Once again, I had nothing to do (and i'm supposed to be a college student) so I made these. not to say that the other tongs instructable's a bad one, but I think these are easier to do. They're not better, just different. (I don't have a plasma cutter, for one) You'll need:
1: A piece of MILD steel big enough to make the tongs. I used some 20mm wide by 4mm thick by 1 meter long, giving me tongs about 50 cm long when I'm done.
2: You'll need a metal vise sturdy enough to stand all the bending that's going to be happening, 2 pairs of heavy-ish metal pliers, a hacksaw, for cutting the metal
3: You'll also need a blowtorch capable of heating this much steel into its plastic state (A fairly bright red colour) and the relevant protective gear. A drill and a bolt, to make the hole and hold them together are also pretty important.
1: A piece of MILD steel big enough to make the tongs. I used some 20mm wide by 4mm thick by 1 meter long, giving me tongs about 50 cm long when I'm done.
2: You'll need a metal vise sturdy enough to stand all the bending that's going to be happening, 2 pairs of heavy-ish metal pliers, a hacksaw, for cutting the metal
3: You'll also need a blowtorch capable of heating this much steel into its plastic state (A fairly bright red colour) and the relevant protective gear. A drill and a bolt, to make the hole and hold them together are also pretty important.
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Signing UpStep 1: Cut the steel bar to shape
Cut the steel bar to the length you want the tongs to be. Longer tongs are harder to use. I had 1 metre of steel, so i just cut it in half. Now the important cut: 5cm from the end of each bar, cut halfway through the steel. This will make the bend that forms the jaws of the tongs tighter. The bars in the picture haven't had the second cut made yet.
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I eventually made a heavier duty pair with shorter handles and mated twists to turn the jaws. They are working pretty well and though heavy, they don't bend.
excellent work. thanks for sharing