Yesterday I Learned . . . .

[wd&mlteach]

Today I learned that making tongs is enjoyable, tons of work, but enjoyable none the less. Yesterday I learned that you can use a pair of tin snips with a brass hammer to cut a slit evenly and very quickly.

I have been trying to do the whole chisel thing for making hot dog forks and it has not been working. I know somebody is going to give me grief about the hot dog forks, but that is where I am at right now (Hooks, hot dog forks, nails, tongs in two or more days, that is it, -you want something else go elsewhere;)) Anyway, I can heat up the stock fine and flatten out, but after that that the problems start. My biggest problem is that is that the work that I am trying to split wants to wander and dance around when I start to hammer, which leads to not hitting the exact place twice type of thing.

The snips work great for me. I can grab a hold of the work with one hand and brass hammer with the other. When I reheat I cool the snips in water and then repeat the process. The snips I use and abuse are an old dull pair that only acted like a hand sized box and pan brake when used with sheet metal anyway so sacrificing them for this duty is no loss. They are not the aviation type, I do not think they would hold up to the persuasion of the brass hammer.

Hope this helps somebody, it helped me.

[thingmaker3]

What ye got there is a matched & aligned top & bottom butcher with convenient handles! :D

[keithgartner]

What works for you, works for you. there is no right or wrong, (boy I'm gonna catch-it for that), unless it comes to saftey. That said you are probably 1) using a cold chisel, slitting chisels are really thin, 1/16", and sharp, and hard, 2) hitting too hard on the first swing, just mark the cut line with the slitter, with the first heat, then hit a little harder with the second, and third and..........
I like you (it sounds) work alone, and traditionally that was not the case, there was someone there to hold, or strike things.
The reason to learn traditional methods, is for demo's in front of the public.

Edited September 6, 2009 by keithgartner
spelling

[wd&mlteach]

Oh yeah it is definitely a cold chisel, I have tons lying around. I will convert one to a slitting chisel and give that a try. I am assuming the design and angle for the slitting chisel resemble something more along the lines of a hot cut, correct?

[Frosty]

Another trick that beats using a cold chisel for slitting, veining, etc. is what makes a hot cut work. The edge should have a little radius on the edge like an axe bit. This makes it EASY to follow a straight line or a gentle curve.

The problem with using a straight edge like a cold chisel is the steel isn't perfectly flat unless you want to take a flatter to it. Even then you find yourself trying to hold a straight edge against a flat surface while swinging a hammer witht he other hand. This is NOT easy.

The easiest way I know of to make a good hot cut chisel or slitter or veiner, etc. (all pretty much the same thing with minor variations) is forge it from a piece of coil spring stock.

As you flatten the working end in a smooth even flat taper the center of the edge will naturally form a radius for you. When I'm done forging I usually don't bother to harden and temper spring steel if it's for hot work. I normalize and call it good because driving a thin edge into HOT steel will draw any hardening in short order.

Frosty

[wd&mlteach]

Thanks for the tips Frosty, what diameter spring do you use? Or does that depend on the job at hand?

[arftist]

Sounds like you could use a hold down of some type to keep your stock from moving about while you try to cut it. There are(were?) quite a few in the blueprints if I remember correctly. This problem is also a reason why a number of us use a treadle hammer or a flypress. I personaly use a flypress and cutting and slitting couldn't be easier.