[TheForge] Re: Another elliptical ring jig idea

[Mike]

Bruce quoth:

> If you have a cone mandrel with a tong-slot, you can make a device
> that slides in the tong slot (like a T-guide on a table saw) to
> support a "cross rod" where you want it.

Say, a cap or small ring on the top of the cone from which hangs a piece
of light chain of adjustable length. On the end of the chain, the
widget that slides in the slot. A projecting stud or hook welded to
the widget.

But wait. Wait, wait, WAIT!  I see here a replacement for the
now-deprecated "which way does your anvil horn point" bun-fight.

       What's the slot in the cone mandrel for?

If you've ever made rings on a cone, you already know that you don't
need a slot for tongs.  A quick upward ding will free up the workpiece
and you can grab it easily to rotate or remove it.

The slots in ring madrels are for making ring-bolts, end-rings on
chains and similar devices where the ring runs through another piece.
Without the slot, a ring would always be distorted out of round by the
bolt-eye, chain link or whatever.  With the slot, the linked piece
goes in the slot, allowing the ring to be hammered round.

I suppose this hardly ever turns up in ornamental and sculptural work
but in old farm, logging and marine gear it was a commonplace need.  


- Mike

-- 
Michael Spencer                  Nova Scotia, Canada       .~. 
                                                           /V\ 
mspencer at tallships.ca                                     /( )\
http://home.tallships.ca/mspencer/                        ^^-^^