A machine for making torsion bars with your own hands. How to make a homemade “Snail” for cold forging with your own hands - video and drawings. Connecting parts and painting

Cold forging is impossible without special forging equipment. Let's look at the types of devices and the shapes that can be obtained with their help. We have prepared drawings and thematic videos for you. We will also consider the sequence of making a cold forging machine with your own hands.

If you are just going to organize a cold forging workshop and want to avoid large expenses, then making your own machines and fixtures will help you create your own small business without excessive costs.

Basic devices and machines

Cold forging machines are mainly designed for arc or angle bending, as well as twisting. They can be manual or electrically driven.

The main types of machines and devices for cold forging:

• Gnutik
• Twister
• Snail
• globe
• Wave
• Flashlight

Device "Gnutik"

Purchased or made independently, the “Gnutik” is a universal device that allows you to obtain an arc or angle from a rod. It consists of a base with a slider, on which a stop with an angle (90° or another as necessary) and two cylindrical fixed stops are fixed. By moving the slider and the angle stop, the rod bends at an angle. To obtain an arc, a third cylinder is provided, rotating on the side opposite to the angle stop.

The device can be made on a horizontal or vertical platform.

Axonometry of the "Gnutik" device - vertical arrangement

To scale the dimensions, here is a drawing of the bottom bar of this “Gnutik”.

Bottom bar

This device is universal. With the help of attachments you can not only bend, but also cut and punch holes. But this will be the next step.

Getting an arc on "Gnutik"

Getting an angle on "Gnutik"

This is what a homemade “Gnutik” looks like:

Twister device

“Twister” is a tool for twisting rods, mostly square, along the longitudinal axis. This simple device can be manual or electric. Operating principle: both ends of the rod are secured, then one fastening begins to rotate, twisting the metal to the required shape.

Appearance of a purchased manual “Twister”

Look at the photo of a homemade “Twister” with an electric drive, assembled using used electrical equipment:

There is a special machine for making “Lanterns” and “Cones”, but for starters you can also use a “Twister”, as shown in the video (English, but everything is very clear).

Video: how to make a blank for “Flashlight” on “Twister”

Device "Snail"

The Snail Tool is designed to create curls (or spirals) and “currencies” (S-shaped pieces). There are various designs.

One of the design options: 1 - snail ploughshare; 2 - base of the machine; 3 — pressure roller; 4 — lever for controlling the pressure roller; 5 — fastening the base; 6 — finger for fixing the plowshares; 7 — groove for the pressure roller; 8 — control lever axis; 9 — spring for pressing the roller; 10 — clamp for the workpiece; 11 — leading ploughshare of the snail; 12 — main axis; 13 — levers

The result should be something like this:

Another lightweight design for bending rolled products with a cross-section up to 12 mm:

1 - cochlear segment; 2 - eccentric; 3 - handle; 4 - base; 5 — guide runners; 6 - axis; 7 - slider; 8 — axle nut; 9 — roller mounting axis; 10 - roller; 11 — drive axis; 12 — eccentric guide; 13 - central segment of the cochlea; 14 — eccentric wing; 15 — main leg; 16 — connecting pin of cochlea segments; 17 — adjustment screw; 18 - connecting ear of cochlear segments

Often the “Snail” device is made on a support, especially if you need to bend thick rolled products.

Several useful videos on homemade “Snail” machines.

Making a snail

Machine operation

We will talk more about such designs below.

"Globe" device

Such a device is similar in appearance to a school protractor and is designed for making arcs with a large bending radius from a strip, square, circle or hexagon. First, one end of the workpiece is fixed with a bend, then it is bent along its entire length according to the template. The principle of operation is somewhat similar to the operation of a canning machine.

Appearance of the device

Video of work at Globus

Using purely muscle power, a large diameter arc can be made on a template screwed or welded to a workbench. It is good for bending strips, thin-walled pipes, etc.

Sample

Device "Wave"

You can produce wavy products from a round, square, hexagonal cross-section or tube using the “Wave” device. The deformation of the workpiece occurs between vertical rolls by scrolling.

Wave device and resulting products

Device in action

Flashlight device

This machine produces blanks for “Lanterns” or “Pine Cones” elements, which can consist of 4, 6, 8 or more rods. According to the principle of operation, the machine is similar to the “Twister”, but here the workpieces are bent around the guide shaft, which forms a more correct and accurate configuration of the product.

