The Modern Blacksmith by Alexander Weygers  Copyright  © 1974

Making an Offset Bend in a Bar

     Often offsets must be forged in hinges, door-bolt receptacles, wall hangers & straps that join boards of different thickness and so on. to forge an offset bend, proceed as follows:
Heat the portion of the bar to be offset to yellow hot and place the bar on the cut-off table so that a portion overhangs the table. Fasten the cold part to the anvil with a hold-down tool.
     Place a set-hammer or flatter on the hot overhanging part and using a 4-pound hammer, strike it with one or two heavy blows. This offsets that portion accurately and simply. To increase or decrease the amount of offset or jog, build up the anvil face or cut-off table with plates of various thickness.
     Another method of offsetting is to use a jig, as illustrated, which allows you to shape the piece without using the anvil. Clamp the jig in the vise. Hold the cold section of the bar with tongs and place the hot part in the jig slot. Hammer successively each side of the offset 90 degrees, flush against the jig's side, to complete the offset.
     Next, reheat and true it up by squeezing the whole assembly between the jaws of the vise ( assuming your vise is heavy and strong enough to exert the needed pressure).
     Still another way of offsetting is simply to place the combined jig and heated bar, held together with Visegrip pliers, on the anvil face, and hammer all down into proper alignment.
     Bending an offset in a rod or bar can also be quickly and easily done in specially made bending forks placed in the anvil's hardy hole (see illustration) These forks are designed in a verity of shapes to solve a wide range of bending problems. Heated sections of rods and bars held in the appropriate fork can easily be twisted in this system. But your anvil must be firmly bolted down on a well-anchored wood stump or strong base and the fork must fit snugly in the hardy hole. Additional tuning up is usually needed with hammer and anvil or in vise jaws.