jlpservicesinc Posted March 11, 2020 Share Posted March 11, 2020 Alex's work is amazing. The quality and amount also makes me feel lazy.. I still can't understand how Alex does it. It would take me months to get done one project. Never mind how it seems every few weeks he is installing stuff. Alex great work as always.. I love being able to say that. Shows the quality on a consistent level.. Wonderful. I hope the video would play.. It shows on the screen.. when clicked it will turn black then the little scroll icon comes on then it plays. You can also get first hand notifications on the instagram or facebook page and it works there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 11, 2020 Share Posted March 11, 2020 Works for me: google chrome on a windows 10 laptop, wifi connection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmyw Posted March 11, 2020 Share Posted March 11, 2020 I've made this today. My first eye punch. Going to the junk yard tomorrow and get some 1045 steel to make a drift so I can open up the eye again. A acquaintance gave me a ~5lbs hammer some time ago and I finally got to use it today. I felt the weight in my arm... Any suggestions what thickness of stock I should be using to make new tongs? square or round Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyBones Posted March 11, 2020 Share Posted March 11, 2020 On 3/8/2020 at 12:02 PM, 671jungle said: How would one go about the measurements to get all the legs even? Sorry its been a minute since i have been on, but i am figuring measure twice cut once. Basically pay attention to all your dimensions and make sure they are all the same. There will definitely be some difference but just try and keep it to a minimum. I am shooting for no more than 1/16-1/32" in height. Number each one so that my friend making the tables will be able to adjust the wood and number the location on the wood. Speaking of my friend, i am going to trade the legs for him making me a sign for my shop. I call my shop "The Punkin Patch Forge" and this is what he has so far. The name will be in the anvil...maybe. This is his first idea so we will get together and work out the details. But he is a very talented artist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frazer Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 (edited) 15 hours ago, jimmyw said: Any suggestions what thickness of stock I should be using to make new tongs? square or round Starting stock really depends on the tongs you're making and how beefy they'll need to be, but I usually start with 5/8" round, sometimes 1/2" square, mostly because I have a lot of it. You could probably get away with smaller, certainly can get away with bigger, it just means you'll have some extra hammering to do. There isn't really a set rule as to what to use. Square or round or bar, doesn't really matter to me, as long as there is enough material. As a general rule I don't like to forge anything using rebar, as it is a very heterogeneous material. I've used scrap pieces and had something unexpectedly harden when quenched in water, then break on me, while the next section not 6" away wouldn't harden. It also seems to tear itself apart if overworked. It's hard to work with a material when you don't know how that particular piece is going to respond. Not to say everything made with rebar is junk, far from it, I have just found it a lot easier to work with a piece of steel straight from the supplier, especially after finding it to be so inexpensive. I think a 20' length of 1/2" sq was something like $18-$19 from the supplier that was about 30 miles from my house. Of course your mileage on my comment may vary. Oh, and if you don't have much luck at the scrapyard looking for something that may be 1045, A railroad spike should serve your drifting needs. I use them all the time. Spikes with an H stamped on the head should be around 0.3% carbon and will harden slightly when quenched in water if you like. But in all honesty none of my drifts are heat treated at all, they would all loose their hardness by the time they got half way through anyway. *Edit I didn't see you're in Sweden, so railroad spikes probably aren't the same there as in the US, or they aren't quite so easily found. Anyway, got to shaping out a little knife for my brother using the little piece of damascus I made. I certainly won't be getting into a habit of making damascus, it takes a LONG time with my current setup and I'm more than happy with my good old mild steel. I probably have at least a week and a half in this already (it wasn't the only thing I was working on). Still, welds are seamless and after a test etch I'm really happy with the pattern for my first go at it. Edited March 12, 2020 by Frazer Noticed location Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 Here is a super amazing forging. A butt welded ring. I've been working on the muscles to make this happen and now have perfected it. Lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peppie Posted March 13, 2020 Share Posted March 13, 2020 Finished up my twisting jig today. Small stock (3/8 or smaller) will twist in the crescent wrenches. Larger stock( 1/2 to 1 1/4) will fit down the center. Square tendon holder is mounted in the tower. Just slide the desired size tendon into the center and hold in place with the thumb screws. All the wrenches, and the tower/tendon holder slide the length of the bed. They can be locked down where needed for an assortment of spaces twists. The round hole at the end will reduce the bend in the stock while twisting thicker stock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted March 13, 2020 Share Posted March 