Evaluation

Well I asked myself the question can I make tong reins better in anyway shape or form? The answer to that question that I have found out very quickly is no I cannot through my ideas anyway, I think with the research and the testing I did I have a good lead towards maybe a breakthrough but in this short period I didn’t.

I started the project by looking into tongs in general, I started off pretty weak looking around holme lacy and after the halfway point and some feedback with Ambrose I got myself out there talking to different people and on the forums about their ideas. I enjoyed the research I just think that I didn’t look into it deep enough, I feel I sort of neglected going into books and magazine. I really should have gone into the library or some of my own forging books to get some good extracts from them about tongs. 

One side of this project I really dived into was interviews, I spoke to some really renowned smiths, Adrian Legge, David Fields, George Lewis, Glen Stollmeyer. I got comments and their opinions on tongs as well as their experiences. This was by far my favourite part of this project, I am a big fan of listening to anyone’s stories.

As of making for this project, I did the same pieces as everyone else for Steve which aren’t my finest work but they work and they are to mostly to spec so I can live with it. I made up a few samples and some tongs with unique reins, didn’t really enjoy the making as part of this project because I am a bit of techy when it comes down to the classic stuff like tong making, I was writing my own rule book on this one so they came out looking rough as hell. Didn’t even set the nib right because holding them was so difficult while I was making them up.

Overall this project had its up and downs, I can’t see myself getting a high mark for this because I’ve got to admit at the start it was at the back of my mind so I lost a lot of time on it. That is what I need to work on with this having a few projects going at the same time, I put the one I enjoy the most to the fore front of my mind and when I find to work I work on it and projects like this one slip through the cracks so to speak.

Testing

For the testing I got two different pieces of steel, one a piece of flat and one a piece of square then found myself some subject willing to try it out. Will, Darrell and Alex agreed to help me with the testing, first up was Darrell. Darrell and Alex were willing to give me a few comments, Will is working on a big piece so he only had a few minutes to dash in use them then give me short one liner on his thoughts.

The test is using the 3 set of tongs pick up the piece of steel you think fits best then get it hot and use one heat to taper it down, then judge if they are any better or major critics.

Tong One

 

Darrell: Honestly I can’t see much difference in these tongs to regular tongs, I would see if anything it’s a little bit more comfortable in the hand but not a lot more than two straight reins.

Will: Can’t see a difference

Alex: I really like these tongs, it’s something different to stand out. I think that it fits in the hand a lot nicer than the usual straight reins, the only trouble is I found it more difficult to get nibs around the bar so maybe some more work to get it right.

All 3 went for the section of flat bar with these tongs

Tong Two

Darrell: You spending a lot of time putting tension into them because of how difficult it is to find a comfortable position to hold them in the hand. I wouldn’t make a pair of these because it isn’t effective sacrificing comfort for pressure on the nibs.

Will: It changes tongs from useful into a challenge.

Alex: I can see where the thought has gone into making them, it does apply more force it’s just the holding part hasn’t been refined enough to take full control of the applied pressure.

Darrell used the flat bar but the other two went for the square section.

Tong Three

Darrell: These tongs are just completely unusable because of the only section you can hold is next to the nibs, making it the hottest part. Don’t really understand these tongs.

Will: How the fuck are these useful? They don’t even make sense.

Alex: It seems like the bend is a little too far back making them un able to be held on the back so you have to hold in front of the bend, making the bend completely useless other than a little bit better looking.

Tong Description

First Tong's

This pair was oddly the last pair i made, i made the other two and i didnt really have many ideas that werent involving the large bends in them so i got on the phone to Richard and he said why dont you work on making them more comfortable rather than more useful. So i bent it a little so that it comes in at a different angle, personally i find it a little more comfortable in the hand. This pair on the ones i have got the most faith in.

Second Tong's

These tongs were set so that the bend would increase the tension around the nib of the tongs, they were a real bitch to get right because making up two tong reins right then put them together then one has changed somehow. I am looking forward to seeing how this comes together in the testing.

  Third Tong's

This is the wild pair, i made them up with the intention of putting a chain on the end then holding one of the reins instead of both. It was an odd idea me and Andrew had of just holding the one rein instead of the two. I am really looking forward to seeing how people try to hold these.

