Blacksmithing tools

[VaughnT]

I think that set of tongs are the same ones i posted.

If you aren't buying them from Ken's Custom Iron, you're buying stolen IP. Read the description carefully and you'll often see that the knockoffs come with an aluminum rivet. Ken came up with the idea and has a long history in the blacksmithing community. The people trying to make money off his reputation are communist hacks preying on the uneducated and cheap.

[Need Advice]

If you aren't buying them from Ken's Custom Iron, you're buying stolen IP. Read the description carefully and you'll often see that the knockoffs come with an aluminum rivet. Ken came up with the idea and has a long history in the blacksmithing community. The people trying to make money off his reputation are communist hacks preying on the uneducated and cheap.

Thanks for letting me know. Yes the rivets i saw were the color of aluminum. I'll get mine from Ken.

[Need Advice]

If you aren't buying them from Ken's Custom Iron, you're buying stolen IP. Read the description carefully and you'll often see that the knockoffs come with an aluminum rivet. Ken came up with the idea and has a long history in the blacksmithing community. The people trying to make money off his reputation are communist hacks preying on the uneducated and cheap.

Ken's Custom Iron's set does cost a little more but i don't want to contribute to thieves. Im cheap but not that that cheap.

[psacustomcreations]

Ken's Custom Iron's set does cost a little more but i don't want to contribute to thieves. Im cheap but not that that cheap.

What is your time worth? Are you willing to destroy at least one set of tongs while making them? As a beginner, you are likely to make mistakes that can ruin the material and develop bad habits.

The best thing you can do is find a local blacksmith and take a class. If you can't find one on Facebook or Google in your area, go to the ABANA website and look for one.
https://abana.org/

[Need Advice]

What is your time worth? Are you willing to destroy at least one set of tongs while making them? As a beginner, you are likely to make mistakes that can ruin the material and develop bad habits.

The best thing you can do is find a local blacksmith and take a class. If you can't find one on Facebook or Google in your area, go to the ABANA website and look for one.
https://abana.org/

That's not going to work for me. I'll have to rely on video instruction instead. I can learn from my mistakes. I made a bottle opener and the inside of the hole was rough and had what appeared to be a cold shut. I assume it happened because of one of two reasons. Either i forged it too cold, or its because i used the wrong kind of punch to punch the slot, or both perhaps. I used a regular chisel as a slot punch and the corners were sharp instead of rounded. Next time i try a bottle opener i will use a actual slot punch and if that doesn't work i know i forged it cold.. Another problem i had is i didnt have a horn to shape the hole. My homemade anvil horn needs grinded to a point. I never got around to finishing it. I might buy a hardy cone. The reason i never finished shaping the horn is because i burned up my HF 7" grinder on a job i did. A 4.5 isnt fast enough for such a big job.

[shortfuse]

Does anyone know what the 3rd pair of tongs that have slots cut into them are for? I've never seen tongs like that before.

When you assemble the slotted tongs, there will be two opposing slotted jaws. If you put a curve, convex to the inside, in each jaw you can hold flat bar stock. The jaws will have to be fitted for a firm grip. This is a pair I made for 1/4" flat bar stock.

[shortfuse]

Thanks, so i guess welding on them is out of the question. I'll have to heat and beat like Shootr said.

You can weld them, just don't dunk hot, high carbon steel into a quench like water. Let the steel cool to warm to the touch if you need to dunk it.

[Need Advice]

You can weld them, just don't dunk hot, high carbon steel into a quench like water. Let the steel cool to warm to the touch if you need to dunk it.

Thanks. Come to think of it I did weld a horn on my anvil. Its made from some kind of high carbon steel or alloy because its hardened steel. My horn hasn't cracked yet and i beat on it pretty hard. I didn't quench it though. I didn't preheat it with a torch but it was still pretty hot from cutting the bevel when i welded it. I cut a bevel on the horn so i would get full penetration

[psacustomcreations]

That's not going to work for me. I'll have to rely on video instruction instead. I can learn from my mistakes. I made a bottle opener and the inside of the hole was rough and had what appeared to be a cold shut. I assume it happened because of one of two reasons. Either i forged it too cold, or its because i used the wrong kind of punch to punch the slot, or both perhaps. I used a regular chisel as a slot punch and the corners were sharp instead of rounded. Next time i try a bottle opener i will use a actual slot punch and if that doesn't work i know i forged it cold.. Another problem i had is i didnt have a horn to shape the hole. My homemade anvil horn needs grinded to a point. I never got around to finishing it. I might buy a hardy cone. The reason i never finished shaping the horn is because i burned up my HF 7" grinder on a job i did. A 4.5 isnt fast enough for such a big job.

Which part of my advice will not work for you?
Finding a local blacksmith?
Taking a class?
Looking at the ABANA website for a local guild?
In person instruction?
Spending the money for instruction?



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[Need Advice]

Which part of my advice will not work for you?
Finding a local blacksmith?
Taking a class?
Looking at the ABANA website for a local guild?
In person instruction?
Spending the money for instruction?



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How many people come here to learn things about welding? Would you tell them to go to welding school? Its just a hobby. I appreciate your suggestion but like i said it wont work for me.

[BD1]

Invest in a quality grinder. My first Metabo is over 35 years old and still going.
Since then I added 4 more METABO'S including a variable speed compact die grinder.
Get a variable speed one and you'll extend the life of wire wheels. The slower speed makes a huge difference.


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[psacustomcreations]

How many people come here to learn things about welding? Would you tell them to go to welding school? Its just a hobby. I appreciate your suggestion but like i said it wont work for me.

