How to Forge Tools: Twist Tongs

[@palestinepete1356]

Love your power hammer

[@northernforgeblacksmith]

thanks. I build it myself. I have a few videos on the channel about some of the problems I had to fix while building it. I think I need to do another one to go over the final design as it is now.

[@RedneckForge]

Have you ever made a knife if so I would like to see that I'm always interested in watching a knife being made

[@northernforgeblacksmith]

I have made a few knives, but they aren't what I prefer to make since there is a lot of grinding for the amount of forging. I do have a video, my first ever video actually, was how to forge a blacksmithing knife. Here's a link if you want to check it out: kzbin.info/www/bejne/n6KwpKWIfZidf6s

[@RedneckForge]

But I also find it interesting to watch tools being made

[@northernforgeblacksmith]

Thanks, making tools is really what I enjoy doing most.

[@RedneckForge]

@@northernforgeblacksmith if you haven't already can you make a drift

[@northernforgeblacksmith]

I have a few. Will probably make a video once I have a need for another one.

[@BryantWalker-m6e]

THAT, Sir is the most AWESOME Red Neck engineered Power hammer I have ever scene! 😄

[@northernforgeblacksmith]

Thanks. It has saved my shoulder a lot of work over the last couple years.

[@rustybow7293]

Great video! Best tong instruction I've seen, actually. Clean and simple. I think I'll adapt this to a larger mouth version for billets and other difficult to grab objects. Thanks for posting this!

[@northernforgeblacksmith]

Thanks! I try and make things as clear as I can. The beauty of this process for tongs is that it is super easy to adapt for whatever tongs you want to make.

[@rustybow7293]

@@northernforgeblacksmith i just posted a tongs video and posted your channel link in the description and mentioned you in my closing as you inspired me to make them. Thanks again for the great vids! :)

[@RedneckForge]

How far North are you are you in Canada just curious

[@northernforgeblacksmith]

I'm in interior Alaska, near Fairbanks.

[@RedneckForge]

@@northernforgeblacksmith that's pretty far North and pretty close to Canada

[@RedneckForge]

@@northernforgeblacksmith I'm in Missouri

[@northernforgeblacksmith]

I am about 6 hours from the Canadian boarder.

[@northernforgeblacksmith]

cool, what's the weather like there? right now we are having a pretty warm winter, but getting quite a lot of snow.

[@RedneckForge]

What kind of anvil do you have

[@northernforgeblacksmith]

honestly I don't know its origins. I bought it locally from a guy who had inherited his father's machine shop and was clearing out stuff he wasn't going to use. He said is mostly just sat in the corner and for most of his memory.

[@OffBitterShane]

London pattern?

[@northernforgeblacksmith]

Yes, it is a London pattern anvil. Which is the most commonly recognized anvil shape characterized by the round horn on one end and a square heel on the other end. Also frequently has a step just before the horn, but not always.

[@RedneckForge]

@@northernforgeblacksmith I was told that my anvil is a Peter Wright but I don't know for sure do you know how I can find out for sure

[@northernforgeblacksmith]

typically you use the shape to narrow it down, then any markings on the sides of the anvil to figure out what it is, but mine has no markings on any of the sides except a few numbers by the feet that I believe are the weight, so I just use it and don't worry about who made it.

[@sjtaylor128]

I like that you remove the punch between strikes. That's normally done to allow the punch to cool slightly and the hole to reheat slightly between strikes. If you rotate the punch in your hand between strikes it will punch a rounder hole (if the punch isn't exactly round). Good job demonstrating your technique.

[@northernforgeblacksmith]

Thanks. it does allow the punch to stay cooler, and the hole hotter. It is also a good habit for when punching larger holes since that is when you would add your lubricant. I do rotate the punch (my punch is homemade and not perfectly round like you mentioned). I think I mentioned it in my tongs without tongs video, but didn't bring it up here.

[@deliaguzman1138]

Do you heat up your anvil somehow when it’s so cold?

[@northernforgeblacksmith]

Not really. Sometimes if there is snow and ice buildup on the anvil I will heat up a large piece of steel and lay that on the anvil to remove the buildup, but otherwise I just start working and the heat from whatever I am making will warm the anvil eventually.

[@OffBitterShane]

Man! This almost makes me believe I could do it!

[@northernforgeblacksmith]

You absolutely can do it!

[@BryantWalker-m6e]

Yep, had the same thought right as The Pandemic started now I have made countless s hooks, 20 different pairs of tongs, speciality chisels, cut off hardies, spatulas, ladles, coat racks, cooking forks, nut crackers, lantern hangers, back scratchers, candle sticks, punches, drifts, knives, 1 short sword, plant hangers, Christmas Tree decorations, sculpted Wizard faces. It is really only limited to your imagination ( and your skill level at the time, but that can be improved and advanced with practice) at one point in history if it was made of metal a black smith made it by hand with a hammer and anvil (of course they had apprentices to swing large hammers they were the original power hammer. 😊) You absolutely CAN do this with a small monetary investment. It can even be mobile if you only have space to work in your driveway, garage, tiny yard. Don't forget ventilation and fire safety. Propane forge if you have picky neighbors nearby (no smoke or smell, burning coal has distinct smell, an indoor smithy even with a cold forge has a funky smell) IF you go about it correctly you shouldn't have any problems, especially if you can be out of site. keep hammering and power tool noise to daytime hours like times you would mow or such, NOW, if you live with with a HOA, all bets are off from what I have read it's VERY difficult to be an individual in most of these places,personally I think HOAs are 1 of the worst ideas ever but I digress. Fortunately I live more like the gentleman in this video. Be FREE people, Government & beuacrocy are NOT your friend.

[@KeithBair]

Just a FYI, when you move to the vise after riveting the tongs together and center the handles up with the jaws, this cancels out any right or left handed tongs. There is a difference in how they lay and position steel when handling right or left hand tongs if the reins aren't centered up with the bit

[@northernforgeblacksmith]

Ahhh, that could explain why I never noticed any difference in my left handed and right handed tongs. Since I tend to put that offset on all my tongs.

[@KeithBair]

@@northernforgeblacksmith yep. If you have the time and materials, make a pair of right and left handed tongs without the offset and change them in and out on a project. You'll soon find that if you're right handed, the right handed tongs lay more natural in your hand and the left handed tongs you tend to fight more and vice versa. But if you offset the reins, right and left handed tongs feel the same

[@northernforgeblacksmith]

I'm going to have to try that out this summer just so I can feel the difference. Thanks!

[@lehfrish]

Сцуко !!! Я хочу этот молот !!!

[@northernforgeblacksmith]

I assume you mean the power hammer? I built the whole thing myself for very little money. You can do it too if you want.