DIY cold forging machine. Cold forging, do-it-yourself machines and drawings. Necessary tools for artistic forging

The functionality of this product will depend only on your efforts spent both in the initial and final stages of work. Therefore, so that in the future the unit does not have too narrow a range of applications, it is necessary to very carefully consider all possible options for improving it and transfer them to circuit diagrams. Let's try to get acquainted with the rough sketches and work on assembling this product. At the end of the article you can download detailed drawings of the “Snail” cold forging machine as an archive.

Tips for developing do-it-yourself cold forging machine drawings with a list of materials

When developing drawings of a cold forging machine with your own hands, try to include as many options for attachments as possible, which will help increase the number of ways to bend parts. This problem can be solved in several ways:

1. We take a large sheet of metal as a support sheet and place several different “snails” and other attachments on it, at a great distance from each other. The disadvantage of this solution lies in the limited free space. Long parts will be very difficult to rotate; you will need to constantly ensure that they do not move out of the nozzles.

2. We are developing options for improved attachments. For example, you can make a gathering “snail”. When completely disassembled, it will have only one curl; when assembled, it will have 3-4 curls or more (if necessary). Each segment will be attached to the previous one and to the very base of the support sheet using metal pins.

3. And the most effective option is to develop a product with the ability to change attachments. This is how a rectangular slot is made in the canvas into which nozzles attached to a rectangular sheet of metal will be inserted. Fixation will be carried out to the product rack itself using bolts.

Read our article “Metal laser cutting machine – a reliable and indispensable assistant in everyday life.”

We will consider the simplest model in terms of manufacturing, which can be improved if desired. It will only be necessary to make minor changes to the preliminary diagrams. To make it we need the following:

• Welding machine;
• Drill with carbide drills;
• Reciprocating saw or regular hacksaw;
• Square metal pipe;
• Metal sheet;
• Round metal pipe;
• Metal rods;
• Bearings (large and medium size);
• Bolts with nuts size M8;
• Metal rod.

The process of assembling a homemade cold forging machine with a non-replaceable attachment with your own hands

The process of assembling a homemade cold forging machine with your own hands will look like this:

1. First, the support post is assembled. It consists of four identical sections of square pipe. At the bottom they are connected to each other by four sections of shorter length, and the same number at the top. In appearance, this design resembles the base of a stool. Cutting is done with a saw, joining is done with a welding machine.

2. Next, two circles of equal diameters, as well as four right triangles, are cut out of the sheet. The triangular parts are welded to the bottom of the round pipe section, leaving a free edge at the top. It turns out to be something like a pyramid. Using a wide base, we apply the part to the center of the circle and weld it.

3. The circle with the welded part is attached to the four upper horizontal strips using bolts. We drill holes with a drill.

4. Next we make the handle of the product. To do this, you need a long piece of rod and a piece of metal sheet. The first cut is slightly larger than the diameter of the circle, the second is equal to it. The end of the first must be bent at an angle of 30°, the bent edge is connected to the edge of the second cut by welding a jumper from a piece of rod. Another piece of rod is welded a little lower. We weld a long handle to the side of the jumper so that one of its edges extends towards the structure made from cuts.

5. Guide bearings are put on and fixed onto the short end of the handle and onto the section welded at the bottom. On the section located on top, we mount a thick metal coil in a horizontal position, which will act as a bending element. At the free end of the lower cut we make a hole with a diameter equal to the diameter of the pipe.

6. We put the assembled handle through the drilled hole onto the peak (with the thread already applied) of the “pyramid”. We tighten a wide nut with a small circle welded on top; the upper circle will be placed on it. We weld the finished “snail” to the center of the uppermost circle.

All exact dimensions of the product are calculated independently. We make calculations based on your needs. We designate the product parameters at the stage of developing draft diagrams. You can download the drawings of the cold forging machine “Snail” here.

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Cold forging machines

According to the common (but, alas, technically illiterate) expression “cold forging” (from the English cool forging), equipment designed to perform such processes of plastic deformation includes devices that perform operations such as volumetric bending, twisting, flattening, etc. P. This is especially often necessary when working on the production of elements of artistic metal forging - spirals, volutes, snails, monograms, etc., which do not require subsequent connection with each other.

Twisting machine

We draw up technical specifications for a cold forging machine

The initial data for design (if none of the options for ready-made drawings of this equipment and devices suits you) are:

1. The maximum cross-sectional area of ​​the original workpieces (for example, it is very difficult to process a steel bar with cross-sectional dimensions of more than 12 - 16 mm by hand).
2. Technical capabilities - in order to make the main parts of the required equipment yourself.
3. A list of volumetric stamping operations - bending, upsetting, upsetting - that must be performed for subsequent artistic metal processing.
4. The degree of complexity of the tools and accessories that will make the required cold forging machine universal.
5. The need for a drive (a manual cold forging machine is much easier to make than one with an electric drive).

In order to carry out most of the operations for the manufacture of the necessary equipment yourself, the drawings should include the largest possible percentage of blanks and assemblies that will require normalized rolled metal - a channel, an angle, a thick strip, etc.

Types of homemade equipment and tools for plastic processing of metal

Making a completely unified cold forging machine with your own hands is quite difficult. But it is possible to provide in the drawings for the presence of interchangeable units, the fastening of which will be carried out on a common frame base. The most popular tools include:

• Twister is a device that performs spiral twisting of a part of a steel rod in the direction of its longitudinal axis;
• Gnutik is a device that bends blanks from profiled metal products to the required angle (including making spatial bending elements on metal);
• Snail is a unit that performs spiral twisting of a part of the workpiece with an ever-decreasing radius;
• A template is a tool with which a circle of the required diameter is made from a rod on a cold forging machine;
• A core is a tool for applying volumetric embossing on metal, as well as stamped impressions on flat surfaces.

A set of such equipment actually provides the ability to perform the vast majority of work on volumetric deformation of steels and non-ferrous alloys using cold forging machines.

The capabilities of a manually driven machine will allow volumetric deformation of predominantly highly plastic metals and alloys - low-carbon steel, some brands of brass, copper, aluminum. From such elements you can make parts for forged railings, fences, stands, gazebos.

Cold forging machine design stages and preparatory procedures

To make a cold forging machine, you will need the following drawings:

• Drawing of the frame base of the bed for installation of the unit;
• Assembly drawings of each of the necessary devices;
• Drawings of replacement machine parts.

The following are required as a working tool and starting materials for manufacturing:

• Plate steel (or strip) made of medium carbon steel, grade not lower than steel 35;
• Thick-walled pipe with square cross-section;
• Portable cutting machine or grinder;
• Tools for working with fasteners (wrench, pliers);
• Household welding machine;
• Fraser;
• Manual bending unit;
• Measuring and marking tools (square, caliper, bore gauge).

