Another tongs

[natkova]

Well this is third one, made from 3/4 round bar 

Boss were drilled in drill press, I find it more precise then having it drifted out 

I had some spare material on other half and I wanted to make it ball shaped, so it won't slip, I will see if I weld another ball to other part of reins .

I will see for what I will make them to grab.

 

[natkova]

Oh now i have more tongs then those. But i have one question how much you need tongs for basic blacksmithing?

I have like 10 of them and in need making new one, today i almost fnished box jaw tongs

[Shainarue]

I think how many you need depends on how specialized your projects are. If you're always making the same things, then you only really need the tongs for those things. But if you're always trying different things, then you will probably need different tongs for different projects. For the most part, I have 4 tongs that I use the most. But I also still use 4 or 5 other tongs depending on the project. And there's plenty of times I'm not using the best tongs for the job and really should make a pair better suited! So there's that.

[Frosty]

Well said Shaina, the longer a person practices the craft the more tongs they acquire, usually make to suit the project. Making "good" tongs is good intermediate practice.

Frosty The Lucky.

[natkova]

I thought would jaw tongs will do work best 

Smith in my place only had one tongs and use it for all purpose (flat jaw tongs) well basically he what use is repair old axes by drawing them out on anvil.

 

Other Smith from which I bought anvil and forge have me tongs extra , but they are axe tongs (flat jaw tongs with welded two pieces (like this L) so it made  them look and act like flat jaw tongs )but they were axe use.

 

Anyhow I made boxjaw tongs for material idk which will be used ?

Is it smart to make tongs for sakemof having them and adjusting their jaws on stocks later you have ?

Well I need to drawn out reins and 80 percent of work is done 

 

It was forged from 1" squefe bar.

It was thickest piece I had to forge 

[Frosty]

Good GREIF Nat, why forge tongs from the largest  piece of stock you have!?! Do you want to wear your arms and joints out before you master the craft?

They look okay but are way heavier than necessary but that's pretty normal for a person's first few pair of tongs. At least you didn't go the other way like I did, I hammered my first few pair till they were way to light to take a solid hold well trying to get them "perfect."

Keep at it then one day you'll wonder why you thought they were hard to make. 

Frosty The Lucky.

[Latticino]

I wouldn't have a problem making the bits from either 3/4" or 1" square stock provided I was planning on welding on the reins (or had a power hammer to draw those out).  Even my little baby Anyang 33 can draw out reins in one or two heats.  Your bits look pretty good, though a trifle robust depending on what stock you plan on using.  Your reins seem disproportionately short on both sets shown (though I understand you plan on drawing them out further).

[natkova]

On 10/23/2024 at 9:57 PM, Frosty said:

Good GREIF Nat, why forge tongs from the largest  piece of stock you have!?! Do you want to wear your arms and joints out before you master the craft?

They look okay but are way heavier than necessary but that's pretty normal for a person's first few pair of tongs. At least you didn't go the other way like I did, I hammered my first few pair till they were way to light to take a solid hold well trying to get them "perfect."

Keep at it then one day you'll wonder why you thought they were hard to make. 

Frosty The Lucky.

Well larger the stock it is more forgiving to mistake if you'dress wrong direction you can fix it more easy without having impact in forge.

Just drawn it out and turn other way and dress it back.

I had only this stock cut out laying around when I tried to make holdfast for Hardie hole  and failed it was too thick either way so it was leftover I had to reforge in something useful.

And I forge this out I know best is 3/4 square for tongs, drawn out it more yeah they looked thick but they are not that thick now.

Well I drawn it out to get more length.

 

So you made some reins for tweezers that thin?

 

 

5 hours ago, Latticino said:

I wouldn't have a problem making the bits from either 3/4" or 1" square stock provided I was planning on welding on the reins (or had a power hammer to draw those out).  Even my little baby Anyang 33 can draw out reins in one or two heats.  Your bits look pretty good, though a trifle robust depending on what stock you plan on using.  Your reins seem disproportionately short on both sets shown (though I understand you plan on drawing them out further).

Yes they are short well maybe 2 inches longer now but it can isolate heat I won't hold steel at middle of tongs

 

Have some V tongs like this before and shorter but they get hot at middle of reins but never to harm myself.

 

Will see what I will make and hold with them.

It was like my challenge but hiring them over edge of anwil and of horn it can get drawn out 

 

Only thing worn out is my charcoal ..

 

[Frosty]

Heh, heh, heh, no, my first couple pair are too thin but not quite tweezer thin. My first wolf jaw tongs look like kind of thick spaghetti bits. 

Frosty The Lucky.

[gewoon ik]

Nat i use 20mm or 25mm for the bits amd (forge)weld the reigns on from 12mm round.

Better use of material and time

[natkova]

6 hours ago, gewoon ik said:

Nat i use 20mm or 25mm for the bits amd (forge)weld the reigns on from 12mm round.

Better use of material and time

I agree on time like you said but I need to master skil or legendary forge welding.

 

Hard to forgeweld two pieces and not expecting to one of them end in my face 

I allways think Steel will bounce of from force of hammer ..

I can forge weld one piece by bending it to own and forgewelding and even that is suspicious.

I forged tongs for 4-5 days each day 2-3 hours...

From left to right first tongs until last.

 

First tongs like 1/2 squere 14 mm and last 1" 25 mm

 

After that photo someone said they were thick I drawn out and grinded handles rest I Didnt wanted because they are short and by indication where there are no corners let's assume that part is not to be touched because it will get hot.

[gewoon ik]

I get tired from thinking of drawing out that much. Also I'm jaleous of the time you can spend around your anvil, i manage 3-4 hours a week.

I put the forge in brackets for a reason. I cheat also (my gasforge is difficult to weld with and it uses a lot of propane) and use my welder to fix it. And afterwarts, i blend the welds and dress it all to shape.

Overall they don't look to bad your tongs.

[natkova]

Well they might be ugly a bit some of them but they work.

I know bosses are not so in shape as you buy tongs but they work it purpose.

Now  when i know how to make them for myself after ruining some its more easy, ussualy i had problem around drawing rains from boss .

But now i know jaws should face up, and when you do half on half off,  reins would go oposite side of jaws and you are formed bottom side of  boss and top side of starting tongs after that you only dress and drawn out reins i do squere then ocatagonal then circle.

Someone forge first rains but it harder to organize for m lik that.

One step squish bar to half it thicknes,

Other step is turn toward your dominant hand (my case left) and turn 45% degrees then hit and third is as i said boss forming, hit place where reins will start to "shrink from boss and thats all important other is just drawing.
Reason for me saying all this is because i maybe ruined 3 tongs to make one look good now i have plan in my head how things should go.

One raeson i hate making tongs  is that my forge dont allow long materials in it , so make walls from brick and metal fill that with charcoal and then put tongs in that.

About boxjaw tongs i should have peened it more and widened "wings" so when they are split they would be wider this way metal can still tilt in jaws but it wont escape  in that direction.

 

 

Got to buy some material for more tongs, i didnt had and i used what i had, probably would use 3/4 squere for tongs .

[natkova]

I never had better grip before

They even hold good without clip, material can't escape 

I will make another in but smaller 

[BillyBones]

Natkova, pretty does not mean functional. If they work who cares what they look like. 

When i do box jaws i make a set of flat jaws and weld on a piece of flat bar crosswise to make the box rather than peining out the box. 

[natkova]

I know what you mean that way one to my axe tongs were made but I like full proceas off splitting and bending jaw wings.