Flashlight device

Operation of the device for making “Flashlight”

Device for cold forging of the “Clamp” element

The cold forging element “Clamp” is designed to fix other structural elements together.

The device for bending the “Clamp” can be made according to the attached drawings.

Devices for making crow's feet

“Crow's foot” - flattening with the application of beautiful notches at the ends of the workpieces to make the structure more elegant or to reduce the thickness for various joints.

The ends of the elements are decorated with a “houndstooth”

This operation can be performed using a machine with a die or fixture and a heavy forging hammer on an anvil. We provide both options in the form of videos.

Machine for making houndstooth

Tools for forging crow's feet

Detailed stamp making process

Below is a rolling machine to perform the same operation.

Machine for rolling "crow's feet" (the distance between the rollers is adjustable).Materials for a rolling machine: gears and shafts - spare parts from a used combine

Operating principle

Making a "Snail" with a drive

The electrically driven "snail" facilitates the production of curls and "currencies". This is especially valuable when the work is not “for the soul”, but for the production of a large number of similar products on stream when working to order.

Below are the stages of assembling a machine for bending a rod with a maximum cross-section of 10x10 mm. The 0.5 kW/1000 rpm engine operates at the limit of its capabilities. Performs 6 shaft revolutions per minute. The snail segments are machined from a round blank St.45 without heat treatment, 25 mm high and 20 mm thick. The volute is mounted on a shaft on bearings from the rear wheel of a motorcycle - 7204. The support roller is firmly fixed in the groove. Pulleys are installed between the engine and the gearbox.

Below are drawings of the cochlea segments.

Snail element 1

Snail element 2

Snail element 3

Snail centerpiece

For a more massive rod (from 12 mm), the motor power should be more than a kilowatt. The photographs below show a machine with a 2.2 kW, 1000 rpm motor, giving a shaft output of about 10 rpm. This is already a machine for professional use. A used gearbox was used, the matrix was cut from a 30 mm thick workpiece - the most labor-intensive process.

For cold forging you will also need an anvil and a hammer. A forge is not needed, it is only required for hot forging.

Advice! Before starting work, draw a full-size sketch of the future structure. This will help you adjust the elements and not get confused during assembly.

If you have purchased a plot of land, be it a house or a dacha, the question of registering the plot always arises. One of the most beautiful pieces of jewelry that shows the owner’s self-sufficiency and good taste is forged items. It can be either just a forged barbecue or entire compositions of forged products.

From forged metal you can make gazebos that are striking in their beauty; a bench or staircase will fit perfectly into any interior. Forged fences are made, even balconies. You can make a railing on the porch.

Today you can make all this beauty yourself; it is not difficult, as it might seem at first glance. The fact is that these things can be created without resorting to the services of a forge. You can use DIY cold forging machines right at home. And photos of forging clearly illustrate the results.

Types of forging machines

For cold forging work, special machines are used. Moreover, each curl or bend requires its own machine for cold hand forging. They are:

• With manual drive;
• Electrically driven.

The first ones are used when it comes to small amounts of work. They are easier to create. Their downside is low productivity. Drawings of a forging machine with your own hands will clearly show the entire process of their assembly.

The latter will be necessary if we are talking about the continuous production of forged products. They have much higher productivity, and do not need to exert physical effort - the drive is carried out by an electric motor.

For those who are just taking their first steps in making forged items, it makes sense to start with a machine called “Snail”. A do-it-yourself forging snail will be an excellent assistant when making a gate and a bench.

If the first steps have been completed and there is an interest in developing the chosen direction, you need to move on to mastering the torsion bar machine. With it, you can achieve the use of non-standard approaches to the execution of forged products. Your things will acquire individuality - you can diversify the products produced.

Cold forging stages

Although the process of making forged items is very exciting, you need to remember that this process must be carried out in a certain sequence.

To understand the sequence of technological actions, you need to know the stages of forging or the elements of forging yourself:

• Draft.
• Broach.
• Firmware.

The draft is necessary to increase the existing metal workpiece from the side by reducing the height. It is performed under fairly high pressure.

Broaching reduces the cross-section and increases the length. The workpiece needs to be heated, then “passed” with a hammer.

Piercing is the creation of holes inside a workpiece. The holes in the workpiece itself can be made of different sizes and diameters.

Firmware is distinguished:

• Open;
• Closed.

