Can't get a grip

[dognose]

Hoping someone out there can help me out. I'm trying to forge crescent moon shapes out of rectangular stock. The problem arises after I forge the tapers down on both ends. When it comes time to try and bend the shape around a mandrel, I have no way of holding the piece firmly. If I grab it so the tongs don't interfere with the mandrel, the piece just turns as I strike it. If I hold it by one of the tapered ends, I can't get close enough to the mandrel. Don't know if this detail matters but I'm trying to achieve a crescent (about a half circle) where the points are about 5" apart. Thanks in advance

[jeremy k]

Forge your tapers on both ends then work the center into a half round swage block shape - could be a piece of pipe cut in half and welded up with supports under the edges that fits your requirements for shape. That way you can grip from the edges/sides that is a constant mat'l thickenss.

[Rich Hale]

First check to see your tongs are grabbing with full contact on the material,,if the end has gaps they are for thinner material,,if the end holds and you have gaps toward the pivot, they are for thicker material.

If they are correct you can weld a piece of scrap bar to the piece and cut it off after forging.

Or do wot Jeremy posted above while I was typing!

[Frank Turley]

In the long ago past, I have made many toe-weighted horseshoes for the show ring. Either end is narrowed somewhat, but not to a point. If making one or two, you could free hand it as I used to do. Hold with short jawed tongs maybe one or two inches from one end. Support the other end just off the anvil edge an inch or so, holding the bar at about 45 degrees. Hit the middle, then either side of the middle, bending the hard way. Use the ball face of a rounding hammer to avoid marring the concave side unduly. The central bend is dropping into mid air. Finish either end individually over the horn.

 

If making quite a few of them, a jig is in order. Some farriers made a radiused, vee tool. It would be something like a small channel iron bent the hard way to receive the crescent shaped bar, again hammering it in with the ball face. Channel is difficult to bend that way, so a flat bar was curved as a base, and two side pieces were curved to match. The ensemble was arc welded together. Some had hardy shanks welded on.

[Frosty]

You can form the crescent shape in a swage rather than over a mandrel, fuller or the horn.

 

Frosty The Lucky.

[myloh67]

Do as Jeremy suggested with the addition of a top tool thats the same profile as the inside of cresent. The top tool is shafted or has welded handle attached, it will keep forged material in place when struck with hammer. Keep the majority of heat to the centre of stock initially.