MarkDobson Posted September 6, 2015 Share Posted September 6, 2015 so i decided i would give myself a break from all the large stock i like to play with and try something small. i didnt realize how small untill i started the project tho lol. I didnt have any square stock so i took some 3/8" round and made it square(ish),was probably 1/4in square and then did the normal split cross stuff. after two failed attempts at splitting it with a chisel i finally gave up and got the hacksaw. never realized how hard it it to hold onto something so small lol. guess i need to make some pick up tongs or something to hold small stock better.Well here it is anyways, pretty ugly but owell, was a good way to end the forging session Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave51B Posted September 6, 2015 Share Posted September 6, 2015 Nice effort there Mark. Just keep going, don't give up they will get better. All my tongs are pick-up tongs......lol Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkDobson Posted September 6, 2015 Author Share Posted September 6, 2015 thanks, i really need more practice with the small stuff. the only time i work with anything under 1/2in is when i make rivets, so not very often. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpankySmith Posted September 7, 2015 Share Posted September 7, 2015 (edited) Mark, on the 1/4" split crosses I use a pair of vice grips to guide the cuts into a band saw, then once heated I use two pairs of needle nose pliers to pull them apart...at that size it seems, to me at least, to work best. I tried a few 1/8" split crosses a few weeks ago, just for the heck of it...cut 12 blanks and got 5 keepers! At that size the teensiest loss of heat and they were splitting open on me. It was fun to try, but I'll stick to the 1/4"! Edited September 7, 2015 by SpankySmith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave51B Posted September 7, 2015 Share Posted September 7, 2015 Come on there Spanky.....I know yer better than 41% success rate. But the cuts do have to be almost perfect for 1/8". I'm up to about 90% now.....practice, practice, practice......I can't make em' fast enough. Take care Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpankySmith Posted September 7, 2015 Share Posted September 7, 2015 Yeah, but you're using a torch on em, that's cheating!!! Lol, I'm using forge, I have a brand new torch sitting in my shed, working up the nerve still to fire it up for the first time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave51B Posted September 7, 2015 Share Posted September 7, 2015 Hey ...It's just a little propane job on a 1lb cylinder.........cut me some slack...lol I think I read somewhere that it's ok to use whatever it takes to get the proper end result. You know, like a stick welder to make a Damascus billet . Just sayin' Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkDobson Posted September 8, 2015 Author Share Posted September 8, 2015 lol i was using my coal forge for mine and had to forge round stock square(which wasnt really even, which is obvious by the "legs" on the cross, also, i used a hacksaw to cut the split. then i split it open with a chisel and trimmed the "legs" with the chisel as well. i also went to grab it with my wolf jaw tongs at one point and promptly buried it into the fire and had to hurry to get it out before i melted it. i have to admit they are pretty fun and simple to make. its nice to see a project come together in a heat or so Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpankySmith Posted September 8, 2015 Share Posted September 8, 2015 See, Dave! New guy is using a forge, not some new tangled contraption! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave51B Posted September 8, 2015 Share Posted September 8, 2015 Awww geeze, Sounds like a challenge. I will take ya up on that. Results to follow...... Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkDobson Posted September 9, 2015 Author Share Posted September 9, 2015 im glad i got you two goin lol, id love to see pics of your guys crosses. im thinkin im gunna have to practice forging out crosses this weekend now and i guess i will have to get blades for the portaband as well since i dont feel like using the hack saw on all of them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave51B Posted September 9, 2015 Share Posted September 9, 2015 Mark, wish I was smart enough to post a link to a thread. But if you look in "member projects" and the 'going small again' thread it will bring you up to date, I think......... Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpankySmith Posted September 9, 2015 Share Posted September 9, 2015 (edited) I haven't successfully posted a picture since the last upgrade here, let's try...A sampling of some of mine Edited September 9, 2015 by SpankySmith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norrin_radd Posted September 9, 2015 Share Posted September 9, 2015 (edited) so i decided i would give myself a break from all the large stock i like to play with and try something small. i didnt realize how small untill i started the project tho lol. I didnt have any square stock so i took some 3/8" round and made it square(ish),was probably 1/4in square and then did the normal split cross stuff. after two failed attempts at splitting it with a chisel i finally gave up and got the hacksaw. never realized how hard it it to hold onto something so small lol. guess i need to make some pick up tongs or something to hold small stock better.Well here it is anyways, pretty ugly but owell, was a good way to end the forging session I think it looks good, especially for such a small stock in a coal forge. It would look good on some leather cord. I have had one already cut in 1/4" for a couple of weeks that I haven't gotten around to opening up yet. I'll probably "cheat" and try it in the gasser when I go to work on some others Those in Spanky's pic are really nice. Edited September 9, 2015 by norrin_radd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted September 12, 2015 Share Posted September 12, 2015 Looking pretty nice Spanky. Have you thought about doing a little wood grain texture? Wait, those are jewelry aren't they? So smooth would better.Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkDobson Posted September 20, 2015 Author Share Posted September 20, 2015 finally got around to making another one, used 3/8th square and rolled the top over so it could be made into a necklace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpankySmith Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 Mark, that looks really good - that was a quick climb up the learning curve from the first to the second! Nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norrin_radd Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 finally got around to making another one, used 3/8th square and rolled the top over so it could be made into a necklace Good job on it. I guess there was a noticeable difference working with the bigger material this time? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkDobson Posted September 21, 2015 Author Share Posted September 21, 2015 (edited) forbidden thanks!, yeah it was a bit easier working with the larger stock, that and i actaully started with square bar instean of a piece of round stock that i roughly bashed into a square Edited September 21, 2015 by MarkDobson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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