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I Forge Iron

I hate the noise and the pinching


yves

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I really hate the  noise the handle makes when I let it go. I also dislike the pinching of my fingers and other meat parts around my hand. And its difficult to pull the handle up with the round ends. I further dislike the smell of elastic bands cut off and fallen from the vise's handle when hot iron finds them. So I went overboard, remembered the days when I sailed, and tied a turk's head knot. 

I do not know how long it will last but in the meantime, it works and if I may say so, it's nice to look at. P1070099.JPGP1070103.JPGP1070105.JPG

 

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Yves,

Brilliant idea. Well done.

A Turk's head knot made from non-plastic twine could be soaked in a fire retardant-water solution to make it less likely to burn or char.

Borax comes to mind. But there may be other substances that work better, and are just as cheap.

SLAG.

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Great knots and greater idea. I use two tiny silicon washers on each end. Hard for a hotshot to get in anywhere and heat resistant anyway to a degree(don't know exactly how many though!) The bar makes a comforting dull thud rather than an ear splitting clang -isn't it funny though how we can happily clang away on the anvil but hate the vise when it whispers back at us?

 

Tom.

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Glad you people like it.

Slag : I did not feel the necessity to make it fire proof. I still do not. The elastic bands burn on the floor when they cut off. And they do that much too quickly. Never had them burn on the job.

Tommytaptap : the sound of the handle hitting the vise is a noise. The sound of the anvil is a song …

ThomasPowers : the other end of the handle will get a knot made from a piece of rawhide (have it in front of me).

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Yves-in my first year at technical college in the metalwork shop, which at age 11 and never having seen one before was somewhat mind blowing; I had the ignorant temerity to allow an engineering vise bar drop unassisted onto the vise and was immediately and violently rapped on my knuckle with a wooden ruler by the professor tutoring us, who then snorted at me, "Boy, do that once more and you will be barred-literally." It was some years later when I realised what he meant but, he meant it! Its only recently my grip has relaxed enough to allow it to fall with a clang but for my ears, the washers do it for me-and for anvil work, the earplugs do the same job. When I want to sing, I am glad I use earplugs-I can sing in tune. But yes, within limits, the anvil does play a song-not as good as my bluegrass tho'    Tom.

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1 hour ago, yves said:

I really hate the  noise the handle makes when I let it go. I also dislike the pinching of my fingers and other meat parts around my hand.

Meat Parts! Yikes!  I hate looking at my pulleys and cables. :wacko:

That clang is the sound of a meat chopper and goes right up my spine.

Excellent presentation Yves, and Thomas, I know that move!

Robert Taylor

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I like the knots. However, I have taught the following about pinching and good workmanship. One can develop the habit of, when finishing tightening and the handle-hand is above horizontal, do throw it downhill, clang or no clang. This prevents juddering while you're working and avoids pinch. If the handle-hand finishes tightening below horizontal, you're home free; leave it.

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I do not find the clank objectionable but my main vises sit on a wooden 1" bench top that does not act as a lodspeaker. I assume it might be noisier if attached to a steel plate of sorts. I might steal the idea of using a turk's head anyway - just for looks.

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While all of these are great ideas...it's kind of like the wooden screen door, the one you told the kids for years to stop banging.  I know I'm strange but I love to hear both the older I get.  That big old Parker's handle drops with authority and grace.

 

Papy

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Many people copy Parker's idea of drilling and tapping the spindle so you can put a brass/bronze plug that will make contact with the handle.  You put a small spring behind the plug and a screw behind that.  You can adjust the tension on the handle with the screw as well as compensate for wear.

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