Tongs Done

I finished up the tongs yesterday and even managed to do the testing which i will be writing up over the day.

After the testing i will be doing my evaluation for this project, i am quite looking forward to going over my progress and really seeing if the answer was yes or no to can you upgrade tongs?

 

Interview with Richard

well i said that i was going to get it up in the next couple of days, it doesnt sound as fluid as when he said it but when i took out the swearing and regional slang, then made it make sense to humans it had changed a bit.

Question: So Richard in all years of making tools and tongs what was your favourite set to make?

Answer: My favourite tool I have ever made is some of the power hammer swages I have made over the years, I use the power hammer a lot so anyway I can make it more useful through tooling. The trouble with a lot of tooling up for the power hammer is it needs two people but if you have two people you can do almost anything on power hammer from cutting, drawing out, straightening up.

If I needed to think of a hand tool, I have a pair of old spring steel bolt tongs in my car that I made over 20 years ago, they have been re shaped and bent but even after all that time they still work. I have made many tongs using the one set. Also I really do love making bolt tongs, it really weeds the men from the boys setting the nibs.

Question: Speaking of tongs what would you say your most unique set of tongs would be?

Answer: Being a bit of traditionalist I haven’t really done anything like what your planning with bending reins all different kind of ways. I would say my unique set that I have ever made would be a pair of axe making tongs, the nibs were set around an axe head so they could hold it while the end is fire welded. I made them out of some larger section so there was no bending in the nibs and reins, turns out I only ever used them once but still was a nice day of making something I have never done.

Question: If there was a way you could make tong better what would you say it is?

Answer: Personally when it comes down to tong reins and nibs even I don’t think you can improve by changing the shape, I think it is more in changing the section. In recent years I have been making my reins up with octagon section, I find it stronger and don’t bend under any kind of heat. I started doing this after I lost of round section tongs to bending. I have also found putting a lot more meat into the nibs so that they can be set a lot more in the future, it does make the tongs heavier but if you make them out of something like spring steel or smaller rein section it will be a lighter.

 

Update

Well not alot done over the weekend guys, both the projects are coming to an end so as usual i keep thinking of things to do. I need to write up the interview with richard, just need to take out the swearing and our accent so that it can be understood.

I was a little miffed on friday because of the snow, i really wanted to get the tongs finish friday and starting writing up the test results maybe getting it printed over the week.

Seems because of the snow that plan is gone.

Tongs

Well i have got 2 pairs of unique tongs made up ready for testing and making the final set tommorow ready for testing monday. A few points i have learned already, one thing about straight bar reins alot easier to make and to set up so they match, i spent ages trying to line up the tong reins to then attach them and suddenly one has grown by an inch, aswell as that setting the nibs is a whole new level of difficult.

I am beginning to think this question that i asked myself, that the answer is no. Would i change this question in the future? No probably not, i have learned loads about tongs and making them through this, even setting a pair of tongs that doesnt want to be made i have learned stuff through little talks and just playing with it.

These are the two tongs that i made up, i admit they are not to look at because of the making being a write my own rule book style of forging. I cant wait to test them and see if there any real break throughs and see about taking the postives further maybe refining a set with aspects of them all.

 

Monday Forging

Well i got the tong reins all fire welded up and ready to go.

 

I started shaping up the reins before i attached them together, i thought that the bending might be abit easy to line them up together but it seemed easier to do them un riveted together.

This is the first one i made up, i really like how they are coming together personally.

I will be shaping the rest friday and monday, hopefully riveting them together too and getting people to test them for me.

 

Materails

Thought i would start the posts today by finishing off my materail posts.

Stainless Steel Tongs

When i was speaking to dave about stainless steel he said it was lovely stuff to work with but it is expensive, around a 7 to 8 pound mark up on the steel. Aswell as that it is really strong but this means you need to put alot more time into making them, meaning these tongs are ideally made under the power hammer.

 Example of Stainless steel tongs, these are a pair Adrian

has had since before i was born!

Wrought Iron Tongs

Making tongs out of wrought iron is historical acurate and some people like to do it for shows or museum but in this day and age not only is it lacking compared to modern steel but its expensive. The materail itself is soft, it bends easily and over time there is alot of grain growth distorting the tongs out making them useless. 

