Francis Trez Cole

I heard On "Wait Wait don't tell me" To many irons in the fire came from the Laundry.

It really comes down to desire. If a person really want to succeed they will. If you take 10 min and look at thirty different smith's work you will see thirty different styles and forms that comes from there mind and there hammer. Art is subjective. One smith can make the most beautiful piece and it will sit there and the other schlock and it sells. Which one is right, I have seen two brothers one with a heart full of desire and could not forge out a single piece where the other brother could care less and hammered out the project with ease. I have seen many students strive But its the instructor that can empower the student with confidence so even if it doesn't come out the first they keep trying. I feel sorry for the student that was reviewed and cast aside

great Box joint it dosen't hurt to add a rivet

ok So you want advice. In Photo #2 the boss has many strike marks on it. That face of the Boss should be smooth from being on face of the anvil hitting on the back side of the boss will save you a lot of time on cleanup. Did you ever finish the tongs? I would like to see how you used the long Jaws. To long and thin will fail under pressure. and Last you need to draw out the reins. In the machinist hand book (older ones) there is a chart that gives guidelines on the dimensions Hope this helps it is on my shop wall Dimensions for Standard Tongs Capacity In. A B C D E F G H I K L Rivet 0 - 1/8 5/8 3/8 1/4 5/8 1/16 2-1/8 1/2 5/16 5/16 1/4 14 1/4 3/16 - 5/16 3/4 7/16 5/16 5/8 1/16 2-1/4 9/16 5/16 5/16 1/4 15 1/4 3/8 - 7/16 7/8 1/2 5/16 3/4 1/16 2-1/2 5/8 3/8 3/8 5/16 16 5/16 1/2 - 5/8 1 9/16 3/8 7/8 3/32 2-3/4 11/16 7/16 3/8 5/16 18 3/8 3/4 - 7/8 1-1/8 5/8 3/8 1 5/32 3 3/4 1/2 7/16 3/8 20 7/16 1 - 1-1/8 1-1/4 11/16 7/16 1-1/8 3/16 3-1/4 13/16 9/16 1/2 7/16 22 1/2 1-1/4 - 1-3/8 1-3/8 3/4 1/2 1-1/8 1/4 3-1/2 7/8 9/16 1/2 7/16 24 9/16 1-1/2 - 1-5/8 1-1/2 3/4 1/2 1-1/4 3/8 3-3/4 1 5/8 5/8 1/2 26 5/8 1-3/4 - 1-7/8 1-5/8 13/16 9/16 1-3/8 7/16 4 1-1/16 11/16 5/8 1/2 28 5/8 2 1-3/4 7/8 5/8 1-1/2 7/16 4-1/4 1-1/8 3/4 11/16 1/2 30 11/16 Machinery's Handbook 1st - 23rd edition and 27th Edition CD used with permission. Capacity In. A B C D E F G H I L Rivet 1/4 - 5/16 5/8 1/2 7/16 5/16 1/8 1 1/2 5/16 1/4 14 1/4 3/8 - 7/16 3/4 9/16 1/2 5/16 3/16 1-1/8 9/16 5/16 1/4 16 5/16 1/2 - 5/8 7/8 5/8 9/16 3/8 1/4 1-1/4 5/8 3/8 5/16 18 3/8 3/4 - 7/8 1 3/4 5/8 7/16 3/8 1-1/2 3/4 3/8 5/16 20 7/16 1 - 1-1/8 1-1/8 7/8 11/16 1/2 1/2 1-3/4 7/8 3/8 5/16 20 1/2 1-1/4 - 1-3/8 1-1/4 1 3/4 9/16 5/8 2 1 7/16 3/8 22 1/2 1-1/2 - 1-3/4 1-3/8 1-1/8 7/8 5/8 3/4 2-1/8 1-1/8 1/2 3/8 24 9/16 1-7/8 - 2-1/8 1-3/8 1-3/16 15/16 11/16 1 2-1/4 1-1/4 1/2 3/8 26 5/8 2-1/4 - 2-1/2 1-1/2 1-1/4 1 3/4 1-1/8 2-1/2 1-1/2 9/16 7/16 28 5/8 2-5/8 - 2-7/8 1-1/2 1-5/16 1-1/16 3/4 1-1/4 2-3/4 1-3/4 9/16 7/16 30 3/4 3 - 3-1/4 1-5/8 1-3/8 1-1/8 3/4 1-1/2 3 2 5/8 1/2 32 3/4 3-1/2 - 3-3/4 1-3/4 1-1/2 1-1/4 3/4 1-3/4 3-1/4 2-1/4 5/8 1/2 34 3/4 4 - 4-1/4 2 1-5/8 1-5/16 13/16 2 3-1/4 2-1/2 11/16 9/16 36 3/4 4-1/2 - 4-3/4 2-1/8 1-5/8 1-5/16 13/16 2-1/8 3-1/4 2-3/4 11/16 9/16 38 3/4 5 2-1/4 1-3/4 1-3/8 7/8 2-1/4 3-1/2 3-1/4 3/4 5/8 40 7/8 Machinery's Handbook 1st - 23rd edition and 27th Edition CD used with permission. Copyright © 1914 - 2004 by Industrial Press - HTML Copyright © 2004 Jock Dempsey Webmaster email: webmaster web address: www.anvilfire.com

