Tong rings, any common substitute?

R

ritzblitz

Joined
Dec 31, 2006
Messages
293
I don't know how often you guys use tong rings, but I think they would be extremely helpful in holding your work as well as saving your arm.

Are there any substitutes or easy ways to make something like this?

Thanks!
Alex
 
:confused:
I don't understand... Tong rings are one of the easiest things to forge: take some round stock or forge it, and make a ring suited to the tongs it must keep closed... That's it.
I forged a tong ring for a new pair of tongs while a file was annealing. It took me about 5 minutes, because I hade to taper down some 1/2 " rebar to have an adequate thickness.
If you have properly sized stock, I doubt you need more than a couple of minutes to make one.
You may want to make some decoration, if you like, but even then, I doubt you need more than 15 minutes to make one.
;)
 
What Alarion said. I just make what I need from 1/4" round mild steel. Cost is virtually nothing. Start with an 8-10" piece. I make a round eye on one end, and close this around one handle. I clamp a piece of steel in the jaw, and bend the rest around the other handle to keep the tongs closed. I do this about half way up the handles. This allows for the ring to be pushed up the handles to make the grip hold tight. The finished ring looks sort of like a "J" on the handles.
Stacy
 
bladsmth said:
What Alarion said. I just make what I need from 1/4" round mild steel. Cost is virtually nothing. Start with an 8-10" piece. I make a round eye on one end, and close this around one handle. I clamp a piece of steel in the jaw, and bend the rest around the other handle to keep the tongs closed. I do this about half way up the handles. This allows for the ring to be pushed up the handles to make the grip hold tight. The finished ring looks sort of like a "J" on the handles.
Stacy
Click to expand...

Well, your ring is far more sophisticated than mine: I just forged an 0 shaped ring that fits the reins.
That's it.
Mine is with butted ends, and fits just that tongs and another similar pair, but if you overlap the ends, with a few hammer blows or the horn of the anvil you can size it to fit different tongs in a few seconds. Anneal every now and then to avoid work hardening it and have it crack for metal fatigue... :D
 
Is it true that a tong ring will make your tongs harder?



Sorry, I had to...
 
Next time you're in the hardware store, pick up a few different sized chain links. Or, like said above, forge your own out and "practice" that forging!!!
 
Simple cheap way.... cut some different width pipe (about 1/2" wide, depends on what you like) and squeeze the center... sort of into an oval or "8" depending on your tongs.... I've got lots of different size pipe ... so it works for me.... but that's the lazy way....:rolleyes:
 
Haha a coat hanger. I have about 80ft of titanium rod from work so I tried your method Stacy and it worked quite well. Thanks for the advice.
Alex
 
Square tubing works pretty well. Cut off a 1/4" or so sliver. The tong handles sit inside the corners real well so the ring doesn't want to twist or slide around much.
 
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