[TheForge] Snarling iron (Re: Minimum Tools...) begins.)

[Peter Fels And Phoebe Palmer]

Mike Spencer wrote:

>>One of the neatest tools I have is a nicely polished snarling iron I
>>made years ago for working the insides of deep vessels.  It drops
>>into the hardy hole of the anvil or into the stake plate. I've used
>>it for everything from reshaping silver pitchers for repairing
>>pewter mugs that had been fallen on.
>>    
>>
>
>Here's a notion about making snarling irons that may be a solution to
>a problem that wouldn't exist if I weren't impatient.
>
>A snarling iron has got to bounce nicely and that means that when its
>working end is inside a vessel, you still have to be able to hit it on
>the sweet spot.  If you make it to go in a stake plate or hardy hole,
>the geoemtry is fixed.  You have to grind or forge it to tune it.
>
>If you make it to be clamped in a (sturdy) vise, you can tune it by
>moving it up or down in a the vise, making the vibration properties
>different and finding the best bounce response by trial and error.
>(Aluminum vise jaw liners keep it or other stakes from slipping.)
>
>I made one years ago but I've only used it a few times.  Comment or
>contradiction from someone with more experience welcome.
>
>I'll be using it soon.  I have an antique copper hand pump in perfect
>condition.  Um, except I dropped a $HEAVY_OBJECT on it during the shop
>move.  Now it has a big ding in it and I think a snarling iron is the
>way to get it out.
>
>- Mike
>  
>
The snarling iron i forged years ago never worked very well...will have 
to haul it out and try to tune it..good idea Mike.
Instead i used part of a U joint  to act as a pivot for a bar with  an 
upset at both ends. I just hammer on one end and the other goes 
up...rude and probably short lived, but it works......Pete F