AR. Hillbilly Posted May 30, 2015 Share Posted May 30, 2015 I made my first tongs last night. I made them out of some old 1/2" rebar. I found this rebar in an old dump. I don't know how old it is but it looked different than modern rebar. It seemed to work easier than the rebar I've been messing with. I did cheat and used a file on the pivot area to keep things flat and so they would pivot easy. I built them off of a video I have saved. I had a hard time keeping the first and second step square to each other. I had to put one in a vise and twist it a bit to get it square. They could be much better but they turned out better than I thought they would. I plan to do this again but I want to know what steel is best. I was wondering if cold rolled from the steel yard would work well??? I'll try to show pics as soon as I learn how. I also made a bending jig for some coat hooks I've been making. I don't know if the jig is cheating but it helps me make them faster and better. One more question. How long should I leave the rivit stick out on each side before I pean it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arkie Posted May 30, 2015 Share Posted May 30, 2015 AR, you can use plain old A36, mild steel, rod or square bar for general tongs. You can quench them if they get too hot in the fire (I never leave mine in a fire) and will suffer no ill effects. Some who use higher carbon steel might see unwanted results if you quench them in your slack tub. Size of the parent stock depends on the size of jaws, boss and neck you want. Some use anywhere from 1/2" square bar (or even round bar) up to 3/4", some use bar such as 1/4" x 3/4" or 3/8" x 3/4" (or 1"). Check the many youtubes for dimensions they use for the type of tong you want. Also here, on IFI, there are myriads of tong making ideas. For a 3/8" rivet, I leave about 3/8" sticking out on each side, some smiths might use differing amounts. I seldom use 1/4" rivets except for small tongs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lawman Posted May 30, 2015 Share Posted May 30, 2015 on the hooks, if it works....its not cheating.Its good practice to learn how to do it over the horn of an anvil......but there is no shame in getting the job done with whatever works good for you.I use my jig all the time but there will be times when using the horn or a cone will be more versatile. As far as the tongs...your ahead of me, I've yet to make my first pair......it on my things to do list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arkie Posted May 30, 2015 Share Posted May 30, 2015 AR, BTW, don't get discouraged on your first set of tongs. You will probably make several before you are satisfied with one. It's all in refining your skills, one by one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 30, 2015 Share Posted May 30, 2015 AR: It's NOT cheating to use a file or twist to adjust, that my friend is blacksmithing. Hang onto your first few projects so you can look back and compare to your future work and be able to lay hands on improvements in your skills. Really it makes a person feel good to see and feel personal improvement.Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AR. Hillbilly Posted May 30, 2015 Author Share Posted May 30, 2015 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted May 30, 2015 Share Posted May 30, 2015 Not bad for light tongs, jump up to 3/4" square or 3/8x1" for more meat in the pin boss. (Welded on reighns look good at that point, lol) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arkie Posted May 30, 2015 Share Posted May 30, 2015 Pretty good for your first tongs. Onward and upward!!! As Frosty said, hang on to your first project, tongs in this case. We had a new member in our group who didn't have any tongs, so I gave him an older tong I had in my bucket...got home and realized it was my first tongs I had put in the bucket for some reason...oh, well, at least the fella now has some tongs he can use to get started."Pay It Forward", as they say these days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wpearson Posted May 30, 2015 Share Posted May 30, 2015 I was wondering if cold rolled from the steel yard would work well???hot rolled is cheaper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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