I was teaching blacksmithing at a Scout camp last month and on the first day (classroom day) it was found that we were short by 1 pair of tongs for everyone to have their own pair once we started working in the forges. During our lunch break I recalled seeing this video and hurried back to the forge and in front of a few interested students and other camp staff, I knocked out a pair of these tongs in about 20 minutes making sure everyone in the class could have their own pair. It made me look like a hero that actually knew what he was doing (whem I still consider myself a begginer) and word spread and I had kids andvadults begging me to open the forge up for them to practice after dinner and during free periods. I ended up giving the pair I made out of rebar on the first day, away to 2 kids who were best friends and their fathers were keen on forging too. I gave it away on the condition that they each introduce blacksmithing to someone else and pay it forward by giving them advice or a pair of tongs to help them get started.
Update: about 2 months ago, I recieved a text message from the boys father who I mentioned above, it seems the 2 boys and their fathers had decided blacksmithing was a good hobby so they went out full bore. The boys built a gas forge, dads pooled their money and bought a used davinci tyoe power hammer and they sent me a pic of them all at their shop they built in their back yard. The pic had them all working around either the hammer or one of the 3 anvils they had set up and their forge was a monster. They had just finished their first axe they made fron scratch
@@southronjr1570 .... Wow mate you should be proud , your lessons have started new blacksmiths off and many more to come , great work well done and like your viewers here we all can learn something from you to and pay it forward , a big thankyou , keep the videos coming .
I think I speak for many starting off in blacksmithing that watching you a bit ahead of us helps to show us good early projects. This is a really useful video.
Ive watched several tong videos, and must say that your finished tongs look better than the others ive watched. Alignment and other details were impressive.
It took me three tries, but I managed to make my own thanks to this video. The heat treat is what got me both times. It’s winter and I’m forging outside so I think the cold water made the metal too brittle, and it snapped. First at the handle, then at the pin. But my third pair are in one piece for now, so that’s a win! Thank you!
Nick,thanks so much for making this video. I have always wondered how they were made. Seriously consider putting objects like this on your Etsy store. I, personally, would buy tongs and large tomahawk without hesitation.
Just finished my first forging with bituminous coal and I made these tongs,studied this video very well and still had have it on while I made these,just wonderful and simple instruction and I thank you so much,it took me awhile but got it now,I will definately be switching to propane lol
I always get so excited when you have a new video out. I love watching and learning from them. I still need to find your vlog and definitely want to get your books. Thank you for doing what you do.
Aloha. Good to see this video. I’m now in Spokane. Original born & raised on big island. Making my own things all my life then moving up here where there’s pretty much everywhere and anywhere to get supplies is a big change. But anyway I’m now into blacksmithing/bkadesmithing. Love your video bruddah! Aloha
VERY cool! I really like the rebar idea; it's far less expensive than buying other types of steel stock, is fairly strong stuff and certainly gets the job done. Thank you!!
This is so much cheaper than ordering a pair of tongs can cost over $20. Finally newbies like me can avoid spending an excessive funds on tongs(which, I found, are absolutely necessary). That much rebar only costed me $7, and even the saw that cut the rebar can be found for as cheap as $2! Up until now, I was using my moms 1' kitchen tongs. So overall, the price is under $10. Great and very helpful video. Would be great for you to make for vids like this!
Thank you so much for this! I just got an anvil yesterday. I also got some tongs, but they didn't really fit my needs. They where also kinda expensive..! Rebar is perfect and this seems like a really easy project! I will defenetly make this! Thanks!
Just one thing! When you dip the tongs in the bucket, doesn't it heattreat then and become really brytal (i have no idea how that's spelled)?? What if you accedentaly hit it? Will it break? ;D
Most rebar is fairly mild and should be fine. You may sometimes come across higher carbon rebar, which is more like a medium carbon steel and while it can become brittle when quenched, I haven't had a problem with the tongs yet. I usually end up quenching my tongs regularly while I work, sometimes on purpose. Also, you'll probably end up drawing the hardness out the next time the tongs are used to hold something hot. Thanks for watching!
I completely agree I've been wanting to make one but never found a good design but I like the way nicks is not big and bulky but able to heat up a fair amount of metal
LOVED THE SIMPLICITY OF MAKING AND INSTRUCTIONS..THANK YOU and deffanitly subcribing..will be my first thing to forge as ive 4 meters of that same re-bar and have no tongs,so will build my lpg BBQ gas bottle drum charcoal forge with disc brake bowel and heat gun for forced air and limited room and then ill try out making the tongs..thank you
I followed your good video on making tongs. The first pair I quenched and later accidentally him them after they cooled and they shattered. So subsequent tongs I made without quenching like you did and they work fine now.
I recently tried to make some tongs... didn't turn out so well as this. But, I picked up some free rebar, so I'm definitely going to give this a try. With what I learned last time I think I can hope to make something... well, at least useful.
dont use this material, rebar is solid, but for thong is bad, you need material which you can use in hight temperatures, rebar after few minutes working near the forge turn soft, sorry for my english, itry this and this not works
Your English is fine. Correct a few grammar spots and go with it. I agree with you on the rebar being bad for 'tongs'. But this will work for now. Peace.
Hf anvils are horrible. Just because it’s still together means nothing. They are cast iron and soft. They dent up easily and absorb energy making you have to work harder and get tired faster with less work done. You can get a 66lb cast 1045 anvil on eBay for 120$ it will last years and has decent rebound and is good quality for the price.
Notice he was using it as basically a punch/ drifting plate.....basically served the same purpose as a cheap piece of scrap metal because who gives a crap if it gets beat to hell. I say this also after smithing on a HF anvil my first year or so and while I realize you can indeed use it, it makes life far more difficult than what it can be. I just got a 100 pound Vulcan and even though it’s a lower end anvil, it’s light years ahead of the HF.
awesome nick I love these tongs however they don't grab everything I want to hold sometimes so please can you make a video on making flatiped tongs from rebar
