Samuel Yellin: Closed Dies

The historic blacksmith shop of Samuel Yellin, Metalworker was filled with blacksmiths from across Europe. The artistic and process-oriented tool solutions they produced reflects that diversity of training and regional specialties.

From The Artist-Blacksmith Quarterly

Samuel Yellin: Closed Dies

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This type of closed die produces a symmetrical result. It was made by forging the hot die blocks so that they closed togther onto a cold, master form. The dies are then heat-treated and used to form runs of identical parts.

Another version of the closed die. Unlike the acorn die shown above, the forging this die produces is asymmetrical. The hot, developing acorn can be rotated fractions of a turn with each hammer blow to the dies. The 'tulip' form (at right), being asymmetrical, can only be flipped periodically during the die-forging process.

This die set is for forming sheet metal blanks, cold. The blanks would have a center hole in them. There are holes in the die faces for a 1.4" diameter guide pin. The sheet metal blank is positioned onto the pin, which rests in one die's face. The opposite die is aligned by the pin. The dies form a sheet metal flower form in 16-18 gauge sheet metal.

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	This type of closed die produces a symmetrical result. It was made by forging the hot die blocks so that they closed togther onto a cold, master form. The dies are then heat-treated and used to form runs of identical parts.
Another version of the closed die. Unlike the acorn die shown above, the forging this die produces is asymmetrical. The hot, developing acorn can be rotated fractions of a turn with each hammer blow to the dies. The 'tulip' form (at right), being asymmetrical, can only be flipped periodically during the die-forging process.
	This die set is for forming sheet metal blanks, cold. The blanks would have a center hole in them. There are holes in the die faces for a 1.4" diameter guide pin. The sheet metal blank is positioned onto the pin, which rests in one die's face. The opposite die is aligned by the pin. The dies form a sheet metal flower form in 16-18 gauge sheet metal.