Mad Dawg Posted November 18, 2010 Share Posted November 18, 2010 Hello guys, I wanted to introduce myself, as I just joined the forum. I've been lurking here and some other sites for a month or so now. I finally jumped in and forged myself my first pair of tongs yesterday and I'm stoked. If i can figure i'll how to post a pic I will include it at the end of this post. They are not totally done as they need to be riveted together and adjusted. I was hoping to get some advice on the best way for a noob to rivet. The tongs turned out better'n expected so now I'm afraid to mess them up. I was planning to hot rivet them with a piece of 1/4" inch round stock, but on a practice run I didn't do very well forming the head of the rivet. I don't have any tools 'cept a hammer and flat chunk of metal I use for an anvil, along with a makeshift forge I made. Anyhow I mostly wanted to say hi. I also really enjoyed my afternoon making the tongs, I just may be hooked. Later, Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironsmith Posted November 18, 2010 Share Posted November 18, 2010 Congrats on making a set of tongs, I have been working on tongs for a while now, trying to get them to look nice as well as function. on making a rivet I use a "rivet header", a piece of round stock about 1 inch in diameter and 1 inch tall, with a hole drilled Slightly larger than my rivet diameter is going to be. I will heat up a piece of round stock that is going to be my rivet and cool every thing but the tip that is going to be the head. Then i put it in to the "rivet header" and use a ball peen hammer to make the head. (unless i am wrong you should allow for 1 and a half times the diameter of the rivet for making the head and also the peened side ) I am sure other members here will correct me if i am also google rivet making and how to peen a rivet that will come up with some good info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mad Dawg Posted November 18, 2010 Author Share Posted November 18, 2010 Thanks for the reply.. I will definately make that rivet tool. However I put the tongs together this morning. I heated up the quarter inch stock and dropped in and hammered both sides.. Not perfect, but I'm happy with it. And the tongs work great. I finished up a knife afterwards and drew the spike out on a ball peen hammer I am turning into a tomahawk. Had to quit to get ready for work, but had a nice productive morning Later, Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimbob Posted November 18, 2010 Share Posted November 18, 2010 heck got to Lowe's and get a big nail ..already has a head on one end; slide it in, measure it, and cut it off, then heat it up and form the other side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Farrar Posted November 19, 2010 Share Posted November 19, 2010 I'm pretty new too and finally made a couple rivet tools but for tongs I've been using 5/16" bolts that have an unthreaded section long enough to pass through the tongs. I cut off the excess length so I have about 5/8" sticking out - I've heated the whole "rivet" in the forge and used an o/a torch to just heat the end to be mashed; both worked just fine. Since I have a big bucket of 5/16" bolts, this is very economical for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurlyGeorge Posted November 20, 2010 Share Posted November 20, 2010 Mark, welcome to IFI. Looks like you're on the right ttrack. If you made one pair of tongs, you can make more for different shaped and sized material. Keep on forging. Practice will pay off. Good luck. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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