After the stages of upsetting and broaching, the structure of the item becomes more fragile. It is important to take this into account in the future and be extremely careful when working with the product, since the item can simply be broken.

Step-by-step instructions for forging

All forged items can be made with your own hands right at home. It will not be possible to make special patterns, however, you can make all the basic elements yourself. It is important to follow all stages and technology.

There are several technological stages:

• Checking all calculations. Even minor inaccuracies can spoil the entire final result. Correcting errors will be very difficult, and often impossible.
• Assembling a decorative composition.
• The elements are fastened together by welding. However, it is important to remember that it can cause damage to small decorative elements.
• Processing of the resulting product - by sanding and painting the entire resulting product.

Disadvantage of cold forging

The only disadvantage of cold forging is the inability to correct errors during the process. If the workpiece is damaged, then it will have to be thrown away, at best, as scrap metal, or kept as a souvenir and used for training in the future.

The whole point of cold forging is that the metal is not heated, but is bent by processing in a “cold” form. This is how the metal is given the desired shape.

The advantage of cold forging is the absence of the need for special equipment, as well as the absence of the need to use fire-hazardous equipment; the manufacturing conditions are acceptable for any person with any health. The use of high temperature conditions is not required.

DIY forging photo

Is cold forging possible with your own hands? You can actually make the machine yourself; you can find reference information and product drawings on the Internet. Cold forging allows you to create truly beautiful products, decorate your home with them, give them to friends or sell them. In addition, this is a very economical metal processing, the products of which are even more durable than with hot forging.

Artistic metal forging is divided into 2 types: cold and hot. Cold forging is distinguished by the fact that the product being processed is not heated, but is given its shape by mechanical forces. Its range of applications is very wide. Most often, fences, stairs, railings, fences, gates, garden gazebos, fireplace grates, decorative flower stands, bar stools, stools and tables are made in this way.

Cold forging patterns look great and even expensive. At the same time, anyone can learn how to make them and you won’t have to spend a lot of money. In fact, cold forging is the processing of parts by bending or stamping. For this purpose, a variety of manual machines are used. We will consider the principles of their operation below.

Cold forging allows you to produce complex, reliable and elegant products

Differences from other metalworking methods

Hot forging involves heating the metal to a very high temperature. When the material is heated, the craftsman actually “sculpts” the product from it. In the cold version, the material is not heated, but processed mechanically. It cannot be said that some of the options are simpler and some are more difficult. Hot forging requires more equipment, in particular a furnace and an anvil. This increases the cost of starting a business. It is difficult for a beginner to work with such equipment; in this case, you need a mentor, an experienced blacksmith. Safety precautions will be required.

You can easily learn the cold version on your own. Organizing cold forging is easier. The products will be less elegant, but strong and reliable. A cold forged fence will not only decorate the site, but also a strong fence. At the same time, you can quickly make it yourself.

Advantages and disadvantages

From all of the above, it follows that cold forging is a good and low-cost option for manufacturing household items and decor. This method really has many advantages:

• most of the equipment can be made with your own hands;
• no need to heat the metal;
• saving resources (for example, no need to waste electricity or fuel to heat the stove);
• the cost of products is lower, they can be sold at a high trade markup;
• metal retains its strength without heating, products cannot be broken, their service life is longer than that of those made by the hot method;
• all products are special, not mass-produced;
• durable coating of parts.

But there are also disadvantages:

• mechanical processing of metal requires a lot of physical effort - more than hot;
• it will be possible to produce only limited quantities of products that will differ from each other;
• it is extremely difficult to correct defects in such products (it is also possible only mechanically);
• Before forging, the metal must be thoroughly cleaned;
• making powerful machines for a beginner is not as easy as it seems at first glance.

Basic cold forging technologies

The basis of cold forging is machines. You can buy them, or you can make them yourself. To work fully, that is, to produce several popular types of products, you need to have 5-7 machines. Metal rods, strips, squares and circles are used as blanks.

This method of working with metal is based on plasticity. This property of materials is studied in school, but most people forget that some metals are very “flexible”. Copper, some types of steel, and bronze can withstand high bending, tensile or tearing loads. Bending adds strength to them because additional compression occurs at the point of bending.

For this method of metal processing, the question “what is sprinkled on the metal during forging” is not relevant. The fact is that in the hot version, the hot workpiece is sprinkled with flux (clean, dry river sand). It protects the future product from burnout. Therefore, with the cold method, flux is absolutely not needed.