Before starting the manufacture of individual elements of a cold forging machine, it is useful to carry out all the proposed actions on the drawing, drawing all the main movements of the individual components and parts that make up the cold forging machine. It is especially useful to do this before making a replacement working tool (for a snail, a core, a bend). It is also worth considering the possibility of using standard components: for example, a bench vice, or a support from a small decommissioned lathe.

To ensure high quality of finished products, the roughness parameters of the tool must be one grade higher than those of the products that will be manufactured on it. Therefore, after welding operations, cuttings, etc., the working finishing surfaces must be carefully ground. When all the necessary components of a cold forging machine have been manufactured, it is useful to heat-treat the working replacement tools. Hardening to a hardness of 40…45 HRC will significantly increase the durability of the devices used. It is worth recalling that after hardening the products warp somewhat and therefore require subsequent editing. However, it is better to order quenching and tempering transitions from specialized companies that have the necessary equipment.

How to manufacture and assemble individual machine components and tools for it

As an example, step-by-step instructions are given for obtaining the “Twister” device, which is intended for uniaxial longitudinal twisting of a steel workpiece from a bar of square cross-section. Similarly, and in the same sequence, operations will be performed on other parts of the cold forging machine - volute, core, template, bend, etc.

The supporting workpiece for this device should be an I-beam or a channel with thick flanges. A wide thick sheet strip is welded to it, to which a bench vice can be attached. The stationary part of the twisted rod will be clamped in them. The vice should be secured especially securely - using at least four bolts with a diameter of M16 or more. To increase the clamping area of ​​the rod, corrugated plates made of thick sheet steel are welded to the jaws of the vice. At the opposite end of the I-beam, guide rollers are installed, to which a clamping unit for the moving part of the workpiece will subsequently be attached. It can be made from a steel bushing, along the generatrix of which it is necessary to provide three holes located at an angle of 120° for clamping bolts with a diameter 2...3 mm smaller than the side of the square of the element being twisted. The bolts must be hardened, made of high quality steel, and also have a flat end. Both clamping devices must be positioned coaxially, which is checked using a level, a bench square, or a caliper.

Next, a handle is made to rotate the movable part of the clamp. The lever under it must be provided as long as possible - this will reduce the value of the applied force. At the same time, the length of the lever should be comfortable for the user. It is better to select the handle itself from the standard ones, and preferably with a rubber bushing - to eliminate the possible slipping of the hand of the operator of the cold forging machine when performing the corresponding plastic deformation transition on it.

After assembling a cold forging machine, it is checked for the reliability of movement of moving elements, as well as for the accuracy of operations for plastic deformation of metal. After this, you can make the final fastening of the device to the support frame.

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stankiexpert.ru

How to make a cold forging machine. Cold forging machines: purpose, types, manufacturing

Metal structures are very popular when arranging private houses and apartments. Curved products bring extraordinary color to the interior and landscape design and allow you to create a very attractive artistic picture. Many owners of their own cottages strive to make them unique, and stamped parts are not suitable for this purpose. Universal and special tools from manufacturers are quite expensive. Therefore, a pertinent question arises: how to make a cold forging machine with your own hands from scrap materials.

Why do you need a cold forging tool?

The cold forging process is easier and safer than hot forging. First of all, due to the fact that there is no need to heat the metal and strict adherence to temperature conditions throughout the entire operation.

A homemade cold forging machine can be universal or designed for the production of parts of a specific format. Regardless of which option suits you best, a homemade tool will solve several problems:

What can be done on a cold forging machine?

For artistic cold forging, soft metals are most often used - these are:

The range of possible forged metal products has no restrictions - it all depends on your personal imagination and capabilities. Openwork details are most often used for:

• organization of stairs;
• assembling fencing and fencing;
• installation of barbecues;
• fireplace decoration;
• creating individual decorative elements - flower stands, wall decorations, etc.

What types of cold forging machines are there?

There are many types of cold forging machines:

How to make a cold forging machine with your own hands?

Today, there are many design solutions for making a homemade cold forging machine. Home craftsmen use the most unexpected tools and equipment to transform them into the right tool. In this article below you will find drawings of the most popular hand forging tool options and detailed assembly instructions.

Drawings of cold forging machines

How to make a whole snail machine at home?

Very often, when assembling any openwork metal structures, spiral elements are used. This machine is suitable for producing such parts of the same size.

Tools

To complete the work, prepare:

• sheet steel;
• steel strips;
• rods;
• profile pipe;
• grinder;
• welding machine;
• emery;
• roulette;
• marker;
• pliers;
• paper and pencil.

Assembly instructions for a one-piece machine

To get a reliable tool with suitable parameters as a result of your work, proceed as follows:

Video

As a result of the work performed, you will get a cold forging machine like the one in the video below. There you can clearly view the sequence of your actions during assembly.

How to make a snail typesetting machine?

The basic design of the inlaid volute differs little from the previous machine. You will also need to cut out a base plate from a steel sheet, onto which the typesetting parts will later be attached. Then do the following:

Video

When finished, your snail will look like this.

How to make a torsion bar machine?

For such a cold forging tool, prepare:

• sheet steel;
• vice;
• grinder;
• fasteners - nuts and bolts;
• reduction gear;
• electric motor;
• chain;
• welding machine;
• I-beam

To quickly assemble the machine, follow the following sequence of actions:

Video

This video clearly shows the design of the assembled torsion bar and the principle of operation on such a machine. Please read it carefully to make your work easier.

Conclusion

As you have already seen, if you have basic skills in working with tools and a clear development of a preliminary drawing of the machine, it is not difficult to assemble it. Set the goal correctly, choose the appropriate type of structure and mount the tool, acting sequentially. In this case, you are guaranteed a high-quality result - you can easily make all the openwork metal parts to decorate your home.

How to make a cold forging machine

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Homemade machines and devices for cold forging

For the manufacture of forged products, two methods are used - cold and hot processing. The first method is characterized by low labor intensity, but requires the presence of a special tool. In most cases, you can make a cold forging machine with your own hands, guided by standard drawings.

Principles of cold forging of metals

To produce metal forged products, it is necessary to ensure a process of controlled deformation. In this case, the structure of the material, its technical and operational properties should be taken into account.

The principle of cold forging is based on the influence of external factors on the crystal lattice of the material. It consists of grains of irregular shape. As a result of the distortion of the structure, which is performed by a cold forging machine, compaction and a change in the configuration of the workpiece occurs. Since one of the conditions is to preserve the properties of the part, it is necessary to select drawings for the production of machines.

Features of cold forging of metal, requirements for devices for this:

• it is possible to process only low-carbon steels that have a high degree of ductility;
• rods of various sections are used as blanks;
• preliminary calculation of the dimensions of the final products. During their production, constant monitoring of geometric parameters is necessary;
• using various machines to create the desired configuration.

Currently, a number of special tools are used for the artistic processing of metals using cold forging. Some of them you can do yourself. But for this it is necessary to first study the drawings and specifics of production.

Forged products can perform several functions simultaneously - aesthetic and operational. This applies to barrier structures of various configurations, for example, a wave.

