John B

Hi Mende, Which university are you attending?

Quote "aye the rivet is really wimpy, so i wouldnt trust it to hold up under much twisting. it would if i were to re-rivet with something more substantial, but its just a decorative piece. " end quote Tongs aren't meant for twisting, the number of times I have had to adjust tongs back in line when they have been (ab)used by inexperienced smiths is quite frustrating, however they have to learn. The strength of tongs is when used in line with the axis of the handles, or as near to this as possble, if you want to twist with tongs, I would suggest the tongs be at 90 degrees (right angle) to the twist.

Yes, what do you want to know? Whereabouts in Devon be you?

Nice job! I like my little Alba shaper I rescued from the scrapyard. Shapers have been replaced by more advanced technology, my Saturday morning job was making ratchets for pit prop pullers when coal mines had wooden pit props, these could not easily be done on other types of machinery, now they could be laser cut quite easily. Very satisfying to use, and versatile, had to cut some internal keyways the other day, and I would have struggled without it.

These followed me home, They will be looking for new homes shortly, will post details in Blacksmiths Guild UK section, there are still more items to sort yet, including leg (post) vices, bench and floor drill, gas hearth, chain block, punches and stakes, cast iron firepot with clinker breaker, and other items

Hi, I have attached some pictures of various scroll wrenches that may be of interest. These were cleared out from an old (now sadly departed) blacksmiths workshop ( I have attached a self portrait of him he made in repoussed copper) There is chalked outline in picture 2 of how they can be cut out of a flat spring, make to your own dimensions. The chalked end view shows how the bar is tapered, the gaps can be cut with a saw, hot cut, angle grinder, or jigsaw (skilsaw?) then the jaws are filed and polished parallel with a radius on to prevent marling your workpiece. The dovetail section is forged to be a drive fit into a tube for the handle, it is then welded into position. This pair have a hole punched into the flattened end of the handle so they can hang on a peg attached under the post vice stand.

Unless you have micrometric graticule contact lenses, "same size" may just be quite near, it may also mean you need twice as many tools to cover your requirements.

Hi, Depends on what you are going to use them on, I find I mostly use two pairs of doublesided ones in my particular general work area which cover most of my everyday needs, the jaws are approximately 20mm (.750"), 25mm(1"), 28mm (1.1"), 30mm(1.25") wide and material is 1/2" thick The working ends are H shaped with a handle about 300mm (12") long, and the jaws are about 40mm (1.5") deep The jaws shoud be parallel and internally smooth and radiused to prevent marling the work being manipulated. I use spring steel to make the working heads from, and a tube for a handle (welded on) with the end worked so I can hang it on or near the anvil and leg vice. Hope this helps for starters, then make others up to sui the jobs as you go.

Hot dip galvanising is usually carried out at a specialist company, and the quality can vary from company to company. It tends to hide details on forged areas. It also need time to cure before painting, or a chemical neutraliser before painting, or a special paint for the job. An alternative is hot zinc spraying, again done by a specialist, or you can get equipment to do this yourself, it leaves a good finish on forged work that can be painted over directly. Powder coating can be a problem if you have temperature changes as although it forms a hard surface, if through the expansion and contraction the finish seperates from the material surface, then condensation within the area can form, and the metal rust out from the inside. It is also a problem in that it does not always get full penetration into areas such as where collars and scrolls join, or scrolls welded to bars. The choice you make must depend on the suitablity for the work it is to be applied to. Any finish is only as good as how it is maintained and looked after.

Bolt croppers are good for quick cutting of smaller bars of rebar or other steels up to 1/2", you can get larger ones too

Yes it is home made, there are some guidelines/plans available but you really don't need them. Most of the information needed originally was sourced from various sites on the internet, and used as seen fit. The first ones made were from bits laying around in the workshop. If you look at the pictures you can see the general layout and just make yours to suit you, the most difficult bit was sourcing a suitable heat resistant flexible hose, which is why the quick release mechanism was fitted to the one in use in the pictures. The Blacksmiths Guild UK have had weekend courses making these, and they can be made easily in a couple of days. I will try to pm you a copy of the details/plans.

Here are some pictures of a small portable forge used for demos at shows, 16" square and 3 and 1/2" high with cut outs at either side, fitted with removable plates. Being relatively small means you don't need to carry large amounts of fuel, materials up to 1" square can be forge welded in it. (Haven't tried larger.) The legs are adjustable and lockable to allow for levelling on uneven ground, the side rails are used for fitting work support bars, lifting into vehicle and tool racks. The forge tools fit into the hearth for storage, and can be hung from the side racks when being used. The slide valve has a 1/4" hole drilled through to allow a minimal amount of air through when forge is shut down to prevent the coke going out. The ratchet mechanism for the slide valves ensures a constant set air flow, and does not allow the slide to vibrate or be easily moved if unintentionally caught. The angled sides allow any clinker to be easily removed, shut off the air blast to idle, wait a few minutes, then just slide a slice down the side and lift any clinker out in one lump, reset slide valve and off you go. Material used was 1/4"(6mm) plate for hearth base and sides, slide valve, and 1/2" (12mm) plate for fire pot. Leg sockets 2" (50mm) tube, legs 1 and 1/4" (30mm)hollow square section. A piece of 4" (100mm) square hollow section and 2" (50mm) tube was used for fire pot air chamber and air inlet from blower, the ash dump plate was pivoted and secured with a wing nut to prevent unintentional dumping. The forge pictured working is an earlier prototype, the fan is connected with a quick change adaptor, reducing the need for a hose connection the slide valve is operated by a lever next to the lady forging.