Some cold forging machines can be made by hand

3 main methods of cold metal processing:

• flexion;
• pressing;
• embossing/stamping.

Metal for forging:

• iron;
• copper;
• steel (up to 0.3% carbon);
• aluminum;
• titanium.

The most malleable metal for this processing method is copper.

For decorative purposes, finished products are sometimes coated with copper or gold plating. This increases their presentability and value. For photos of products made by cold forging, as well as their sketches, see the images accompanying the article.

Cold forging equipment

Forging equipment for cold forging can be purchased or made independently. Most likely you will have to combine. Full work requires the following equipment and devices:

1. Welding machine. Necessary for connecting product parts. It is better to choose models operating from direct and alternating current. Cost from 4,000 rubles.
2. Angle grinder/grinder. For cutting workpieces and sanding seams. The machine must be powerful and high-speed. From 2 thousand rubles.
3. Cleaning grinder. Necessary for cleaning welds in corners and other hard-to-reach areas of the product. From 2,000 rubles.
4. Electric drill or hammer drill with reverse. For drilling workpieces. From 4,500 rubles.

However, in addition to this equipment, or rather a set of tools, the purchase of which can cost 20 thousand rubles, you will need a whole set of devices. Their purpose is to bend, curl, and press metal into the shape of the product. There are 6 such devices in total - let's look at each in more detail, and also try to understand whether they can be made independently.

Homemade machines are inferior in power to factory ones, but they allow you to save significantly. This will be quite enough for a home or novice master. To get started, you don’t have to buy the entire set of equipment: it’s expensive. It is worth deciding on the range of products and understanding exactly what machines are needed for them. Only then can you start shopping and making your own. It’s also worth finding out in advance that you won’t be able to create some devices yourself (they require special processing conditions).

Gnutik

A bender is a device used to bend a workpiece (hence its name). It allows you to bend metal by hand at virtually any angle or wave. It is a massive base with a groove to which a movable stop is attached (it moves along a worm mechanism at different angles). To secure the workpiece there are 2 fixed clamps.

A bender of standard sizes can roll squares 12x12 mm and up to 3 mm thick. You can buy one for 10 thousand rubles. The alternative is to make it yourself. A drawing of the machine is presented below. The difficulty is that for bending you need to mill high-strength steel and drill holes in it. This is not possible at home, so you should contact a specialized workshop to order individual parts.

Drawing of the “Snail” machine

Wave

Wave is a machine that creates repeating twisted patterns. Forging elements made on Volna are often found in window grilles. The design of this equipment is quite simple: 2 steel disks mounted on a hard surface (for example, on a desktop) and a rotating mechanism. The master, rotating the mechanism, passes strips of metal through the disks and bends them into a wave-like shape.

Drawings and dimensions of the “Wave” are presented below. Obviously the sizes can be varied. Some craftsmen use machines in which the position of the discs can be changed. They allow you to create waves or curls of different radii. A finished machine can be purchased for 9,000 rubles.

Machine “Volna” for wave-shaped twisting of metal

globe

Let's continue to look at the tools that cold forging requires at home. How to make three-dimensional patterns? Using a special Globus machine.

A “globe” or “volumizer” is a machine that bends a workpiece along an arc and its ends at a set angle. It consists of an arc-shaped base and rollers with the help of which the manual drive moves. The volume of the product is regulated by rearranging a special lever. There are sliding blocks that increase the variety of product sizes. The master inserts a strip of metal into the machine and uses a lever to bend it to the required size. The corners are formed on special forms along the edges of the Globe. With proper skill, you can process one rod in just a minute.

Costs on average 8,000 rubles. Is it possible to make it yourself? This is a manual machine, which is quite possible to make yourself according to the drawings.

The Globus machine bends metal rods in an arc

Flashlight

For bent products such as baskets with complex curls, you need a Flashlight machine. Not every master needs it; many manage quite successfully without it. This is a bending machine, which is a large circle with several holes into which a template for curls is inserted. The circle is fixed horizontally. A lever is attached to it, rotating along the entire diameter of the surface. The metal blank is placed on a circle and wrapped around the template.

Machine “Flashlight”

Twister

It is difficult to do without a twister during cold forging. This machine creates well-known metal spirals when a rectangular rod is wrapped around its axis. This forging tool is a stationary unit with a rotating head and slider. The principle of operation is quite simple. The master inserts the rod into the twister, secures it and begins to rotate. The metal is twisted into a spiral. Such parts are often used for fences, stairs, gratings and decorative items.

