Tongs from 1/2" square stock?

[echofive]

I'm looking for some ideas on making tongs.  I have a lot of 1/2" square stock, so that's what I would like to use.  Is there going to be enough material there for a decent boss and jaws?  Anyone have any good tong designs they've made from 1/2" and don't mind sharing?  I'm trying to make a fairly versatile set, as this will be my first set of tongs.  I have some farrier tongs but they aren't very good.  I can wing it but figured I'd ask anyway.  Thanks!

[Frazer]

You could make some very light duty ones, but half inch is a pretty anemic. I usually use 3/4" sq or 5/8" round. 

What size/shape stock do you usually work with? I might recommend a set of box jaws where you forge weld the cross piece for the box on the end of one of the jaws, but those aren't really going to help you if you're trying to hold onto anything round..

Just spit balling here, what does the general group think about forging the jaws/boss on the diagonal to get a little extra width for a rivet? You might end up with a slot shaped cross section, but that might be okay. 

Anyway, my personal opinion is to go pick up some bigger stock and just use that. You might be able to get away with half inch, but they are likely going to be flimsy no matter what you do.

[Frosty]

I tend to agree Frazer, 1/2" sq. is pretty light but lots of guys are making serviceable tongs with it. A person can leave extra steel on the bit side of the bolster to make up for having to leave it thicker, that's a minor adjustment. You can flatten it in cross section a little to make it less flexible in the clamping direction. Visualize the strong direction for spanning with a 2 x 4. Steel 3/8" thick x 5/8" is less flexible bending the 5/8" direction. Yes?

The boss is the what real issue there is. It'd be a good time and place to practice upsetting in the middle of a bar. A perfect place to heat with a torch rather than in the forge. A torch allows you to localize the heat precisely and minimize deflection.

Making the most versatile tongs possible isn't a good move as a beginner. The skills it takes to make versatile tongs takes a while to learn and develop. You learn and develop skills making tongs by making tongs.

Your first tongs should be basic flat bits with a longitudinal and lateral groove. These hold flat work and small rod. Your first "wolf" or "bolt" tongs should be "V" bits with a cross V. These will hold round and square rod. Pickup tongs are handy for picking up small pieces in the fire. They're good tongs to practice extended necks like bolt tongs use but don't require the precision.

If you're just starting, forging tongs is a pretty advanced project but not out of the question. The tricky part is matching two pieces well enough they fit together with the bits meeting and reins hinging correctly.

Twist tongs are fast and easy, requiring minimal shop or anvil skills to provide a good solid working tool. 

There are how to videos on Iforge by some of the best blacksmiths in the world. Some are easier to follow than others, a lot depends on the smith doing the demo and you. Learning especially by remote is a two party process, One guy may be perfectly clear to X student but incomprehensible to Y student. Different folks different strokes. Shop the videos on IFI and pic one that you understand. Make sense?

Give a shout out if you have questions but please read the material and maybe give it a try first. Okay?

Frosty The Lucky.

[JHCC]

What Frazer and Frosty said. If 1/2" square is all you have, either make light duty tongs or plan to upset the area where you'll put the boss. If you don't have a torch, you can isolate the heat to where you plan to upset by quenching on either side, being careful not to take too much heat out of that area. Remember the wise words of British smith Rowan Taylor: "The area to be upset should be like a midget supermodel: short and hot."

[Latticino]

Mark Aspery sizes the stock used for making tongs based on the maximum size of the stock expected to be held.  To a degree this parallels the information on tong size from the canonical Machinery's Handbook.  Mark's recommendation is to make tongs suitable for holding 3/4" square or round stock, use 3/4" stock to forge your tongs.

[JHCC]

14 minutes ago, Latticino said:

the information on tong size from the canonical Machinery's Handbook

See:

 

[ThomasPowers]

As I recall that chart was dropped after the 11th or 13th issue of MH; why old books may be of more use than modern ones!  (My 1940's ASM handbook handles at least 80% of my needs for instance.)

[echofive]

Thanks for all of your responses.  I have about 50 sticks of 1/2" square, that was my motivation.  Based on what Latticino said, I might forge a practice pair designed to hold 1/2 square, and then use some sucker rod that I have to make a larger pair later. Judging by the chart and some math, 3/4 round would be great for making 1/2" tongs.   I was trying to save my sucker rod for chisels, fullers, drifts because I've only got a couple feet but I can always find more.

Great info everyone, thanks.

[Goods]

How is you forge welding? Do you have access to a MiG or stick welder? If so you could forge the boss and bits from the sucker rod and weld the 1/2” on for the reigns. That would save you time in drawing the reigns out of tougher material and reduce its use. (Of course 1/2” square will still be take fair amount of drawing out, but a lot less work than 3/4” round sucker rod.)

David

[anvil]

Half inch is too small. Great for miniature tongs for dioramas, no good in real life.

3/4" square makes a serviceable standard tong for any size stock you might use.

[swedefiddle]

Good Morning,

I have made tongs from 1/2" square. You will need to gain more mass for the hinge area and the jaws (maybe, depends on what you are after. The biggest mistake is making the set downs too thin, next to the hinge boss. This is a beginners common mistake. Working Slow, is Working Fast.

Neil

 

[anvil]

When you make a set of tongs, the hinge area and the jaws are forged down to half thickness. If you forge half square to 3/8", the hinge is just too small, and the jaws are limited in width. 1/4" in these areas is just too thin for anything beyond very light work. If you want to work with light material for your tongs, I suggest you use coil spring, not mild steel. However, using coil spring has its own problems. Don't quench when hot because they will get brittle and break