Titanium Tongs

Titanium is something i didnt even think about until Dave brought it up and talked about it, he made a pair a long time ago but only having 10mm section he only made a small pair. They are super light and strong, even more so than spring and stainless steel but with that titanium is alot more expensive than either materails. Along with the price it has a very narrow forging range, Dave told me in a gas furance set to the right heat your fine but in the forge its a high risk to try and get it right. 

Tong Rein Ideas

I have been drawing up some designs for my tong reins, i thought i would put up a few pictures of what i have been trying out.

There are pretty rough drawing, i am fire welding and shaping today so i will see which ones i take forward with the project. 

One thing from the drawings i worked out is i am not going to make all three pairs with a bend i want to try out some different kinds of shapes. Maybe one pair that is really out there.

Spring Steel Tongs

Spring steel is another type of materail for making tongs. A bit of a rare materail for making tongs, the steel is incredibly light weight and strong, it weighs much less than any other kind of steel.

Spring steel is great for a pair of anvil tongs, as far as fire tongs go they arent a good choice as heat is the biggest enemy for spring steel. If the tongs become hot and then are quenched they will harden quickly, if this is repeated there is an ever increased chance of the tongs cracking and shattering.

 An example of a set of spring steel tongs

Notice in the picture above the small section going into the reins and nibs, i would love to get hold of some nice spring steel to see about making a pair myself. From what i have been told the reason spring steel isnt more widely used in tongs other than its weakness to heat is the cost and time it takes to shape the tongs. 

Tongs Mild Steel

This is the first of four posts im hoping to put up today and tommorow on materails for tongs and ultimatly there reins.

The first materail i want to talk about is obviously mild steel, its the most populor materail for making tongs out of, it is cheap and very easy to move. Mild steel is reasonable strong, but mild steel tongs heat up quick so they need constant quenching so that it doesnt get hot and mishape the tongs quickly. 

 An example of Mild steel tongs

The main thing that these mild steel tongs have for them is this abiltiy to be reshaped so that they can be set easily to hold different sections of bar that they werent made for.

I have made many sets of mild steel tongs and i enjoying making them and using, i have limited exerpeince with making tongs from other materails. 

Busy day in the Forge

Well yesteday i went to the forge with the intention of forging up all pieces needed for the tongs so monday i could spend it fire welding and shaping the various different tongs.

As you can see in three short hoursi got all the pieces made up and ready to go.

I have to go to work now but when i get back ive got a post coming about different materails for making tongs that ive speaking about with people.

Glen Stollmeyer

Glen Stollmeyer is an American tool maker currently based out of thailand. He makes and sells a wide variety of high quality tongs of which i own a few pairs including the mighty tusk tongs which are by far my faveriote and best pair.

 

I recently sent him a few emails about his unique tongs and why he makes them the way he does. Here are his respones.

Question: Why do you make your tongs in such a unique style and shape? The lack of a hinge plate and such a large rivet is something i hadnt seen till i bought some of your tongs.

Answer:  Since you mention unique, I guess you mean the tusk pair? For the hinge area (where the tong is riveted), I form that by hot punching a hole. This upsets that area a bit forming what you call the small hinge plate. With me, there may be no rhyme or reason - just habit. However, I have changed the way I make tongs many times - what stock I use, how I form different areas and other steps - sometimes to improve the design, sometimes to just try another way.

Question: What kind of ways would you say you have improved your tongs? and what kind of stock do you use?

Answer:I either use 12mm stock or 1/2 inch (12.7mm) depending on the tong/size. I have been making my tongs a little thicker in a couple of crucial areas (where the jaws beings and behind the hinge area - places where the tong is most likely to deform under too much stress). 

Also, I now hammer semi-circle depressions into the handle ends - mainly for a better feel in the hand (I rest one finger in the depression) but also for those who might use keepers / rings to hold stock though I usually don't recommend this.

 

I am still in conversation with Glen so expect some more answers soon, if nothing what talking to Glen has shown me more than anything is that these subtle change in tongs is more to do with habit than a specfic purpose. I am currently speaking to American Smith Brian Brazeal who is of the same mind, tongs differ from how we are taught to how we feel comfortable to make.

 

I am finding more and more than our tongs are a very personally thing to every blacksmith, something we are proud of almost like the work we make with the tongs themselves.