Snail for cold forging

The most common and in demand are homemade cold forging machines of the snail type. With their help, spiral-shaped blanks are formed. The design of the equipment allows you to make it yourself.

The drawing of the “snail” machine can be adapted for the production of a specific type of artistic forging product. To do this you need to know the following parameters:

• minimum and maximum radius of curvature of the workpiece;
• geometric parameters and shape of the source material;
• planned performance.

For mass production, it is necessary to make a forging machine with an electric drive. If you plan to work at home, manual models are suitable.

As a basis for designing the snail, it is necessary to use a steel sheet with a thickness of at least 3 mm. This will allow you to bend rods of large cross-section.

Bend for cold forging

To form different angles, you need a manual bender - one of the most required devices for cold forging of metal. It consists of a steel plate on which there are two support shafts and a moving stop.

The workpiece is placed between the support shafts and the wedge. The latter has a displacement mechanism towards the stops. As a result of this action, bad things happen. steel bar processing. In this way, forged products of various shapes can be produced.

Features of the use of bending necessary for the correct preparation of its drawing:

• preliminary calculation of the deformation angle;
• an additional bending part can be provided in the design. To do this, install another rotating shaft;
• mounting unit for fastening to the table.

To produce bending, it is necessary to use tool steel. This is due to heavy loads during operation. Additionally, you can assemble elements of the “wave” type on it, but for this you need to modernize the original drawing.

Minimum and maximum bending radius for thin. forging must be calculated based on the geometric parameters of the workpiece.

Twister for cold forging

It is difficult to imagine modern artistic forging without screw-shaped elements. For the production of such thin. The parts are designed for a twister - a homemade machine for cold forging.

The peculiarity of this tool is the unwinding of the twig along its axis. Structurally, the drawing of the machine consists of two parts - fixing and movable. The part is attached between them and its information is carried out using a rotary knob.

Performance qualities of the device:

• calculation of the pressure lever to minimize efforts to produce blanks;
• possibility of changing the distance between the fixing elements of the tool. This will make it possible to produce parts of various lengths;
• It should be taken into account that the formation of the spiral occurs from the fixation side.

Thanks to the twister, you can make forged elements for window grilles, steel barriers, etc.

This is the main list of cold forging machines. But besides them, various equipment is used, designed to create truly thin. products.

The video shows examples of machines for cold forging of metals at home:

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 is 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.

Making a cold forging machine with your own hands may be necessary if you love to tinker and don’t mind making something beautiful for your home interior, country estate, gifts for family and friends, or just for fun.

Cold forging allows you to make beautiful and high-quality metal products with your own hands.

The majestic beauty of products made using the forging method captivates the eye and attracts with elegant lines. In all the best houses one could certainly find such decorations as openwork metal curls. And in our time, when a considerable number of different technologies and materials have been developed, forged products have not lost their relevance.

Products obtained using forging are used in design along with plastic, glass and other decorative elements. Metal forging is done using hot or cold methods. To perform work using the hot method, it is necessary to fulfill a lot of special conditions, so it is not so easy to do it at home. A more accessible method is cold. It is easier to learn, and you can make equipment and forging machines yourself if you wish.

Advantages of cold forging

With the cold forging method, the main working processes are bending and pressing. To carry out such activities, you do not need to provide the metal with a certain temperature. But some heat treatment must still be carried out between stages of the operation.

It is not necessary to have full-fledged equipment for artistic forging at your disposal; many amateurs make some tools on their own. Using homemade devices, you can give products various fancy shapes. You just need to acquire some working skills. Be prepared for the fact that it will take some effort to bend the desired shape. Work can only be carried out using raw materials of a certain thickness.

Products produced using cold forging equipment are stronger than those that are cast or stamped. This happens because the metal rods passing through the equipment are pressed at the same time as giving them the desired shape. With this forging method, it is necessary to avoid mistakes, because they are almost impossible to correct. With experience, you will be able to create wonderful and attractive products at home.

Using equipment for cold metal forging, you can create the following products:

• window grilles;
• elements such as handrails for stairs, balcony canopies;
• home furniture - beds, chairs, tables;
• fences and fences;
• elements used in apartment design: tripods for flowers, fireplace mantels.

When hot forging, the master will need not only a special room, but also forging equipment, as well as some special conditions. With the cold working method, there is no need to preheat the workpiece, and the process itself is more economical. When processing a whole batch of similar elements at home, you can do everything using stencils. This makes it possible to significantly reduce production time and reduce labor costs. Sometimes the products have to be heated, heating is carried out at the joints to avoid unevenness. Beginning craftsmen are recommended to think carefully about the implementation plan before starting work; it would be useful to make a sketch of the desired product.

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Forging equipment and tools

Manual equipment for performing cold forging operations includes several elements. Basic equipment that may be needed for work:

• snail;
• twister;
• wave;
• gnutik;
• flashlight;
• globe.

Some of the names may seem funny, but these are quite convenient devices for home use.

The main tool for work is a bender; it is designed to change the shape of metal. It is used to bend a product at the desired angle or bend arcs with different radii.

The snail is used more often for twisting metal rods into spirals. It represents equipment for bending strips, rods, squares no larger than 12 mm, tubes and profiles to spiral shapes, products with different radii and shapes. When using such a tool, you can not limit the formed spiral within the radius and make it as large as necessary.

Fork – two conductors for bending currencies, used for hot and cold forging. The thickness of the raw material can be a maximum of 16 mm with the hot method, and 10 mm with the cold method.

A tool called a flashlight is used to bend metal elements. It is used to process metal rods with a diameter of 30 mm or less, or square profiles with a thickness of 16 mm or less.

Using a device such as a wave, wavy curved elements are made. It is also used for processing tubes with a round or hexagonal cross-section, and for tubes made of profiles.

A twister is somewhat reminiscent of a flashlight; with the help of both tools you can twist the rods around the longitudinal axis.

The globe helps to make a large arc from a square profile up to 12 mm thick. At the same time, the ends of the workpiece are also smoothly bent. This is how various convex decorative elements are created.

This kind of tool for cold forging is not at all complicated, so you can often find homemade ones. It is practically in no way inferior to the purchased one.

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DIY forging equipment

Often, when working, it seems more appropriate to make homemade machines for cold forging. Not every element can be fully processed using only hand forging tools. And the cost of such equipment is quite high, even if we are talking about a simple snail machine.

If a home craftsman makes any product using a self-made jig, the thing will turn out to be unique, although in some characteristics it will be inferior to that made in an industrial environment. When you plan to produce a considerable number of parts using cold forging, it is more advisable to make a conductor with an electric motor. This way you can make your work tasks easier.

It would be useful to provide for the execution of basic types of work on the machine - twisting, bending, drawing. These devices can be combined when creating a conductor with your own hands.

During the drawing operation, the workpiece is given a certain shape. To do this, it must be passed through a press or rollers, while the cross-section of the source material will decrease.

