Nice vid, well done. It was great to finally see a vid on tongs that wasn't done with a power hammer. I also liked that you used coil springs as that is something I can easily go grab off my neighbors truck tonight, lol. No but really it is a great suggestion for us newbies on usable scrap. Thanks for sharing, look forward to seeing more of your work. Filing this in my favorites.
See what you mean. Fresh eyes are good, but even better is the differences we can have or share. Each of us are different and it is this diversity that allows for growth and something to strike up a pleasant conversation. You are doing great. And not just a little bit of thought when you work. Look forward to seeing your works as time advances. I thank you for the method you have shared. Hammer on Brother.
must say, brilliantly filmed,and well made tongs. might have to make a pair myself! im enjoying my hammer a lot! I have another request for a video: it would be useful to see the whole proses of making the rounding hammers. happy forging!
great job! always glad to see your videos. I was very happy to be the second to see the video. I have son who is 10 and he watches every video of yours. thanks. hes outside at the forge now as we speak.
Really missed your commentary and explanation of what you were doing and why. The reason I like your channel so much is that you explain things as you go along. And your extrovert and positive personality and attitude! But thanks anyway, it was still a good video and interesting :-) K
Nice Alec. I enjoy watching you work. I appreciate the Brian B ethos, but I do have to think that big hammer is going to knacker your arm and shoulder up by the time you are my age.
I really loved this one! It would be really nice to know how you got a lot of your tongs, what kinds you have, which ones you use more, and which ones you recommend. I am actually a blacksmith as well, and I am working on stocking a functioning shop of my own. One of the things I'm finding hardest to procure is a working anvil (they are pretty expensive!). How did u get yours? Was it a hand-me-down? Or did you buy it? Anyway, i really appreciate your videos and hope you continue doing so! Thank you! Wes B.
Thank you very much :D Some I bought, some were given to me by guys that made them, one was my great grandfathers, and most I made! One anvil I bought on ebay for £100... one was my great grandfather's one was given to me by a teacher at school! (current anvil)
Thank you! Yes was tougher than mild for sure. This is a far quicker method of drawing out than the horn. And round dies were used for the drawing out. Over the edge of the anvil you have far less surface area contact and do not end up with a twisted taper that develops when forging over a cone. The horn also is not properly supported so you lose energy through that and do not receive proper rebound from the anvil. This is only what I have found to be of course, if you know better explain it please :) I wanna learn :D Thank you very much!
I used anvil (face) for years, then after witnessing the use of the horn and how to do it properly I will not go back. There us a sweet spot on the horn that will let you draw straight without twisting. You get less heat loss, but you had that covered with your technique. Watch the ABANA videos on here. Maybe your way is better....I'm going to try it out. Like to learn as well. PS...think your work has done wonders for my kids. Goals are great. Wish I started much younger.
Shawn Gilley Thanks for the reply :) I know that I have tried the horn and never found it to be better than this far edge for me... I will give the horn another try next time I am in the shop to try it with fresh eyes! This far edge and all four sides is just bliss, I find! I love it, the metal just flows like crazy :D The spring steel doesn't show how well it works as it is a lot tougher than mild but boy mild over the far edge is crazy! It is a huge deal of fun and a great passion of mine :) I am glad they enjoy it :) Alec
Alec, Another wonderful video! Your videos improve with each new one - Music is great as well... I read the comments, you played that piece? If you did, holy cow , awesome improv!. Your technique at the anvil is as always flawless! BTW, what video editor are you using? Albert
THANK YOU VERY VERY MUCH :D I am so very happy to hear this :D I did thank you! I used to be much better on the piano but do not play much at all anymore unfortunately! Thank you! Imovie! Your friend, Alec
[01/01/2014 02:22:51] Alec Steele: i started with 15mm or 14mm round stock [01/01/2014 02:22:56] Alec Steele: which meant my boss was small [01/01/2014 02:23:06] Alec Steele: so i didn't want to use my standard 6mm rivet [01/01/2014 02:23:23] Alec Steele: i drill it because it just works perfectly every time and is quicker [01/01/2014 02:23:30] Alec Steele: i would have also had to make a new 6mm punch
Decided to go back to the start and I must say I'm glad you speak more in your videos now days.
Nice vid, well done. It was great to finally see a vid on tongs that wasn't done with a power hammer. I also liked that you used coil springs as that is something I can easily go grab off my neighbors truck tonight, lol. No but really it is a great suggestion for us newbies on usable scrap. Thanks for sharing, look forward to seeing more of your work. Filing this in my favorites.
See what you mean. Fresh eyes are good, but even better is the differences we can have or share. Each of us are different and it is this diversity that allows for growth and something to strike up a pleasant conversation. You are doing great. And not just a little bit of thought when you work. Look forward to seeing your works as time advances. I thank you for the method you have shared. Hammer on Brother.
Excellent video and creation of the tool. Very impressed with the quality of your videos. Beautifully shot. Thank you.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH :) I tried very hard with this :)
I appreciate it!
Beautiful, beautiful work! Not easy drawing out the reins on that spring steel : )
THANK YOU!
Yes, this spring was some tough stuff! Toughest spring I have worked with... Landrovers for ya! ;)
I would be interested in a pair. That's a very nice job and neatly done and your music is so fitting. I wish you were in the states.
Thanks for sharing this it has inspired me to make a homemade forge and I will make this tongs my first project ( well I`ll attempt it ) lol
Good job! Both on the tongs and on the video!
Good work and great improv on the piano. I can't read music so all I can really do is improvise so I think this is great. As well as the tongs
must say, brilliantly filmed,and well made tongs. might have to make a pair myself!
im enjoying my hammer a lot! I have another request for a video: it would be useful to see the whole proses of making the rounding hammers. happy forging!
