BoardMoreThanUsual Posted June 8, 2023 Share Posted June 8, 2023 Well, my journey has officially started. Anvil (check), Vise (check), Hammers (check) and Forge (check). The weeks long journey to get the equipment to get up and running is over and i fired up the forge for the first time today. It was more difficult than i had imagined, seeing the color of the steel in the forge in the hazy sunlight, gripping the steel with an old pair of pliers and actually working the steel were all challenging. I did not let that stop me i just kept going. i wasnt out there long i just wanted to try. i made a couple things and that made me happy. i learned a little today made a few mistakes many of which i am sure i will make again. But i did it ! So here is what i made today, be kind, they are by no means perfect or good for that matter but they look like what i was supposed to be making so ill take that as a win. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted June 8, 2023 Share Posted June 8, 2023 Next S hook, put the pig tails to the outside of the loop. Then compare the two and see which you like best. Pig tails to the outside leave the entire loop open and can not catch on things going in or out of the loop. Make a variety of lengths of the S hooks as some projects like a longer space between loops. Make a S hook but also make a C hook and a J hook as all come in handy for different reasons. On the single loop hooks, arrange them back to back so you can hang things from either side, like when you want to day herbs, straw flowers, and etc. Great start !! Add something new with each fire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoardMoreThanUsual Posted June 8, 2023 Author Share Posted June 8, 2023 Wow, after you said it I noticed the pigtail, yes it seems to be going the wrong way, one of the many errors, if you hadn't said anything I probably would not have noticed and continued to make them that way. Noted and will try to remeber for the next ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted June 8, 2023 Share Posted June 8, 2023 You are off to a good start, the anvil hold down looks very good and the J hooks the pigtail is right. Can't tell ya how many S hooks I made like yours, sometimes I think I'm a little dyslexic when bending things backwards. It's all good practice, practice, practice though. I can't control the wind, all I can do is adjust my sails. ~ Semper Paratus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted June 8, 2023 Share Posted June 8, 2023 Excellent start! In general most uses of s hooks are better with the finial loop out. But hey, it is a safety hook so things don't blow off in a breeze. My first s hooks were much worse looking with no finial to adorn them. Lol Save some of your starting work so you can later look back at where you started. Keep up the good work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted June 8, 2023 Share Posted June 8, 2023 Next fire make an S hook with one loop as before, but the second loop say 3 or 4 inches diameter. The large end is nice for over a tree limb etc. Makes hanging a basket of flowers from a tree limb easy. Nice thing about working metal is you can reheat the pig tail and fix things, either by straightening the pig tail out and reforming it in the other direction, or grabbing the pig tail with a pair of pliers and giving the pig tail a twist to the other direction. It does not have to be done the hard way, it just needs done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoardMoreThanUsual Posted June 8, 2023 Author Share Posted June 8, 2023 Thanks for the kind words all, I will keep at it and continue to try new things, I will keep the pieces I made yesterday as is to remind me of my 1st day. Hopefully I get a proper set of tongs this weekend to make things that much easier these old 12" pliers are not cutting it, making it harder than it has to be. We shall see. I will continue to trudge along. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted June 8, 2023 Share Posted June 8, 2023 BP001 Easy to make tongs Copyright 2002 by Whitesmith Easy to make tongs. One rivet, one twist, and your done. Whitesmith is a 10 year old that provided IForgeIron with the following easy to make tongs. Start with 2 pieces of 1/4" x 3/4" x 20" long flat bar. Drill, or heat and drift, a 1/4" hole, 3 inches from one end, and in the center of the bar. Insert a piece of 1/4" round rod into the hole. Put a vise grip on the handle end to hold the two pieces together and heat the working end of the tongs to orange in the forge. Place the tong end in a vise. Put a crescent wrench just under the piece of 1/4" round rod and adjust the vise so there is about 1 inch of space between the bottom of the wrench and the top of the vise. Turn the wrench 90 degrees or 1/4 turn. You are turning BOTH pieces