Joel OF Posted August 17, 2017 Share Posted August 17, 2017 Hi folks, nothing too enthralling but I'm working on some cranked hinges using 60mm x 10mm flat bar for a local church at the minute and I recorded the hinge eye & cranking process for general amusement. I don't do much of this traditional blacksmithing kinda stuff as I'm more on the artist end of the spectrum but the process is enjoyable nonetheless. I'm sure the boys and girls that do this sort of work a lot will be better tooled up for it than me, (or may not need tools to aid the process at all?!), but in any case I thought I'd share this mainly for the sake of my anvil hardy tool which is proving to be helpful. Someone else who is as new as me to hinge eye making may want to copy it if they feel it'll help them too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Ling Posted August 17, 2017 Share Posted August 17, 2017 Looks good. Only thing I would have done different is instead of cutting it to form the bevel I would have just forged it, that way it takes only one heat. I really liked the jig you used in the hardy hole to help roll the barrel for the hinge. Littleblacksmith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joel OF Posted August 17, 2017 Author Share Posted August 17, 2017 Cheers. Now got my cutting down to 1 heat, I only forged that the other day & haven't done any cutting like that before so it's new territory to me. Angleing the cutter more now as well. Haven't been forging the bevel because I want the cutting practice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Ling Posted August 17, 2017 Share Posted August 17, 2017 ahh, I see. yes, you will get quicker over time, and so you have. good to hear, I understand about wanting the practice. Littleblacksmith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Work With Nature Posted August 29, 2017 Share Posted August 29, 2017 Joel OF, Great video, You make it look easy. Can imagine it being a bit of a challenge. Having seen this done now, will help me hopefully do the same with the end of two smaller truck leaf-spring. The cut off ends where the mid holes used to be are 6 mil thick. Very hard stuff. A high carbon steel, usually but not always 5160, If I may ask you a question. My plan is to make two hinges. One the way you did except a slot cut out the middle. The second one would be at the end also but in the middle maybe 2.5 cm wide. I would have to cut out maybe 2.6 cm out of the middle of the first one for them to fit together. I know leaf springs come with ready made hinges but I need those as well. Here is the question. Can this all be hammer forged by hand without using jigs. Maybe just a bar as you did? It is a once off thing and my resources are limited. Would be great to know. David. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joel OF Posted September 1, 2017 Author Share Posted September 1, 2017 Hi David, Yes I'm sure it could be done without any jig tools. I only made myself the anvil jig because I don't do this sort of work very often and I thought it might make the job a bit easier. I don't really know much about steel types (you seem to know more than me!) so I couldn't comment on how easy or hard you'll find your leaf spring to work in comparrison to the mild steel I was working, which was 10mm thick. What I would say though is that you might find that on the side that has the 2 barrels with the 25mm gap between them; if you get your hands on a bit of 25mm wide solid square bar and lock it stood up in a vise, you might find that helpful if the barrells start to angle in towards eachother or angle out away from eachother. Hard to explain withouth a drawing but you'll see what I mean. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Work With Nature Posted September 1, 2017 Share Posted September 1, 2017 Cool, Thanks for getting back to me on it. Well I will soon find out. Hope that stuff is easy to bend, might need to get it really hot. Just prepping the fuel in the next few days and then it's of to giving it a go. Thanks again. David. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted September 1, 2017 Share Posted September 1, 2017 leaf spring will be much tougher to work than mild and so only for folks who truly need the extra strength or who have free fuel and infinite free time. Otherwise they could make something and sell it and buy mild steel and still generally come out ahead in time and fuel spent! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Work With Nature Posted September 1, 2017 Share Posted September 1, 2017 Hi ThomasPowers, ha yes, know exactly what you mean. Am working on a post vise at the moment from two truck leaf springs and an old car jack. The leaf is already mostly the shape I need them to be. It has some hinge like sockets where the bushings were. But I think they are more suited to become the jaws of the vice and they would be to big for the pin. Planning to hammer them square and make the hinges on the open end. But hear you I could not believe how hard the stuff really is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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