. Needed a fullering tool for that so dug out a few bits of spring from the D-8's track tensioner springs. The piece in the chop saw will be a set hammer, if I remember right the material for it use to be a torque arm of one of the logging trucks. Was a little bored the other afternoon so I whittled up a set of mini tongs out of a small willow branch. And from a week or two back brother in law was looing for a solution for his kebab skewers. Beat out a set of duck bill tongs from some 1/2"sq stock. One day soon will have to get out and visit so he can give them a try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted April 5, 2015 Share Posted April 5, 2015 My goodness you WERE a busy boy weren't you. I love the willow tongs, I might have to move a rocker out on the porch. The duck bill tongs look handy too. All in all some darned nice tools, I'll have to hear what you say about how the the top tools and hold fast work.Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted April 5, 2015 Share Posted April 5, 2015 You can also carve pliers, and tongs from one piece without having to do a pivot pin. Those are some hefty springs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsoldat Posted April 5, 2015 Author Share Posted April 5, 2015 The hold down has proven itself already, used it to hold the top tools down while punching the holes. Been a real treat to have wish I had found the right sized stock sooner. I've seen a video of an old gentleman carving the pliers may have even been posted on IFI. The springs are scary strong. quite the job cutting them down so I could extract them safely from the old track frame. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 That's a gorgeous set of springs you have there! I like the tools you're making from them, but the springs are sure pretty. I guess you know you're a blacksmith when you're just as happy with a photo of some good "scrap" as you are from some nicely made tools.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 You're a blacksmith when some of your tools ARE scrap.Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 I've had to start spray painting some of my tools with my tool colour as students keep thinking they are just scrap and so up for grabs! My hold down in particular. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crunch Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 They're nice looking tools, thanks for posting.Question: Do hold-down dogs like the one you made need to be quenched and tempered to make them "springy"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judson Yaggy Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 They're nice looking tools, thanks for posting.Question: Do hold-down dogs like the one you made need to be quenched and tempered to make them "springy"?No, mild steel works just fine as forged. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gergely Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 Hi DogsoldatNice work you got there! I must second VaughnT on the springs - real good haul! Bests:Gergely Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Everything Mac Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 I like those tongs. They look handy. All the best Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsoldat Posted April 12, 2015 Author Share Posted April 12, 2015 In amongst other things today put proper handles on the tools. Made a backing plate for the vice and a dog wrench the way Mark Aspery does, but used a strip of leaf spring for it. The fuller tool has a little too small of a radius so I will have to make another at some point down the road. The handled hot cut was a real treat to trim the end off the spring stock before I started and cut to length at the end. was cool enough out to air harden the loop an the end of the handle. Needed one little tweak and it broke the curl off. So back in the heat it went to be drawn out again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 Thanks for the reminder. I keep saying I'm going to weld up a backer plate like Aspery uses, but keep forgetting. I've wanted to try my hand at making a turning wrench like that ever since I saw his video on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsoldat Posted April 14, 2015 Author Share Posted April 14, 2015 With a decent fullering tool and the backing plate it goes surprisingly fast and easy. The hardest part on mine that I found was trying to square up the corner of the fork tine. Being spring stock hard to quench it enough that it doesn't deform when driving it down on the anvil to square the bend up without ending up so hard it's brittle. Further compounded by being small stock on a cool day losing heat quick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ethan the blacksmith Posted April 14, 2015 Share Posted April 14, 2015 inspiring! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsoldat Posted April 19, 2015 Author Share Posted April 19, 2015 Had a short little end off a track pin from making my cut off hardy. Turned it into a cupping tool for a rounding hammer face. And finally finished up a set of hammer tongs that have been laying on the floor for who knows how long now. they are way to light for what I want but at least they are something. And a piece of the heavy spring, its 2 1/4" in diameter so if my math is right a 2 3/4" long piece should give me 3 lbs. Now I just need a helper to make a rounding hammer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsoldat Posted April 21, 2015 Author Share Posted April 21, 2015 I a going to need a striker soon. Getting all these good bits of hammer stock laying around itching to do something with. One of the trucks came in complaining that 3 out the 4 drives where turning when they where doing the push pull thing in the mud, D-8 cat on one end 545 Cat skidder on the other. So now I have a nice piece of T800 Kenworth axle minus the splines Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted April 21, 2015 Share Posted April 21, 2015 That looks like you nicked it from my "good stuff" pile! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted April 21, 2015 Share Posted April 21, 2015 Looks to me like you need a new saw blade, that's one ragged cut. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metalmangeler Posted April 21, 2015 Share Posted April 21, 2015 Frosty he tore it off that is why his hand is in the picture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted April 21, 2015 Share Posted April 21, 2015 I was admiring the hardy stand then axle was laying across... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LawnJockey Posted April 21, 2015 Share Posted April 21, 2015 "Looks to me like you need a new saw blade, that's one ragged cut."I thought it was tooth marks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted April 21, 2015 Share Posted April 21, 2015 Thats what black smiths kids teathe on... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted April 21, 2015 Share Posted April 21, 2015 that's not striker material that's powerhammer material! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted April 21, 2015 Share Posted April 21, 2015 Frosty he tore it off that is why his hand is in the picture.I was just teasing him about being a wimpy blacksmith Mark. <grin>How's the home show circuit treating you?Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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