of bar stock at the same time, and in the same direction. This shows how it looks from the top and the side. Remove the rod. Heat the tong end in the forge and then shape it for what you want it to do. This set of tongs was being built to hold 1/4" round stock. The tongs can be taken apart and worked easily in the forge. When you want to see how you did, put them back together with the rod. When you have the tongs shaped the way you want, heat the end of the 1/4" round rod and put it in the hole in the tongs. Clamp it in the vise and pein the end of the rod to form a rivet head Once you have made a rivet head from the end of the rod, cut the other end of the rod off, leaving enough rod to make a rivet head on that side too. Put the whole thing in the fire and get just the end of the rivet hot. You can make the rivet head with the rod cold, but a little bit of heat makes it work a lot better. Put it on the anvil and pein the end over to form a rivet head. Be careful not to get it too tight. You can always make it tighter later, just pein it again, but you can not make it loosen up by hitting it with the hammer. Note: For the rivet, leave about 1-1/2 times the diameter of the rod to make the rivet head These tongs have just about the right space at the end of the handle to work for me. You can heat and bend the handles to adjust the space to fit your hands. These are not heavy tongs, and will not do the work of heavy tongs, but they will do a lot of work and are quick and easy to make. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoardMoreThanUsual Posted June 8, 2023 Author Share Posted June 8, 2023 Awesome thanks ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George N. M. Posted June 8, 2023 Share Posted June 8, 2023 You have now made something that did not previously exist until you put your hand and mind to the hot metal. Therefore, you ARE a blacksmith. Now, you can spend the rest of your life becoming a better blacksmith. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stash Posted June 8, 2023 Share Posted June 8, 2023 Nice work! Glad you got things up and running. Sounds like the forge is working pretty good. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted June 8, 2023 Share Posted June 8, 2023 When you are out junk/yard sales shopping look for farrier's end nippers. They are very easy to modify the cutting end into just about any type of tongs you may need. They can usually be picked up for a couple of dollars. The first pair I modified to hold the head of a RR spike 30 or so years ago and they are still doing the job for me. I can't control the wind, all I can do is adjust my sails. ~ Semper Paratus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoardMoreThanUsual Posted June 8, 2023 Author Share Posted June 8, 2023 Thanks Stash for your guidance and basic show and tell it helped a lot. Irondragon I came across a couple pair at a local barn sale and thought to myself I cant use these things so I passed on them if the are what you are talking about. They have monthly sales so I will be going back to pick them up ,Stash also told me I should have gotten them. Live and learn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted June 8, 2023 Share Posted June 8, 2023 This is a common shape for them, just have to heat & modify the jaws. I can't control the wind, all I can do is adjust my sails. ~ Semper Paratus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoardMoreThanUsual Posted June 8, 2023 Author Share Posted June 8, 2023 Yes that was them, looked like big tile nippers and couldnt think of a reason to buy them, they were 25 usd a pair think there was 4 pair. I'm on the email list so hopefully no one beats me to them the next sale Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arkie Posted June 8, 2023 Share Posted June 8, 2023 Board, like Randy I too have made tongs from nippers. They are usually a higher quality steel than mild steel and make great tongs. With that in mind, while you are forging your tongs from nippers, be sure to NOT quench them while really hot, like red or hotter, lest they might crack and your work will be lost. Black heat quench is OK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted June 8, 2023 Share Posted June 8, 2023 If it's $25 each that's way too much, I'd pass on them only worth about $5 in today's mkt. If you google Ken's Custom Tong Blanks you can pick up some reasonable that only require final finishing. Debi has made some knife making tongs from Ken's and had no trouble finishing them to her liking. I can't control the wind, all I can do is adjust my sails. ~ Semper Paratus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim695 Posted June 8, 2023 Share Posted June 8, 2023 If you look on Youtube you can find alot making tongs without tongs vids. Great work on the hooks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted June 9, 2023 Share Posted June 9, 2023 One I really like other than TechnicusJoe 's video on making them from rr spikes (if it is still up) is this one. Second and third style would be preferred. