"held tongs" weld OR fun with tool misuse

[freeman]

So I was out at the forge a couple nights ago practicing branch welds and one almost got away from me. I spent so much time grovelling around trying to get both pieces lined up that I didn't have time to reach for my hammer to set the weld before it cooled.

In desperation I proceeded to beat the weld with the tongs, still in my off hand. I'm pretty sure any skilled smiths forced to witness this display would have retched, but hygiene issues aside, I can report that this new technique was successful in setting the weld.

The whole thing reminded me of the joke about the Harley guy asking the BMW guy (who had an immaculate organized toolkit on his bike) for a wrench. When the BMW guy asked what size he needed the Harley guy replied "Doesn't matter really, I was gonna use it as a hammer."

So what other off-label tool applications have you guys come up with?

[macbruce]

I was trying hard once to carefully forge texture some5'x 3/4'' x 2'' flat bars and minimize twisting cause they were a bugger to put in the vise and un twist with a wrench........Try as I might they came out of the hammer twisted......I boiled over and crashed the still red hot bar flat on the platten table in a rage.........It took the twist out......Probably the only time one of my hisseys had a positive outcome

[Glenn]

I have heard of farriers just slamming hot stock across the horn of an anvil in order to get the major curve in the horse shoe. I guess you could say the anvil was a bending device. Can the farriers out there confirm this?

[Nakedanvil - Grant Sarver]

I was watching a blacksmith in Korea one time welding some tiny rings onto tools. I was very interested to see how he was get it to the anvil to hammer the weld. Well, as soon as he got a welding heat (a few seconds) he reached in with a pair of tongs with very short jaws...........and just squeezed the weld together in the fire.

[Ric Furrer]

I was watching a blacksmith in Korea one time welding some tiny rings onto tools. I was very interested to see how he was get it to the anvil to hammer the weld. Well, as soon as he got a welding heat (a few seconds) he reached in with a pair of tongs with very short jaws...........and just squeezed the weld together in the fire.

called a "pinch weld" and they used to make late medieval/ren and Victorian keys the same way...very ornate scroll-work inside the key body...all pinch welded together.
I'll do the same inside the fire to stick layers of pattern-weld before I pull them out to weld on the anvil....used to do this often years ago before I got electricity in the shop to run a stick welder.

Ric

[eric sprado]

Glen: Yes-I have started lots of toe bends by hitting the horn with a VERY hot shoe blank.Worked better with mid-range size one and two shoes.This was for front shoes. Hind shoes are more pointed.

[Larry H]

for sure, draft shoes 1/2x 1 1/4, its the easiest way to start

[Drewed]

I've started bends with the side of the forge. But then again I was just trying to knock the scale off and hit it a little hard.