Hello out there. I'm about to get ready to start learning how to forge and I had a few questions. Id like to make the majority of my tools like tongs, hardy,ect. so my question is, is there a sort of universal tong I could get to start off, or is there something I could use in the mean time until i make my own.

Link removed by request.

Start off with some long bar stock and when you've finished your work cut the reins shorter on a Hardie cutter or lacking kit you could shear them off on the edge of your anvil. That's what I started on!

Regards

hey that works perfect thank you.

No worries. Plenty of info on here. You'll probably find you've thought of your own projects before you get through much of it.

Bolt tongs are as universal as you can get, they'll hold both round and square stock, as well as some smaller flat stock sizes....check out technicusjoe on YouTube, he has a good video on how to make bolt tongs from RR spikes. The only thing I'd add is to consider using a bolt and nut to fasten the two together if you struggle with making the rivet- I know I did, so I just used a bolt and nut on my first pair

New guys seem to be sprouting up all over the Valley lately, have we met Jedediah? Have you attended a meeting? The next meeting is Sept 24. at Pat Garley's, "Arctic Fires Bronze," studio in Palmer. I'm on Vine Rd. Mark known on Iforge as Metalmangler is the club's acknowledged super tong maker, he's demoing at the Fair just in front of the Livestock Barn and lives out near The Butte.

V bit bolt/ wolf jaw tongs are good general purpose tongs but a long shot from universal. The most universal tong thingies on Earth are on the ends of your arms. Whenever possible use stock long enough you can hold it in hand. Everything that gets between your hand and the work interferes.

Give me a shout we can meet up and I'll show you some basics. I'd offer to show you how to forge tongs but I sincerely SUCK at making tongs.

Frosty The Lucky.

On 2016-08-26 at 1:30 AM, Frosty said:

 

V bit bolt/ wolf jaw tongs are good general purpose tongs but a long shot from universal. The most universal tong thingies on Earth are on the ends of your arms. Whenever possible use stock long enough you can hold it in hand. Everything that gets between your hand and the work interferes.

 

Hear hear!  - or should it be read read?

If you've got access to a welder it can be really handy to weld a temporary handle onto a piece of short stock too.  That's extra useful for when the stock is ungainly and your tong collection is small.

This is what Japanese swordsmiths do. Or rather: they make the billet on a handle. 

I would definitely recommend the method shown in the previously referenced TechnicusJoe video for making tongs from railroad spikes. I made my first pair this way with v-bits sized to hold railroad spikes, but they work great for a decent range of round and square stock.

I used that first pair (bottom) to make another pair of RR spike tongs. The second pair (top) is sized to hold 1-3/16" round, since I have a lot of torsion bar stock that I use for tooling. You can see from the photo how your skills improve with each repetition.

My Nephew is the supervisor on a surveying team.  He says he's collected a 5 gallon bucket of R.R. spikes and I'm welcome to all I want.  Might take him up on some to see if I could do that myself.................someday.

You'll need tongs to forge tongs from RR spikes. I recommend square bits, V bits are more versatile but they hold Sq stock on the corner. It's a lot easier to work sq. laying flat in tongs that automatically hold it that way, especially when you're starting out.

Frosty The Lucky.

Got it.  I'll attempt that when I get my forge up and running.  I'll try for square ones first.  But I do want some V-tongs.  My Nephew says he has a 5-gallon bucket full of them, so I'm sure I have a source.

Oh yeah you'll want V bits, they're very versatile and remember to make a V crossways so you can hold stock at a 90 too. You'll be amazed how handy it is to be able to hold stock or tools crossways. Say a chisel or drift. 

Frosty The Lucky.

Isn't that what they call a Wolf Jaw tong, Frosty?

Uhhhh . . . ? Stand by please gotta go look. YES! Wolf Jaw tongs, go straight to wolf jaws when you make V bits. Or round bits.

I don't know why I blank on the name, heck I blank on the name of most tongs.  

Frosty The Lucky.

Thought so.  My first pair of tongs were flat jaw, and I think they'll really be good for what I'm planning on working on.  The next set of tongs in my "plan" were to be Wolf Jaw.

Flats are good and you can always heat them up and tweak them to what you need at the time. I like leaving extra material in the bits just because. Often I screw up and need some extra to correct with.

Frosty The Lucky.

Have to admit I've been tempted (only tempted) to turn these into Wolf Jaws, but I thought better of it.  I need to start acquiring tongs, not turning this tong into that tong, etc., etc., etc.

What are these tongs called?

I've seen a lot of videos where these are used to hold blocks when smiths are making pattern welded steel. 

First time I saw that pattern tongs used was when Brian Brazeal was a clinic classes here. He called them his hammer head tong (If I'm not misremembering) He could make hammer heads dance with them. Once I saw a pair in use I started noticing them everywhere. 

Really handy for thick and blocky stock.

Frosty The Lucky.

Well they look mighty handy to me.   I'd love to be able to make hammer heads, even though I don't have nor will I ever have a power hammer.  I'm sure smiths have done it for centuries, so surely I can learn to do it also.

6 hours ago, Frosty said:

name of most tongs.  

The names of my tongs would get me banned here. and yep those are hammer head tongs

Okay, Hammer Head Tongs it is.  Don't wanna mess of my terminology in front of a bunch of experienced blacksmiths.  

Chris,

i had the “pleasure” to use a set of those hammer eye tongs last weekend. They work great, but take some practice, especially on larger round stock. Once you start working the stock and get a flat spot or the eye punched it’s no problem handling the material. First time you try them is like using chop sticks in your non dominant hand