Welded up some chain

[Michael]

CBA Sping Conference in Ferndale, CA last month. Showed up late for chain making, but got some good coaching at the welds. Bam, Bam, Bam and there's 3 links in 3/8 mild steel. 

At the open forges Saturday afternoon, I pulled out some long carriage bolts I'd tossed in the toolbag. Didn't realize the bolts were hi carbon till I tried to cut them for chain links. Same old guy ( it was the Old Guys Conference after all) from the chain making class helped me with that first, sparkling hot weld and then the next 3 welds went like clockwork. One link got a little burnt, lots more scale coming off the steel as I dressed the welds round on the horn. A buddy's chain tongs were a huge help too. 

They sound different rattling than the mild steel chain. Great fun! 

 

 

[VaughnT]

Very nice work.  There's something really satisfying about making chain.

[Mark Ling]

the third link can sometimes be annoying, or get in your way, as you have two other links on.

                                                                             Littleblacksmith

[Michael]

Got a whole saturday with the family out and about. Built on the chain forging success from the conference. 2, 3 link chains joined to make 7. Also a handful of dog leash hooks for the guy who came up with the idea

[7A749]

That's really cool. Something I have yet to do.

[Mark Ling]

so about the dog paw hooks-did you upset the end and then flatten it out to get that large of an end? starting stock size?

                                                                                              Littleblacksmith

[Glenn]

How do you attach the dog paw hooks to a wall ?

[Michael]

littleblacksmith, I start out with 1/2 inch square stock, then I isolate a little more than a cube of material at the end, forging a couple of tapers below that to make the hook from. Then I squash the bit-more-than-a-cube on the diamond and forge it into a thick disk, maybe 3/16ths thick, (same thickness as the hook stock)  and perhaps 3/4 inch in diameter.  The paw print is forged with round nosed bull punches, driving the perimeter of the disk out past that 3/4 diameter. The center pad is a larger bull punch, but I should make a specific, rounded corner triangular bull punch for this part, since in end up walking the punch around the center of the paw to make the vaguely triangular shape.  

Never had so many people interested in getting these paw hooks,  All the dog people in the family have orders in.

Glenn, those two indents under the paw but above the hook, Holes drilled for two screws, so the hook doesn't rotate.  With about a dozen more of these to make, I'll probably end up punching the screw holes before too long.

[arkie]

1 hour ago, Michael said:

.....

Glenn, those two indents under the paw but above the hook, Holes drilled for two screws, so the hook doesn't rotate.  With about a dozen more of these to make, I'll probably end up punching the screw holes before too long.

Not related to chains, but regarding the holes; drilled or punched, I like to do a countersink on holes so that a wood or deck screw sets flush on the hooks, or whatever gets attached.