It will begin in about 7 hours, so I thought we would need to be sure that our equipment would be in top form when we go to the battlefield. 'There you are I was wondering when you would come Today is the day of the Wave, isnt it' EMIYA nodded. I think the biggest rings we have rung out under this hammer has been about 450mm OD and about 320id x 180 thick. The blacksmiths face brightened immediately when the Sword Hero and his party pushed open the shop entrance.
If we need to make bigger rings can use bigger podgers to get the height, and we also have other ringing tools that we can use but they require removal of the bottom block. The hammer is driven in drive, not single blow, driving with a dead blow takes some practice and is easier with the bigger hammers as they are slower, but it is possible with a 5cwt. The rings are rotated by turning the arms on the podger while the hammer is hitting, it is preferable to drive with a dead blow. As can be seen both saddle tools ustilise a rectangle plate which has pegs going into the plate around the hammer die to locate the saddle and keep it under the hammer. Took some photos of the ringing tools we use under the 5cwt Massey. I will be more expensive that the ring rolling shop but I will have a shorter lead time than the 8-10 weeks that is apparently common. One of these days when things are quiet I will forge and machine a set of v blocks to go in the top of this tool, so that I am ready if one of those rush jobs comes through.
I think that the shops that specialize in rings have that market fairly sewed up but I did have a machine shop that once asked me about forging rings because many of the ring rolling shops have a fairly long lead time. When I made it I thought of the possibility of making a set of matched v blocks that could be clamped in there for making rings or other mandrel work. But I have used a round bar laid across the top to forge the inside of a tight bend. I built this for a different job so I could put a bolster across the top. I have a piece of 4" plate flame cut in a u shape that I machined a dovetail on the bottom, I then welded some 3/4" thick flatbar on the top and bent it in making a dovetail with set screws in the back.