My tongs used to slip on every round bar, now they grip after a 20 minute fix

For the first two years I just hammered away with loose tongs and blamed my hands. Then a guy at a shop in Topeka showed me how to upset the jaw ends and re-harden them with a quick torch treatment. I did it on three pairs last weekend and the difference is night and day. Now I can hold a 3/4 inch rod without it twisting free mid-strike. It cost me nothing but an hour of shop time and some used quench oil. Has anyone else tried reworking old farrier tongs for general forging work, or do you just buy new ones?

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evan29515d ago

Wish my hammering skills matched my tongs now, otherwise I just look like a guy who got new grips and still hits crooked. Might have to try that trick on every pair I own before the next project.