VaughnT Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 In my eternal quest to find new and interesting videos on the internet, I ran across this little tidbit. Of particular interest is the tongs used to secure the piece to the form for the final shaping. A bit ingenious and definitely useful in different applications. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlotte Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 wow! I love this film. I have a soft spot for wooden ships and all connected to them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stan Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 Interesting video surprised their still using the old belt drives , good suff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WayneCoeArtistBlacksmith Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 Hmmm! I have a set of tongs like that. Now I know what to do with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 Thanks for the video, I love seeing stuff like this.Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GottMitUns Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 That was plum cool!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 What struck me was how heavy the stock they started with. Maybe it was just my eye but it looked they were trimming way more parent stock than was in the lock.Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlotte Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 What struck me was how heavy the stock they started with. Maybe it was just my eye but it looked they were trimming way more parent stock than was in the lock.Frosty The Lucky.I noticed the same thing, Could they be worried about fish mouth under the light hammer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimsShip Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 Looks like he used a pair of open ended wrenches, closed one up and made tongs from them! That's great thinking there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 I noticed the same thing, Could they be worried about fish mouth under the light hammer? I don't know. The hammer would only be light if you're forging that size stock too cool and it seemed slow for the straight forward drawing they were doing.Personally I would be making the shafts two at a time. Rough forge one shank, then the shoulders and pins, then the far shank and part the double shaft from the parent stock. Finish form with tongs and part the pins. The cradle is easy enough to just forge but I don't know why such heavy steel for it, the finished cradle is no where near 3/8" x 1". Yeah guys I'm critiquing a process I've never done myself. Not so different from everybody with a "better" idea for an old job. Eh?Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panday Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 It's a very modern style process with period tools. Excess length seems to be to keep the power hammer off the weld between the handle and billet. Then the pin forged out enough to be able to strike the steel over the hardy without hitting the shoulder, excess tennon length provides a more stable end to hold while working the end of the pin. I'd imagine these were probably upset in some sort of header and not drawn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSW Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 What struck me was how heavy the stock they started with. Maybe it was just my eye but it looked they were trimming way more parent stock than was in the lock.Frosty The Lucky.I was thinking the same thing. If nothing else, I'd have almost wanted a bit more material and made 2 back to back out of the same blank. Cut between the two tenons after shaping the boss with the spring die. I was also thinking how basic most of this was compared to their statement about needing to be done by a "Master". I'd think any qualified Journeyman, or even an experienced apprentice trained to do those functions over and over again, could do much of that. I haven't done a ton of power hammer work, but I expect that if I spent a day or two doing it repetitively, I could pound out respectable bases even at my limited skill level. I'd bet the same would go for the hoops as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John B Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 I would like to have seen an original one, if they were wrought iron, I would think they could have been made from one piece, All just speculative of course, but different strokes for different folks,Neat useful video though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlotte Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 (edited) I would like to have seen an original one, if they were wrought iron, I would think they could have been made from one piece, All just speculative of course, but different strokes for different folks,Neat useful video though.Most of the oar locks I'm familiar with are cast bronze. Wrought Iron would be less corroded by sea water than steel but would have needed extra care. However whale boats were intensively money conscious operations with limited life expectancy and highly industrial dirty operations. It could have been bronze was too expensive for a disposable item. Edited October 16, 2015 by Charlotte spelling Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panday Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 I was also thinking how basic most of this was compared to their statement about needing to be done by a "Master". I'd think any qualified Journeyman, or even an experienced apprentice trained to do those functions over and over again, could do much of that.I thought the same thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SmoothBore Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 I was also thinking how basic most of this was compared to their statement about needing to be done by a "Master". I'd think any qualified Journeyman, or even an experienced apprentice trained to do those functions over and over again, could do much of that. Well shoot, ... how could they justify the "authentic, period correct reproduction" pricing, ... if they didn't treat it like it was Ye Olde Rocket Science ..... . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John B Posted October 17, 2015 Share Posted October 17, 2015 Most of the oar locks I'm familiar with are cast bronze. Wrought Iron would be less corroded by sea water than steel but would have needed extra care. However whale boats were intensively money conscious operations with limited life expectancy and highly industrial dirty operations. It could have been bronze was too expensive for a disposable item. I understand whaleboats spent long periods at sea, and carried their own blacksmiths for making and mending all the equipment in use aboard, flensing irons, harpoons, fixtures and fittings, probably a bit of dentistry etc etc, Certainly would be capable of bronze casting rowlocks, Did the rowlocks fit in sockets or just plain holes in wood ? if sockets, bronze would allow more efficient rowing when in pursuit of whales. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patrick Posted October 18, 2015 Share Posted October 18, 2015 The skill is not so much in pounding them out but in designing the tooling and determining the starting stock size. That is not what I would describe as basic blacksmithing knowleged. Once you have the tools and know how to use them then yest, the job is pretty straightforward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SmoothBore Posted October 18, 2015 Share Posted October 18, 2015 And there's where it gets a bit "sticky" .....Those extremely weight-conscious, shipboard Blacksmiths, could never carry "specialized" tooling, ... or waste material and fuel, in the fashion we see in the video.While much of a Ships Ironwork was made "ashore", and therefore not limited by the strict "economies" imposed on shipboard operations, ... Whaleboats in particular, were "expendable", ... and subject to routine repair and replacement, during a Voyage.I suspect the two-piece "design" of the Oar Lock in the video is correct, ... but have reservations about the "authenticity" of the techniques employed in it's production. . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.