Thread: A Question or two about tongs & hand tools for the forgers

G'day all,
I am enquiring from the lads that forge,
form your experience what is your preferred type & size tongs for holding your materials while forging
for example V tongs, Bolt Tongs or flat type tongs or another type completely
then we have 1/4", 3/8" or other sizes to consider etc

I would rather buy 1 or 2 most useful type tongs than some that are just not right

Also any advise on any other hand tools you have found to be either essential or make life a lot easier?

For hammers I have a mallet & a Ball peen,
I have a 90° Cross peen lined up or would a diagonal cross peen hammer be better?

any advice is greatly appreciated
thanks in advance
Dion

One pair for holding 1/4" bar stock or a pair with flat type jaws. Another to hold the stock when your making tongs :<0) I have 4 pairs and 2 feel good. And the thing about tongs is they are made for each type of stock you heat and hit. Vice grips and channel locks are nice to have on hand.

There is no such thing as too many hammers. You'll like 1 for bashing this way and 1 for the other.
Once you get started you will know what more you will want. Right now I want a nice rounding hammer.

Originally Posted by 10Pups

Vice grips and channel locks are nice to have on hand.

There is no such thing as too many hammers. You'll like 1 for bashing this way and 1 for the other.
Once you get started you will know what more you will want. Right now I want a nice rounding hammer.

I have a set of "tongs" that are a set of vice grips I welded a piece of sucker rod to the adjustment bolt...handy boogers!

Amen on the hammers! Never too many...

Sorry Dion, but if you're wandering down the lane shopping for tongs, (I will kindly leave out hammers...) you're screwed. It's the worst sort of acquisition disorder for a smith.

To start, look to tongs in this style: Blacksmith Supply

They hold all sorts of things the long way, side ways, any ways. You want a tool that you can manipulate material. The kind of tongs you Will have depend entirely on the size and shape of stock you plan to work. They are like chips, you can't just have one.

My best advice is to learn to make your own. Tongs don't have to look pretty, they just have to work. As you master the craft, your tongs will take on the look of an art form on their own and that's the best reflection on a smith. The ability to make one's own tools is a serious addition to your credibility. In fact, you'll spend 90% of your time making or adjusting tools just to do the work. Look at pictures of an old smith's shop. The walls are covered in tools, not to mention filling all available space under benches and under foot. Here's a little teaser:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_H4h79Sflik

As to your question about peen hammers...it depends on which end you are using. The pein is for drawing out metal and the shape or angle of the pein is both ergonomic for the smith and helps determine the direction of movement in the steel. You are going to want many different types before this is done. By itself it does nothing to the steel when you're using the more-or-less flat end of the hammer. I'll leave you to look up all the different types of hammers. This also says nothing about the weights they come in. My largest is 55 Kg but I've used up to 250 Kg hammers enough to get good with them. Bigger tools satisfy much better.

You might want to invest in a tool like:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-sGbtYbKxo

Also a hold down tool, for when you need three arms:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTFCiilGlpo

(woodworkers love these things, you'll never run out of customers...)

The disease of steel is terrible, all consuming, and there is no known cure when it takes hold of a susceptible individual.

thanks for the great info Mike
those tongs look like the U Jaws I have been considering
great vids too

Damn I miss my Granddad & wish he was still around as he was a Blacksmith for life (50+ years)
his shed had walls of tongs & tools he made & over the years
I remember him telling me that he often spent more time making the tools & tongs etc. to do a job than the job took to make

he is the reason why I did my Trade as a Boilermaker Welder and cos I like bashing sh!t with hammers LOL

Alas I was too young when he passed to appreciate or get any of it.

Whew, I'm glad I can blame your Granddad for starting you down this path. Otherwise, I have had about 0.02 seconds worth of guilt tempting you with the black craft....

I was waiting for someone like Mr. Blue to tell you the truth. You need one of everything and three or four of some.

yeh no blame for sure mate
Metal craft with sights & smells of glowing near molten steel being hit with hammers runs deep in my veins & psyche

Originally Posted by Substance

yeh no blame for sure mate
Metal craft with sights & smells of glowing near molten steel being hit with hammers runs deep in my veins & psyche

Don't forget the smells of burning hair, skin and clothing.

Never forget that, it is scared into my skin, head, all my senses really