Forging a Snake

[KTB]

Somewhere I had seen a tutorial or perhaps just a series of photos of someone forging a snake from a horse hoof rasp. This particular method did not indicate rolling the rasp and I am confused as to how one could draw out the rasp without destroying the teeth on the rasp that end up as scales. I picked up several rasps and would like to attempt this project.

Any help guys ? Thanks in advance, Keith

[pete46]

The backyard blacksmith shows step by step how to do that.
The book is by Lorelei Sims and she knows her stuff.

[KTB]

Thanks Pete

[CurlyGeorge]

Besides the flat files, you can get some of the round files that are very course and use them. :)

[Frank Turley]

Using a 14" horse rasp, some think that the tang should be the tail, but if it is, the scales will be running in the wrong direction.

http://www.turleyforge.com Granddaddy of Blacksmith Schools

[HWHII]

I have made alot of these. As Frank said, if you use the tang as the tail the scales run the wrong way. Well my scales run the wrong way. The only people who have ever said anything have been other blacksmiths. Lots of smiths do them this way.

This is the way I was taught to do them.

First fold each corner back on itself on the back corner of your anvil, to form a triangle. This will be your head. Next you need to form the body by placing it in the step of the anvil and using your crosspien to form a u shape all the way down the file. You can also use a swedge block and a ball pien hammer if you have one. Keep working it till you close it on itself to make a round. Then take the head but it in the vise and punch eyes into it and use a fuller of some type to put the rattles on the tail. A horse shoe nail makes a great tongue. Just flatten it, split it and weld it in the mouth.

You would think you might damage the file teeth as the scales but it does not damage them as much as you might think.

They are good sellers for $25 a piece and a good demo item to do.

[viking-sword]

I haven't used the rasp to make the snake itself but instead I use the rasp to create the scales on the snakes I make out of half inch round rod by taking the snake body when at an orange heat and laying it down on the rasp and tapping in the scales all over the body. Granted, they are not as uniform this way, but I've never had any complaints or comments about it as most folks are simply surprised to see a snake forged from iron to begin with. Wes

[ThomasPowers]

I sell about a dozen of these each NM State Fair at $25 a piece---pays for the winter's propane re-fill for the forge's shop bottle.

I do them the "wrong way" and forge the head to triangle as a lot of the new rasps have very short ends on them.

Now my big trick is to forge the tang end down long thin and circular and then take bottle caps and punch a 1/4 to 5/16 round hole in them---flat bottomed punch on endgrain wood---you want the metal biscuit to be removed. Then stack a bunch loosely on the tail and curve over the top of the tang to hold them in place (I stick the tails in the gasser and let them warm up and close it up when I'm stopping for the night to leave them soft enough to curl)

Then when you work them a bit on the shaft so they will slide they will actually sound a bit like a rattler when shook! (We know rattlers out here and you should see some of the fast head swivels when some folks hear that sound!)

I used to use the step on the anvil to curl the bodies; but have since found a couple of bottom swages that work well. If the bottom line wants to twist a pipe wrench and postvise can true it up pretty simply.

Also to bend the "S"es into the body I space the jaws of a post vice about two inches apart, heat the whole body---if I'm using the gasser, place the head so that the back bulge is locked against the lower inside edge of the back jaw of the vise and slide a pile down the body to give me a lever to bend that's cool to the hand. (leave a space free of the pipe for the bend to take place!) After the first bend I turn the snake over and advance it until the first bend is locked on the vise jaw and make the second bend and so forth till it's time to bend the tail up and straighten it in the postvise so the rattles will move freely on it.


There all of my secrets, oops forgot one. You can epoxy beads into the eye divots they even make some that look like snake eyes from the side!

[wedwards]

. . .

Then when you work them a bit on the shaft so they will slide they will actually sound a bit like a rattler when shook! (We know rattlers out here and you should see some of the fast head swivels when some folks hear that sound!)

. . .

Most of us here in Wyoming know rattlers too, but one thing I have found over the years is that even people who have never heard the sounds before have no trouble recognizing either the sound of a rattler or the sound of a twelve gauge shotgun shell being pumped into the chamber. It gets their attention right away.

[KTB]

Thanks guys, I appreciate the help. Just looking to develop my skills.

[Dave Shepard]

I've seen the rasps folded on a block of wood to save the scales.

[Freddie]

Rasp asps are cool. A big bolt or a piece of allthread will also forge down into interesting scales.