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoardMoreThanUsual Posted June 9, 2023 Author Share Posted June 9, 2023 Thanks I will look up and watch some you tube after the mrs goes to bed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gewoon ik Posted June 9, 2023 Share Posted June 9, 2023 10 hours ago, Irondragon ForgeClay Works said: This is a common shape for them, just have to heat & modify the jaws. I can't control the wind, all I can do is adjust my sails. ~ Semper Paratus ah; i know these as pull out nails or cutting steel wire. The rebar guys use that style (smaller jaws) for there twisting wire; My granddad had his modified by a blacksmith so the handles are closer together (i have it and used it in my house). The twisted tongs i have for small stuff i sometimes make, mainly skewers, so the grove is tailered to that diameter; They work great for that application. Small stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shainarue Posted June 9, 2023 Share Posted June 9, 2023 Those are some great looking hooks for someone just starting out. Great work! Also, your pigtails aren't going the "wrong" way unless you intended them to go the other way Like Irondragon, I'm also dyslexic when it comes to bends. It's my most common mistake. My mother tells me I was also 'dyslexic' with dance. Everyone else would go right, I'd go left. LOL! The blueprint Glenn posted for EZ Tongs are the first tongs I made and they were indeed VERY easy. I had only been blacksmithing for a few weeks at that point. Only had a bench vise and pliers and used a piece of railroad rail for an anvil. And I made them. They worked great for small stuff like hooks. I have since accumulated more tongs and I still use that first pair. Used them just last night actually! They're currently the only pair I have that will hold stock less than 1/4" in diameter. I agree with Irondragon, don't drop more than $5 on nippers. Or anything you're buying with intention of reforming into tongs. I've also used the kits from Kens Custom Iron and it's super easy as well - and about the same price you found your barn sale. My local blacksmithing club has a member that makes tongs and sells them for $30/pair. I can't beat that price so I've bought about 4 pair over the past year. So check your local club and reach out to see if anyone does that! I'm also still working on my own tong making skills. Figure I always seem to need a style I don't have already, lol - so it'd be cheaper & faster to just be able to make my own rather than wait to buy a set. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryFahnoe Posted June 9, 2023 Share Posted June 9, 2023 On 6/7/2023 at 8:24 PM, BoardMoreThanUsual said: Well, my journey has officially started. Anvil (check), Vise (check), Hammers (check) and Forge (check). The weeks long journey to get the equipment to get up and running is over and i fired up the forge for the first time today. I'd say very well done on your first projects! I did have to chuckle (mostly at myself!) when I read your comment about the journey to get the equipment being over...nope, it's just begun! You are far better off than me in that you've started small and actually MADE something, I on the other hand have spent years collecting and building ever closer to the shop setup I have in my mind. Both approaches are valid, but I commend you for your efforts & even more so that they made you happy. --Larry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoardMoreThanUsual Posted June 9, 2023 Author Share Posted June 9, 2023 Thanks again all, I went to the supply house and got 3 lengths of steel and a couple shorts so I'm set for a while. I made 2 pair of the easy to make tongs and tried making a 3 rd pair of the "Africa tongs" . The easy make went well the other not so much. I ll spare you all the pictures but I was out in the garage/driveway for 4 hours today made a few more hooks of different types and sizes along with the tongs. Going to a local blacksmith thing tomorrow so hopefully I ll pick up some more advice tips and tricks. If they are half as nice as you all I'll be set. I'll keep trudging along. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted June 10, 2023 Share Posted June 10, 2023 7 hours ago, Shainarue said: My mother tells me I was also 'dyslexic' with dance. Everyone else would go right, I'd go left. LOL! That isn't dyslexic Shaina, that's following the lead. The only time you both go right or left is in a turn or twirl. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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