Costs about 8 thousand rubles. Photos and drawings are presented below.

The “Twister” machine wraps rectangular metal rods into a spiral

Snail

Another important machine in a cold forging workshop is the “Snail”. Its purpose is to create rings, spirals and curls. It is a platform into which matrices are inserted. The end of the rod is inserted into the matrix. By rotational force (usually a mechanical drive or physical force), it wraps around the matrix and takes its shape. Typically, machines are equipped with interchangeable templates to produce products of various shapes. This way you can get an infinite number of symmetrical elements.

You can buy a cold forging machine “Snail” for an average of 17,000 rubles.

Snail with ploughshare

There are several options for the “Snail” type machine. The ploughshare is the template of the snail. With this option, the matrix is ​​fixed on a massive plate up to 1 cm thick. The workpiece takes on the desired shape by rotating a gate welded to the platform. The ploughshare consists of several segments that are connected to each other by hinges. To secure them on the platform, special holes are made.

The difficulty is that it is impossible to make collapsible plowshares with hinged fastening yourself. It is much more reliable and easier to order them from production, and just prepare the platform yourself.

Snail with lever

Rotation in the “Snail” machine is provided by a shaft with a lever. The shaft is placed in the center, between the table top and the platform with the dies. You can do it yourself if you have a thick pipe at your disposal. The shaft is driven by a lever, which is attached to it using a ring.

The mechanical force created by the rotation of the shaft makes it possible to bend the metal along the matrix. To operate the machine you need skill; at first you need to work quite slowly. The workpiece can easily be damaged if you rotate the lever too quickly. It will bend out of shape or jump out of the machine.

The “Snail” machine creates rings, curls and spirals

Stamping, forging and bending

Cold forging is not one, but a whole set of methods for processing metal without heating. The most common are stamping and bending.

Stamping is a method of working with metal in which the workpiece is formed into a finished product under pressure. Typically, the stamp is attached to a press or similar equipment, and the product is pressed on it. After cold processing on a press, the metal does not change in size, it is actually ready for use.

Metal bending occurs on a variety of machines, the list of which we reviewed above. Due to mechanical force, rotation or pressure, metal workpieces take different shapes. To operate such equipment, physical strength is required, but theoretically anyone can handle them.

About connecting elements and painting

Often the craftsman does not make a whole product, but prefabricated elements. There are quite a few methods for connecting ready-made prefabricated elements. Welding is considered the most common and reliable. Thus, for example, you can assemble a metal gate: forging individual parts first, then welding all the elements.

Another option is clamps. Here, the structural parts are connected (tied) together with metal clamps (brackets). Quite reliable, but more often used in hot forging.

To make the finished product more beautiful, presentable, and protect it from corrosion, it is painted. Hammer, forge or ML paints are suitable for this. A brush will not be enough, since forged products have many curved, hard-to-reach and invisible parts. It is worth purchasing a spray gun, a spray bottle, and cotton swabs.

Popular type of decoration - patination, in other words, artificial aging. Gives the product a special retro aesthetic. For this purpose, special oxidizing agents are applied to the surface, which give the metal a greenish coating.

Conclusion

Cold forging is a popular and accessible type of metal processing for beginners. It is cheaper than the hot method, since it does not involve heating the workpiece to several thousand degrees. We looked at how to make a cold forging machine with your own hands: drawings, videos, images and useful recommendations. It is quite possible to partially or completely make most machines yourself and save tens of thousands of rubles. At the same time, forged metal products are so popular that finding buyers for them will not be a big problem.

Anvils, furnaces, powerful blacksmiths in leather aprons - this is all about hot forging and classical blacksmithing. There are professionals, expensive equipment, separate premises - it’s not a cheap job. We are talking about a completely different process - cold forging.

If you look at it, this technology is not forging. It would be more correct to call it bending metal rods; sometimes it is called “flexible”. But, since the term “artistic cold forging” has already been established among numerous ranks of metal craftsmen, we will use generally accepted terms.

All artistic forging consists of continuous bends, waves, curls - all of them are of different sizes, in various combinations. You cannot bend metal with your hands, even if it is the softest. Therefore, the only main method of cold forging is metal processing by machine. Each metal element has its own tool.

