Does anyone sell punch tongs for riveted maille?

Armourkris · Post by **Armourkris** » Tue Jan 26, 2010 8:10 pm

I'd really like to have the ability to make my own riveted rings, however, all my attempts at making punch tongs aren't working out so well so far

SO, is there anyone out there making punch tongs? and what sort of price range am i looking at?

my online searching has turned up a bunch of tutorials on making riveted maille, the tutorial for making punch tongs on arador (which seems to be missing a page) and one site that sold entire kits, but only in kit form.

losthelm · Post by **losthelm** » Tue Jan 26, 2010 11:58 pm

www.theringlord.com has them listed but the stock leavle o.
They might have more on order or it could be a discontinued item.

Kurttupeiko · Post by **Kurttupeiko** » Wed Jan 27, 2010 4:13 am

It is discontinued, asked them some time ago. Still searching one for myself too.

aj.davis1974 · Post by **aj.davis1974** » Wed Jan 27, 2010 10:50 am

removed

Pekka · Post by **Pekka** » Wed Jan 27, 2010 5:51 pm

How about joining a Yahoo-group:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rivetedmaille/
You need to join the club to see all the albums, but I think that it's worth of it.
Kurttupeiko(peikko?); I may still have some semi-finished pliers hanging around somewhere, for what kind of pliers you were looking after ?

Steve S. · Post by **Steve S.** » Wed Jan 27, 2010 6:30 pm

Are you looking at making wedge-riveted or round-riveted maille?

If wedge, you can easily make a hand punch from a masonry nail and a drill a 1/16" diameter hole in a block of steel.

If you want to mount them in tongs you will need a blowtorch, a bench grinder, and a drill press.

Steve

Armourkris · Post by **Armourkris** » Wed Jan 27, 2010 6:58 pm

I'd prefer round rivets, but wedge is also fine by me. all the rings I've used so far have been wedge riveted.

All I'm looking for are punch tongs, i have set tongs already and i can flatten my own rings without much trouble.

Pekka, I'm joining that group right now.

Lord_Wolf · Post by **Lord_Wolf** » Thu Jan 28, 2010 10:53 am

Historic Enterprises

http://historicenterprises.biz/mail-riv ... th=101_141

Johann Lederer · Post by **Johann Lederer** » Thu Jan 28, 2010 12:33 pm

I believe those are for setting rivets, not punching the slits.

BTW, here are a few tutorials:
http://www.mailleartisans.org/articles/ ... i?key=9868

http://www.arador.com/construction/forth2.html

Andeerz · Post by **Andeerz** » Fri May 14, 2010 4:22 pm

W00t! Necro-post!

Anyway, I wish to ask the same question:

Anyone sell punching tongs? I just plain do not have the tools to make 'em.

Armourkris · Post by **Armourkris** » Fri May 14, 2010 8:29 pm

What I ended up doing was buying a few 1/16" bits for my Whitney knockoff punch. I'm planning on trying to modify one of the worn ones into a drift to see if i can pierce the rings, but for now I'm happy with punched holes.

Ogedei · Post by **Ogedei** » Fri May 14, 2010 9:40 pm

Where did you get the knock off and where did you get bits for it?

Ogedei

losthelm · Post by **losthelm** » Fri May 14, 2010 11:00 pm

I think harbor freight is the only knock off dealer.

Ogedei · Post by **Ogedei** » Sat May 15, 2010 12:50 am

I know I didn't get mine there.

losthelm · Post by **losthelm** » Sat May 15, 2010 9:18 am

They may have a different distributor in Canada.

Andeerz · Post by **Andeerz** » Mon May 17, 2010 2:23 pm

Would it be worth the money to buy an actual Whitney punch and modify some el-cheapo bits into drifts?

Armourkris · Post by **Armourkris** » Mon May 17, 2010 3:49 pm

I bought my knockoff from Princess auto, KMS tools also carries one, but i found the princess auto one was half the price and works better.
the bits I originally tried to get them from Roper Whitney, but they don't deal with us Canadians. Instead they pointed me to Brennen tools, their Canadian distributor. the punches and dies are each about $6 and they have a $30 minimum order.

Andeerz · Post by **Andeerz** » Mon May 17, 2010 4:12 pm

Thanks for the info!

Jason Grimes · Post by **Jason Grimes** » Mon May 17, 2010 4:32 pm

I would not buy one from TheRingLord, at least until they change the design. I bought a pair and they did not work well at all. The biggest problem with them is that they were made from a pair of adjustable pliers, that made them so sloppy that it was almost guaranteed that you would break the bit. And they would also slip out of alignment all the time and were just a general pain to use.

I ended up throwing mine away.