Make mine from octagonal tool steel, harden and temper just the business end, and forge the other end into a ball for striking (helps prevent splitting/mushrooming end)

So is this better than wrought? Does it last longer???? __________________ Like everything else, it depends on finish and location, with modern techniques,and attention / regular examinination, and any necessary remedial action taken, mild steel will probably last as long. Contrary to myth, wrought iron does rust and delaminate, it may resist rusting better, but still needs proper maintenence to keep it in good condition. As for the pure iron, has it been around long enough to make a validated opinion? I am afraid I don't know the answer to that.

Pure iron is an acceptable substitute for wrought iron if specified by architects, It forges and forge welds easily. It forges down to lower heat than you would forge wrought or mild. In practice it transmits and absorbs/retains heat along its length, and you will need to use tongs to hold the workpiece when forging. This is probably why you can forge it in a wider heat range. It is diffficult to tell the difference between finished forged pure iron and forged steel in appearance. It is supposed to be more resistant to rust, but still needs a finishing process. It is also more expensive than mild steel. If you get the opportunity, try some for yourself, and make your own mind up. Bruce Wilcock may know more about the forging and use of pure iron.

Interesting theory but if each works, why waste energy (especially mine) in duplicating processes? I have used both methods with equal success for spring swages, forming dies, vice jaws, flypress tooling, sliding parts etc. Case hardening is NOT suitable if tools are going to be ground or sharpened, there is a very limited depth of hardness which will resist wear. Use the correct type of steel for the job in hand.

That may well be, all I know is that it worked for the oldtimers (me included) I was lead to understand that carburized material is not hard untll you actually complete the process by whatever means, usually a quench. I have and do use the 'Kasenit' hardening compound which contains highly toxic chemicals, I have had this for a number of years now, it still works although it has eaten its way through the metal can it came in, it now resides in a sealed plastic container. The practical effect when using both these methods is to all intents and purposes the same, although a metallurgical analysis may reveal differences. However the flour and salt solution is not as offensive on the old nostrils, and a darn site cheaper and easier to source. It is particularly useful for a wearing surface.

Not exactly carburizing, but will work to surface harden mild steel, non toxic, and easily available, this is a very old method to use. Take a spoonful of wholemeal flour, add two spoonfuls of salt, add a little water and make into a smooth paste. Heat the end of the item to be hardened until the paste will stick to it, when you have the item coated where you want it, heat the area to a bright red heat and plunge the item into cold clean soft water. The coated area will be appreciably harder. An ideal way to make a quickie tool more hardwearing.

If you forge them from titanium you will find them much stronger and lighter. Have fun its hard work by hand.

If tongs are all you are after, try your local government surplus place, or make your own What specific size and type are you after? For a makeshift job, weld a piece of bar to the adjusting bolt on a pair of molegrips, this will give you something suitable and safe to use on various sizes of materials.

Hi Vic, yes it will be at Westpoint, our Guilds' home forge and training centre. I have just been and collected a lot of the stuff to be sorted and then I will make a list of what is available. There is at least, an anvil on base, three bench shears (various sizes), a table drill, a floor standing drill with two tables, hand tools, tongs, a small swage block, ASO, stakes, taps and dies, oil cooled oxford welder, air cooled welder (All electric tools all are 240volt single phase) plus other items. I will post date of sale on this site for anyone interested

For the smaller sections up to 1/2" x 2" don't forget the simplest and quickest way, the good old bench shear.

Pay what you can afford and are willing to to acquire what you need. Check on new prices in catalogues for the items you are looking for. Set yourself a figure you are willing and comfortable with to pay for the item. Avoid getting into a bidding war with "collectors" with deep pockets. Most auctions also have hidden costs, taxes, commissions etc Have a look at what you are bidding on before you bid. Good luck and lets know how it goes.

I feel I must respond to the "Mathematics in blacksmithing" thread, I have difficulty with fomulas, and so do others, hence the adjustment contingency using calipers to reference the length used, Thats why I try to keep it simple, I have been using the "roll round the mandrel and add twice the collaring materials thickness" for many years now, as used in the attached thumbnails, all these collars were produced using this method, and some were made by students using this method, it works. If I need a sharper corner, I may add a small amount to the original measurement, (But I have never added more than one extra thickess of material) then I forge it for longer on the mandrel to the required degree, this also works using shaped form collars. If I am using a collar 3/8" thick, to add on an extra 3/4" in the collar length would be far too excessive,if you are only using thin material then it may be more appropriate,

Good luck with that, you don't have to be a master blacksmith to help promote pass on skills and learn. Complacancy and leaving it to someone else is the death of many worthwhile organisaions, For those near to you, don't be shy, give your support.