I can't imagine what kind of forging one would be doing that would get tongs overheated. They should never be quenched in water over a black heat unless they are forged out of mild steel, then you can pretty much do anything you want to them. I have several pair that iI have made out of oil field sucker rod and numerous other pairs made out of the same material by Shayne Carter, Jay Sharp, Jim Quick, Jim Poor and Jim Keith. They have been quenched thousands of times without any noticible damage. Not trying to sell anything here, but Chad Chance from hoofwatch.com has a fantastic video of Jim Poor making and explaining tongs on DVD for about 40 bucks. Well worth the money. I think there is a trailer on youtube. Just search for Jim Poor tong and you should find it.