[TheForge] what steel for tongs?

Mon Mar 25 13:06:06 2002

I would go with mild steel,over tool steel ie:5160(leaf 
spring),4140(axle),etc.. they have a tendency of snaping apart after you 
quench them, especially if you use your tongs with tong rings to hold small 
pieces in the fire.

Michael Bludworth

>From: Dave Brown <[email protected]>
>Reply-To: [email protected]
>To: [email protected]
>Subject: Re: [TheForge] what steel for tongs?
>Date: Mon, 25 Mar 2002 05:50:33 -0600
>
>At 21:25 03/24/02 -0800, you wrote:
>>I thought I'd improve my tong-making skills.  What
>>type of steel do you use?
>>thanks,
>>Mike
>
>Plain old everyday mild steel works just fine for most tongs that you'll
>make.  Most old tongs that you'll find are mild steel, or if real old
>probably wrought iron.
>
>However, if you want to make really light weight tongs then you'll want to
>jump the carbon up a little to at least 1040 or even 1060 medium steel
>levels.  Coil springs (some are 5160) can make good light tongs.  Using
>spring steel or medium carbon steels allows you to draw the reins out to a
>pretty small size.  After hardening and tempering they will take a lot of
>abuse and still retain their shape much better than mild steel will.  The
>big benefit of the light tongs is that it takes a lot of the weight load
>off your hand/wrist/forearm so you can save your energy for 'smithing not
>holding.
>
>My favorite tongs are the light weight Off Center Forge tongs that Bob
>Bergman sells.  They are great, not cheap, but still great tongs.  I have 7
>of these (for different size square/round and flat stock) and can't say
>enough about them.  I also have some old tongs that I think are wrought
>iron that get infrequent use ... they are very heavy compared to the OCF
>tongs..  My specialty tongs (e.g. pickup tongs, bent jaw tongs, chain
>making tongs) I made myself.  The ones made from mild steel work just fine
>but tend to be a little heavier in order that the handles/reins don't bend,
>especially near the rivet where they take the most pressure.  The few that
>I've made from spring stock hold up much better and the shape of the jaws
>and the reins is much more forgiving on those days or time when I'm trying
>to hold something too tight or just gripping the reins too tight and just
>wearing myself out.
>
>But, all this said, you'll find that mild steel is just fine for most every
>type of tong that you'll make.
>
>Dave Brown
>
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