Blacksmithing - Forging Tongs (flat style)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ธ.ค. 2015
- I use many varying methods to make tongs - this is one example of a current technique I employ, showing the majority of the process. Thanks. Glen
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After several videos and dozens of try’s I finally made my first except-able pair of tongs ! Thank you very much .
As a customer i have to say that your customer service and the quality of your products are TOP
I really appreciate that. So much of my business is word of mouth so testimony like yours vital. Thanks so much and happy hammering. Glen
I really enjoyed this video! Thank you. Interesting anvil and info on it. Looking forward to watching more of your videos.
Great vid, I really like how you have adapted your set up and style to your new work area..
+kylongrifle I haven't had much choice. My space is limited and certain things I used to do in the past, like welding (electrical and forge), are not easily possible in my current set up. As I've said before, working here has made me think outside the box and has greatly improved my work in some ways. I need to figure out a better camera angle though, for sure. Thanks for your support. Glen
I really enjoyed this video! You make it look so easy!
+Adrian Pimentel Thanks Adrian, I've had a little practice making tongs :) I appreciate your continuing support, for sure. Glen
Glen, I enjoy your videos. I like seeing how you use such a small work area to make since nice tools. I really like the small anvil that you are using.
Brian, A lot of folks comment about my small, block style anvils. Glad you enjoy watching and I hope you stick around for more... Thanks. Glen
Glenn, I love your tongs. A short mouth and long handles are giving a powerful grip.
Peter, I'm very glad you find my tongs to your liking. Short and stout tongs are my preference. I'm always making adjustments and I feel my current tongs are better... Thanks. Glen
Good work! also, I like the cleanliness of your equipment. Few take the time to keep it that way.
Marcus, Thanks for watching this tong making video of mine. I'm planning to make another similar flat tong video but in a somewhat more traditional way. I don't own too many tools so it's not too hard to keep my workspace tidy. Keep watching... Glen
Nice work!
Charis, I'm glad you like this and I appreciate you watching. I'll do more, updated, and hopefully better tong making videos. Thanks. Glen
Good work, good forging tongs.
Thanks for watching and for your kind comment. Glen
Great, thanks for video 👍
thanks for doing this! you should sell longer japanese style hammers! they are hard to find! but that square one you make I can see how nice it would be it looks so unique.
Hey James, I only saw this comment now. Makes the other comment more clear. You must've known what I was planning to show...what a coincidence. Good stuff. Glen
Mi piace tantissimo questo video! sei un grande!
Paolo, Thanks brother for the words of encouragement. Good luck to you in all your work, etc. Glen
good job!
Hey there Glen excellent work I really enjoy watching your take/approach to forging. You've got a really unique style and way of doing things that I truly like. What type of steel are you forging these from?
The steel I use for most of my tongs is 1018 mild steel. I frequently quench my tongs and so there's no fear of cracking with mild steel. Thanks for watching - I realize this older video isn't the best quality... Glen
Men this is called great work :-) I my my first pair of Tongs last week but my pair cannot bee ewen near to your qality :-P
+Leon boss Thanks for the kind words. I've been at tong making for a while. I'll bet your first pair of tongs are miles ahead of what my first pair looked like. Thanks again. Glen
When you wipe your anvil... I just love it man.
Wow that was a pleasure to watch, I'm impressed with how much care you
put into ensuring a nice alignment. One thing that has me scratching my
head is what is the purpose of swaging the back side of the rivet hole
like at 16:35?
Stephen, You're very observant. That step isn't really necessary but it helps to outline the pivot area (since I don't do a traditional offset or boss at that area, where the pivot meets the handles) and this makes it easier for me to locate alignment when doing subsequent operations. But other than that, it just mainly adds some detail. It does push the metal outwards a bit and thickens the metal (side to side) in that spot some but if done too much, will have the opposite effect and weaken the tong (top to bottom) at that point. Anyway, you can skip that step... I'm glad you liked this video. Thanks for watching and commenting. Glen
Got it. Thanks for clarifying :)
holy...*peep* looks soo nice
+Phil Herb I appreciate you watching. Stay tuned for more... Glen
Hi Glen, you've really got some experience behind you! The handled punch you used to make the rivet hole - was that a round punch or countersink punch? I'm looking to buy some tools soon.
