Brief description

A gripping tool consisting of two pivoted limbs, used to hold and manipulate objects that are too hot, heavy, or dangerous to touch by hand. Essential for blacksmithing.

Use / Function

Its primary function is safety and manipulation.

Holding Hot Metal: Gripping red-hot iron securely on the anvil while hammering.
Placement: Moving items into and out of the forge fire.
Quenching: Dipping hot steel into water or oil without burning fingers.

Operating principle

The tongs rely on the Class 1 Lever principle.

Fulcrum: The rivet or pivot point.
Effort: The hand squeezing the long handles (reins).
Load: The pressure applied by the short jaws (bits) on the workpiece.
Advantage: Long handles provide leverage to grip tightly with less hand strength, and distance to keep the user safe from heat.

How to create it

Forging Tongs

Stock: Start with two steel bars (e.g., rebar or square stock).
Jaws: Flatten and shape one end of each bar to form the gripping surface (bit).
Boss: Upset (thicken) and flatten the area behind the jaw to create a flat spot for the pivot. Punch or drill a hole here.
Reins: Draw out (thin and lengthen) the rest of the bar to form the handles.
Assembly: Place the two halves together (crossing them) and insert a rivet (metal pin) through the holes. Hammer the rivet heads flat while hot to lock them, but leave it loose enough to move.

Materials needed

Essential:
- Metal: Iron or Mild Steel. High carbon steel is not necessary and can be brittle if cooled rapidly in water during use.
Tools: Forge, Hammer, Anvil.

Variants and improvements

Flat Tongs: Flat jaws for holding flat metal sheets or bars.
Wolf Jaw Tongs: V-notched jaws for holding round or square stock securely.
Bolt Tongs: Curved jaws with a gap behind them to allow holding bolts by the head without the shank interfering.
Pick-up Tongs: Simple shape for picking up dropped tools or coal.

Limits and risks

Specific Fit: Tongs must be sized to the workpiece. Using the wrong size tongs is dangerous as the hot metal can fly out when struck. A smith usually makes many pairs for different sizes.
Heat Transfer: If left in the fire, the handles can get hot.
Slip: If the grip is loose, the metal can rotate or slip under the hammer blow.

Forging