[TheForge] Project advice

[Saint Phlip]

On 6/17/07, Bruce Freeman <freemab222 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> SOR = square -> octagonal -> round.
> Needed for solid stock to avoid weakening the center.
> Not needed for pipe, where there IS no center.

Oh, OK. I gotta remember to teach that (along with scarfing) because I
tend to do it automaticly, and quickly, as all part of the same heat
;-)

Tell you what guys, teaching sure makes you think about what you're
doing- and how. Just smithing, you kinda get into the habit of seeing
it needs to be hit THERE, so that's where you hit it, without thinking
why...

> Make the hexagonal tongs first and use them as
> combination mandrel and tongs.  I envision a chunk of
> hex, flattened on one end into a pivot and either
> drawn out beyond that into the rein, or else welded to
> a rein.  The other jaw would be as small as possible
> so it would stay out of the way while hammering four
> of the six sides, or else it would be substantial and
> flat so it could be placed against the anvil and
> hammered against.  I favor the former.

Pretty much what I was thinking. The guy gave me enough of the hex, so
I have plenty to putz with.

> In my experience, some old black pipe may open up
> along the weld, so you might want to test a piece of
> what you have before you get too far into this
> project.  This probably won't occur, however, because
> I think the pipe that did that was VERY old.

Yeah, this is new stuff. The thing that concerns me, though, is
exactly what it's made of, particularly after one of my rebar tent
stakes snapping (my teaching project at the recent event was getting
all the students to make me at least one tent stake, out of some rebar
cut-offs someone had given me ;-) I sat in the shade ;-)

> Pipe is pretty easy to forge, but it doesn't always go
> where you want it to.  The temptation is to hit hard,
> like you usually do, especially because it looks like
> you're working against a 3/4" bar.  Actually, you're
> forging fairly thin metal, and at least some of the
> time there's only air backing it up.  Go slow and easy
> and you should have no real problem.

OK, thanks ;-)


-- 
Saint Phlip

Heat it up
Hit it hard
Repent as necessary.

Priorities:

It's the smith who makes the tools, not the tools which make the smith.

Blessed be the self-righteous, for they shall inherit themselves.