ringeter Posted March 13, 2017 Share Posted March 13, 2017 I am still a really new blacksmith. Like Started last month. I started hammering on a piece of leaf spring for a hot cut, on the second heat I was a few strikes in and it flew off the anvil from my tongs and hit me in the face. I don't know if I was holding it wrong or what or if it was just the leaf spring but I was holding really tight. I only got 4 stiches. I would like to know how to prevent this later on and why it happened Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Millhand Posted March 13, 2017 Share Posted March 13, 2017 Only advice I have is, talk to your leaf spring soothingly wile heating it. You must have made it mad at some point. Jokes aside, start on much smaller work. Some 3/8 round stock and make a s hook or something. That spring steel moves hard. .....also if that is the piece you were thinking of making a hot cut out of, it is a very poor choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 13, 2017 Share Posted March 13, 2017 How were you holding it? If it was with tongs then they were not correctly fitted to the piece Tongs that are too big or too small only hold the piece in one place---which is a pivot point allowing the workpiece to flip around and do damage. Choosing the right set of tongs is covered in my introduction to blacksmithing class in the morning of the first session, stop by sometime and audit it! Another way to put stock air born is to not have it resting on the anvil or hitting part of the workpiece that is projecting over the anvil. This is covered in the first hour of class... Nothing quite so painful or expensive as not getting hands on help to get started. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C-1ToolSteel Posted March 13, 2017 Share Posted March 13, 2017 A first class example if why you wear your safety glasses! The fact that you were "holding it really tight" is an indication that you never had a good grip in the first place. With proper tongs, you won't be having to death grip it to hold your stock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beech Posted March 13, 2017 Share Posted March 13, 2017 And if it gets too cold it might make it more likely to try to pop out, I would think, as it would have more resistance. I have a minor scar on my face where a dagger blade (before I decided that I was not ready for such items) did that too. I was wearing my safety glasses, but I think maybe I let it get too cool and might not have had the right tongs (or not had them positioned correctly). It was a learning experience, but could have been bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ringeter Posted March 13, 2017 Author Share Posted March 13, 2017 I thank you all for your quick responces. I can see now that it was most likely my in proper tongs and positioning of them. I will have to study more and not let this push me from blacksmithing because it is so fun but can be dangerous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimmike Posted March 13, 2017 Share Posted March 13, 2017 what kind of tongs were you using and how hot was the material? Was it jumping around from your grip before bouncing into your face? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ringeter Posted March 13, 2017 Author Share Posted March 13, 2017 It was cooling and just started to turn a cherry red and I was about to reheat. And I'm embarrass to say they we tongs I forged my self and will most likely be scraped now. I thought I did them correctly, I thing the metal was just to big for these tongs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted March 13, 2017 Share Posted March 13, 2017 The tongs may be perfectly fine -- for a different workpiece. Could have been a lot of things at play here, as noted above: wrong tongs, not hot enough, bad position on the anvil, wrong hit of the hammer. When I was making my first hot-cut from a jackhammer bit, it bounced up like that and hit me flat in the chest. No stitches, thank God, but it burned a hot-cut shaped scorch mark into my shirt before falling to the floor. That was the day I realized I could use an apron.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ringeter Posted March 13, 2017 Author Share Posted March 13, 2017 Yep for safty I always wear eye protection but getting an apron, and a face sheild to use for awhile till I am more knowledgeable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C-1ToolSteel Posted March 13, 2017 Share Posted March 13, 2017 I highly recommend starting out using stock that is long enough to hold without tongs. Lots of things you can make like meat forks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 If you put your location in your profile, there may be some experienced smith's just down the road to give you some pointers. When I was first starting out over 30 years ago, I had the same problem, usually related to the wrong tongs and cold metal. Now I have over 30 pairs of tongs and still need to make or modify one for some jobs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Ling Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 Ive had a railroad spike hit me in the face. Twice. both times were when i was upsetting, i was using flat jaw tongs to hold it up and down, and went to check it back square, and that's when it got me. Not fun. both times gave me a bad burn, but the first time chipped a tooth and left me with a mouth full of blood. Littleblacksmith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ringeter Posted March 14, 2017 Author Share Posted March 14, 2017 sorry for my poor grammar was using my cell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 4 minutes ago, Tylerj579 said: sorry for my poor grammar was using my cell. You can go back and edit for about an hour after you click "Submit Reply". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SmoothBore Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 On 3/13/2017 at 8:52 AM, Tylerj579 said: I will have to study more and not let this push me from blacksmithing because it is so fun but can be dangerous. Most "fun" things have a certain element of danger. ( Motorcycles ... and Girls ... spring immediately to mind. ) That which does not kill us, makes us stronger. . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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