"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge"
One of the most used tools in blacksmithing is the tongs. Large tongs hold the metal tight over the fire for heating. The length of the tongs keep hands away from the heat. Blacksmiths forge their own metal tongs and, with a few instructions, you can, too
Blacksmith Tongs
Survival How-To
Start with two pieces of mild steel 18-inches long by 1-inch wide.
Build a forge fire. Place one piece of steel into the fire at a time. Hold the end in the fire until it turns bright red. Make sure to grasp the metal tightly with a pair of pliers or tongs to prevent burning your hand.
Place the heated end on an anvil and using a metal mallet, hammer the end of the steel flat. Keep hammering until the color changes back to normal.
Stand the metal rod on edge and lay 3 inches over the side of the anvil. Hammer it down to make a slight angle. This is the jaw of the tong.
Hammer the 3-inch angle to flatten it the opposite way. In other words, while the handle lays flat, the angled section will lie on its side and vice-versa.
Heat the end again until it turns bright red. Use a center punch and hammer a hole in the handle section 1 1/2 inches away from the created angle. This hole will be used to attach both steel rods together. If the center punch does not go all the way through, turn the rod over and finish the hole on the reverse side.
Prepare the second steel rod the same way. Once it is complete attach the two rods together with a metal bolt slightly smaller than the holes. Lay one rod on top of the other. The angles should both be facing in.
Test the ends to see how close they come together. If you need to adjust them, heat the ends until they are bright red and bend the angles in until they connect. Try picking something up to make sure they work.
Build a forge fire. Place one piece of steel into the fire at a time. Hold the end in the fire until it turns bright red. Make sure to grasp the metal tightly with a pair of pliers or tongs to prevent burning your hand.
Place the heated end on an anvil and using a metal mallet, hammer the end of the steel flat. Keep hammering until the color changes back to normal.
Stand the metal rod on edge and lay 3 inches over the side of the anvil. Hammer it down to make a slight angle. This is the jaw of the tong.
Hammer the 3-inch angle to flatten it the opposite way. In other words, while the handle lays flat, the angled section will lie on its side and vice-versa.
Heat the end again until it turns bright red. Use a center punch and hammer a hole in the handle section 1 1/2 inches away from the created angle. This hole will be used to attach both steel rods together. If the center punch does not go all the way through, turn the rod over and finish the hole on the reverse side.
Prepare the second steel rod the same way. Once it is complete attach the two rods together with a metal bolt slightly smaller than the holes. Lay one rod on top of the other. The angles should both be facing in.
Test the ends to see how close they come together. If you need to adjust them, heat the ends until they are bright red and bend the angles in until they connect. Try picking something up to make sure they work.
