Finally got my first pair of tongs done, out of RR spikes. They're the furthest thing from being pretty, but they function. Yeah, I cheated and didn't put a rivet in them, I was having problems in my last attempts with getting a good rivet in. Someone said that tongs aren't really a beginner's first thing to build, and he was on point there.  

 

I'll post a few pics below of a few of my failed rebar tong attempts along with RR spike tongs. Any suggestions on something simple I could work on next would be appreciated, I really don't have anything in particular I want to aim at, other than something that will help me in gaining more knowledge in the craft. I love smashing hot metal though! Got 4 or 5 more spikes, might just get em hot and kinda see where they take me.

Top piece of failed tong was converted into my fire poker

 

Well done. You've not only managed to make a few tools but likely learned a fair bit on the journey. You and your products will only improve. Now go search for more stock.....I think you'll be needing plenty at this rate....!

Not a bad pair of tongs at all, well done. Rebar is a poor choice for stock, especially if you're learning the craft. Rebar is made to performance specs, not analysis so it doesn't matter what's in it so long as it meets minimum spec, say 35,ooolbs/sq in. tensile and nobody cares if it exceeds specs. This means it's made from scrap in a pretty casual way and the potential variances is huge and sometimes over inches. Seriously, 4" of a bar can behave just like mild steel and the next 4" be tool steel, it just depends in where the machine bits happened to fall in the melt.

You'll have enough on your plate  just learning the basic processes of blacksmithing without having to learn how to identify steel type by how it feels under the hammer. Old hand experienced smiths generally think of rebar as a PITA to deal with, usable sure but a PITA.

My advice to you is just go buy some new steel, 3/8" sq. and 1/2" rd. hot rolled are excellent size to learn on. 3/8" sq. and 1/2" rd. are close enough to the same weight per linear foot as to be the same. I usually start folk out on sq. as it makes it much easier to to turn it 1/4 turn between blows. Doing the turn between blows when possible is a highly efficient way to draw steel down. More later if you're curious but Brain Brazeal explains it much better than I.

RR spikes are good quality low carbon steel but the head makes them hard to hold onto and the heads pose a problem to forge down for the beginner. They're prone to cold shuts unless you're careful. Good stock for tongs runs around 5/8" sq. same as spikes, or IIRC 3/8" x 3/4" (?) I'm not sure.

5/16" rd. is good rivet stock and a stick is plenty of stock for many basic projects, a little forging and it turns right into 1/4" sq.

I gotta go now.

Frosty The Lucky.