The bending process involves bending the workpiece to the desired angle. This operation can be performed using templates. They must be done as follows: a sketch of the part is prepared, according to which a template is then made. Weld a curl onto a metal plate, then such a sheet is fixed on the machine in a holder. The end of the workpiece is inserted into the slot, the second is fixed (in some cases you can simply hold it). Using a lever, an impact is exerted on one end of the workpiece, which should be pulled along all the bends along the plate used as a template.

When creating a template, the welding seam must be made from the outside, otherwise it will interfere with the further use of the product.

Many craftsmen independently assemble not very complex devices, with the help of which they can make quite intricate products. It all depends on the working skills of the master. You can consider one of these homemade models to understand the very principle of operation.

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Forging machine “Snail”

Using this device, home craftsmen are able to create a variety of spirals and rings, waves, and curls. To make this kind of manual cold forging machine, you need to follow a certain technology, which includes several stages.

Before constructing any devices, machines for artistic forging, or simply hand tools, it is necessary to make sketches, templates, and graphic images of the future product. If you can’t make full-fledged drawings, then create a template; it will help you with subsequent actions.

To make the markings more accurately, it is more convenient to use graph paper. Draw a spiral on it, the radius of its turns should gradually increase. The same distance must be maintained between them. It should be noted that this condition must be met only in cases where symmetry of patterns is required, since the concept of artistic value is individual for each person. This also applies to the number of turns - there are usually no more than 4 pieces.

Consider in advance what the workpieces you will be working with will be. The step between the turns must be made so that it slightly exceeds the diameter of the iron rods, otherwise it will be very difficult to remove the finished part from the machine without damaging its shape.

For the working surface you will need sheet iron. A thickness of 4 mm will be sufficient. Determination of linear dimensions is carried out based on the dimensions of future products. To make the mold, take strip metal with a thickness of 3 mm. This material can be worked with using hand tools. It is simply bent into a spiral according to a template using ordinary pliers.

To ensure a complete workflow, you will need to perform a good fixation for one end of the workpiece. A piece of rod equal to the width of the strips will come in handy here. A workbench can be used to strengthen the work site. Sometimes a section of thick-walled pipe is used as a stand, but care must be taken that the structure strengthened in this way does not interfere with another type of work. To do this, you can choose an option in which the entire assembly is secured in a vice. The main thing is to ensure the greatest possible reliability of fixation, since during cold forging considerable physical effort will be applied.

With the naked eye you can see that this or that person has a beautiful fence or gate, various types of decorative items for their personal plots. All this is brought into reality through forging, with the absence of any temperatures.

In modern society, cold forging of metal is very well developed. Over the many years of the existence of such a craft, people have created tools with which they can produce delicate decorative elements from iron.

Mechanisms without which cold forging would be a very difficult task

Snail mechanism

It is used to give individual sections of forgings a spiral shape. As a rule, the snail itself is attached to a thick, iron

plate and can be removable. The thickness of such a plate should be no thinner than 4 millimeters thick. As a rule, for a product that is created by hand, it is necessary to make various impressions, called templates. Using prepared templates, it is possible to give steel rods various shapes.

Mechanical device station wagon

On such a device cutting, riveting and shaping are carried out. Quite a convenient thing, in its own way. Unlike a factory-made electric mechanism, you can also assemble it yourself and save your budget.

Gnutik device

It produces arc deformation at an angle. The main thing is to make drawings in advance and accurately mark the degrees of angles in order to use the machine to accurately bend the rods.

Analogue of the twister

Helps to bend along the longitudinal axis of a finished object. Such a device can be made in several ways. Using a metal template, as is common, and securing large bolts to a thick board. The essence of such a machine is that both ends of the metal rod are clamped and on one side, using a rotating handle, twisting is performed.

Wave unit

With its help, you can obtain wavy blanks from metal rods. Using such a machine, you can produce periodic gratings of the “Boyarskie” and “Volna” types.

Die press

With the help of such a press, stamps with various patterns are applied to the product. As a rule, there should be a huge variety of such stamps with different designs. This is done by pressing a stamp into the metal. Accordingly, under pressure, clear imprints of patterns remain on the metal.

Mechanical unit

For bending circles of metal rods of various diameters. When circles must be present in the design of the decor, such a device is indispensable.

In blacksmithing, a red blank, or a separate part, is usually called a “forging.” The same term is used in hot metal forging. Only it already means the process of forging metal to give the workpiece the required shape.

Types of cold forging

There are directly 7 types of cold forging, which are produced according to a strict sequence. Each type is a specific process performed with blanks. If you do not perform these actions in accordance with the requirements, then you will not succeed. So, let's look at these types.

Directly, forging metal blanks. Forging is the most complex and voluminous process in blacksmithing. Cold forging is divided into the following types and subtypes:

Draft

This action is performed under pressure. This is done in order to reduce the height of the workpiece and increase the lateral dimensions of the workpieces.

Broach

This action is carried out by heating the workpiece and processing it with a hammer. Due to this, the cross-sectional area decreases and the length of the workpiece increases.

Firmware

This action is performed to obtain the necessary holes on the workpieces. As a rule, when performing such an action, grooves of various sizes and holes of various diameters appear on the workpieces. There are several types of firmware:

Open firmware

It is produced by continuous stitching, due to the displacement of metal. However, this action entails additional processing of the workpiece.

Closed firmware

Produced using hollow stitching. Typically used when making large holes.

Advice: “Due to the upsetting and broaching of metal blanks, the structure of the metal can become brittle. Therefore, it is necessary to handle workpieces carefully to prevent sudden breakdown of one or another part! In the best case, you will have to redo the forging, and in the worst case, it can cause irreparable harm to your health!”

This is not the end of the cold forging process, but rather is in full swing.

Visualization of the cold forging process.

Stamping

(stamping) - is the process of plastic deformation of a workpiece, with a change in the shape and size of the metal. There are several types of stamping:

Volume stamping

Produced by pressure. When the forging part is heated to the appropriate dimensions, it is pressed with special dies. This method is used in industries where parts obtained in this way are produced in batches.

Sheet stamping

Made from sheet iron. Used in the production of small and medium-sized metal parts. This type of stamping allows you to achieve high quality and strength from manufactured parts.

Pressing

This metal processing process is carried out using high pressure, due to which the density of the metal increases and its shape changes. There are several types of pressing:

Direct pressing

This method allows you to obtain various profile blanks (rods, pipes, profiles). The process involves extruding metal through a specific hole.

Reverse pressing

In this process, the workpiece is placed in a mold, and the pressure is applied in the opposite direction than during direct pressing.

Drawing

It is the process of drawing already pressed rods through a special drawing matrix. Through this process, it is possible to obtain wire, shaped profiles, and pipes with thin walls.

The final and also quite important stage is rolling.

