JimsShip Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 Hey all, just wanted to pick your minds for a second. I recently took my son to the North pole Village to see Santa here in Upstate NY, (a nice way to spend a day in July!) and visited the blacksmith elf there who had a very cute set up, including a little jig someone had made that turned out horseshoe nail rings with a simple crank of a handle. I took a picture of it, but now that camera has gone the way of the 8 track and i'm having trouble remembering how it was done. I searched around, and did find this neat thread for making horseshoe nail spoons (http://www.iforgeiro...nail-spoon-jig/) and a great discussion on the pros and cons of mixing fantasy and reality when selling goods, but no rings. Anyone have any ideas? (And please, I know I can do them by hand, but my forge time is limited, and i'd like to make this so I can pump them out cold while at my desk. The hospital frowns on hammering in the overnight hours!) Thanks- Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 The jig we use at the State Fair at the SWABA demo station is a round bottomed swage with a loop welded onto the end. It's used with a conical ring mandrel and a soft hammer. Place the nail crossways on the swage insert the end of the mandrel into the loop and hammer it down and close up the nail ends with the hammer. This allows you to make the size needed and yes we do have a set of plastic ring size try-ons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcornell Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 So, what's the hammer hitting, the nail, the swage or the mandrel? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MOblacksmith0530 Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 Get a piece of 5/8 round. bend a piece of 5/16 round into a 90 degree bend with one leg about 3/4 and the other about 5/8. Place the 3/4 long bend across the top of the 5/8 round with the 5/8 portion hanging down along the length of the 5/8 round with a gap big enough for the shank of the nail just behind the head to fit under it. Weld the 5/16 round to the end of the 5/8 round. Hook your nail under it and using the face of the anvil or a swage, hammer the 5/8 round bar into the anvil forcing the nail to bend and roll the par until it is in a complete circle. I use a regular ring sizer to size it to the persons finger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 *yes*! Actually the soft hammer hits the mandrel and the nail, the hits to the swage are over/under strikes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gobae Posted November 19, 2012 Share Posted November 19, 2012 We just use a swage block and round stock to form them. Once you get some practice it's pretty quick; my wife can make around 200-250 nail rings and hour. Initially we tried to protect the nail from marks by lining the swage with a piece of copper sheet, but the nails are often harder than the block and the round stock so marring is minimal. Final sizing is done at the time of sale with a standard ring sizer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scampbell Posted November 19, 2012 Share Posted November 19, 2012 Sorry folks .... I am a visual learner.... (a little slow in the thought process sometimes) so on that embarrassing note, can anyone post PICTURES ? Thanks ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MOblacksmith0530 Posted November 20, 2012 Share Posted November 20, 2012 Okay here is a pic of the three I use to roll nails for for nail puzzles the one on the left is the same size I use to make horse shoe nail rings but the shank for the horse shoe nail rings is longer. hook the head of the nail under the hook with the shank of the nail under the shank on the tool pointing to the right in this picture and hit the shank while rolling the tool towards the tip of the nail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loug Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 Hi I was at a SWABA meeting this year and saw a nail puzzle making tool that a member had brought in, the tool had a lever, cam, and base to hold the nail. The tool looked more complicated than it needed to be and the result varied so the nails after being bent had to be tweeked to work. When I got home (Minnesota) I designed a tool for the nail puzzles that I think is much simpler and repeats the bends so no tweeking is necessary. I built several of these tools and sent one to a member of SWABA for their evaluation. Attached are a couple of pictures, keep in mond that this is set to use #16 box nails, if different nails are used the tool nail nest will have to be adjusted accordingly by bending up or down. Lou Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don A Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 I just use a pair of scrolling pliers with a deep-well socket slipped over one end. Couple differnet sized sockets for different sized fingers. I get the nail hot, grap it with the tongs (flat side against the socket), light tap with the hammer to get the head of the nail following the curve, then just lay it on the anvil and roll it up into a ring. I usually have to nip a little off the point end for size. I do this to several before hand. You can re-heat it and brass brush it for a little gold tone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshzirk Posted July 3, 2017 Share Posted July 3, 2017 what length/ size horseshoe nails do you use for rings? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 3, 2017 Share Posted July 3, 2017 Ones that fit the fingers they are intended for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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