[TheForge] Real men dont use tongs

[Mike Linn]

#1 Id rather be beaten with a stick than have to use tongs. I try and plan 
my work sequence to minimize their use. Even good fitting properly sized 
tongs are not as controllable as my hand. Under a power hammer, treadle 
hammer or striker is a different story. But all things being equal I'll try 
to find a way to avoid tongs.

#2 I NEVER wear a glove on my hammer (right) hand. There is no way (IMHO) 
that you can control the hammer properly. To me its like trying to fish 
with a bait casting reel  with gloves on.. cant be done. In the summer I 
wear a wrist band to help keep sweat from my palm, and I keep a towel handy.

#3 I normally wear either a kevlar or hot mill glove (sometimes an 
autoclave glove)  on my left hand to hold stock. It serves three main 
purposes, Firstly to prevent burns, See #1 above.  Secondly, the glove 
protect my hands from the rough metal (normally rusty and scaley aka... 
groady or grotty) and thirdly it acts as a shock absorber for those times 
you strike not quite hot enough metal that is being held at not quite the 
right angle... If you don't understand this third one you haven't been 
blacksmithing long enough..

mike




            Mike Linn
      Artist Blacksmith
          McCalla, AL
        AFC Webmaster
http://afc.abana-chapter.com

______________________________________________________________________
"Do we really think that a government-dominated education is going
to produce citizens capable of dominating their government,
as the education of a truly vigilant self-governing people requires?"

         [Alan Keyes]