This process involves the law of “Friction Forces”, due to which, through friction with special rollers on the surface of the workpiece, plastic deformation occurs. In turn, there are 5 types of rolling products:

The final stage of cold forging is rolling.

Longitudinal rolling

When using this type of rolling, the rollers rotate in different directions on the machine. Due to this, a gradual compression and elongation of the part occurs. In this case, sheet iron, strip iron and strips are produced.

Cross rolling

With this type of rolling, the rollers move in one direction. Due to this, the part is subject to deformation in transverse movement. For example, using this type, cylindrical gears with knurled teeth are obtained.

Cross or helical rolling

in this case, the rollers on the machine are installed at an angle to each other. Thus, the forging receives translational and rotational motion. There is a gap between these shafts and the metal, falling into this gap, receives its deformation. This type of rolling is used to create pipe blanks, the so-called “sleeves”.

Design drawing

Before you start assembling, you need to create a project that will describe in detail everything that you are going to turn into reality.

However, before creating your steel brainchild, you need to read a lot of literature, which describes in detail all the devices. To avoid unforeseen situations during the assembly process, it is important to have an understanding of the machine, its dimensions and the dimensions of each of the parts that will be involved in the project.

Because all the parts will be made from rough metal or from any parts that are lying idle in your garage.

So, before you start manufacturing a product for forging, you need to make a frame, on the surface of which all the necessary parts of the machine will be located.

To have an idea about homemade machine and about forging in general, and also learn how to assemble, look video video below:

Now that you have an idea, you can start making the frame.

It is important to know! The dimensions of the bed must be calculated in strict accordance with the occupied plane of the placed devices. It is worth considering that devices in work should not interfere with each other!

The frame must be made of durable material. It can be solid wood, quite dense and thick, or an iron plate. However, it must have an iron support made of legs welded or firmly fixed to the frame. When finished, you should have a durable workbench.

After the frame is made and installed in the required location, you can begin to assemble and attach all the devices to the frame.

Advice: “During the assembly of the machine, it is necessary to check the mechanisms for correct operation, so that if there is a malfunction, you can replace the damaged part and continue assembly!”

Above is a diagram of the assembly of the device, the so-called “Snail”. It is intended for the production of spiral curls on a forging.

Components of the mechanism

• The leading ploughshare of the snail itself,
• Main axis,
• Levers for performing power operations,
• Clamp for metal workpiece,
• Machine platform,
• Pressure roller,
• Finger for fixing the snail shares,
• Spring for attracting the pressure roller,
• Roller control lever.

Tip: The longer the levers for applying force, the easier the forging will bend!

The universal cold forging machine is designed for cutting metal strip, metal rod or square. You can also punch holes for

Drawing of a universal machine

rivets and rivet this or that part. It is adapted for bending at a given angle and for rolling. This device consists of 39 parts. You can find out more about them in this archive. Download

Gnutik

Photo gnutik

Designed for bending various metal workpieces, as well as arc forgings of a certain radius. For the manufacture of this machine, mainly tool steel is used. This is explained by the fact that large loads predominate in the device. It consists of a handle moving along the axis of a corner bend, three rollers, which in a fixed state resemble a triangle. Also fasteners and elements for fastening the machine to the frame.

Twister

Twister drawing

Designed for bending metal rods, squares and strips around the longitudinal axis. The result is torsion twisting. It consists of two fasteners mounted on a reinforced frame with holes for a metal rod and handles to make movements along the axis. More detailed information can be found in the archive of drawings of this device.

The wave device is designed to change the bending of a metal workpiece, producing wave-like parts. In terms of its significance, this is the same flex, but the wave has a complex structure.

Using a stamp press, you can make impressions of designs on metal blanks.

It is important to know! After all these devices are installed on the frame, it is necessary to check each of them for functionality! Such actions must be carried out with great caution, since if the metal ruptures, this can cause colossal harm to your health!

If you suddenly decide to do it yourself, be sure to draw all the necessary sketches and drawings with dimensions, presumably the same dimensions as they will be in the prefabricated structure.

This maneuver will allow you to have a complete understanding of the future machine and will help you edit all the details in the drawing. Also watch many videos on the Internet on the topic “ How to do devices for cold forging? This will make it possible to have an idea of ​​the complete picture.

And also read some literary works that are devoted to this issue. How to make You should also study this or that part, as well as what material it should be made of. Once you know for sure what's what, you can easily make a machine with your own hands!

Below are three videos dedicated to individual parts of the mechanical assembly, without the use of high temperatures:

Device "Houndstooth" video

Device "Twister" video

Device "Snail" video

One way to decorate areas is to use forged items. Fences, benches, gazebos, stair railings and other similar structures look very decorative. Moreover, in most cases, these products are not forging in its traditional sense. Most often, this is done not in a forge or with a hammer and an anvil, but with the help of some devices that allow you to create a wide variety of patterns and products from metal strips and square rods. To make such products, you will need cold forging machines. Some of them you can make with your own hands, others are easier to buy.

Fences, railings for stairs and balconies can also be made with your own hands. Railings for a porch are a decoration, and not a purely utilitarian device.

What kind of devices are used?

Cold forging is characterized by various curls, bends, twisted rods, etc. Almost every type is made on a separate device - a specific machine. Their drive may be manual, or perhaps electric. For small volumes “for yourself”, manual cold forging machines are used. Although they are not particularly productive, they are much easier to manufacture. If it is necessary to put production on stream, similar devices are made, but with electric motors. In this case, there is almost no need to physically work, but the complexity of making the device increases significantly. In our material we will talk about manual machines for cold forging.

What devices are used:

For a beginning craftsman, the most relevant machine for cold forging is a snail. Only with its help you can make many interesting things - from a fence and gate to a bench and other similar products. In second place in terms of necessity is a torsion bar machine. It adds variety to the details. All the rest can be purchased or made as you improve and gain skill.

Homemade “Snails”

Essentially this is a modernized one), but these improvements make it easy to make curls from fairly thick rods (up to 10-12 mm cross-section) and repeat them with a high degree of accuracy.

These cold forging machines have several designs, but the easiest to implement is the one with a round table, which has a central leg. A lever with rollers on bearings at the end is movably attached to the leg. They make the bending process easier.

The table surface can be made of steel sheet with a thickness of 10 mm or more. For the leg, you can use any thick-walled round pipe. It is important to make the structure stable, since lateral forces will be applied, so side posts, spacers, and a stable base are needed.

Drawing of a cold forging machine “Snail”

It is easier to make a lever from a square pipe with a thick wall - at least 2-3 mm. The cross-section of the pipe is 25*40 mm or so. The lever can be attached to the leg using a bearing, or you can simply take a small piece of thick-walled pipe with a larger diameter, put it on the leg, and weld a stop strip on the bottom so that the lever does not fall down. The option with a bearing gives easier movement, but if there is lubrication, the second option also works.

The shape of the lever is also important. The lever is double, the upper part is working, the lower part is supporting. Wherever there are connections, it is advisable to add reinforcement, since the efforts are significant.

