Tools for Forging Round Rings 

"Requires the greatest level of skill" and proceeds to make a perfect circle in no time 😂

I bought a cheap-o roller to make rings for a job. And then used it to make forms that I could clamp in the vise. Having uniform arcs or full rings of known dimensions is a great way to speed up the process, and saves you from having to rely on trial-n-error.

"...and the most difficult way and that needs the most skill is to use the horn of your anvil..." Proceeds to make a near perfect ring on the horn of the anvil in around a minute. Classic! Thanks for this one - making repeatable curves is a real challenge.

I watch this guy like some people watch cooking shows. I just love him.

Thank you professor Black Bear 🐻

As many hours as I spend watching you provide such great information I am very appreciative of the remind how we can give backs little. Thank you so much.

None blacksmith but found video very interesting. Thanks

I've recently subscribed to your channel. ❤❤❤❤ I live here in the Scottish Highlands. 40 years ago i did metalwork in school and loved it and have always wanted to return to this as a hobby. Now with you and You tube I am finally getting the chance to learn properly 🙌 😀. Bought a small anvil and leg vice. Now I need a coal forge and some hand tools. I am actually a time served stonemason and later retrained as an Upholsterer. Being doing that for 29 years. Hopefully my hand to eye coordination will help ? Thanks for your help ❤😊

You can also draw a true circle with chalk on a table to check your work.

Classic Black Bear Forge video, thanks John for sharing your knowledge. You continue to influence a lot of us who are striving to be a good blacksmith.

Amen to not waiting on a deposit for special orders. Experience is often the accumulation of mistakes.

I’m so glad this question got turned into a video. You’re a wealth of knowledge John, and I am so thankful for you and your channel!

Lots of good information in this video, thanks.

Here's a project I recently did: coil a 10' stick of 1/2" sch 40 black pipe for a boiler, about a 4" coil diameter. Approximately 5 coils. The hard part is keeping them lined up so it doesn't look like someone over pressed a spring and made it all catywhompus.

Good Morning John.

Thank you!!!

It’s been a while since high school math, thanks for the pi refresher.😉👍🏽

Thanks so much for this video! Although short, there was a LOT of information packed into it useful for new blacksmiths! Thanks for taking the time to make a video from the questions asked by the community!

My grade average thru high school for maths was F. Spent 4 years looking out the window at the birds sitting on the power poles.Didnt understand Pi till I needed an accurate circle to cut out of canvas for the base of a bag when I was in my early 30s. Got it now. Also the measuring of a ring , including the thickness of material used, was baffling to me.

Thanks John!

Yup. This is a good one that needed telling. Wagon wheels, I don’t know about anyone else but that’s a skill I forgot a blacksmith had to do. Be interesting to see one made.

Thanks for the information... When working with 1/2" thick stock and bending it to that dia. there would be some stretch in the material. So you would probably have to trim off one end to get the required size.

Another great, no nonsense video full of information. Thank you sir!

Ive been putting off making trivets for my aunt. I want to different sizes to set hot pans on. Going to find a four inch pipe and an 8 inch pipe now. Saved me some head ache watching this...

Thanks!

Great vid, Jon! I like how clearly you explained the math for the ring sizing. Do you have a video that goes more in depth about the mathematics of blacksmithing? It's an area I sorely lack in.

it only takes once, to learn that lesson..

When I first started blacksmithing, my boss made lots of tires for wagon wheels. I always thought that was a fun job with an antique ring roller and double coal forge going...great times. It`s not done a lot nowadays since most wheels use a rubber lined profile. It is nice to know how tho...

thanks..

Amazing video as always, thank you for spreading the knowledge/ information

Thank you Sir, I just realized what that slot in my Holland Anvil cone mandrel is for. Didn’t know it was specifically for the nose of your tongs. Another excellent video sir.

Love the video!! It never fails when I watch your video I always pick something up from you! Thanks again

great video

This is something I should do when I get time to get round tuit.🙂🙂

I forgot about the floor mandrel. I’ve not seen a video where you have used it in probably 3 or 4 years. I was always jealous of that tool. Impossible to find.

5:10 John I feel like you should have saved this for April Fools: "Now most blacksmiths have a ring roller like this, so just use it to make all the rings you need!"

Love those cones for shaping rings and that tool that bent that 3/8 x 1.5 inch in a circle was amazing. Just guessing at the size there.

I can't count the number of times I have considered a ring roller but for one off jobs I have to say its far easier to use a longer piece of bar than you need and work it round on a mandrel of some description. Make sure its the right diameter before you weld the ends and then smooth it out using a wooden mallet and another piece of stock with an appropriate bend in it..... I reccomend any new smith not to try using the horn at first for anything important because theyre not round and not designed for making round things, theyre made for making horse shoes....their is also no support for the bit youre not hammering, which tends to straighten out again or get more round ..... Johns circle there was a result of many hours practice...many hours Thanks for sharing good sir

Thanks for sharing with us John. Enjoyed the smithing and flunked the baking session. Pie R 2 EAT. Keep up the fantastic videos and work. Fred.

Round rings...? Round...! Dammit, now I see where I've been going wrong all these years... 😲

I have about 5 different sizes of big garage door springs, and quite a bit of it so have been wondering what I can do with it using the rings cut off with minimal further forging. Of course I can straighten it out, but this video is good reminder sometimes circles can com in handy as they are.

Enjoy watching all of your videos but I'm not even done with one cup of coffee and you're doing math , c'mon now 😂

As always thank you again for your tips and tricks!

love pie joke very good video as allways

"probably requires the greatest level of skill". Proceeds to make it look easy. :)

Ótimo vídeo! Foi muito útil pra mim, obrigado!🎉

Hi ,fairly new to your channel. Love watching forge work, you are a master at this by far. Just wondering, do you sell flint and steel strikers. Thanks for sharing video. Tony.

I have made many dozen rings by just cutting a broken garage door spring.

I'd opt for the machine that winds suspension springs.

been there !.. the check, never came..

Ive got an anvil which has a bottom with 4 different sized round scoops and 4 channels going across it , two with v shapes one small one larger . Then two half round , one larger and one smaller . What was the anvil used for .

Hahaha piece of cake 😂😂😂..... I'll admit you got me.

Should have waited until thrusday and made this as a pi day special.

How would you forge a cog? There is a story from an aquaintance of mine, thats quite advanced in ages, about a smith he knew in his early days, thad did one to mesure on the spot in about an evening and some.

Holland anvil makes a reasonably priced cone mandrel. I got my floor mandrel at a estate sale because it was a piece of history... I never thought I would use it as often as I do. I got a fly press at the same estate sale..... I need to figure out how to use it better, any advice?

This was useful - but my question remains - how do you effectively join the ends of the ring together?

Good morning

Any tips to make rings the hard way…on its side?

So how does one close said circle?

😎 🆒️ 😮

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