brianbrazealblacksmith Posted September 30, 2012 Share Posted September 30, 2012 This is a video of making a pair of tongs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mat Posted September 30, 2012 Share Posted September 30, 2012 great vid thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VolcanoForge Posted September 30, 2012 Share Posted September 30, 2012 I can never get tired of watching your videos...Its like candy. Thanks for posting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianbrazealblacksmith Posted September 30, 2012 Author Share Posted September 30, 2012 You're very welcome. I did the video in response to 99pppo's post on how to forge farriers tongs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted September 30, 2012 Share Posted September 30, 2012 Awesome work. You make it look so easy! I really need to get one of those hammers..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francis Trez Cole Posted September 30, 2012 Share Posted September 30, 2012 As always great work and lessons thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MOblacksmith0530 Posted October 1, 2012 Share Posted October 1, 2012 I thank you Brian, I have forged many pairs of tongs over the years and I learned a couple of new things watching your video. I like the way you forge down the reins and the octagon sides. I will be adding that to my repertoire. I also like the way you squared the boss area I have been working too hard on that and your method is easier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWooldridge Posted October 1, 2012 Share Posted October 1, 2012 Any beginning smiths who are watching this video should pay close attention to his use of the edges of the anvil to both draw and block out material. Brings to my mind that very basic but sound advice - take a proper heat, isolate, forge and finish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pault17 Posted October 1, 2012 Share Posted October 1, 2012 This is like being back in high school and going to your favorite class with your favorite teacher. Thanks Brian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianbrazealblacksmith Posted October 1, 2012 Author Share Posted October 1, 2012 Thanks everyone. This is one of the best forging exercises that can help you understand the proper dies to choose when forging with a hand hammer and why to keep turning your metal so that it does not bare down on your anvil and wick the heat away. I encourage everyone to try this out until you can do it. This will reveal to you the how's and why's of forging. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacques Posted October 1, 2012 Share Posted October 1, 2012 I just wish I had a faster internet connection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pault17 Posted October 1, 2012 Share Posted October 1, 2012 Brian, you answered one of my biggest questions about your technique - how do you keep the metal so hot so long. I do not always work with bigger metal ( I have a large-ish stock of 3/8 round) bu even with a warm anvil, my metal cools down faster. thanks again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K. Bryan Morgan Posted October 1, 2012 Share Posted October 1, 2012 We really need a video archive on IFI. This is great stuff. Some where a person can go to reference material like this. I learn so much more watching a video than looking at pictures. Thank you Brian. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted October 1, 2012 Share Posted October 1, 2012 And notice how the anvil never moves. That's a key component, folks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ionselat Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 This may be a stupid question but I'm a newbie to blacksmithing and I'm still learning things. How did you silence your anvil? My anvil rings a lot when I work with 1018, I have a Short Sugar 70lb anvil and bolted it to a large 100+ lb stump to help absorb some of the vibrations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Salvati Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 Wow, I love my powerhammer LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhettbarnhart Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 lonselat did u get that anvil off atlanta craigslist? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ionselat Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 lonselat did u get that anvil off atlanta craigslist? I bought it from the N.C. tool company a year or so ago. http://www.shop.ncto...?productId=1171 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianbrazealblacksmith Posted October 3, 2012 Author Share Posted October 3, 2012 This may be a stupid question but I'm a newbie to blacksmithing and I'm still learning things. How did you silence your anvil? My anvil rings a lot when I work with 1018, I have a Short Sugar 70lb anvil and bolted it to a large 100+ lb stump to help absorb some of the vibrations. That is not a stupid question. There are a lot of different ways to quiet an anvil. I have found that steel on steel is the simplest. Secure your anvil to the stand then secure it all to the earth as best you can. I use anchors on my concrete slab, but you can see by the camera bouncing that the whole slab moves. It would be better to pour a better foundation for your anvil just like is recommended for power hammers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evfreek Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 Thank you for the wonderful video, Brian. I also appreciated Technicus Joe's and 99's. All the important details were very clear. Drawing out 3/4 stock is pretty intimidating for me, though. Never seem to be able to do it in one session. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 Ionselat, you can minimize the ring of an anvil considerably by placing a magnet under the heel, and another one on the horn. These gather scale to some degree, but they also absorb the vibrations passing through the thin parts of the anvil (which is causing the ring). You can also bed the anvil in a bit of silicone caulk. I did this to my Wilkinson 120lb anvil and it went from a church-bell ring to something more akin to banking on an oak plank. No magnets needed. The difference was literally night and day! Here's a vid I shot to demonstrate how the magnets work. http://s70.photobucket.com/albums/i115/VaughnT/?action=view¤t=MVI_0344.mp4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crunch Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 Great video Brian, thank you for posting. I'm a rank newbie, and your videos are hugely helpful to me. That type of a hammer is that, that you use? I guess it has two different faces, one more for fullering and one more flat? Edit: Never mind, Brian no need to explain again. I just found your video "Why Use a Rounding Hammer" on youtube. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ionselat Posted October 14, 2012 Share Posted October 14, 2012 Brian, I meant to thank you for the video about the tongs and, thank both Brian and VaughnT for the information about taking the ring out of the anvil! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pickle Posted October 14, 2012 Share Posted October 14, 2012 Great video. Thanks for posting. Would high carbon steel be good for tongs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kainon Posted October 15, 2012 Share Posted October 15, 2012 Mild steel is fine for standard tongs (such as the ones in the video) however some types of tongs, like Brian's hammer tongs require spring steel. The reason is because they are built to be lightweight and thin but structurally strong, when you are holding a hammer with tongs you dont want any unnecessary weight added to the load. Spring steel does a much better job at resisting bending and thus you can afford to make a lighter, springier pair of tongs with it but for "regular" tongs mild steel is likely preferable. Also you dont want to cool spring steel tongs in water as you can crack them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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