Everything Mac Posted October 22, 2012 Share Posted October 22, 2012 Hi all, I'm looking for some advice or pointers regarding caged arrow heads and swallow arrow heads. I've made a few bodkin style arrows before and they are relatively easy with a bit pod practice. But I've just been chatting to a customer who wants a selection of medieval arrow heads, including a caged arrowhead. Oven ever made one. And frankly I don't even know where to begin? I'm thinking of using square bar and cutting through with a cutting disc on a grinder then going from there. Or perhaps chiseling. Any ideas? These swallow style heads look a bit more tricky too. I was going to start with 1" flat stock and cut both sides, bend the middle out so I can form the socket then bend it back in. I'll probably make a couple of dozen so I'll have to make up some specific tongs for the job too. Does anyone have a pair of tongs for arrows they could show me? I tried attaching my sketch of the tongs I was going to make but it hasn't worked. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted October 22, 2012 Share Posted October 22, 2012 It's so easy to forge weld steel wire to make a basket that would be the first thing I would try especially as forge welding was a lot more common in earlier "real wrought iron" times. Of course we are in the middle of an election over here and they are putting signs all over the place using steel wire bent into a one side open rectangle. After the election such signs are often abandoned on the public right-away causing much damage to the mowing machines when they find them next spring buried in the grass. So public spirited blacksmiths go gleaning after the elections are over giving such smiths a ready supply of steel wire to play with.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Everything Mac Posted October 23, 2012 Author Share Posted October 23, 2012 Cheers Thomas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Private Entrance Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 Of course we are in the middle of an election over here and they are putting signs all over the place using steel wire bent into a one side open rectangle. After the election such signs are often abandoned on the public right-away causing much damage to the mowing machines when they find them next spring buried in the grass. So public spirited blacksmiths go gleaning after the elections are over giving such smiths a ready supply of steel wire to play with....I just used a section of this stuff to play around with an idea for a tong rack. Too flimsy for anything needing any real strength, but I'm thinking it would be perfect for the application being discussed. And thanks for the idea of pillaging the election signs after the show's over. I hadn't thought of that. :ph34r: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 The first year they went big time with them a friend gathered 350 after the election in Columbus OH; then after they had so much trouble with the mowers they started having contests on the radio as to who could bring in the most after the election and the pickings were much slimmer. This year I found 25 thrown out in a dumpster out back of the local political party's office after a by election and then found a complete un-opened box of them at the scrap yard; so I'm covered for a long while. They are easiest to store if you use a cold cut in the hardy hole and nick and break them at the corners giving you straight pieces that can be bundled and stacked. However that restricts the lengths available. Other things we have done with them: Take a section and bend it double and then heat starting about 4" from the bend and twist to about 4" from the open end and then bend the open end legs out and taper them and bend them into a marshmallow toasting fork---if you separate the folded end where it's untwisted it makes a nice handle Make basket S hooks from then: 4 pieces about 4-6" long, forge weld the ends and enough back to be able to forge a hook out of them. Twist tight, hot of course, reheat and untwist to make the basket and then forge the hooks to make sure they are in opposition. Make quite long baskets: take 4 pieces over a foot long and weld and twist as above and then with careful heating---the propane forge is great for this!---untwist to get a long slim basket that I used as handles for my camping pots. Forge one end into a hook and the other flat and drill for 2 rivets. (Old revere ware pots have a great stem on the side when you remove the old handle to rivet such a basket handle on; I pick them up whenever I can for a couple of bucks apiece!) Note that for long baskets even the propane forge may not get it all done in one heat. With care you can unwind it in sections and still get a nice even basket. Tweaking a wire with a screwdriver does sometimes help as does rolling it hot on the anvil and plannishing lightly a section that untwisted too large compared to the rest. You can also make a spatula with such a basket handle or an ornamental toasting fork---add two short lengths to one end before forge welding that you can then bend out and back around for the tines. I wax or season my cooking tools Hey they were *throwing* *away* perfectly good steel; I'm too cheap to let that happen! Note some of the smaller signs use galvanized wire with a spot welded cross bar now. I recycle these at the scrap yard. And sometimes if you are lucky they will call you up and ask if they can put signs in your yard! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris john Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 Hi Eveything Mac you make them nearly the same as a bodkin leave enough in front of your ferrul to make the cage ,all you do is slit the four sides of your stock to the centre heat back up and open no wire no welding easy sorry havent got a pic made some years ago . Chris, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 Hi Mac I make swallow tailed and barbed heads in two pieces, the socket and the head and then fire weld.otherwise you could mig the two parts together and then dress up. As for tongs you need a special set which are easy to make - one jaw is hollow as for round bar, the other come to a point like scrolling tongs so that you can hold the head by the socket. Have you looked at the stuff that Hector Cole does? you should get some good ideas from the heads he forges. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Everything Mac Posted October 28, 2012 Author Share Posted October 28, 2012 Wayne / Chris, Cheers for the posts guys. Chris, yeah that's the way I was thinking of making them. Either punch a slit or just get out the grinder and use a cutting disc to make the hole. Shouldn't be too difficult I don't think. Wayne, thanks. The picture I tried to upload for my design was almost exactly as you described bit with a fat blunt nub in place of the hollow bit. I figured this would be quicker to make and might provide a better grip. I'll post pictures of the tongs when I finish them. I get back to shore in about a week so hopefully I can get in the forge next weekend. Many thanks guys Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pault17 Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 any pictures of all these cool sounding arrowheads? I know I can google them, but what about the ones made by forum users? Thomas, thanks for all the other cool ideas. I have been collecting them for years also. lots of things you can do with 1/8 round 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.