A mandrel or jig is fixed on the table - the shape along which the curls are bent. They are made in different diameters so that you can make curls of different diameters. Such mandrels can be prefabricated to form a larger number of bends. Each such sample must have rods that are installed in holes in the table. This is how this template is fixed. Also, its shape must be designed in such a way that the end of the rod is well fixed in it.

Often, mandrels are machined from a metal circle of a suitable diameter using a grinder, but there are options made of metal with steel plates welded onto it, curved accordingly.

How to make a similar machine for cold forging is in the next video. There is also a good description of how to bring the ends of the workpiece to a decent condition - ordinary raw edges look very rough. There is special equipment for processing them, but, as it turns out, you can do it without it.

Torsion bar machine

As already mentioned, these cold forging machines allow you to make longitudinal bends on the rod. This is a relatively simple design. The main task is to fix one end of the rod motionless, attach a lever to the second, with which you can twist the workpiece.

A piece of profiled pipe with a thick wall (at least 3 mm) is suitable as a base. The retainer can be welded from the same rods, leaving a square gap of the required diameter. You can use a properly sized cable clamp (available at a rigging store). Any of these stops is welded to the base.

Cable holder - excellent rod clamp

Next, you need to somehow ensure grip and torsion of the second part of the workpiece. This can be done using two bearing units. A pipe of a suitable diameter is inserted inside, and a handle is welded to it on one side - the design resembles the letter “T”. On the other hand, a clamp is made in the pipe: four holes are drilled, nuts for 12 or 14 bolts are welded into them. The result is a good clamp - the bolts are tightened after the rod has been inserted.

An even simpler machine for making torsion bars using cold forging is in the next video.

Video about homemade devices and machines for cold forging

One can only envy a person who is partial to forged products. He has everything you need to realize the most daring design projects. Devices for making cold forging elements can be purchased ready-made or made with your own hands, but in one case or another, you can be sure that working with them will be convenient and easy. In this case, great physical strength is not required; all that is needed is to press the necessary buttons and turn special levers in a timely manner.

The only thing to remember is that cold forging requires strict rules and consistency. In other words, cold forging is a step-by-step technological process in which metal blanks are deformed, depending on the desired project. To have a better understanding of this work, you need to understand what types of forging there are, what the popular forged elements are called, and what it looks like to make forged products with your own hands.

In the manufacture of metal products, 7 types of cold forging can be distinguished. These are a kind of stages of creating elements that need to be performed when working with blanks.

All work must be carried out in accordance with the requirements and rules, otherwise you should not hope to receive a beautiful forged product.

The most important stage is forging metal blanks. This is the largest, most responsible, complex and serious process, so you need to treat it very carefully. Cold forging can be of several types:

• Upsetting - it is performed under high pressure. This is necessary in order to increase the workpiece on the sides by reducing its height.
• Broaching - this stage is performed by heating a metal part and then hammering it. This is necessary in order to reduce the cross-sectional area by increasing the length of the metal rod.
• Firmware - this stage involves making holes inside the workpiece. When doing this work, you can get holes of different diameters and lengths. It can be open or closed.

Upsetting and broaching makes the structure of the metal workpiece more fragile, so further work must be carried out very carefully to prevent breakage of one or another part of the structure.

Cold forging devices

The production of forged products using the cold method involves the use of several devices or machines. As mentioned above, you can purchase them or make them yourself, but first, let's figure out what parts can be obtained using various machines.

For products made by hand, you will have to make special templates that allow you to create elements of various shapes and sizes.

You can see how to work with the snail mechanism in the following video:

• Universal mechanism - it allows you to perform several functions, cutting, riveting and forming metal products. By the way, such a device can easily be assembled with your own hands, which will significantly save your budget.
• Gnutik - this mechanism allows you to create arc deformation of a metal part. But here you need to carry out accurate calculations and measurements so as not to make a mistake with the bending radius.
• Twister - the mechanism of this plan allows you to bend the workpiece along the longitudinal axis of the finished product. The principle of operation of such a mechanism is to bend the product by clamping it on one side and the other. In this case, the rotating handle will allow you to twist the part.
• Wave - a mechanism of this type makes it possible to obtain wave-like parts from metal blanks. It is customary to produce “Boyarskie” or “Volna” gratings on such a machine.
• Stamp press - the name speaks for itself. This mechanism allows stamps with various carved elements to be applied to metal parts. Each master should have several such stamps in his arsenal, then the finished products will be more diverse. The principle of its operation is very simple; under the influence of pressure, clear imprints from the templates are left on the metal elements.
• Mechanical unit - this mechanism allows you to bend metal rods into a circle. However, the diameter of such products may vary. Therefore, such a device is indispensable in the arsenal of masters.

Do-it-yourself cold forging, step-by-step instructions and expert advice

Oddly enough, but forged products can be made even at home. Of course, they will not be as elaborate as hot-made elements, but they have no equal as a decorative design. All you need is a few tools described above, materials and most importantly, desire. The rest is compliance with technology.

The manufacturing process consists of several stages:

When starting work, check your calculations again; even a small error can spoil the appearance of the finished product, not to mention the fact that it may not fit the intended composition. Correcting and adjusting finished parts is always more difficult; it is much easier to check everything several times.

After making all the parts, you can begin to assemble the intended composition. It is better to use welding for fastening, but you should not overdo it, so as not to damage smaller elements.

The final stage will be the processing of the finished product, which involves sanding and painting the finished composition.

If you have taken up the production of cold forged elements, then you have probably studied the price market and assessed your financial capabilities. If not, then first pay attention to the cost of materials, necessary equipment and methods of processing the finished product. But in any case, a handmade product is worth all the costs. And you can reduce them using equipment if you make it yourself.

Forged products in architecture and interior design have been highly popular for a long time. Grilles for windows and fireplaces, fences or staircase balusters forged from metal always look elegant and attractive. Today, despite modern technologies in metal processing, hand-forged metal products are more popular than ever. Of course, forging metal with your own hands is not an easy task, and without proper preparation it is difficult to make a beautiful forged product. But those who want to master this ancient craft and are ready for hard physical work will have to become familiar with the types and technology of forging metal, understand the metals for forging, understand the forging process and be able to handle the blacksmith's tools.

Metal forging

Metal forging is the process of processing a metal workpiece to give it a specific shape and size. There are actually two types of forging - cold and hot. When performing hand forging of metal, it is necessary to understand both types of forging, since each has its own advantages and disadvantages.

During the hot forging process, the workpiece is heated to a certain temperature, at which the metal loses its strength and becomes ductile. High ductility is the main advantage of hot forging. It allows you to easily give a metal workpiece a certain shape and size. Hot forging also allows you to use most of the forging technologies itself, which has a beneficial effect on the variety of work options.

