I finally figured out why my tongs kept slipping on small stock

For months I was having a real problem holding onto quarter inch round bar for scroll work. The tongs would just spin in my hand no matter how hard I tightened them. I watched a video from a smith up in Vermont who said the key is not more squeeze, but better jaw contact. He showed how to forge a small, sharp ridge right down the center of each jaw face. I tried it on my old pair of flat bit tongs, just a quick heat and a few hammer taps to raise that ridge. The difference was night and day. That tiny ridge bites into the steel and stops the spin completely. I wasted so much time fighting with my work before this. Has anyone else tried a different trick for better grip on small stuff?

2 comments

2 Comments

jordan65310d ago

Saw a tip about filing crosshatch patterns instead.

james67210d ago

Honestly that crosshatch filing tip is a game changer. It makes the whole job so much easier and cleaner. I wish I had learned it years ago.