Examples of artistic forging.

The first thing you need to do is get them, but first understand the types of cold forging machines. The complexity of such equipment is low, and so is its cost.

If you are going to do blacksmithing for yourself, a few hand-cranked tools will be enough for you. The pace of work on manual equipment is slow, but the costs of production and use are much lower. Electric drives will only be needed in cases of commercial forging to order, then the game will cost the candle.

Special ones are a whole bunch of options, they can be manually controlled or with electric motors, homemade or purchased. To embody all conceivable and inconceivable artistic ideas in metal, 5–7 types will be enough. At least half of them can be made yourself.

The main thing is to remember that cold forging of metal is possible for anyone who has the desire and perseverance. Before deciding to start cold forging work, you need to understand some of the nuances of this technology and the types of special equipment.

Classification of machines

Types of machines for cold forging.

Cold forging machines are divided into four main types:

• they twist spirals with a flat surface and narrow cores; these machines are most often used for manual cold forging.
• Torsion types of devices designed for the production of twisted volumetric spirals.
• Bending types– for spirals with wide cores.
• Inertia-stamping– for decorative clamps and processing the ends of all elements.

Before a detailed description of each type, we will go through cold forging technologies, there are only three of them:

• Hood: This is the rolling and elongation of a metal blank, the process is similar to rolling out dough with a rolling pin. In forging, pressing rollers work in this way. Using this technology, paws, clamps, and peaks are prepared.
• Torsion: twisting the part along the axis, see below for a detailed description.
• bending: bending metal according to patterns in different directions.

Twisters or snails?

Description of forging machines.

Both are one and the same. The most popular cold forging machine among the general forging community. Indeed: at first glance, the machine seems too primitive.

But in it simplicity is combined in half with genius:

• it’s easy to make it yourself;
• it's cheap;
• it is extremely easy to use;
• with its help you can make entire arrays of beautiful metal lace.

According to the principle of operation, twisters are a type of bending machines, see below about them, with some improvements, beginners can easily work on them. In a word, a snail or twister is an amazing machine in terms of all possible criteria: ease of manufacture, wide artistic possibilities, low cost and ease of use; there are simply no others like it.

Twisters are found in two engineering versions:

This snail has weaknesses, what would we do without it. It's all about the folding share: both the correct material from which it needs to be made and the complexity of making the joints of the share links are important. These joints must be extremely precise - they are the ones that create the shape of the curl. The design and material of the joints must take into account multiple repetitions of turns with severe workloads. The second and final weak point is the eccentric clamp of the part.

Considering the frequency of use of the snail and its weaknesses, the wisest thing to do would be to buy it rather than make it yourself. If we are talking about a debut in cold forging, and the choice of machine is made for an absolute beginner, then the best option would be the second engineering version of the snail.

• Champion in popularity and positive aspects of work! Lever volute with a fixed template and a deflection roller. At its core, it is a pipe bender. It should be immediately noted that this option is inferior in labor productivity to a twister with a collar and a plowshare. Secondly, no tabletop is suitable for it; here you will need a real steel frame with fastenings on the supporting surface. You can’t install a bed at home: you can only work on a lever volute in a workshop.

Machine for giving a relief surface.

Another feature of the lever volute is the slow pace of work. You can curl 3–4 curls, a little less than with a collar snail. However, the advantages of the lever snail outweigh all its disadvantages:

• All elements of the machine can be made of ordinary steel.
• Instead of a pressure roller, which is not made of ordinary steel, you can use a bearing.
• The material of the bed and other parts allows you to count on long-term use of the machine.
• Greater variety of curls - you can change their shapes with bends in both directions (in the first version of the snail this is impossible).
• It is more convenient to work with the ends of parts that can be fastened.

On a lever twister you can work with strips of metal laid flat. This is considered a great advantage of the machine, since it is impossible to work on other devices with flat strips.

In this champion subsection, you can make a small champion summary in the form of advice for beginners: in debut artistic work in cold forging, it is better to start with a lever twister - a snail with a fixed template and a deflection roller.

Torsion bars from the word torso , torsion bar machines

Curl technology.

Twisting along the torso, and that says a lot. The torsion bar machine for cold forging is designed for helical longitudinal twisting of rods. If you figure it out, you can twist them without a machine: just hold one end in a vice, place a block of wood under the other end, and twist the rod in the guide pipe. Everything is simple, but today we are talking about artistic forging, so the quality of twisting, taking into account the smallest nuances, is the number one requirement. Therefore, it is better to twist the rods, either along or across, using machines.