I am a hobby welder as well.
The advice I gave you to help with blacksmithing is exactly the advice I used in my welding and the example I posted about my TIG welding. I tried it on my own with terrible results. I found a local welder and welding shop and visited them. I showed him what I did and the settings I was using. I paid him a nominal amount and he showed me how to improve my technique. A couple of years later I was fortunate on that my regular job paid for me to go to a one week TIG welding school.

Good luck with your future endeavors. I will not give you any more advice.

[Shootr]

One of the best $50 I spent was an ad on craigslist for a private welding lesson. Dude came by on his way home from work, spent a couple hours talking, showing me how to set up my equipment, straightened out my bad habits, etc.

I'm still looking for a 'smith willing to either come here or go to their forge for the same.

[Shootr]

How many people come here to learn things about welding? Would you tell them to go to welding school? Its just a hobby. I appreciate your suggestion but like i said it wont work for me.

There are plenty of analogies that come to mind as to how an investment in basic assistance from an experienced individual saves time, let alone saves your love for a hobby...

Golf lessons - It's impossible to learn to swing a club watching videos, but a local club pro, for $50, will put you on a path to better results in about 30 minutes.

Photography - Everyone takes pictures, but an hour with a serious amateur, let alone a pro, provides a perspective of your current habits and abilities that may or may not be working and how to better them.

Hands-on guidance is an investment in sanity. It is no fun beating your head against the wall because things aren't turning out as good as you want. Just look at my lumpy head sometime...the ideas, web links, and honest critiques from the people on this forum has made my hobby more enjoyable than I ever imagined it could be. And I'm an ooooold dog learning these new tricks.

All that's being said (IMO) is you may find more, quicker satisfaction with your efforts if you take a little time to be guided by a knowledgeable person before bad habits have to be unlearned.

[Need Advice]

I am a hobby welder as well.
The advice I gave you to help with blacksmithing is exactly the advice I used in my welding and the example I posted about my TIG welding. I tried it on my own with terrible results. I found a local welder and welding shop and visited them. I showed him what I did and the settings I was using. I paid him a nominal amount and he showed me how to improve my technique. A couple of years later I was fortunate on that my regular job paid for me to go to a one week TIG welding school.

Good luck with your future endeavors. I will not give you any more advice.

I didnt say your advice was bad advice. Maybe one day i'll have a chance ton follow your advice but right now its impossible.

[Need Advice]

Invest in a quality grinder. My first Metabo is over 35 years old and still going.
Since then I added 4 more METABO'S including a variable speed compact die grinder.
Get a variable speed one and you'll extend the life of wire wheels. The slower speed makes a huge difference.


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I plan on it. I plan on getting a quality 13 amp 6" grinder.

[Need Advice]

I agree with the advice too. That would one of the best things i could do.

[Shootr]

First project of the weekend: cut down the stand for the anvil. Originally figured it'd be handy having it same height as the bench. Nope. Now it's much more comfy, and hopefully less tiring.

[shortfuse]

Shootr,

The "normal" recommended height for the face of an anvil is about knuckle high with your arm hanging down. That being said, some folks like their anvils a bit higher or lower, which is more comfortable.

A good way to test the height is to get a soft board no more than 3/4" thick, pine maybe, and place it on the anvil. Get your favorite forging hammer and strike the board several times like you would when forging. Look at the hammer marks. The indentation should be the same shape as the hammer face. If there is a crescent shape mark deepest toward your body, then the hammer is striking too high and the anvil is too high and needs to be a bit lower. If the crescent mark is away from you then the hammer is striking too low, and the anvil needs to be slightly higher. When you find the "sweet" spot, then you will not have to fight it trying to keep from leaving hammer marks on your work.

Comfort is another factor. You will soon find that if the anvil is off on height, your wrist and elbow will let you know.

[Shootr]

Thanks! It's about wrist-high now - easier to trim more off than add some back amiright?!?

[Lis2323]

Shootr,

The "normal" recommended height for the face of an anvil is about knuckle high with your arm hanging down. That being said, some folks like their anvils a bit higher or lower, which is more comfortable.

A good way to test the height is to get a soft board no more than 3/4" thick, pine maybe, and place it on the anvil. Get your favorite forging hammer and strike the board several times like you would when forging. Look at the hammer marks. The indentation should be the same shape as the hammer face. If there is a crescent shape mark deepest toward your body, then the hammer is striking too high and the anvil is too high and needs to be a bit lower. If the crescent mark is away from you then the hammer is striking too low, and the anvil needs to be slightly higher. When you find the "sweet" spot, then you will not have to fight it trying to keep from leaving hammer marks on your work.

Comfort is another factor. You will soon find that if the anvil is off on height, your wrist and elbow will let you know.

Great summary from shortfuse ^^^^^

I also like to keep a small anvil “high” for those small delicate jobs.





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[shortfuse]

Thanks! It's about wrist-high now - easier to trim more off than add some back amiright?!?

Yep!! (you "can" add some plating to give it a bit of a lift....LOL")

[psacustomcreations]

Shootr,
Here is an example of what short fuse is referring to.
I did that same exercise several years ago using a piece of 1/4" plywood.



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[Need Advice]

I'm kind of excited about that bucket of tapers idea. As soon as i get some proper tongs and some steel im going to do that. I'm going to brush up on my welding too. Repetition sounds good. I found this article on another website.

https://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/505...or-a-beginner/

[BD1]

Thanks! It's about wrist-high now - easier to trim more off than add some back amiright?!?

I read that molding clay is better to strike then on wood. Besides the imprint, the clay will move the same as hot steel.
You can do a search about this. It's really interesting how it works.


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