Glenn Posted December 15, 2011 Share Posted December 15, 2011 Show me your tongs. The idea is to post photos of the tongs (from the rivet and the jaws or working end) so we can either build our own or use yours as a starting point for the tongs we need. A second overall photo is ok too, particularly if the reins are different in some way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason @ MacTalis Ironworks Posted December 15, 2011 Share Posted December 15, 2011 My take on Brian's "Ugly Tongs" they hold everything from 3/16" to 1-1/4" square, round, and especially tapers. This was my first attempt at them, and I will be refining the jaws a little in future iterations. I really had no clue how long to make them, and just eyeballed which resulted in one of them being a little on the thin side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
president of pyromania Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 hey, i'm new to forging and i want to know- can i use channel locks as tongs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francis Trez Cole Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 sure I did for years until I learned to make tongs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan_m Posted December 30, 2011 Share Posted December 30, 2011 hey, i'm new to forging and i want to know- can i use channel locks as tongs? I used vise grips when I was starting out. I think you'll find them more comfortable than channel locks...real tongs are nice because the long handles increase your leverage, making it easy to hold a piece firmly. With vise grips the clamping action does this for you, but channel locks will probably end up tiring out the hand you hold them with before your hammer arm because you'll have to squeeze so hard. Plus they'll chew up the part they are holding. Since the jaws on vise grips are relatively parallel if you're holding smaller stock, you can grind the teeth off and still get a decent grip. You can also grind Vs into the jaws to hold round stock more securely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Private Entrance Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 My first pair of 'real' tongs. I'm planning on rounding and drawing the reins a bit more. I am also going to either tweak the jaws or the reins a bit angle-wise, as when the jaws are fully closed, the handles pass each other completely, which even I know is Other Than Good. I'll use these to make more tongs, and I'm sure each one will be more gooder than the last. Next goal is to get a pair done in one session (about 2 hours). I watched Brian Brazeal's tongs video a couple of times, and the quick and easy tongs video that I found either here or on Anvilfire. I can't turn them out near as quick as the Brian or the guy in the other video, but the explanations were pretty straightforward and really helped me grasp the concepts for when I got to the forge. Made from 3/8" x 3/4" bar stock if anyone is curious. Each side of the tongs started as a 6" long chunk of bar and are now just under 10" long overall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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