One of the best things about blacksmithing is the ability to make all kinds of tools that are a big help when it comes to working at the forge and at the anvil. And this is a short tutorial on making a neat little spring clamp that fits in the pritchett hole of the anvil. It is quite simple but it works terrific and it is just two pieces of metal. You can either use a welder to weld it together or you can crank up the forge and forge weld the pieces together.

The following picture shows the home made pritchel hole clamp.

We have one piece of rebar and one piece of steel that are welded together. Having the big bend in the steel enables you to push down on it and clamp an item in place. This pushing also locks it into the Pritchel hole. To release it you just need to tap up on the bottom of the rebar. I don't give any exact dimensions in this tutorial because it will depend on the size of your anvil and the size of the scrap metal you have. I simply recommend you make it reach about to the center of your anvil working surface.

And the only real thing to look our for is to be sure the cylindrical piece that goes through the Pritchel hole is not too snug a fit. You need a loose fit in order for it to clamp well.

The following picture shows it in action.

Make Nail Swords - Fun little project where you turn duplex nails into miniature swords. Make Nail swords

Forge a Medieval Great Helm - This is an interesting medieval armor project. I show you the process step by step. Note though that the helmet project isn't complete yet. I am waiting on some rivets to arrive so I can button it up and finish it. But you can check it out here: Make a Medi eval Great Helm

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