Unlike twisters, torsion bar equipment can be made independently; the vast majority of torsion bars among people are homemade. These machines also require a strong frame with equally strong fastenings on the supporting surface. The rods in the correct torsion bars are held in square-section chucks, which are secured with clamps.

Everything would be elementary if among the cold forging masters artistic figures such as a basket, a lantern or a cone were not considered especially chic - figured thickenings made of several twisted rods. All of them are called mysteriously - filaments. To make them, you need to insert a bundle of smaller rods into the torsion bar, most often 4 - 5 pieces.

You will have to tinker with cones and lanterns - branches made of twigs need to be spread in width manually, which is very difficult and requires decent skill. For high-quality filaments, the pride of blacksmiths, special headstocks with screw-fed spindles are attached to torsion bars. Troublesome elements, but for the embodiment of artistic ideas and aesthetics of metals - nowhere without filaments.

Bending dies.

Attention! Torsion bar machines are the only forging equipment for cold forging in which an electric drive is justified and advisable for any volume of work. This is indeed true, it is painfully tedious and tedious work with a manual spindle drive. But this is not the main reason. It is impossible to achieve uniform twisting by hand; this requires very uniform rotation.

Inertial stamping machines

This type of equipment resembles presses or pressing rollers, which are sometimes neglected by young craftsmen. But in vain: without shaped clamps for connecting parts and decorated rod tips, the work will never have an aesthetic appearance. These presses work like a flywheel in which the firing pin hits the die area. Decorative parts are small, the accuracy of their manufacture must be very high, so you don’t even need to try to make this type of machine with your own hands.

Everything would be fine, but inertial stamping presses are an expensive pleasure. But here you can find a solution, let's call it an “integrated forging solution.” Various types of tips are very easy to make using hot forging. You don't have to be an experienced craftsman to do this. Either go to a hot forging workshop or start an elegant forge yourself - you can easily and inexpensively make it from scrap materials. For such small work, you don’t need your own separate forge; there’s nothing to do - just heat up the metal.

Bends or bends

In practice, they are more often called “bends”. But among forging masters, the gnutik is the most popular cold forging machine, which makes metal waves and zigzags. This equipment is desktop and quite simple in design. But it’s better to buy it than to make it yourself. The fact is that this type of forging requires very high precision in processing parts. A bend for cold forging is quite inexpensive, especially for pipes smaller than 12 - 16 mm.

Another thing is bending, which is much simpler than bending: it is bending a rod at the desired angle. Folds are made using templates. First, a drawing for the template is drawn, then a curl is welded onto the steel plate. Forging consists of pulling the product through all the bends of the curl.

It is still possible to make manual cold forging machines with your own hands. The only part of such a machine that you will need to buy is the rollers. They need to be made only from special steel: either tool steel or chromium-nickel steel. The cold forging equipment itself can be made of brackets and arcs with stops that will define the contour of the wave. The waves can then be as varied as required.

DIY machine

Machine for bending rods.

A homemade tool for cold forging is a very real thing, but its production will take a lot of time and effort. Therefore, the decision must be balanced, and the preparation, including drawings, must be serious and complete. The most suitable place may be a garage shed or outbuilding. The design of the machine depends on only one factor: what are you going to do, what products to produce?

We must not forget that many forging elements can be performed without special devices. For example, using a regular pipe bender, which is quite suitable as a version of a simplified machine for cold forging - you can do a lot with it.

You also need to understand that a universal cold forging machine that would make at least three different elements does not exist in nature. Most often, they make a snail with their own hands: it is popular, allows you to make a wide variety of curls and, in the end, is easy to make. The second most frequently used tool at home is a homemade bending machine.

It is also simple and inexpensive to implement. When you search for “how to make cold forging machines,” you will receive a huge number of links to videos with tips from “experienced people.” Most of them are to the point and from the heart, they will greatly help in making final decisions.

Connecting parts and painting

Now all the curls need to be collected into a single canvas. The work is not easy, but very rewarding: it is at this stage that the main artistic idea begins to be realized. Meanwhile, at this stage you can easily ruin everything. This is easy to do: start connecting the parts by welding, and then go through the grinder to clean it.

