Blacksmith Forging Tools

[Mogzieno1]

Hi Everyone,
Does anyone know a good place online to purchase forging tools? Im looking for tongs and a set of hammers.

Thanks

 

[Sam]

www.anvils.co.uk www.glendaleforge.co.uk check out www.baba.org.uk if you are interested in artist blacksmith.

 

[Mogzieno1]

Thanks Sam

 

[Justme]

Dont blacksmiths make their own?

Justme

 

[Mogzieno1]

lol i have no idea. Im just looking for some heat resistant tongs and some hammers to shape sheet metal. Im not becoming a blacksmith or anything

 

[hareng]

They aint that clever Justme

Will need tongs but will get away with wooded staled hammers.

 

[Mogzieno1]

Cheers Hareng

 

[hareng]

Main reason for the tongs is so you are holding further away from the heat.
Usually do small precision stuff every day, tongs, pliers and hammer as in piccies.
http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL15/728921/3960275/49395040.jpg
http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL15/728921/3960275/49395578.jpg
http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL15/728921/3960275/49396649.jpg
http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL15/728921/3960275/49396020.jpg
May require copper faced hammer or similar if large areas to be beasted. Remember when you hammer the metal, it has to go somewhere and will be thinner.

 

[paulmowers]

Hi Guys

Dont blacksmiths make their own?

They aint that clever Justme

Some of us who still have the desire to do our smithing work the traditional way do make our own tongs etc, this way we can make the work ends of them to fit exactly what we need to hold, rather than rely on someone elses idea of what we need, plus have you seen the price of them.
The reason we use tongs is

Main reason for the tongs is so you are holding further away from the heat.

as hareng said.
If I am working on a piece that will be say 3" long when finished I won't cut it from the bar till all forging is done, or as much as possible as i will have far more control of it by holding the bar than trying to manipulate the tiny bit in tongs.
Hammers to are horrendously expensive, if you want proper forging hammers, although you can do an awful lot of good work with engineers ball pien, or the chippy type cross pien hammers, plus on tin work a copper hammer is very handy as mentioned already.

Cheers Paul

 

[hareng]

Entirely true Paul, we often leave a tang on to hold dependant upon whether can get away without it, more filing etc before.
Must be honest turning on a post filed and draw smoothed thin steel approx 80 thou thick x 1/2" long already drilled for an eye, cock on within say .25mm i cant get right every time. Eye to turn has to be spot on. Always goes to the right so usually guess. Too much hassle to drill and file up after.
Terrible job in the summer and a fight not to light the forge

Might be a good idea to start a thread on forging, gaffers off for two days might get a few piccies on spring making without giving too much away. There again i am lazy i use the propane torch with the coke much quicker for one off jobs.

 

[Mogzieno1]

Hi Guys, thanks for the replies . I am going to be curving sheet metal about 3-5 mm thick. i dont have access to any expensive equipment like an english wheel as im a skint engineering student

I was planning on heating the sheet and simply bending it on the bick of the small anvil i have.

What do u think?

Cheers Morgan

 

[hareng]

3 to 5mm thick, how wide?
Thinking its going to take some heat if you havent a forge or oxy acet.

May be worthwhile knocking up a jig if theres a fair few.

 

[Mogzieno1]

A jig may be a good idea actually, its about 200mm wide and i'll just be bending a slight curve. Know i think of it 3mm may be a bit thick.

Its for a model im making, im making a replica model of the Iron Man helmet like this one: http://www.mydisguises.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/_ironman_helmet_right_side_2.jpg

its for the main faceplate, what thickness do u reckon would do?

thanks

Morgan

 

[Paul.]

I would make that out of 18swg or 16swg at the most, any heavier and itll be sheer hard work, I once made a replica Cromwellian helmet all cold beaten by hand using boxwood mallets and sandbags, and a bit of planishing on a dolly to finish, oxy acetylene welded together, I also know someone who makes replica viking helmets, his are only 20 swg, you'll be surprised how rigid it becomes when you introduce a few compound curves.

 

[Mogzieno1]

Brilliant Paul! Thanks for the info

 

[hareng]

Wasnt expecting that
Some sharper angles would be difficult even with 1/16".
Personally i would file it using thicker stuff
Hats off to both of you i would lose my rag first, its harder than it seems. Who said patience is a virtue.
Best of luck.

 

[Paul.]

You can make some simple formers out of hardwood blocks, hollow out a shallow bowl shape with your grinder / sander. then have a look here for some mallets, sandbags etc, if you planish with metal hammers and stakes / dollies, make sure you polish the surfaces, or any marks and dents will be transferred to your workpiece, 20swg is very easy to work cold,and easy to cut with snips too, sometimes its worth having an oxy acet torch handy if theres any intricate parts that might need bending with pliers, and to anneal areas that may work harden.

 

[Mogzieno1]

Thanks again both of you, you've been very helpful

 

[John Watson]

Yeah Blacksmiths make there own and for others. But the above companies do sell good items