As a new comer the question should be how much time are you spending at the forge? for some one new 3 hours is a long time. You have to build up your skills. Walking up to a forge and spending a whole day. This is not good. You get tired after 3 hours and you have to build up your mussel memory. It takes time to gain the skill it is not going to come over night. Practice practice.

you do not even need any of those tools just make a hammer and grind the face round with the center flat about the size of a nickle. But 10 minuets hammering will save you 20 min of filing. Then to think of it I have forged balls in the past so you could forge the face of the hammer round.

I have a cupping tool. A Swedge Block with round die (ladle/bowl) will do the same thing. Don't over think it

I like 1045 myself. But when you start out it is great to use mild steel. There is a great video by Toby Hickman about calculating out stock I personally like a set of tongs 16".-20" so I start out with 3" for the Jaw,Boss and transition I and 5 inches for the reins. so 16" total for one set of tongs. If I end up with extra I cut it off and use it for a rivet. Happy hammering look forward to seeing your tongs

I have 2 anvils one each way some times I just find it easier to have a choice. I also have hardie tools that have radius from 3/8" up to 2 1/2". If I am doing repetitive work I use the hardie tools. What works for you is the right way

I saw a video where a guy converted a set of long handle needle nose pliers from harbor freight. But you can always make tongs with a ring to hold them on a punch.

John just keep doing it over and over it gets easier and more consistent. Do it once cut it off and do it again.When I light my forge I hammer out a tong blank just to warm up.

10 minuets in the forge an save you 20 min with the file

You are on the right Path. Make sure that each part of each half is the same. 5 minuets in the forge will save you 20 minuets of filing. The closer you can forge to finish the better they will fit. When working on each area of the forging do not complete it all at once. set the Jaw, Boss and reins the go back and bring them into shape. On your Boss never hit the surfaces of boss that are the contact faces. Make sure you anvil surface is smooth. As far as Bolt Jaw tongs cut with a thin chisel then Use a chisel with a 90 degree edge to set the jaws. keeping both sides even

If you made the blades then you children could get together and make the scales and assembled them and they could each take a little of you with them and pass it on for generations Not a bad idea.

Rail road spikes do make good tongs. I was once was given advice "look at what the other tong makers are using" Most use 1045. it is available through. Make tongs out of mild steel to get you skills down then use good metal

welcome Zack First you are in a good place. Make sure you get involved in the NC blacksmithing Association. Peter Ross dose demo's at meeting and there are a great group of people Blacksmithing in the state. There is a lot that goes on in the Raleigh area. http://www.theblacksmithsanvil.com/index.php Make sure you meet Amous He is a great Guy

its a great video History and a wealth of years would love to have a day with the old guy. Great tribute

Learning to make tongs has value. You gain the experience and skill of hammer control. Then as you grow in your ability you make and acquire more tongs to fit the projects you are working on. With each set you will see improvement. Before you know it you will have a bunch of tongs and you will make new ones to replace your first ones.Then there is the money you save by making them your self.

the shape and size of the drift. Well I try to keep it simple Decide on the size hammer head you are making find a handle that correlates with the weight of the hammer head and make the drift to fit the handle. The taper should be larger so the center of the hammer head is the same size as the handle giving you an hour glass shape.

the gear ratio is all wrong

My Self I ring the anvil three times to remember Blacksmiths Past (Grant) to help guide my day at the forge. As for horse shoes I have heard that if the shoe is found a long the road it is unlucky Because the Horse lost it. also facing down at home to keep the money in and up at the forge to catch the money.

What are your favorite Myths. " Like if you spit on an anvil put a piece of hot metal on it and hit it with a hammer the hammer will be launched through the roof." "Viking swords were quenched in the blood Of_______________" "putting a penny in the fire will keep you from being to forge weld"

well that is a great question. I like flat jaw tongs and V jaw tongs when hand hammering. But if I am working a lot of the same type of pieces I just weld on a piece of steel as a handle I find it easier when going back and forth from the forge to the power hammer. If you look on the old videos they have bolted on fixtures

Tom Latane teaches classes