Making some new tongs...

[Savlaka]

So I have *Finally* gotten around to setting up my lil home smithy. And since it's been nearly 20 years since I was forging previously I couldn't find most of my old tongs - not that they were anything special, but still... All I had left was a crappy one for about 1-1/8” (my old anvil's hardy hole size) and one for holding 1.5" round bar from the side..I bought a wolf jaw tongs online to let me get to work...

To fill out my tooling a bit I ordered the tong kits from Kens custom Iron, this also lets get me back into doing stuff with a hammer and anvil.

After mangling the small scroll tongs (trust me they were BAD), I was able to remember how some of this stuff works and made the flat jaw, and slot jaw tongs to a serviceable standard.

 

These are both from the 5/16” lighter duty set, I haven't touched the heavier 3/8 kit. The flat jaw is sized for 1/8" stock and it'll hold up to 1/4” decently. I have a small pile of flat bar knife stock from 0.100" to 1/4". The slot jaw is sized for 3/8” flat stock or up to about 9/16” round stock well. I have some 3/8” flat stock in a few types and a bunch of types of steel in about 1/2” +- a bit round. 

I brushed them with a brass brush while still fairly hot to give them the gold tone. Just thought I looked nice, don't figure it'll last all that long.

 

Figure I'll remember more of how to work metal as I build these, and then I'll go for a set from scratch.

[Goods]

Looks good. I don’t want to admit how may tongs I’ve mangled…

Keep it fun,

David

[natkova]

I noticed main thing with making tongs is to know where to put stock, (half on half off) and when you form jaws, so you dont accidently ruin it.

Most of time one part of tongs need to hang off anvil, so you work on other part.