Ted Ewert Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 Nice work Hoj, anything new takes a bit longer. Don't worry about heats, it takes as many as it takes. I have a few of those tongs and they work well. I don't need as many tongs as a lot of the other guys seem to. I don't know if it's the gas forge or what I build, but I could get along fine with only 4 or 5 tongs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 I don’t even know what those words mean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 I'm confused too. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HojPoj Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 Which ones JHCC? "I could get along fine with only 4 or 5 tongs"? In some circles that's heresy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ted Ewert Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 What's so confusing Here is my usual configuration. Hot part in the forge, cold part outside. No tong needed unless I have a small part to heat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 Rebar gets a bad rap, but it does make reasonable looking longhorn billy hooks when you run out of square bar. The pattern gives an industrial look and it does take a high polish. There are many different grades of rebar though and not all have the same working qualities. I did these two today and the one on the left is square bar for comparison. The hang up rings are flattened spring washers (cooled slowly!) and the middle one has a ring forged from an old wrought iron chain link. Easy ways to make rings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 You do such nice work.. On 3/10/2019 at 10:27 PM, Ted Ewert said: What's so confusing Here is my usual configuration. Hot part in the forge, cold part outside. No tong needed unless I have a small part to heat. What do you do when you get to short pieces? Thumblatches, chain making, Hinge making, rivet making? I used to make a new set of tongs pretty much every week for each new job that came in.. When I was doing demonstrations I used to get paid so would make weird tongs which I normally wouldn't devote time to.. I use maybe 7 of the same tongs every week.. The scroll tongs get used the most but these are for cold work so never see the forge fire.. Funny right.. but, I don't make the same things I used to.. and without the larger selection I would not be able to do the same differences that happen week to week.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 1 hour ago, ausfire said: Rebar gets a bad rap, but it does make reasonable looking longhorn billy hooks when you run out of square bar. See, that's where you SHOULD use rebar: when the texture compliments the design! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 We all have our favorite tools that seem to work best for at least 80% of what we do; but I sure enjoy having a bunch of weird ones that cover that last 20%. I see no virtue in restricting oneself and the photo's of 100 years ago shops generally seem to show they didn't back then either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ted Ewert Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 2 hours ago, jlpservicesinc said: What do you do when you get to short pieces? Thumblatches, chain making, Hinge making, rivet making? I don't make a lot of the stuff you do, like chains or thumb latches. Hinges I can make with what I have, and I use a torch for rivets. If I have an oddball piece I'll usually just weld a handle on it. Nevertheless, I could us some offset tongs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexandr Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 It remains to install in place. I do electrical wiring myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cavpilot2k Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 Finally finished my dishing stump for some armoring work I've wanted to do for a long time and got started on dishing a helmet half (no pics yet - it's a stump with a depression and an incomplete helmet half - nothing much to look at...). Turns out that being used to hot work, cold-dishing 16 ga. cold rolled sheet is WORK! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 Alexandr---lovely light for your shop! (I know, goes to a customer; but it would be...) CP2K; got any large spheres for ball stakes? I picked up some 99 pound dock weights to planish against...as well as a crane's headache ball. I'm too old to work cold rolled by hand anymore. Heat&Beat and planish the work hardening back in.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 Beautiful work Alexandr. Doing the electrical work too, you are a busy guy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 Yes beautiful indeed Alexandr.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexandr Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 Thanks guys! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudman Posted March 12, 2019 Share Posted March 12, 2019 ausfire, love the billy hooks. Alexandr... what everyone else said. You do impressive work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted March 12, 2019 Share Posted March 12, 2019 Alexandr … wonderful work. Out on its own. There looks to be months of work in something like that. Do you ever sleep?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRR1143 Posted March 12, 2019 Share Posted March 12, 2019 Learned how to weld the other day, not pretty but it works well enough for sticking metal together. Welded some scrap tubing I had to the sides of the forge and bent an adjustable work rest out of some round stock to fit, turned out better than I thought. Huge quality of life improvement there, still working on optimizing burning performance though (picture is during cool down). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 12, 2019 Share Posted March 12, 2019 I used sq tubing on mine with a slightly small square stock "L" that "binds" in place in use, rotate it slightly and it moves in and out freely. This means I can use a different "L" in the tube on the other side for the rear of the forge and have them adjust separately. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRR1143 Posted March 12, 2019 Share Posted March 12, 2019 I like that idea quite a bit. I don't see my self working anything long enough to need a rest on both sides for a while, but the versatility of that option sounds great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cavpilot2k Posted March 12, 2019 Share Posted March 12, 2019 Thomas: At this moment, the best I have for a spherical planishing stake is a 12 lb sledge head rounded on one end. Currently working on sourcing something else. I had considered a shot put, but I don't know that I am good enough a welder to get a cast iron (as I understand most of them are) shot put to stick to a medium carbon stake (pavement breaker bit). If I go that route, I'll probably take it to a pro welder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John B Posted March 12, 2019 Share Posted March 12, 2019 22 hours ago, Cavpilot2k said: Turns out that being used to hot work, cold-dishing 16 ga. cold rolled sheet is WORK! Even harder if you don't anneal it first ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted March 12, 2019 Share Posted March 12, 2019 29 minutes ago, Cavpilot2k said: Currently working on sourcing something else. I have the mate of the ball I made this one from, if you want it. It’s cast, but you could drill it out and pour in some melted lead to lock the shaft in place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted March 12, 2019 Share Posted March 12, 2019 21 minutes ago, Cavpilot2k said: At this moment, the best I have for a spherical planishing stake is a 12 lb sledge head rounded on one end. Currently working on sourcing something else. Check with a cable or wire rope supply for "headache balls" They are the round balls you see above hooks on crane cables to keep tension on the drum to prevent the cable from "bird's nesting". The weight also helps place the hook accurately and easily. Anyway, headache balls are iron spheres in bolt together halves. There is a groove between the halves with a clamp mechanism, shape, (?) to clamp the ball to the cable. They come in many weights / sizes and prices. They make excellent mushroom stakes with a little polishing, if you really want a ball stake you need to weld the halves together and dress. In either case you need to weld a shank to the ball to mount. They also make excellent engraving vise stands. You bolt, screw, etc. the vise or Wax the work directly to the flat side of one half of the ball and place it round side down in a toroidal (donut) shaped shot bag. It allows you to engrave, chase, etc. fine work at many angles. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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