Thanks
Muhammed, The punch I used in this video is a tapered round punch which is about 1/4" (~6 mm) on the very end. This style tapered punch can also function to some extent as a drift to enlarge the hole. Thanks for watching. Glen
how neat and clean anvil and other tools........I.....👍👍💖
I'm glad you like my work area / tooling. Thanks for watching and good luck in your work. Glen
Q maestro muy bueno 😁
Very glad you like these tongs. Thanks.
I feeel like your trying to swell up the stock to make it bigger than original?
got my tongs Tuesday love them can you make a von your bent knee tongs
+Gene Smith I'm glad you are pleased with your tongs. I'm going to upload a new video in a day or so that shows me (in one part) using my bent knee style tongs and explaining them a bit more. Later, I'm planning to make videos showing me making other styles of tongs, bent knee style included. Really appreciate your support. Glen
Nevertheless: The video is very good, the tongs also. (But we were proud of our callous , blistered hand)
I always enjoy your videos. You have a neat way of doing things! Not to be rude or anything but you should be able to forge the blanks in one heat. (after you do the upsetting)
+The Blazing Bodkin Forge they're already too cold at that point. video cameras are better at capturing infrared light from hot objects than human eyes, the steel looks much darker in reality.
What I meant was heat and upset, heat and forge the blank :)
+The Blazing Bodkin Forge Thanks for your input - I really do appreciate it. I know a lot of guys who stress the number of heats it takes to complete any one item. I personally cannot make my style of tongs in one heat (after preparing the blank). I am quick but not fast - if that makes sense. My movements are short and rapid (in short bursts) but not sustained over a long duration. Also, as Verdigris Sirgidrev points out, the steel (color) may look much hotter on camera than it actually is. Continuing to hammer would move much less metal and be tough on the arm. No matter, I do understand what you're saying - to maximize each heat. Thanks. Glen.
+Verdigris Sirgidrev What you say is very true - on camera the steel appears much hotter than what I am seeing. Much the same as some women... (just a small joke). Thanks for watching and for your feedback. Glen
nice work man. I'm liking your style on how you work the metal. I'm really liking your Anvil by the way. where did you get it or did you make it?
+Ollie Woody My anvils are my own design that I had made. I couldn't find a suitable anvil here for my style of work and since I have the contacts for the steel, machining and heat treating, I set about getting these made - I had three different anvils made and am thinking about a fourth. Glad you enjoy the way I work - I really need to improve the content of my videos. Thanks. Glen
+Glen GS Tongs trust me when I say this...you have good content
+William Ela I really appreciate the show of support. It makes me want to continue to make videos. Thanks for watching and taking the time comment. Glen
Glen GS Tongs No problem! hard not to like them
At the very beginning did you quench the tip of the upset portion after the first upsetting? And are you upsetting to 3/4 inch?
+RocketCityGardener No, I didn't quench the very end of the tong blank. I quenched the back end so that about 3 inches of the front end were hot. However I do understand what you're saying and sometimes will cool both the back end and the very front (what will be jaw end) when I want to only upset a section in between. I would say I upset to about 5/8", not quite 3/4" for this tong. Thanks. Glen
i enjoyed watching, but honestly, I am extreamly new to bkacksmithing and you were very silent throughout so I had to sit and scratch my head and try to figure out what and why you did what you did. I still enjoyed the video eventhough i got a little lost at times. I'll just have to watch a few more times. Keep up the good work.
Mark, In some if these videos, I prefer to just show the process but in others, I try to explain in as much detail as I can. I will certainly do more tong making videos and ones that are more instructional in nature. Thanks for watching. Glen
Great work and quick. What grade steel would you recommend for your tongs. I've seen people make them out of reed bar but they look and function like crap.