13, 2020 Peppie, that is one nice twister jig. How long did it take to make? What was the C channel size across the flat? jimmyw 3/4" or 19mm sq was the material most widely recommended in early books for tongs from 0 to about 13mm in metal thickness. Today many prefer 16mm (5/8") round as there is less material and it's a little easier. There are several good videos a few by yours truly on the jlp services inc youtube channel.. there are also a few by Brian Brazeal, and the World championship blacksmiths, and Techs Joe. I cover more plain type and even slit tongs that are pretty easy to make.. The preference comes down to experience and what is the overall goal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 13, 2020 Share Posted March 13, 2020 I'm working on designing one that will do the twisting inside my gas forge---helps for billet twisting I imagine. Anyone currently have a system like that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peppie Posted March 13, 2020 Share Posted March 13, 2020 The channel is 6" wide, 1.5" tall, by 16" long. I have approx 18 hrs in the build. I work slow Never thought to twist in the forge! Great idea! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted March 13, 2020 Share Posted March 13, 2020 If you set up a rig to slowly feed the bar through the forge while slowly twistIng it, you could theoretically twist an infinitely long piece. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peppie Posted March 13, 2020 Share Posted March 13, 2020 JHCC, You are giving me a headache! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 13, 2020 Share Posted March 13, 2020 Or have a set of burners that traverse the bar while it's being twisted... (Does that help your head?") Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted March 13, 2020 Share Posted March 13, 2020 they used to sell line torches just for such things.. A/O use was heavy at the turn of the 20th century.. As for the forge twister, If setup properly you could make it electric and it would spin the bar as it came up to temp and as long as you got the correct heat cycle to length (travel) ratio down it could be infinite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 13, 2020 Share Posted March 13, 2020 Now that I think about it an induction forge would probably be the easiest to set up and "time" to get an even heat/twist as the bar progresses. Perhaps a spray quench after to keep the twist from tightening? I just have a number of multibar twist billets, SKA "turkish damascus" on my project list and was thinking that twisting them inside the forge would be faster and easier than working them outside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted March 13, 2020 Share Posted March 13, 2020 I like the induction idea. The spray quench shouldn’t be too severe, as we don’t want to risk over-quenching and cracking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 13, 2020 Share Posted March 13, 2020 I don't foresee doing pattern welding billets long enough that such a system would be cost effective; doing mild steel ones lowers the danger of quench cracking. Hmmm now having a computer controlled induction/twisting unit so you could design patterns of twisting into a bar---say the Star Spangled Banner in Morse Code or sending encrypted data overseas...Why yes it *is* Friday! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted March 13, 2020 Share Posted March 13, 2020 Thomas, I like your thinking. I'm sure if you present it to the world you will get one. You seem to have that mystical kind of prowess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted March 13, 2020 Share Posted March 13, 2020 And a great wizardly beard to go with it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 13, 2020 Share Posted March 13, 2020 Don't make me put you on the naughty list John! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted March 13, 2020 Share Posted March 13, 2020 I'd have to get off it first. I've been there so long, I've got a stadium seat and all the vendors know my name. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 13, 2020 Share Posted March 13, 2020 When I retire I'm going to grow it out so I can braid it again! (John; does the term "Double Secret Probation" mean anything to you?) With the "stay at home" mandate going on; I plan to spend the weekend in my smithy working on my 25# LG strip down, shop cleaning and doing some forging for fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyBones Posted March 14, 2020 Share Posted March 14, 2020 Drug this big ole crate home from work to make a cabinet out of for the shop and i need hinges, so i tried my hand at hinges. They are supposed to resemble flames. I figured forge cabinet, flames what could be better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted March 14, 2020 Share Posted March 14, 2020 Naughty list? Are you going to start delivering coal Thomas? Pretty nice looking hinge Billy and a tip from an old hand. Never say the piece is Supposed to look like . . .whatever. Say, "It's a flame hinge." You made it, it's whatever you say it is. Period. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted March 14, 2020 Share Posted March 14, 2020 Billy, while I am not a fan of texture usually, I find that flame anything needs depth or relief.. this can be created by beveling or raising parts of it.. Or creating that wild, triangular look.. When I see fire I hardly ever see a round shape.. It's usually with a sharp corner in nature except at the bottom.. A gas flame is different of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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