windancer Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 Will you folks share how you set tong rivets without locking up the tongs? Do you set them hot or cold? Thanks Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karn3 Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 you set the rivet hot, and this inevitably locks them up. However, once you have the rivet in place the way the way you want it, heat up the plates and rivets again. Holding the reins work the tongs open and closed again and again. This loosens the rivet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marksnagel Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 Karn3 hit the rivit on the head. Thats the best way I've found. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 Been there and done that. Don't overheat, just to red then try, go hotter only if you need. If you file the mating surfaces before riveting you can get a tighter joint that performs freely, but there is no point taking it apart. Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
windancer Posted July 31, 2011 Author Share Posted July 31, 2011 Thanks guys, will report back tomorrow Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highwayman Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Keep them moving back and forth while quenching in your slack tub. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
windancer Posted August 9, 2011 Author Share Posted August 9, 2011 That's the ticket!!! Heated to orange and wiggled them open/closed a couple times then let the cool on their own. Full range and smooth as my wife's...... well, you get the idea Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drewed Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 Your wife makes tongs?!?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcostello Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 Wife wears tongs.... or is it thongs, can't remember the difference in spelling! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
windancer Posted August 10, 2011 Author Share Posted August 10, 2011 Mine doesn't wear EITHER.... Eat your hearts out :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karn3 Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 so she wears granny panties?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Borntoolate Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 When starting to work the rivets after they are set I always have trouble in bending of the reins near the rivet. It's hard to get the right area hot enough without this. Or am I heating to much. I guess I could quench up to the rivets... Thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drewed Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 You are : a: heating too much b: Riveting too tight c: Mating faces are not smooth enought d: quench almost to the rivets if your still having problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nathan Hall Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 in " The Art of Blacksmithing" it is stated that one could place a piece of brown paper between the reigns before riveting then burn out the paper................. Ive never done this as I just keep working them until loose, but its an interesting bit of knowledge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nathan Hall Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 reings is not correct there, sorry im tired, but you get what I mean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nakedanvil - Grant Sarver Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 Rains? Reigns? Reins? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfootnampa Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 Seattle weather, what kings do, how to control horses... or tongs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nathan Hall Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 none of the above paper there would help with a tight rivet at all, I meant that in the book he suggested a piece of paper between the friction surfaces on the pivot points of the tongs lol............... if putting paper between your reins would help with anything I cant figure out what it would be Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woody Posted September 20, 2011 Share Posted September 20, 2011 if the rivet is too tight take the tongs and swing them striking the rivet head smartly on the anvil. Do this several times and it should loosen up enough to allow the tongs to function. No need to normalize 54698 times, quench 33047540 times, anneal 34354507 times or have the anvil horn pointing North at exactly Midnight on the Vernal Equinox and you only need to worry about Grain Growth if you planted Wheat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spears Posted September 20, 2011 Share Posted September 20, 2011 I built two sets of tongs last weekend and I do my riveting cold. This was done on tongs having 1/4" drilled holes through the flat sections which are 1/4" thick. I don't chamfer the holes but rather deburr and leave them sharp. I snip a 3/4" long piece of 1/4" diameter low carbon steel and lightly sand or polish the outer surface so it goes through the tongs easily. Leaving 1/8" sticking out both sides I start by striking in the center of the rivet on the anvil. The tongs will come apart a little at first but are easily tapped back together by flipping the assembly over and keeping the rivet centered. When the tongs start to stay together and lock up I start peening at an angle around the edge of the rivet. This starts to mushroom out the rivet head and light repetitive tapping makes it rounded and attractive. It's simply done with a lighter weight hammer. Opening up the tongs repeatedly to bottom out tends to loosen them up and let them work freely. If one requires a slight drag or a tighter tong just smack the center of the rivet. Beware if hammered to hard on center it will cause a lock up and can take quite a bit of working back and forth for them to go freely again. I should probably do a progressive 8-10 picture report of this process but perhaps it won't work the same on tongs with pierced holes so I didn't regard it as a process of popular choice . Good luck with your tong riveting. Spears. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenny Fields Posted October 10, 2011 Share Posted October 10, 2011 I am going to be making my first pair of tongs today or tomorrow. I will try the brown paper technique and let everyone know how it works for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damion78 Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 Not ment to be snide or anything but if they are your first pair how will you know if the paper had any effect? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Sells Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 Pppssst this thread is from 3 year ago, and the OP has not been back here since, just a FYI not to expect him to answer you anytime soon lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damion78 Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 Lol guess I should pay better attention Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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