Everything Mac Posted December 27, 2012 Share Posted December 27, 2012 Hi guys, I've got an order for some very small belt buckles. Very similar to pennanular brooches about 1" across. I had a trial run with some 1/4" round bar the other day but this was too big and really I think I ought to use 1/8" I really struggled to hold the bar when it was this small, particularly once I'd started forming it into the round shape. Do any if you have tongs designed for stuff this small? Can anyone recommend a design I could replicate. Cheers Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Turley Posted December 27, 2012 Share Posted December 27, 2012 Bolt tongs can be small, but pincer tongs might be more useful. You could alter a flat jawed tong. Each jaw is concavo-convex, the convex being on the outside. Where the ends curve to meet and butt, there is a central, 90 degree, vee notch on each. The small piece that you are forging fits between the two notches. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Everything Mac Posted December 27, 2012 Author Share Posted December 27, 2012 I dd wonder about using a small set if bolt tongs. The trouble is once it is formed into the round shape too. It was a right fiddly swine to make. Cheers frank I'll give that some thought. All the best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWooldridge Posted December 27, 2012 Share Posted December 27, 2012 I used to make a lot of 1/4" stuff and built several sets of tongs specifically for those jobs. I made a small flat jaw design with a shallow "V" in each jaw but also forged a shallow "U" at the tip of each jaw perpendicular across the vee; so each jaw had a groove shape like this - Ψ - that allowed me to hold straight or bent stock. Tongs meant for welding chain often looks something like this (which is where I got the idea). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dablacksmith Posted December 27, 2012 Share Posted December 27, 2012 when you end up with 1/8 it gets tough ... i hope your charging extra... i end up with a small tongs/long pliers but even its hard to hold...ide try to do as much as you can cold ... with 1/8 its fairly easy to bend .good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Everything Mac Posted December 27, 2012 Author Share Posted December 27, 2012 Yeah. It's easy enough but I have to cut it and form a second scroll, which is when it gets hard. I'll try and mak some fine tongs for the job. Seems the best way to go. The job is actually for free. The guy is making me an arm guard for when I do archery. It'll be a nice custom piece and I reckon he'll become a good customer in the future too. Cheers guys Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted December 27, 2012 Share Posted December 27, 2012 Modify a set of cheap used pliers---the old ones that are unplated. May want to make a set of them into miniature scrolling tongs too if you don't have a set of commercial ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francis Trez Cole Posted December 28, 2012 Share Posted December 28, 2012 I had a bunch of 4140 steel 1/4" in dia. and made tongs out of it pick up, bolt head, and arrow head tongs. Used a chisel to put fine gripper lines in the pick up tongs they work great making things with horse shoe nails. I have seen people weld pipe to the handles of pliers and use them as well for small stock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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