Well done and nice piano soundtrack - thanks for this nice video!
great job! always glad to see your videos. I was very happy to be the second to see the video. I have son who is 10 and he watches every video of yours. thanks. hes outside at the forge now as we speak.
Thank you :) It is an honour :)
I have been looking for a vid like this for a LONG time. thanks!
really like this video hope you can do more videos of making tools from steel found in scrap yards
I enjoyed this video. Good job.
Really missed your commentary and explanation of what you were doing and why. The reason I like your channel so much is that you explain things as you go along. And your extrovert and positive personality and attitude! But thanks anyway, it was still a good video and interesting :-) K
You realise how old this video is right? He was still coming into his own.
Nice Alec. I enjoy watching you work.
I appreciate the Brian B ethos, but I do have to think that big hammer is going to knacker your arm and shoulder up by the time you are my age.
Loved the video
I really loved this one! It would be really nice to know how you got a lot of your tongs, what kinds you have, which ones you use more, and which ones you recommend.
I am actually a blacksmith as well, and I am working on stocking a functioning shop of my own. One of the things I'm finding hardest to procure is a working anvil (they are pretty expensive!). How did u get yours? Was it a hand-me-down? Or did you buy it?
Anyway, i really appreciate your videos and hope you continue doing so! Thank you!
Wes B.
Thank you very much :D
Some I bought, some were given to me by guys that made them, one was my great grandfathers, and most I made!
One anvil I bought on ebay for £100...
one was my great grandfather's
one was given to me by a teacher at school! (current anvil)
I'm really impressed, thank you for responding. :)
Good video, do you quench spring steel in oil or water and is there any advantage in using spring steel over mild steel for a tongs? Thanks.
Very nice job, could use another pair myself.
Nice work.
Very cool, thanks for posting this
Alec, hey man hope you're doing well.
Quick question. Are you drawing, tapering, and planishing prior to finishing your tong "heads"?
Nice work
Nice job. Know how tough that steel is, given thoughts to use of rounding dies and horn to draw it out? May save you some edges. Great video.
Thank you!
Yes was tougher than mild for sure.
This is a far quicker method of drawing out than the horn. And round dies were used for the drawing out. Over the edge of the anvil you have far less surface area contact and do not end up with a twisted taper that develops when forging over a cone. The horn also is not properly supported so you lose energy through that and do not receive proper rebound from the anvil.
This is only what I have found to be of course, if you know better explain it please :) I wanna learn :D
Thank you very much!
I used anvil (face) for years, then after witnessing the use of the horn and how to do it properly I will not go back. There us a sweet spot on the horn that will let you draw straight without twisting. You get less heat loss, but you had that covered with your technique. Watch the ABANA videos on here. Maybe your way is better....I'm going to try it out. Like to learn as well. PS...think your work has done wonders for my kids. Goals are great. Wish I started much younger.
Shawn Gilley Thanks for the reply :)
I know that I have tried the horn and never found it to be better than this far edge for me... I will give the horn another try next time I am in the shop to try it with fresh eyes!
This far edge and all four sides is just bliss, I find! I love it, the metal just flows like crazy :D The spring steel doesn't show how well it works as it is a lot tougher than mild but boy mild over the far edge is crazy!
It is a huge deal of fun and a great passion of mine :) I am glad they enjoy it :)
Alec
Well done Al, once again its all spot on. Happy New Year!
Ps, when is your power hammer turning up????????
Thank you very much! To you and yours as well! ! ! ! Late January!
Nice job
Alec,
Another wonderful video! Your videos improve with each new one - Music is great as well... I read the comments, you played that piece? If you did, holy cow , awesome improv!. Your technique at the anvil is as always flawless!
BTW, what video editor are you using?
Albert
THANK YOU VERY VERY MUCH :D
I am so very happy to hear this :D I did thank you! I used to be much better on the piano but do not play much at all anymore unfortunately!
Thank you!
Imovie!
Your friend, Alec
*****
Well Amigo,
Get into the studio and make time for it! You have talent there also!
Be safe!
Albert
I wouldn’t have thought you were 15 years old if I had watched this in 2013. Weird to not hear you talk haha
Can you do a video explaining the drawing of the reigns?
What were they to hold Alec, what sort of stock??
very nice
Thank you very much :)
very nice! what stock do you handle with these pairs?
Thank you! It is for holding from 14mm to 30mm round... Ideal for holding punches!
What style of tongs would these be called?
is that bituminous coal you use?
I just ordered my first set of tong drops to make my own great vidro as always
Hey Alec, what are this type of thongs for?
wow
I feel like this method of tongs requires a pretty heavy rounding hammer
Why drill instead of punch?
[01/01/2014 02:22:51] Alec Steele: i started with 15mm or 14mm round stock
[01/01/2014 02:22:56] Alec Steele: which meant my boss was small
[01/01/2014 02:23:06] Alec Steele: so i didn't want to use my standard 6mm rivet
[01/01/2014 02:23:23] Alec Steele: i drill it because it just works perfectly every time and is quicker
[01/01/2014 02:23:30] Alec Steele: i would have also had to make a new 6mm punch
2022 :)
great tongs and so versatile
. I must admit I prefer the "no talking" though
Omg, you play piano too??! ...I feel so lazy... why don’t you use your own music now? It will be nice for a change.
Nice piece all though to be honest you could be a little more precise on were your hammering
Thank you very much!
Ok, How could I be more precise?
Thank you! :)
Alec
get a grip just a bit closer to the end of the hammer
You're suggesting he increase his precision by holding the hammer further down the handle? Have you ever used a hammer before?
great video but that music sucks
Thank you, yes... My improvisation on the Piano is a little rusty!
Please lose the irritating music and tell us what you are doing.