[TheForge] Tongs & power hammer - a safety issue?

Mon Jan 12 16:45:01 2004

Bruce,  No, not Mondayitis here -- If I have a correctly fitted set of tongs
and am holding a solid object (even a hot item) and hit the jaw area I may
close the reins some but not very much.  The work piece in the jaws presents
a solid bar -- I have to have movement of the jaws (not just deformation) to
close the reins.  But if I am behind the pivot point then I have nothing to
constrain flattening of the reins (and twisting).    (Yes I agree that
closing the jaws closes the reins -- but you have to be able to close the
jaws).  There are a few types of reverse action tongs for holding outward -- 
such as on the eye of a hammer but we are not talking about these here.  All
of this said I don't think I have ever gotten tongs under the dies.  I have
had too tall of a tool turn on me -- very scary -- learned to keep them
short.

Still I don't place my finger inside of the reins.

A better pincher than tongs is some spring fullers when used under the power
hammer.  Used on thin stock a too heavy of a blow and they can go past each
other (offset side to side) and really pinch you.

Dave Smucker
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bruce Freeman" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 12, 2004 4:15 PM
Subject: Re: [TheForge] Tongs & power hammer - a safety issue?

> Dave,
>
> I see you're suffering from Mondayitis too.  See previous reponse.
>
> Bob Patrick did mention not to have the tongs in line with your body.
> Apparently a well known smith got a tong rein through his leg in a power
> hammer accident.  Tom Clark puts a ball end on his commercial tong-reins
> to help prevent such an accident.
>
> Bruce
> NJ
>
>
> >>> [email protected] 1/12/2004 1:57:11 PM >>>
>
> Bruce, I like others don't yet see the safety issue you talk about --
> at
> least not with the tongs I use unless you are so far into the dies that
> you
> are well past the pivot point -- and this is something I am not likely
> to
> do.
>
> At our December meeting of the AACB we had Steve Jordan demonstrated on
> the
> power hammer.  He is from Ohio and has quite an extensive industrial
> experience using power hammers.  His big safety message was to think
> about
> where you hold the tongs -- NOT IN FRONT of YOUR BODY but always to
> the
> side.  (Same applies to stock if not using tongs.)  He has see cases
> of
> tongs or stock being pushed into ones person in the case of a
> misaligned
> strike of a large hammer. Rather serious accident, in one case all the
> way
> to the backbone. (By misaligned I mean on the near edge of the dies so
> it
> pushes the material towards the operator.)  Most of us hold stock or
> tongs
> in our dominate hand when under the power hand rather than in our off
> hand.
> In my case this is my right hand.  If holding stock and a top tool I
> hold
> the top tool in my  hand left hand most of the time too.  Steve point
> is
> that for a right hand person like myself I should then use my LEFT foot
> to
> control the treadle.  This puts my body so that it is natural to have
> the
> stock on my right side and not in front of me.  I thought this was a
> really
> good safety message.  I had never given thought to which foot I used on
> the
> treadle of a power hammer.
>
> Dave Smucker
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Bruce Freeman" <[email protected]>
> To: <[email protected]>
> Sent: Monday, January 12, 2004 8:39 AM
> Subject: [TheForge] Tongs & power hammer - a safety issue?
>
>
> > Just back from Gichner's Hammer In.
> >
> > Bob Patrick mentioned a danger of getting tongs under a power hammer
> > (by accident, of course) - hammer slams the jaws together, and if
> you've
> > got a finger in the way, you lose it.   Solutions:  Don't put your
> > fingers between the reins, and don't get the jaws under the power
> > hammer.
> >
> > But of course I immediately "invented" a safety tongs for which this
> > wouldn't be an issue.  Question is, is there any real need for such
> a
> > safety tongs?  0pinions, please.
> >
> > Bruce
> > NJ
> >
> >
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