Came across this nice old fireplace grate and I am in the process of turning it into a couple pairs of tongs. It is definitely much harder than mild steel, but exactly what it is I'm not sure. It has a nice spark test. Any of you guys have any guesses?

Arc welded? No telling what from here. If it's a medium C steel it'll make nice tongs. You can forge them thinner and it'll be stiff enough not to deform in heavier use.

 

I really like coil spring for tongs, thin, light and strong. You have to be careful to keep them from getting into the red heat and certainly not quench it in water if you do. Keep them cool or let them cool on the floor.

 

Frosty The Lucky.

Thanks for the reply Frosty. Definitely a medium carbon steel. Half way done with the first set. I'll post pics when finished. I'm having a heck of a time finding any coil springs. And the local scrap yard isn't into selling, just buying. It seems like all the auto shops have their own recycling programs. It makes it tough.

We have a similar problem with scrap yards here, they're all operating under single buyer contract, everything is being crushed, shredded, etc. and loaded in freighters to China. We don't even get to look.

 

Try auto wrecking yards and repair shops. Try making a forged pretty for the office secretary and bringing in a box of donuts for the guys, good PR is important you know. I've often had better luck with the guys in the yard than the office.

 

Still a person can be reduced to buying new stock, Mark, the Metamangler make excellent tongs with 4140. The same rules apply about letting them get too hot and quenching in water. They're thin light and strong enough to provide an excellent grip on the work.

 

Frosty The Lucky.