Here are some tongs I made the other day. Took two hours using a mixture of hand hammer, treadle, and I let my little brother strike some.

They are for holding 1/4 to 1/2 working best with 3/8ths inch round. It will also hold stock perpendicular to the tongs. Forged from two, eight-inch pieces of 5/8ths inch square! 1/4 inch rivit!







Thoughts???

Dave

The jaws look great, I need to make some like that. My preference would have been to draw out and round up the reins a bit more than you did, but they look very functional and that is what counts! Good job!

They look pretty good Dave. How do they work for roasting a hot dog? I especially like the ruler, everyone here should have at least one.

Well done Dave.
Frosty the Lucky.

Looking good although I would draw the reins a bit more. Tongs are both challenging and fun to make.

Looking good Dave, Use 6" long for drawing out to about 18" overall, up to 8" for tongs used in gas forge,

This will reduce the weight but still be strong enough, and make the handles look more in proportion, I think the comments about drawing them out longer is because they look chunky, Chunky's good (I tell myself if I pass a mirror)

You are coming on fine

Nice job. You may want to forge a cross way shape into the jaw if you find you need to hold stuff sideways all the time.

Look way better than any tongs I have made so far, but I am sure you get more forge time than me.

Phil

I've made four or five other pair in four years so you couldn't exactly say I was expert at it!

I do tend to over-do things a bit. The last pair I had though, tended to bend if I was holding something really tight or if the tong got a little too hot. So this time I went with something quite a bit thicker.

Thanks for the complements!
Dave

order up some 1045, that what some very good professionally made tongs are made from.
Phil

Nice tongs Dave. I like the "mass" of the reins and know what you mean about the lighter ones "giving' a little.

Now, put the guts back in the ice cream freezer and exercise yer blower crankin' arm for something cold and tasty. I'll send you my Mom's Vanilla Ice Cream recipe if you need it. :lol:

"Thoughts?"

Dave,have you burnt/overworked the top jaw,in the first picture?(Sure looks like it,i've a 2-3 sets under the forge with the jaw missing...)?

Just in case,even if i'm wrong,there's no need to transition so abruptly.It's always best to "fillet" the corners(much like the other trades,the reason-stress risers).

Otherwise-solid,workable tongs,should last a while.Good going!