Help on forging letters

[lcb]

Hi,  I have been asked to forge a basket holder and make it in the shape of a letter M.   Here is a rough sketch, I'll pretty up the scroll later.  My question:  What steps would you take to forge the M?  Would you make the scroll first?  Would you make the center bend first?  Would you just start at one end and keep bending and forging until you got to the other?  Any help would be appreciated.

 

Larry

[ThomasPowers]

Do you freehand your scrolls or use a jig?. is the flat at the tops of the M the width of your postvise jaw's vertical dimension or larger?

What kind of forge are you using?---bending it so it won't fit first can be an issue!

[SmoothBore]

I've learned, ... mostly when bending Conduit, ... that it's hard to predict the amount of "strech" the bends will create.

 

For that reason, ... and since the "legs" are variable, ... I'd start in the middle of the "M", so as to get the bends that form the letter as even and symetrical as possible, ... and then trim the ends of the legs, as needed, to complete the job.

 

 

 

.

[Nobody Special]

Depends on a number of things, the size of the stock, size of the letter, how dedicated you are to those right angles, (which would take upsetting if ya want them clean), etc.

 

If you can cheat a little on the corners, it's not too hard. If it's exact, plan ahead and practice with plastilina if ya need to.

[anvil]

Needed skills:

 

know how to calculate the parent stock for a taper.

 

 

 know how to calculate the amount of material needed to do a right angle bend.

 

 know how to forge both a taper and a right angle bend to dimension.

 

With this knowledge, I would do my math, then lay out my bar and centerpunch where needed.

 

First forging for me would be champhered edges.

 

Second would be to forge the taper and make the scroll as it is easiest when the parent stock is straight.

 

Then forge the angle bends.

 

Done and no waste of material. 

 

P.s. once you understand how to lay out and forge a right angle, you can do any angle.

 

Off the top of my head when doing the "M", I would prolly forge the vee first then work my way outwards left and right, but that's subject to change during the heat of the moment.

 

Hope this helps.

[lcb]

Hi,  I freehand the scrolls, the flat tops of the M are smaller than my post vice jaw vertical, the forge is a Buffalo about 24x32.  This is just an idea.  I'm not married to the right angles.  Thank you all for some great ideas.

 

Larry

[Frank Turley]

Just a thought if using round stock. What I will describe with a radius bend, I've done recently. Get the middle Vee first and then get the two radius bends uniformly either side. Apply heat over the bends and clamp in the vise with the radius curves just above the vise jaws. Quickly apply a top half-round swage to each bend to straighten each one. Go from there.

[lcb]

Thank you Frank.

[Jim Coke]

Greetings LCB,

 

Its easy...  Form up your scroll first....  Calculate the center of the M....  Bend over the stock to touch... Open the M to taste...  Use an old monkey wrench in the vise to form the square corners as you have pictured...  The wrench will serve as a bending fork and will allow for a close ratio square bend.. I do this all the time and it works well...  Good Luck

 

Forge on and make beautiful things

Jim

[mjenki]

Hi Larry,

 

The first step I would take is changing the Font to something a little more...  organic or script like. (see pic).

Clients are usually receptive.

 

You can avoid a lot of technical challenges with the swipe of a pen.  If you are doing this design because a client is asking for it specifically asked for that design....  I would start at the center low point of the m and work outwards.

[lcb]

Great ideas everyone.  Thanks so much.

 

Larry