John in Oly, WA Posted August 20, 2017 Share Posted August 20, 2017 Actually my first attempt at any fully forged tool. I've heated things to twist, or do a bit of forming to, as part of the fabrication, but this is the first completely forged item. And with that said, I still cheated. I took it to the belt grinder to smooth some edges, and after slitting and drifting the rivet holes, I cleaned them up with a drill. I can really appreciate the skill of people who can forge something to completion - I'm not there yet. Oh and the bolt is just there to hold them together to see the final fit. It'll be replaced with a rivet. They are me trying to copy Brian Brazeal's "ultimate" tongs. I started with a 36" piece of 5/8" round 1045. Forged a jaw on one end, forged a jaw on the other. Then cut it in half, slit and drifted the rivet holes and drew out the reins. My own critiques from the process - I think there's too much metal left in the jaw area. If I'd shaped that part better I could have gotten more metal moved to the reins. Which leads me to my second critique - I think the reins are too short. In the second picture (with the lines drawn in), I'm going to heat the bottom jaw and rotate the end of it slightly to fit better. And the upper jaw, put on the corner of the anvil and hit the right side (orange arrows) to square it up and extend the length (width?) on that side. And then I'll probably cheat a little again and grind the upper jaw back a bit. It has an over bite on the lower jaw. One other thing I need to work on is fitting in the time to brush the scale off on each heat and keep the work piece clean. I'd get so into getting every last bit of heat into hammering and shaping, that I'd forget to brush it. Or it would get cold enough that the scale wouldn't brush off so well. Comments/critiques welcome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted August 20, 2017 Share Posted August 20, 2017 " Blacksmithes use files" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lou L Posted August 20, 2017 Share Posted August 20, 2017 You would be amazed at how much fixing up you can do with a rasp on black hot steel. I just whipping out a 1/4 inch punch using just the rasp and a file once it was cold. Came out smooth. But I have to admit, it is really tempting to clean up the boss area with power. I'm still at your level of tool making...I understand completely! Getting the bits right are still my downfall. I end up over working them every time. Lou Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 20, 2017 Share Posted August 20, 2017 I'm for the good old days: Blacksmiths had apprentices and journeymen use files! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted August 20, 2017 Share Posted August 20, 2017 31 minutes ago, ThomasPowers said: I'm for the good old days: Blacksmiths had apprentices and journeymen use files! In other words, traditional blacksmithing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 21, 2017 Share Posted August 21, 2017 exactly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lou L Posted August 21, 2017 Share Posted August 21, 2017 I guess I should start scrounging up adolescents I can coax into indentured servitude if I want to be legit... I think that will be in conflicts with my profession as a teacher. There may be phone calls from parents. I'll exp,win it is simply a history lesson on "traditional" blacksmithing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John in Oly, WA Posted August 21, 2017 Author Share Posted August 21, 2017 So, instead of taking it to the belt grinder, I should be using files at the anvil while it's black hot or even red hot? And I should be pressing my two sons into all the menial tasks and finish work? I like that idea! They already complain every time I have them do chores that I only had them for the "slave" labor. Might as well make it official. "The beatings will continue until morale improves." <just kidding> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted August 21, 2017 Share Posted August 21, 2017 8 hours ago, Lou L said: I'll exp,win it is simply a history lesson on "traditional" blacksmithing. Tell them it's an project in experiential haptic learning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lou L Posted August 21, 2017 Share Posted August 21, 2017 2 hours ago, JHCC said: Tell them it's an project in experiential haptic learning. They would say the same about my prison experience. Im very weirded out about that typo, BTW. I've been getting these weird issues hitting space bar on the iPad instead of a letter and the autocorrect has been having a field day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted August 21, 2017 Share Posted August 21, 2017 1 hour ago, Lou L said: They would say the same about my prison experience. Im very weirded out about that typo, BTW. I've been getting these weird issues hitting space bar on the iPad instead of a letter and the autocorrect has been having a field day. A friend of mine made some amazing typo/autocorrect errors a couple of weeks ago that were (inadvertently, one hopes) extremely raunchy and thus cannot be repeated here. Suffice it to say that they were made even more amusing by the fact that he's a priest! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted August 21, 2017 Share Posted August 21, 2017 Priests are human too... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted August 21, 2017 Share Posted August 21, 2017 I'm no priest by a long shot but typos are another good reason I don't text, I spend more time editing than writing so I just call. Talking is soooo much easier. Still, if our pastor were to shoot me an amusingly raunchy typo laden text I might change my mind. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted August 21, 2017 Share Posted August 21, 2017 11 minutes ago, Charles R. Stevens said: Priests are human too... True, but their autocorrect isn't! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted August 21, 2017 Share Posted August 21, 2017 I started using text, one because I find my self in places with little signal (I have road to the top of a hill, claimed out of the saddle and stood on the horse with my phone held high to text "Little Miss and I are Ok" It's also usefull when I am working, unlike a ringing phone, I don't have a reflexive desire to check it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted August 21, 2017 Share Posted August 21, 2017 Cell reception can be weird, on a lightly foggy day I can see the warning lights on a cell tower from the house and there's another less than 2 miles the other direction and reception is spotty here. Deb works across the road from a cell tower and you're lucky to get reception at all. Happily almost nobody calls me so it's rarely an issue. My ring tone is a max loud klaxon, you should see the looks I get in a store. Nerve damaged ears makes for public conversations on speaker or I can't hear over background noise in a store. Shopping is about the most phone traffic I get, I'm there Deb might want or need something. Nothing special, bread and milk conversations. Text might be more private but I don't want to be one of the Darwin Award applicants walking into: people, walls, displays, traffic, trains, etc. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lou L Posted August 21, 2017 Share Posted August 21, 2017 Those designers of cell phones did an amazing job creating a digital environment with light, sound and touch that just pulls humans in. It blows my mood no how quickly senior citizens can get their first smart phone and be almost immediately trained by it to respond to its notifications sounds and lights. I make a practice of ignoring my phone EXCEPT in those cases similar to Frosty in which I expect it may be a time sensitive missive from the Mrs. Even then I have been known to ignore it. I'm terrible with my phone and proud of it. I see it as a tool for me to use when I want to. Everyone else treats it as a tether. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 21, 2017 Share Posted August 21, 2017 Lou; if a parent calls just tell them you are teaching by the The Schartz-Metterklume Method as described in the story by Saki. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francis Trez Cole Posted August 22, 2017 Share Posted August 22, 2017 10 minuets in the forge an save you 20 min with the file Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John in Oly, WA Posted August 22, 2017 Author Share Posted August 22, 2017 17 hours ago, Francis Trez Cole said: 10 minuets in the forge an save you 20 min with the file Thank you, that is something I will definitely be keeping in mind and will be working towards as my skills (hopefully) improve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francis Trez Cole Posted August 23, 2017 Share Posted August 23, 2017 John just keep doing it over and over it gets easier and more consistent. Do it once cut it off and do it again.When I light my forge I hammer out a tong blank just to warm up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew D Posted August 30, 2017 Share Posted August 30, 2017 One of the best tong making tricks I learned was from Mark Aspery. When the tongs are put together, heat them up to a nice cherry red and clamp them to the material you want to hold and adjust them in the vice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 31, 2017 Share Posted August 31, 2017 There is an ornate pair of tongs in my book on the Inquisition and after reading Matthew's post all I can say is OUCH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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