I think everybody over forges their first or so of pairs tongs and they end up kind of flimsy. They work though and adjusting tongs to suit the job is a very blacksmitherly thing to do. Good first pair, well done.

Tongs aren't really that simple a project, they require most of the basic processes used in blacksmithing. And what I consider a mid level must, being able to make multiple copies of a thing with reasonable accuracy. Probably the most common mistake is making them backwards, left handed instead of right handed or vis versa.

If your intent is to work light stock in coffee can sized forges just scale what you've made down to suit. Twist tongs will serve and get you playing with fire and hitting things while you winkle out making more traditional type tongs.

It's all a learning curve, one many lifetimes high and growing faster every day.

Frosty The Lucky.

 

Regardless of how bad something you make is or how ugly, the most important part is the lesson learned. A wise man learns from his and others mistakes, wise ladies as well. 

Case in point.  Here is my first pair of tongs.  Check out the reins.   Ken's tongs, too.

I finally took the time to take another try at carving my touchmark. I tried forging it last year using punches and chisels and it just wasn't working out. I had tried hand filing it a few years ago and that was a bust as well. I have 5 or 6 failed touchmarks in a bin, lol. Tonight took a few tries not I think I'm satisfied with this one. Works on wood. 

I have no idea what kind of steel this is though, so I don't know how to heat treat it and I'm concerned it won't hold its edge after a few uses. It filed very easily when I filed to get all the parts on the same plane.

I could try again with the coil spring punch blanks I have. In hindsight, that's what I should have started with instead of mystery steel. I also have a few H13 punch blanks that use the tongs but I don't think I have it in me to draw that down in this heat, lol

Adding on: 

I just finished reading the latest issue of Hammers Blow and it covered touchmarks! I forgot there was one more technique I hadn't tried yet. Use shaped punches to punch the design into a plate. Tack weld a border around the design. Heat up a bar that fits into that space and hammer down into the design. I know someone here has recommended that technique to me before. I might give that a go. Carving can be done in the air conditioned garage though ....

I prefer driving the punch blank into a counter sunk die. I like carving the punch die and welding a piece of 1.4" x 3/4" +/- steel with a hole the same or SLIGHTLY larger dia. hole drilled in it to surround the mark and prevent the die blank from deforming, "mushrooming"

You can use a mild steel punch if what you're punching is HOT enough but they won't last long. If you have a good one it might be the one to use to make the die to punch a blank into. 

Frosty The Lucky.

Someone once told me they learn something with every mistake they made so they're going to keep making them.

Or one of Thomas Powers ways of saying the same thing, sort of. "We share our mistakes here so you don't have to repeat them to learn the same lesson and can make new ones to share." He was speaking to a newcomer to the craft and the we are experienced smiths.

To Thomas. Absent companions.

Frosty The Lucky.

Covering for Lisa at the yarn shop today (she was accompanying her store manager to the hospital for surgery, which went well), so the crafting table temporarily became a center of steel flamingo production. 

Producing steel flamingos is a craft. How many customers are taking up sinking? 

Frosty The Lucky.

None. Just what I was working on when there was no-one in the store. 

Oh well, middle of the week probably isn't very high traffic anyway. 

How is the store manager doing?

Frosty The Lucky.

She’s good. Sales were okay. For someone who doesn’t knit or crochet, I do a pretty good job selling yarn. 

I hear you. When Deb used to demo at the state fair with the fiber guild I'd drop by, trouble shoot the spinning wheels, explain things to the audience and a few times help the spinners spin. I did really well one year when I made Deb a more ergonomic doffer with a sheep head in a more or less butting position that let the ladies push the needle under the fiber on the drum carder with the heal of their hand. Doffers are usually bluntish ice picks.

One of the local farriers always has a booth at the fair and I'd drop by to shoot the breeze and help entertain the audience so he could do his demo without having to stop to answer questions. He made forged doffers that were way better than ice pick types his were more hook shaped so the spinners could slide it under the fiber and pry it up. 

Sooooo, I made my version that let the user push with the heal of the hand and lever the fiber our of the card by either pushing the handle down or lifting it up. Basically rock the needle and lift the fiber almost full width of the card at one time. Without having to have a strong grip and push or pull on it.

Deb has a dachshund doffer and the ladies in the guild had their own ideas for finials. They went like hotcakes for $79.99 ea. + $10 for a custom head though some I lost money on the time involved.

The market saturated in a couple months, though there's no higher compliment than people wanting to give you money in exchange for your work.

I'm afraid Mark wasn't too happy about it though. Fortunately I didn't have any idea what a doffer was when I checked his out. I made the doxy doffer for Deb and it took off. 

Thinking about it, I've lived with and around knitters, crocheters, tatters, etc. my whole life. 

Frosty The Lucky.

Frosty The Lucky.

Today is my 55th lap around the sun. So i made a smoker box to smoke some animal flesh with. I will test it later and get a couple pics to show it working, if it works. 

Happy Birthday Jason!

--Larry

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY Jason! Dad and I used to smoke a lot of albacore tuna among other things. I do a little hot smoking on the Webber grill or the portable fire pit we got for RVing but it's not the same as long brining times of good recipes, etc. 

Ever smoke cheese and or squash? 

Enjoy.

Frosty The Lucky.

Trying out true MIG welding (rather than flux-core) in preparation for welding up the flamingo. 18 gauge steel, .023 wire, 75/25 Ar/CO2.

All I can say is, Where have YOU been all my life?

Now you know why I've always hated fluxcore for any but specialty use  like hard facing. 

Frosty The Lucky.

I've been catching up on what everyone's been doing. Man, y'all have gotten so good over the years. Just thought I'd pop in and say hello and compliment all the talented folks in this group. I've been on and off for a few years and I have built myself a charcoal forge and am back at it. Got some forge time in this evening and it was so much fun 

Good to see your AVATAR again Darlin. How's the farm doing? Good time to start forging again, NOTHING like standing next to a fire in 100f+ weather. I suppose though it cools right off in the evening, say to 95 +/-?

It's been in the mid-high 70s here and for me it's brutally hot and sunny. I break a sweat walking at 60f. I'd be nothing but a spreading greasy spot at 100.

Frosty The Lucky.

Hey Frosty! We are doing well. Expecting calves in September and ready for milk again. We've also added a couple of Kune Kune pigs and a goose lol. We are also building a pole barn.  We are using as much material as we can from our land. I am going to attempt to make the hinges for the doors so I've been studying up on that. And yes sir, it's hot and since I have no inside shop, I'm in partial sun until it goes down. But with running a solid fuel forge outside, it's not nearly as hot as running a gas forge inside. I hope you are doing well

I'll see if I can get a picture to load20250725_203914.heic20250725_203914.heic20250725_203914.heic

Okay I'll have to figure that out again 

Congrats billy!

Welcome back, CGL!

Hello JHCC and thank you. I finally got to mess with WI you sent me last night. My gas forge bit the dust and I'm saving up for another one but I built a JABOD in the meantime. I was going to make a bottle opener but it kept splitting so I have to figure out how to work with it in order to actually produce something. Interestingly enough, I grabbed a gnarly old  horseshoe and I straightened it out and I'm not sure but I think it's WI too.  I'd add a picture, but I'm having trouble getting one to go through

You need to post pics smaller than that. I don't recall the actual file size limit but I keep them under 4-5k and it works. . . usually. John can answer file size limits better than I.

WI needs to be worked at high yellow heat to prevent splitting. 

Frosty The Lucky.