Thread: Getting a grip

I got sick of not being able to hold my workpieces tightly. My first pair of tongs (made from threaded bolt) was too soft and very badly constructed. And my vise grips were not terriffic either, due to them not having elasticity (making it harder to keep the piece secure) and were also rathe rshort, putting my hands uncomfortably close to the fire.

So I finally made a decent pair, for only a couple of euros worth of mild steel. I got the idea from a youtube video. It turns out that making tongs is really not that hard, so now I'll make a couple more with different beaks.

Nice work Bruno, how long have you been forging for? I'm taking a weekend course in blacksmithing at a historical homestead. So far I've made a fire site set with poker and fire rake and a wall bracket to hang them on, a dinner bell with some twists and scrollwork, and some other wall brackets using basic techniques, pointing a bar, flaring, using twisting bending jigs etc.

I really want to forge my own straights one day but i think i should try making knives first as it seems less complicated (in a way) what do you think?

I've been forging for about 2 years now, but usually only in the weekend, and not every weekend at that.
Forging is just like playing with play doh, only using hammer and tongs instead of your bare hands.

I'll be the last person to tell you what you should or should not do. I'll just tell you to figure out what you want, have fun, and then take it from there. The one thing I will advise you to do is to experiment, do your own heat treating, and get expert feedback before you ever think of selling anything. The hardest part of a razor is not the forging but the grinding. The devil is in the details, and there are some subtle things that will have an impact once you start honing.

If you get to the point where you've made a razor blade and want feedback, I'll gladly examine it and give you feedback.

Btw, you don't really need to enroll in classes somewhere to learn to forge.
All you need is a fire, a hammer, some pliers or vise grips, and something to use as an anvil.
From there you can get started. There is a ton of good information on youtube on how to make tongs, and basic forging techniques.
We have the internet for metallurgical information and forums for questions.

I've never had any instruction 'in real life', but I have my tools, I have the internet, and I have a mentor on the other side of the internet whom I can ask question of and who can give me advice. Experiment, examine, analyze and learn. Repeat that as many times as needed until you are happy with the results. Then get external feedback and repeat the cycle.

With the modern wonders of communication, anyone anywhere can learn to blacksmith.

Originally Posted by Bruno

Btw, you don't really need to enroll in classes somewhere to learn to forge.
All you need is a fire, a hammer, some pliers or vise grips, and something to use as an anvil.
From there you can get started. There is a ton of good information on youtube on how to make tongs, and basic forging techniques.
We have the internet for metallurgical information and forums for questions.

I've never had any instruction 'in real life', but I have my tools, I have the internet, and I have a mentor on the other side of the internet whom I can ask question of and who can give me advice. Experiment, examine, analyze and learn. Repeat that as many times as needed until you are happy with the results. Then get external feedback and repeat the cycle.

With the modern wonders of communication, anyone anywhere can learn to blacksmith.

This is the best post I have seen in a long time. It expresses my thoughts on making and doing stuff. The internet and experience failing and learning from mistakes is a great teacher.

Charlie

The first time I forged some pliers I didn't know much about forging at all.
First pair totally seized up after I riveted them, next one too...
Then a friend looked at them; - Nice work, now all you need to do is to heat them up!
What, heat them up, why I asked?
So the metal swells together with the rivet and they work of course!
... Well, I ended up with 3 pair of nice pliers that day!

I insert the rivet and then I heat everything together and hammer the rivet shut. I do it that way because I saw it on the youtube vid. But it makes sense, because the tongs and rivet shrink together. If you heat only the rivet, it shrinks and locks up the tongs. then again, if you do it like that and heat up afterwards, you have less risk of deforming the beak. Either way you probably get the result you want.

Have you tried this method for making tongs?

Hand Forging Blacksmiths and Foundry Tongs : Blacksmithing How-to on anvilfire iForge

I've done a pair this way as well as the traditional forging of the jaws and found it easier. If the hinge is too tight you can heat it and then just keep working them until they're loose. I like it that once you make a pair you can adjust them anytime to fit whatever stock you're working with by heating the jaws, grabbing the stock and then squeezing them in a vise.

I just recently made a small pair for handling files for knives, after using them wondered why it took me so long to do so. Much easier to use & secure than visegrips or an adjustable wrench.