But we have already talked about the professional ambition of cold forging masters, which can only be welcomed. Special U-shaped clamps, which are stamped on inertial machines, will look much more impressive. Don’t be lazy, but work well with the clamps - this is the key to successful completion of the forging of the product.

Torsion of metal on a machine.

Now about painting. Thank God, now there is something to paint: thanks to modern construction technologies, there are a huge number of paints on sale for every taste, budget and, most importantly, purpose. There are countless paints for metals. Most often, special acrylic paints for metal or blacksmith's enamels are used.

Very often, for completely unknown reasons, blacksmiths prefer a finish coat with paint with pigment from a forge patina - “antique”, showing an amazing unanimity in tastes. If you are a forging customer, then you need to stop the craftsman in time to offer him your own version of the color and texture of the coating. But seriously, who said that forging should be dark and antique? And the white one? Colored? This is where there is vast space for the most daring artistic solutions.

Summary like clockwork

Types of stamps and ready-made curls.

A good story is always easy to finish - the conclusions fall on their own, within the framework of logic and priorities.

In our review of cold forging technology, the harmonious conclusions are clear:

• Cold forging is a wonderful technology that allows you to combine what is impossible to combine in other processes:
• practical benefits on the farm;
• the possibility of artistic creativity;
• invention and application of own engineering discoveries;
• simplicity and reality of implementation for beginners;
• increasing self-esteem as a craftsman and as a resident of a house with elements of artistic forging.
• You can make devices for cold forging yourself and with high quality, it is better to start with snail and bending machines.
• It is more expedient to make manual equipment with a manual drive. The electric use case is too resource intensive. The only type of machine that is best made with an electric drive is a torsion bar one. The quality of twisting the rods will be much higher in this case.
• In the manufacture of forged products using the cold method, “help” from hot forging will not hurt. It is impossible to make a machine for tips and other small decorative elements on your own, but a purchased one costs a lot of money. Our advice is to make decorative details using hot forging. A small and neat forge in the household will not hurt. And it will contribute to professional growth: start with cold forging, come to real blacksmithing...
• You shouldn’t get stuck in the stereotypical “antique” painting of forged items. Modern colors and widespread eclecticism in design make possible the most unexpected color and texture solutions in metal work.

Metal curls made by cold forging are used to decorate exterior elements.

The products are popular among owners of country cottages and public utilities involved in the architectural arrangement of public spaces.

You can also use these elements in the manufacture of individual fixtures - outdoor furniture, and even dishes.

Such decor, and especially finished products, are very expensive. Even standard kits, put on stream and sold in stores, have an unaffordable price. What can we say about products made to order.

Therefore, many home craftsmen try to create such creations on their own. Moreover, “cold forging with your own hands” does not involve classical forging technology. Processing of the workpiece material is carried out without the use of heat and work with a forging hammer. This means that it can be done at home.

However, such work requires a special tool - a cold forging bender. The equipment is offered in stores or manufactured in workshops to order. The set for universal metal processing is a whole complex of various devices.

Firstly, this is a truly unique tool that allows you to create highly artistic products, without a hammer, forge or anvil.

Secondly, such devices are not made from simple metal, otherwise the machine will fail at the first load. Therefore, high-quality and durable steel increases the price.

Let's look at various homemade devices for cold forging

Let's start with the principle of operation of the tool:
The workpiece (metal circle, square or strip) is installed in the machine between the guides. Using a manual lever or electric gear drive, the geometric shape changes.

There are several standard fixtures that serve as templates for cold forging.

Device "gnutik".

This is an improved analogue. With its help, the workpiece is bent at a programmed angle. It can be either single or form geometric shapes. The decorative element can be flat or three-dimensional, and all this is done by one tool. Using a bender, you can make an arc from a straight workpiece.

Twister device.

With its help, the workpiece is tightened with a screw. It works on the principle of a lathe spindle or drill chuck. Part of the workpiece is firmly clamped in a stationary vice, and the other is twisted using a crank or electric drive.

Design feature - a fixed vice must be able to move longitudinally.

When twisted, the part decreases in length and can jump out of the fastening.
If instead of one rod you insert a bundle of wire into the machine, you can get a three-dimensional steel figure, the so-called basket. Its manufacture requires special skill.

The most popular device is the snail.

The most common template for cold metal working. With its help, curls of any shape and with different numbers of revolutions are created. Its design is simple and complex at the same time. It is not enough to simply create a template of the desired shape.