+jeffery biddix I use mostly 1018 cold rolled mild steel for my tongs but also 1045 (medium carbon) for some styles, like scroll tongs. I once made a pair of tongs out of rebar but didn't like them - the knurling was uncomfortable to hold. Also, rebar is much the same as A36, hot milled steel. It's fine for tongs but can vary quite a bit from bar to bar. I think the specs for cold rolled steels are more closely controlled and consistent. I've hit on hot milled steel that felt soft like wrought (pure) iron and other pieces that feel as hard as a ball bearing. I think mostly mild steel suits me (my tongs) because I constantly quench my tongs. Tongs with more carbon might crack over time (when repeatedly quenched) whereas there is no fear of this, especially with the 1018 cold rolled steel. Thanks. Glen
Thanks for getting back to me much appreciated.
+Glen GS Tongs re-bar can be from various sorts of steels. the defunct mill here used lots of vehicles for their sorce.
+OKBushcraft Yes, I've heard exactly the same thing from others. Recycling, while smart and great for the environment, can also lead to some suspect quality of certain types of steels, especially construction grade stuff like rebar. Thanks for sharing. Glen
whats the name of the block anvil you are working on?
Austin, Those are GS special limited edition anvils! They're my own designs which I had made here in Taiwan. I wanted anvils to suit the way I like to work and so took advantage of the resources available here to get these done. I had three different designs made and am very pleased with all. Thanks. Glen
great video! may I ask where you got that little anvil? thanks
+Johan Vanzanten I had that anvil made as well as two other anvils. It (like the other two) is machined from a block of 4145 steel and properly heat treated. I prefer an anvil with a wide face (front to back) and rarely use a horn. This anvil also serves as a swage block. I have owned very high quality cast steel anvils but feel that a forged (drop forged) anvil is superior. Since the the steel used to make my anvils was forged (much as the smaller bar stock we use for our projects) it is the same as a drop forged anvil in that sense, without any possible inclusions or impurities that might result from casting. Anyway, I really like this anvil but have an even smaller one that I will show soon in videos. Thanks for watching. Glen
+Glen GS Tongs that's really cool, I have an old forged Peter wright anvil but the sides are in bad shape and the face hardly has any flat spots so a small anvil like this would be a really nice add on, do you mind me asking how much it cost you? total cost after machining and such? thanks!
ok awsome man ty for being so cool. this video has been so informative dude its great ty. this is such a fun trade to learn. im a plumber by day and Id rather blacksmith anyday than plumb. haha. women hear plumber they think ew poop. women hear blacksmith they think mm nice arms lol keep up the awesome work sir.
very nice
Raymond, Glad you like this video. Thanks for watching. Glen
What type of steel did you use for the tongs?
+BVoris6977 For these tongs, I used 1018 mild carbon steel. I mostly prefer this material for tongs for a few reasons like ease of hammering and the ability to withstand repeated quenching without cracking. Thanks. Glen
ok so im trying to understand the first part of the video, where your taking the bar and you put it in that big square thing? prior to you really starting the shaping process? pls explain
Yes, in the first part I'm "upsetting" the tong blanks - making a section shorter and thicker (swell up, as you say) so that there will be more material in the jaw and pivot area. There are different ways to accomplish this. Some by welding, some by starting with larger stock and drawing out (thinning) the handles, and some by doing it this way. Good question... Thanks. Glen
+Glen GS Tongs Why are you upsetting using a block? Are you using it to gauge the thickness?
John, Yes, in part I'm using it to gauge how much the bar has upset (the hole in the block is tapered with the bottom end being wider and close to what I want the tong end to be) but also to stabilize the bar as I'm upsetting so that it doesn't buckle too much and need a lot of straightening. Thanks for watching. Glen
Haha I love the little design's you put on your tools, it reminds me of skyrim or something. Really that's cool...I hope you don't mind me asking but I was wondering, are you making a living from this?
+Brett Smith I'm glad you appreciate my work. Yes, this is my main work. I make a variety of different tools for blacksmithing and similar trades and have been at this for a long while. I am very minimalistic and keep everything as simple as possible. But as with other craftsmen like blacksmiths, you likely don't get involved if your motivation is money. I supplement my income with other work, etc. Thanks for watching. Hoping my future videos will improve... Glen
Glen GS Tongs ok thank you for your reply. Im trying to find a way to make a living doing something I will enjoy lol. Its good to know it's possible with the right skills. Definitely looking forward for new videos. Thanks again and keep up the good work.