But heating metal also has its drawbacks. First of all, this is the need to equip a special forge and the cost of fuel for it. This can be a real problem for those who want to do hot forging of metal with their own hands in an urban environment. In addition, working with fire is quite a dangerous activity and requires increased fire safety. Another factor that can significantly influence the choice of forging type is specific knowledge of temperature conditions for forging metal.

Unlike hot forging, cold forging of metal does not require a furnace to heat the metal. The whole point of cold forging is to shape a metal workpiece by bending it, pressing it and welding it. Cold forging is somewhat simpler to perform, and it does not require much space to set up a workshop. The entire process of creating the finished product does not require the use of high temperatures, which has a very positive effect on overall safety.

But cold forging has one significant drawback. All work has to be done with certain semi-finished products without the opportunity to correct your mistake. Of course, this does not apply to all cold forging work, but in most cases, a damaged workpiece is only suitable for scrap metal or a teaching aid.

In any case, regardless of the type of forging, you will have to become quite familiar with a number of important points. Firstly, this concerns metals and temperature conditions for their melting and forging. Secondly, you need to know and understand metal forging technologies. Below we will look at what technological techniques are used for forging and how they are used in work.

Metal for forging

Hand forging metal is a rather labor-intensive and complex task that requires the use of certain metals, or rather, metals with certain characteristics. For manual cold or hot forging, the most important characteristic is the plasticity of the metal, because the simplicity and convenience of changing the shape of the workpiece depends on it. But it is worth noting that the ductility and strength of a metal are interrelated. When one of these characteristics increases, the second decreases. Therefore, it is so important to understand the characteristics of the metal and know about the composition of the workpiece.

Important! There are other equally important characteristics of metals. But since we are considering forging decorative products such as fireplace grates, balusters, fences, etc., there is no need to focus on wear resistance, red resistance, etc., as well as on alloying elements.

The following metals are used for decorative forging: copper, brass, duralumin, steel, as well as other copper, magnesium, aluminum and nickel alloys. Essentially, hand forging uses a soft, malleable metal that can be easily bent or shaped into a specific shape. In order to select the lightest malleable metal, you need to look into the Steel and Alloys Brand. In it you can find a detailed description of all metals and alloys with their characteristics and composition.

Despite the fact that the most malleable metal is copper and its alloys, craftsmen prefer to use ferrous metals for cold and hot forging. This position is due to the high cost of non-ferrous metals. After all, the price of forging metal largely depends on the cost of the original workpiece, and not everyone can afford to purchase a fence or balusters made of copper. When choosing a soft ferrous metal for forging, you need to focus on steel with a minimum carbon content, about 0.25%. And also with a minimum amount of harmful impurities, such as chromium, molybdenum, sulfur and phosphorus. In addition, structural and tool steels with a high carbon content of 0.2% to 1.35% should be avoided. Such steels are the least ductile and difficult to weld.

When choosing a particular metal, you must use a Steel and Alloy Marker. But if you don’t have access to it, you can use the tables below to determine the carbon content in steel. The determination process itself is quite simple, just bring the workpiece to a working sharpener and look at the sheaf of sparks, and then compare it with the indicators in the table.

Today, thanks to the industrial production of metal, there is no need to create blanks for forging with your own hands. Modern forges use ready-made factory products for cold forging. The most commonly used workpiece sizes are the following: 30x45 mm, 40x45 mm, 10x10 mm, 12x12 mm, rods with a section of 10 mm, 12 mm, 16 mm, 25 mm, 30 mm, 50 mm, sheet metal with a thickness of 3.5 to 6 mm, round pipes 1/2", 3/4", 1", profile pipes from 20x20 mm to 30x30 mm.

Metal forging tool

Carrying out any metal forging work is impossible without a special tool. Blacksmith equipment for hot forging is quite diverse and includes an anvil, forge, various hammers, tongs, etc. The cold forging tool is somewhat simpler and consists of several special machines. Of course, modern tools such as welding machine, grinder and grinder are used in both cold and hot forging. Knowing the purpose of a particular tool, you can perform any work correctly.

Hot Forging Tool

• Horn. There is no way to do without it in hot forging. After all, it is in it that the workpiece can be heated to a temperature of 1400 °C. For the most part, the forge is a furnace designed for high temperatures and with blowing.
• Anvil. This tool is the support on which forging is performed. The anvil itself has several types, among which the most popular is the two-horned anvil weighing 200 kg. But the weight can vary from 150 to 350 kg.

• Shperak. When performing various artistic and decorative forgings, it is shperaks that are used. They have many different types, and each master can make them for himself. A common feature of any shperak is that they are inserted into a square hole in an anvil or secured into a wooden log. The photo below shows the most common shperaks.

• Sledgehammer And Handbrake. This is the main tool of a blacksmith. The sledgehammer weighs from 4 to 8 kg and is used to deliver strong blows. Depending on the type of work and the thickness of the workpiece, the weight of the sledgehammer is selected. The handbrake weighs from 0.5 to 2 kg. Used to give the final shape to the product.
• Ticks. Mining pliers are the second most important tool. Without them, it is impossible to hold a hot workpiece for processing. There are several types of forge tongs for a specific profile and size of the workpiece. The photo below shows forge tongs of various shapes.

• Shaped hammers. When performing artistic forging, it is necessary to create curved blanks or blanks of a certain shape. For this purpose, shaped hammers are used. They can be either lower, on which processing is carried out, or upper. There are many options for shaped hammers and each master has his own. The photo below shows the main auxiliary tool.

In addition to those described above, various measuring instruments are used, such as a conventional roulette,double calipers, blacksmith's square, templates And calibers. The choice of blacksmith tools is huge, it seems difficult to list them all, so each master has his own set of only necessary and frequently used tools.

Cold forging tool

• Gnutik(photo below). This is a basic cold forging tool. As the name suggests, it allows you to bend a metal workpiece at a certain angle. In addition, the bend allows you to create arc elements of a certain radius.

• Snail. The name speaks for itself. Using a snail you can create various spiral-shaped decorative elements. The spiral is made according to a specific pattern, which, if necessary, can be changed to another one with a smaller or larger radius.

• Flashlight. This machine is designed to create a decorative element of the same name.

• Wave. Allows you to create wavy elements. When pulling a rod through this machine, the output is a beautiful sinusoidal workpiece.

• Twister. According to the principle of operation, this machine is similar to the Flashlight, but unlike it, the twister only twists the workpiece along the axis.

• Ring machine. As with all previous machines, the name speaks for itself.

In addition to those described above, there are also universal machines for riveting, cutting, crimping and adding volume. All of the machines described above can be made either independently or purchased in a store. Of course, homemade devices for cold forging will be somewhat inferior in quality to factory ones, but this is compensated by the uniqueness of the elements created with their help. For the manufacture of cold forging machines, drawings can be found both in the public domain and purchased from specialists.

Important! Cold forging machines can be manual or equipped with electric motors. Despite the presence of transmission gears, manual cold forging is quite labor-intensive and time-consuming, and to obtain large volumes of forged elements, it is better to equip the machine with an electric motor.

