[TheForge] Real men dont use tongs

[theforge@mailman.qth.net]

When the steel starts getting hot, I sometimes use a glove to hold on. Also, 
I've got a gasser and when the forge gets going, I'll use a glove even with 
tongs just to keep that IR off my hand.

But I found a nice alternative to the leather gloves. I've been getting kevlar 
gloves from Enco. These aren't the blacksmithing gloves you can get from 
Centaur, but look like terry cloth. I find they insulate a little better than 
leather, but don't store the heat like leather does. Once you feel the heat 
through the glove, just let go of the steel and the heat is gone.

A few other nice things about them: They're very flexible and allow much more 
tactile feedback than leather. The knit cuff doesn't catch flying flakes. 
They're ambidextrous, so no loose rights hanging around forever. And they'll 
only set you back about $3 a pair.

One last related note; I added a blower to direct air from beneath the front of 
my propane forge, as an "air curtain". That made a huge difference in how long 
it takes handles to get too hot. The "dragon's breath" is gone and I can get 
within maybe 6 - 8 inches before the IR radiation takes over.

-Marc