Forging fly press weights...

[Larry L]

I bought a deep #6 Norton fly press from Jake James last week but it was missing the two counterweight balls.... So I figured the reasonable thing to do was forge me up a couple

I first had to make a set of swages... and then I didnt have any stock the right size so I had to upset some 3.5" to make slugs big enough to make 5" balls..

I made an extra swage that I am going to use as a bolster for drifting the tapered square hole

In hind sight maybe I should have just found some lead weights... it was a lot of work for a couple weights...

Now I have the tooling though, Just about everyone of the fly presses that Jake brought in are missing at least one ball.... So anyone need weights I know a guy

[Eric Sprado]

How much do the forged balls weigh Larry?

[John Bellamy]

You need Balls ?

Why not just use large round or square stock and punch or drill and drift for the mounting hole, It's the weight you need, not the aerodynamic shape

[Larry L]

Has nothing to do with "need". Has to do with want. It is suppose to have balls, I can make balls. It's getting balls, Will it work better than a square weight? Of course not but I'll be happier using it because it's. "right" in my eyes....

[Larry L]

How much do the forged balls weigh Larry?

20 pounds each

[Dave Hammer]

Besides..... It's fun to make balls..... and tools to make balls...

[Lewis]

Hmmm, I was gonna use the bowling ball I found in the alley. Sounds tempting.

[Grant]

Well, can I express my opinion? (Like I ever hesitated before). I think I would have made the dies a little large so they smoothed up the balls with no flash. Or most likely would have done them free-hand and make em faceted balls. JMHO

[Wayne Coe]

Square Balls? I think you better have 'em round. Them thangs will come around and hit you in the haid when you aren't expecting it. I don't think you want to get hit with the corner of a square weight. But then again,,,,I don't think you want to get hit with a round one either.

[Grant]

Here's some shapes that can be done with flat dies:
The third one is what you get when you knock the corners down on a cube.