You made it so easy but I am pretty sure it is not that easy - I wish I have your skills and your speed.
Honestly, it's just a matter of practice and repetition. If you did tong making for as long as I have, I bet you'd be hammering circles around me. Thanks. Glen
And he dose it from a chair.
Do you make your own anvils or get them from somewhere...those you have I've never seen before
These anvils are my own design which I had made. I couldn't find an anvil where I live (Taiwan) that satisfied me; the way I like to work. All told, I had three styles made. The first was about 150 pounds, the second (seen in this video) is about 88 pounds, and the third is the smallest, at about 65 pounds. You can see the third style side-by-side with my second one in newer videos. The very first one, I heat treated myself which was a real adventure - wish I had a video of that... Check my website for specs on my third anvil. Thanks for watching. Glen
www.gstongs.com
+Glen GS Tongs ok I thought those were custom....I like the setup
Nice . great good 😆
+Çoup Dē Ģrace Thanks for your kind comment. I will re-do this video of making a flat tong some time soon. Glen
È stato un piacere vedere con che cura hai fatto quelle pinze! mitico
Paolo, I'm not sure that what I did in this video is mythical (mitico) but I really appreciate that you like this video. I will demonstrate more tong making in future videos. Thanks. Glen
You are really mithical And Very professional! I like Very mutch how You work !
i think if you could stabilize the thing better it would be a good way to save time with multiple pieces. and anytime buddy
Yes, that's definitely the key - stabilizing the workpiece as it's being upset so that it doesn't buckle too much. Thanks. Glen
nice upsett tool.
Scott, Thanks for watching. Glen
Nice work, but I think you need to zoom out a bit more, can't see what's going on sometimes.
+gjb79ful Yes, I agree with you completely regarding the camera zoom / angle. I want to be able to closely show my hammering on the metal but the project gets obstructed on certain operations and my hand is always getting in the way. Because I have a wall in front of me, it's hard for me to find a perfect angle and distance (I would prefer the camera be in front). I will figure something out so please stick with my channel. Thanks. Glen
the anvil is drawing the heat out of the work piece too fast
Would have been a really awesome video if I could see what the hell you were actually doing. But awesome tongs
Christopher, I realize that my older videos, like this one, were pretty poor quality as far as filming and editing go. I've made some improvements since then but have a way to go. Thanks for watching all the same.
i prefer using mild steel, easier to work with
+KEY EHEK I also prefer mild steel for tongs. I will sometimes use medium carbon steel - you can make a lighter tong that is stronger - but I constantly quench my tongs and so the chance of the medium carbon steel tongs cracking after repeated quenching exists. In order to add more stoutness to my mild steel tongs (I recently had some issues), I made some changes to the design that helps keep more metal in critical areas - the jaw and pivot areas. This has reduced the length even more from what you see in this video but it makes for a much more durable tong, in my opinion. When I have time, I will post more tong making videos. Thanks for watching. Glen
thanks for the reply
i make my tongs from flat bar, usually 7 or 8mm thick stuff, this makes for a structurally very strong tong, because the material is quite thick. of course they get pretty hevy, but i yet have to learn a lot and so far this works best for me
What about the riveting? I watched the video to see the riveting.
Sorry about that. I do show riveting in other videos and will be sure to include that in an upcoming tong making video. Thanks for watching.
долго и нудно,слишком муторно смотреть пол видео,на перчатку и руку
щипчики для бровей получились...стильно,модно,молодежно
A smith with gloves: make a fool of oneself. In my first apprentis year I made two tongs in half the time.
It really wasn't necessary but thanks for your support / intelligent comment; I appreciate it. I have no problem with constructive criticism but ignore the blatantly ridiculous... Have a Happy New Year. Glen
It would help us if you would explain what you are doing when you are doing it. Gave you a thumbs down. Sorry
Funny how someone with 2 subscribers can be so critical of another persons video.
Maybe you should have listened to him at the beginning. He said there wasnt going to be much talking due to trying to get it in one take. All of his other videos have great explanations of what he is doing