Separately, it is worth noting industrial machines for cold forging. Prices for similar cold forging machines are about 6,000 USD, but one such machine can perform almost all technological operations of cold forging. An example is the Master 2 machine from MAN. In the video demonstrating cold forging you can see the capabilities of this machine.

DIY metal forging

During the forging process, various forging techniques and methods are used to give the workpiece a specific shape. To perform each of them, a certain technology and tool for forging metal are used. The technology of forging metal using hot and cold methods is significantly different. As already noted, hot forging requires heating the workpiece to change its shape, while cold forging only bends the workpiece. Based on this, the main technological techniques are highlighted, knowing which you can safely take on forging metal with your own hands.

DIY cold forging of metal

Doing cold forging with your own hands is quite easy and does not require much effort. All work is divided into several stages: creating a sketch or drawing of the future product, purchasing materials and the process of metal forging itself.

The drawing can be created in a special computer program, purchased ready-made, or drawn by hand. You can find drawings for cold forging for free. To do this, just contact the craftsmen who have been forging for several years and ask for one or two drawings for training. Essentially, the drawing serves several purposes. Firstly, to know which elements will need to be produced by cold forging. Secondly, having such a project in hand, you can calculate the number and type of metal blanks, such as rods, profile pipes, etc. Thirdly, a drawing will be required to assemble all the elements into a single whole.

Separately, it is necessary to consider the cold forging elements that make up the project. Today you can find quite a lot of different forged elements, but they can all be combined into several classic groups.

• Paws. This element is the end of a metal rod rolled out in some form. This group includes the so-called Peaks. Despite the pointed end, the Peaks are made using similar technology.

• Curls. This group includes several common elements: volute, red and snail. Volute or Baranka It is a rod whose ends are bent in one direction. Chervonka- a rod whose ends are bent in different directions. This element is sometimes called the "dollar" because of its similarity to the American currency sign. Comma or Snail- a simple curl, one end of which is curved and the other straight.

• Rings. This element is created quite simply: a rod of round or square cross-section is wound onto a machine blank, the result is a spring, which is then cut into separate rings.

• Torsion. This element is quite easy to recognize by its screw twist along the axis. There are quite a few options for torsion bars, and one of the most common is an element such as a Flashlight, as well as a simple helical rod for a lattice or fence.

The entire process of manufacturing cold forging elements is based on the following generally accepted forging technologies - bending, twisting, drawing.

Hood is a technology that involves increasing the length of a workpiece by reducing its cross-section. In cold forging, one of the drawing options is used - rolling. It is with its help that various paws and peaks are created. To create the paws, a special rolling machine is used. The end of the workpiece is brought in and then the rolling mechanism is started, as a result the end is flattened with or without relief. A pressing machine is used to make peaks. The procedure is the same, but the end result is rolled out and pressed into a certain shape.

Bending. This forging technology involves bending the ends or another part of the workpiece at a certain angle. The bending itself is performed on almost all cold forging machines. The bending process can be observed during the manufacture of the workpiece on the Snail machine. First, the end of the workpiece is placed inside a special template and then bent at a certain angle. These works are performed on the Ulitka machine.

Twisting. This forging technology involves twisting the workpiece along its axis. In cold forging, this process can be observed when using a Twister machine, on which various torsion bars are created. To do this, one end of the workpiece is placed in a vice, and the other end is rotated along the axis. The Flashlight element is worth highlighting separately. For it, two or more rods are used, which are first twisted along the axis, and then compressed along the axis, as a result of which the rods diverge to the sides in a certain place.

Assembling all elements into a single structure performed by welding on a special assembly table. Today, a welding machine is publicly available and is a must-have tool for modern blacksmiths. Homemade cold forging is quite common among novice craftsmen and private entrepreneurs. It does not require special knowledge, skills or large premises for work.

DIY cold forging: video tutorial

Do-it-yourself hot metal forging

Compared to cold forging, manual hot forging is much more difficult and requires the master to have experience in handling the tool and good physical fitness. The work is carried out in several stages: creating a sketch or drawing, purchasing materials and forging.

Essentially, the difference between hot and cold forging lies in the technological processes used to process the metal. Firstly, this concerns the processing method. Secondly, almost any metal blank can be used for hot forging. But for convenience, it is customary to use ready-made rods of square and round cross-section. Thirdly, in artistic hot forging there are no frames for the elements of the finished product. Of course, you can stick to creating classic forging elements - curls, paws, peaks and others, but hot forging allows you to use the full potential of the master’s imagination, which opens up unlimited possibilities. All hot forged metal products are created using the following metal processing technologies: upsetting, drawing, bending, twisting, cutting, pattern incision and relief printing.

Draft used in metal forging to increase the cross-section of the entire workpiece or part of it. When forging, depending on the need, complete or local heating of the workpiece is carried out for upsetting.

Hood consists of increasing the length of the workpiece by reducing its cross-section. This can be done either by striking with a sledgehammer or handbrake, or by rolling out metal between the shafts on a machine. Unlike cold forging, creating peaks using drawing requires precise and careful blows.

Bending. This operation is performed to give the workpiece a curved shape. It should be taken into account that bending thick workpieces can lead to their distortion and it is necessary to perform upsetting to give the original shape. For bending workpieces, various shperaks, anvil horns, shaped hammers and jigs are used.

Twisting. This forging technology involves twisting the workpiece along its axis. As in cold forging, the workpiece is clamped in a vice and rotated. But unlike cold forging, the workpiece can be heated locally, which makes it possible to easily do local twisting.

Forging technologies such as cutting, pattern cutting And relief padding used in artistic forging using chisels. The edges of hot blanks, depending on the project, are cut and twisted using pliers. Also, while the workpiece is hot, a different pattern is printed on its surface.

When hot forging metal, it is important to know the heating temperature conditions. This will help process the metal more efficiently. Forging of ferrous metal is performed at 800 - 1250 °C. Of course, it will be impossible to measure a hot workpiece with a thermometer, and to determine the temperature you will have to rely on its color. The table below shows the temperature and color of ferrous metal workpiece.

Hot metal forging: video tutorial

Forging metal with your own hands is quite an exciting business that requires constant improvement. This applies primarily to the creation of various artistic and decorative elements. Those who have just started forging will have to work hard to ensure that their work has an ideal shape and high quality.

Let's look at the types of devices and the figures 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 device "Gnutik" - 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 1. 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 - driving 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 fastening 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.

Option with a massive base on a support:

Video 2. Making the base

Video 3. Making a snail

Video 4. Machine operation

Tabletop option:

Video 5. Part 1

Video 5. Part 2

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 6. Working 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.

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

Video 7. 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

Video 8. 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 “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.

Video 9. Machine for making crow's feet

Video 10. Devices for forging crow's feet

Video 11. 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 snail 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 workpiece 30 mm thick - 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 life-size sketch of the future structure. This will help you adjust the elements and not get confused during assembly.