Iron Falcon 72 Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 How do you do it? I've done a search and haven't seen much about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlotte Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 You got me! I would make a swage with a long taper in it and forge to different sections. The other way is to forge along one edge of a rectangle to produce a wedge shape profile. That would be like making a knife blade with all the problems that entails. I've thought of making a swage by welding a pair of Siamesed rounds on one side and the forging on the top side but haven't tried any of this seriously. I just played with it a few times years ago. I coldn't come up with a system that didn't involve a lot of machining and griding to make a good Swage. A pair of dies in the Smithin Magician would work for a fixed, Parallel sided, triangle cross section. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 "V" block. Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JNewman Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 I assume you are talking about an equilateral triangle here. When I have done it I used a 60 degree bottom v block. You can use a swage block or make one. I wanted to use my power hammer so I made a swage. I took a piece of heavy flat bar and forged a 60 degree taper on the end and then cleaned it up a little with a grinder. I then used that to form the v block. Once you have the swage you start with round stock and keep rotating it frequently while forging the top. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlotte Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 The questions becomes: What angle of V. What rate of taper? How far to forge down before going for the triangle? If tapered how much over lap is going to be be required between dies? How much relief are you going to need in the bottom and top of the dies? Do you want a roughing and a finishing set of dies? What is you purpose and what is the effect you want to achieve? I stopped fooling with triangle cross sections because I realize that I could grind one just about as fast as I could forge even if I made a the die set. Just shape it roughly from round in regular 90 degree v blocks and grind the rest. ( Assuming you want to do something like a sword cane._ Real, Antique, sword canes were a wide variety of shapes.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Falcon 72 Posted June 19, 2009 Author Share Posted June 19, 2009 I'm thinking of using it in sculptural elements. I want them to taper to a point. Some long , some short. I guess there isn't any way to do it "by hand" as in forging a rectangle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlotte Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 If you don't need it to be really neatly a perfect taper then working with a couple of V blocks and a hand hammer will get you there. Jnewman give a good procedure. If it needs to nearly perfect then forge in V blocks and grind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JNewman Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 There is no taper required in a 60 degree v block to forge a taper . The v has to be smaller than or identical to the section of the triangle. The metal moves on the top of the stock not in the v block, the v block supports the stock. The corners of the v block should be rounded so that they don't cut into the sides. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Ameling Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 When I needed to forge up some fur trade era awls and needles with triangular ends, I made up a bottom swage for my anvil. I bent a thick bar and bent it into an L shape to set down into my hardy hole and lay flat on my anvil. I then used an old tapered triangular file to hammer down into that hot bar to form my bottom swage. I made several grooves - for the several dimensions I needed, and overlapped them a little bit. In use, I do a rough round taper, and then hammer it down into that bottom swage. With the piece in the right section, I just have to hammer it flat/flush. And then the final grinding/filing to true everything up and smooth things out. Plus getting sharp edges. That bottom swage in several dimensions really helped. The other option was to do a round taper, and then grind/file to a triangular profile. This worked for me. Mikey - that grumpy ol' German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blksmth Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 If they are not too thick, cut them out with a hot cut chisel. Otherwise the V Block as suggested should work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blksmth Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 A V block can be fabricated as simply as electric welding a heavy angle iron (with V up) onto something that fits the hardy hole or into the post vise. If it needs to be stronger, a couple of sides can be welded on to strengthen it. The sides would go from the top of each side of the V down to a plate under it. Of course you can make a V block by drive a square bar edge first into a block of metal. It helps to go from a small bar to a bigger bar gradually unless you have a power hammer that will drive the big bar in directly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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