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

Mon Jan 12 17:36:01 2004

And this is a reply to my reply.  Just went out into the shop and looked at
some tongs -- I had forgot about.  "Bolt tongs"  You know the ones with the
half round section back of the jaw grips themselves to allow clearance for
part of the work to stick back past the grip area.  Well if you get those
half round section under the dies you sure as hell will smack the reins
together. Likely to twist too.

Dave
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David E. Smucker" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 12, 2004 4:43 PM
Subject: Re: [TheForge] Tongs & power hammer - a safety issue?

> 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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