FieryFurnace Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 I made a pair of scroll tongs yesterday. They are spring steel and took about 45 minutes to make. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francis Trez Cole Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 very nice great work. I made a pair from RR spikes Bill Epps method they come in real handy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lordcaradoc Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 Those are really nice Dave. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spears Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 I'm all for purchasing tools (even though I get stuck building them), but when you can do THAT in less than an hour it kind of puts a damper on going to the store. I had to round out a pair of junk needle nose plyers to get my scrolling tongs and they only work for small stuff. Nice job. Spears. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alec.S Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 great work dave! that is another thing to put on the post craft fair list!!! i have my first craft fair on saturday and am looking forward to after it so i can make lots and lots more tools! alec Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aquamanlr Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 Nice pair of scroll tongs you have made Dave. LeeRoy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 Well done on the tongs. Regards Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfootnampa Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 Dave I have found that I only use my scroll tongs a little bit but they are very useful when I do use them. I have mine bent at right angles so that you can use the length of the reins for leverage. I seem to need them like that. I have a very small pair of German made bending pliers that are box jointed and I find them more useful than the big ones as I have discovered that I will usually need the hammer anyway on the bigger stuff. I like to have a spritzer bottle handy with water in it for cooling areas that I want NOT to bend. I have been meaning to make a vee bender hardy as that seems like I'd use it but have not got it done yet. Just a piece of 1/2" rod doubled back and the doubled end stuffed into the hardy hole and wedged and the two free ends bent so that they lay on the anvil face in a vee shape. You use the space between the rods to bend the working metal down and change radii as you work farther out into the open end of the vee or closer to get tighter bends. Mark Aspery shows a good photo in his leafing techniques book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John B Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 Hi Dave, they look useful, If you don't mind a bit of advice (stupid question, you are always open to advice, that's why you get the responses to your posts) I would suggest setting them so the jaws are slightly apart near to the joint, and then the points will touch and you can pick up hot dropped items with them, it is also easier to manipulate flat bars into scroll shapes and they can be used for twisting flat bars. This is like what I am trying to describe And in response to BFN, I have not seen Mark Aspreys book, but if you crank the V tool you can make deeper cones, than just laying the bars on the anvil Like this we use when making figurine bodies Not trying to Hijack the thread, just trying to add a couple of relevant points. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FieryFurnace Posted August 18, 2011 Author Share Posted August 18, 2011 Hi Dave, they look useful, If you don't mind a bit of advice (stupid question, you are always open to advice, that's why you get the responses to your posts) Thank you for the complement. I will either modify or remake a pair like you described Mr. John. JCC had some scroll tongs and we used them all the time......I think they are arranged like the one in the picture. JCC also has some of the 90 degree scrollers. I may make some of those as well just for diversity. I bought three pair of Mr. Grant's OCP tongs from blacksmith's depot the other day and just finished a pair of spring steel 3/8" bolt tongs. (I bought 5/8", 3/4" and 3/4" side winders from OCP.) The 3/8" bolt tongs didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped so I'll probably redo them. However I have a good range and my tong rack is filling up! Feels good! Thanks for all the kind words! I was really pleased with the time and the results that came out of this pair. TIME TO MAKE SOME SCROLLS! LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John B Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 Useful for opening up collars when you come to fit them too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted August 19, 2011 Share Posted August 19, 2011 There is a wealth of information in a couple posts. Thanks Dave, bigfootnapa, and John. A pair of these is on my list too. Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfootnampa Posted August 19, 2011 Share Posted August 19, 2011 YW Phil. I agree with John that the tongs work better with a space between the jaws. It can just be formed on a piece of flat bar maybe 1/8" or 3/16" and then when the tongs are fully closed the tips will touch first and the space remains at the base of the jaws. You may need to adjust the reins a bit too but I know you can handle that. Thanks for that vee hardy picture John! I had not seen that variation and it looks like it could be useful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John B Posted August 19, 2011 Share Posted August 19, 2011 Thanks for that vee hardy picture John! I had not seen that variation and it looks like it could be useful. If it wasn't useful, wouldn't have made it. Its used on many things, calla lilies. leaf forms, and figurine bodies, here are some more tooling we use on figurines. Don't want to sidetrack this thread but as it is already wandering, and some pictures are more useful than others, I will try and put some pics up of how we use the tooling, and you can then see why they were made in the configuration they are. One of the reasons they were made was because not all have swage blocks, these are cheap and quick alternatives. Firstly some pics of what the final items were; And here are some of the tools in use; Not all the tools we use for the figurines have been shown here, but you can see how we use the ones shown, they seem to be the most used and versatile ones, I hope you find the illustrations useful Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FieryFurnace Posted August 19, 2011 Author Share Posted August 19, 2011 Hey that's pretty neat! I don't know though, a faceless guy in black with a sword is a bit on the creepy side! LOL Thanks for sharing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fosterob Posted August 19, 2011 Share Posted August 19, 2011 Hey that's pretty neat! I don't know though, a faceless guy in black with a sword is a bit on the creepy side! LOL Thanks for sharing! Yea, I thought a scythe to be appropriate for one of those guys Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John B Posted August 19, 2011 Share Posted August 19, 2011 Yea, I thought a scythe to be appropriate for one of those guys Rob You mean like these and if you dont like air heads, for the man with no face. The figurines with the scythes were made as trophies for a cricket club. The weathervane on Lords cricket ground features Old Father Time ( probably co's its such a waiting game.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JNewman Posted August 19, 2011 Share Posted August 19, 2011 I see you must know Eddie Payne!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John B Posted August 19, 2011 Share Posted August 19, 2011 I see you must know Eddie Payne!! I do have that privilege and pleasure, He is the Deputy Master of the Guild, Eddie takes the figurine courses at Westpoint, and demoed them at CanIron a couple of years ago Now there's a man who enjoys his work ! The pieces shown were by students from the figurines courses held at Westpoint which Eddie tutored. He will be at the forge in tomorrow, I'll mention his international reputation (well deserved) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fosterob Posted August 19, 2011 Share Posted August 19, 2011 Yes, Those guys are nice, Love the little scythes as wall as all the other little things they are holding. Thanks for showing them Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JNewman Posted August 19, 2011 Share Posted August 19, 2011 I made most of the tools for his demo at Caniron IV . Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to see his demo as I was busy with the organizing of the conference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John B Posted August 19, 2011 Share Posted August 19, 2011 I made most of the tools for his demo at Caniron IV . Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to see his demo as I was busy with the organizing of the conference. I'll tell him you spoke of him and pass on your regards if I may, and I sympathise as a fellow organiser. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FieryFurnace Posted August 22, 2011 Author Share Posted August 22, 2011 I haven't had opportunit to try these out yet but I was doing some tool making the other day and went ahead and made the suggested modification to these. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francis Trez Cole Posted August 24, 2011 Share Posted August 24, 2011 John B those figures are great thanks for sharing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John B Posted August 24, 2011 Share Posted August 24, 2011 You are welcome Francis, and Dave, they look a good deal more useful now, well done, it's so easy not to bother, but I am sure you will reap the benefit when using them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.