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I Forge Iron

Vice grips/Mole wrenches


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We were always told that the cracks started at the square corners of the holds and the problem was cured by radiussing them. Incidentally, I was talking about this with a chap who was on the first Liberty ship to return to the US. To express our gratitude for the materiel you so generously sold us, the return cargo consisted of Trilby hats and condoms.

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I've found, as others have said, the quality and wear in them makes a big difference. I've lots of cheap ones that are only good for .. say, weighing down light switches (I like that use, sounds like some of the things I do and I'm married!) Some of the good pairs have got me out of real scrapes with rounded nuts and the like.

Oh, and hello, my first post after a year of lurking :)

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There is a new vise grip available only at Harbor Freight to my knowledge!! What the heck? Anyway- they are a long handled plier with short jaw and they are the cats meow for grabbing something that got dropped in the forge!I bought a few pair for gifts. Can't find them on any USA Made sites...

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There is a new vise grip available only at Harbor Freight to my knowledge!! What the heck? Anyway- they are a long handled plier with short jaw and they are the cats meow for grabbing something that got dropped in the forge!I bought a few pair for gifts. Can't find them on any USA Made sites...

How 'bout a picture? Thanks!
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I personally love vice grips but I came from welding and fabrication and am new to smithing. Perhaps there are better ways when smithing. I have probably 50 pairs of vice grip clamps with all manners of jaws welded to them for holding things like round stock and square stock securely. In fact I was trying to think the other day if blacksmith tongs could be altered to use some vice grip style mechanism without being inconvenient in using them.

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There is a new vise grip available only at Harbor Freight to my knowledge!! What the heck? Anyway- they are a long handled plier with short jaw and they are the cats meow for grabbing something that got dropped in the forge!I bought a few pair for gifts. Can't find them on any USA Made sites...



Would that be these?image_3909.jpg
Link to pliers.

You know, these look like passable tongs - if they can stand up to the pounding. I may get a few and weld in flat jaws, v-jaws, box jaws, ...
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They gotta be available over there.You fellas are closer to China than we are. :rolleyes:


We're closer to you guys than we are to China (I think) but we still don't get some of the goodies that you have. Acorn tables, Hossfeld benders, Beverley shears, blacksmith scaled induction heaters .......
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