Dutchmancreek Posted July 29, 2007 Share Posted July 29, 2007 My wife stopped by my shop this morning on her way to the goat barn and asked me what I was doing. I said I was making tongs. She said I was doing that yesterday morning too (I work in the mornings when it's cool) and didn't I have enough tongs already. I told her she didn't realize that you never have too many, and that making tongs between other projects was good practice. I made four pairs this weekend, and unless something comes up I might start on a pair of scrolling tongs tomorow morning. For some reason I just enjoy forging tongs. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irnsrgn Posted July 29, 2007 Share Posted July 29, 2007 LOL, I guess I am different, after I made my first pair of universal tongs, I only use two different sizes of them and maybe several pair of other tongs now, but of course there are several pair of specialty tongs that don't get used that often also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
primtechsmith Posted July 29, 2007 Share Posted July 29, 2007 I cheat. I buy Tom Tongs from Blacksmith Supply They are the best feeling tongs I have ever used. And the owner of the store is in our guild and only an hour or so away...Service with a smile! And I always heard the guy with the most tongs wins! LOL! Peyton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ted T Posted July 29, 2007 Share Posted July 29, 2007 Steve, I do not believe you can have too many tools. That includes Tongs, Hammers, Chisels, Punches, Hardie Tools, Anvils, Vices, Forges, Swedge Blocks, Bending Tools, Jigs, ……… or a shop big enough ……………………….etc. But you can’t listen to anything I say. I am an official 12-step Tool Junkie! And I don’t want to be cured. I have tools that includes tongs (approximately 30). I have tools that were given to me, some that I have bought new and or used, plus the ones I have made. The tools that mean the most to me are the ones that friends have made for me as a gift or that I bought from them. Tools represent so many things to me that is more than the tools use it’s self, but it is what tools have represented to me over a half century of use. I have seen times when I could not afford a tool I needed. When I finally got the tool, I took care of it so it would take care of me. It was like my life was in the balance, it was, because that is how I made my living. To me a blacksmithing tool represents an icon of history, skill, work ethic, survival, challenge, intelligence, friendship, art, and life as we know it now. I have spent more time with my tools than I have ever spent with my wife and kids. But the tools allowed me a means to put food on the table and shoes on the kids. So maybe I am not so screwed up as my friends think. Or, maybe I am! But it don’t matter what anybody thinks about my tools except me...............………….Oh, and my wife if she will let me have some more! It’s all in fun now. Be safe! Old Rusty Ted Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dutchmancreek Posted July 29, 2007 Author Share Posted July 29, 2007 Ted, My wife doesn't mind...she just thinks it's curious. She says it's better than motorcycles or redheads at my age. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted July 30, 2007 Share Posted July 30, 2007 Ask your wife how many pairs of shoes she has in her closet. Then ask how many pairs she wears. Better yet, don't even go there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Salvati Posted July 30, 2007 Share Posted July 30, 2007 Exactly Glenn! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyler Murch Posted July 30, 2007 Share Posted July 30, 2007 The words "too many" and the word "tongs" can be used together in a sentence only if one is pointing out that one can never have too many tongs. . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dutchmancreek Posted July 30, 2007 Author Share Posted July 30, 2007 Ask your wife how many pairs of shoes she has in her closet. Then ask how many pairs she wears. Better yet, don't even go there. Actually, she cleans out her closet every six months and gets rid of things she doesn't wear so I got nothing to complain about there. She's just curious about the tongs and about all the various hammers, tooling, etc I keep piling up. She even was excited when I came across a super deal on a 300# Hay Budden, even though I already had two anvils. I think the fact that I keep out of the way in the shop and don't bother her in her art room helps a lot. Retirement means having the husband around twice as much. I've seen tongs that would qualify as legitimate folk art regardless of their utility and one of these days I'm going to make some "fancy" ones just for wall hangers (file work, inlays, etc). I got bored last winter and polished all the hammers that hang on the anvil stand so I guess I'm on the way. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pault17 Posted August 3, 2007 Share Posted August 3, 2007 I was looking for supplies at the Blacksmith Supply website and noticed that they have "poz-style tong kits" on sale for $8. you need to finish the reins, form the jaws, and rivet them, but all the major drawing out is apparently done. They ar made from 5/16 stock. not sure if they are mild or not. I ordered two sets to play around with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bear Posted August 3, 2007 Share Posted August 3, 2007 The only way you can have too many tongs is if you don't have any room to work( and even then its questionable).:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted August 4, 2007 Share Posted August 4, 2007 I was looking for supplies at the Blacksmith Supply website and noticed that they have "poz-style tong kits" on sale for $8. you need to finish the reins, form the jaws, and rivet them, but all the major drawing out is apparently done. They ar made from 5/16 stock. not sure if they are mild or not. I ordered two sets to play around with. I just took a peek and it looks like you have to form and offset the jaws, punch the rivet holes and set the rivet. Reins look about finished. I'd say it's a good deal for $8 if you don't have the tools and experience to knock out a pair easily. It takes me long enough to make a set I'd be way ahead buying finished tongs if I were counting my time. One of the guys in the club on the other hand can make a set of tongs in about 15 mins under power hammer and less than half an hour by hand. If nothing else buying a kit would give you a good pattern to copy. Frosty Carpe Extremitas Frigus ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shane Stegmeier Posted August 11, 2007 Share Posted August 11, 2007 Lots of little comments come to mind... ;-) You can't have too many pairs of tongs... unless all you forge is 1/2" square and railroad spike. If you can't hold it securely, you can't hit it safely.! As to Peyton's devotion to Tom Tongs, they are decent, but I prefer tongs like Steve Parker makes, and taught me how to make. Light springy and sweet. In general I like tools that I make myself, or that people I know make. I like Tom a lot, and he is a very good smith, and a sharp businessman, but I like my tongs better (though I would really like to get my pair of Tom Tong scrolling tongs back that got swiped at a hammer in... ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J W Bennett Posted August 11, 2007 Share Posted August 11, 2007 Dutchman, I read your thread and Pault17's post and remembered that the AFC's Best of the Bits #5 had a article on how to make poz tongs so I gave it a go yesterday. I ended up making 4 pair. 1/4", 5/16", 3/8" and 1/2". They have a nice feel to them and I will try them out today and tomorrow. I enjoyed making them and it was good practice. The article shows filing a groove in the jaws to hold stock at a right angle, haven't done that yet-perhaps today. I now have 28 pair of tongs, of those I have made 17 of the pairs. The first pair I made were ugly. As I go along I find I need special tongs more and more. IMHO a smith needs to make tongs from the start so that when he can't buy what he needs he has the ability to make what he needs from his mental image of what he wants. On the other hand I buy tongs at flea markets when I find them even if I don't know what they are for. A use always seems to pop up. Thanks for the thread. It gave me the nudge;) John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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