My tongs snapped at the weld last Thursday, almost dropped a hot piece

I was working on a simple leaf keychain, just a small piece of 1/4 inch stock. I had it at a bright orange heat, maybe 1800 degrees, and went to move it from the forge to the anvil. The right jaw just popped off at the weld on the hinge. The piece fell about two feet onto my concrete floor, which is way better than my foot. I checked the other pair from the same batch I bought online a year ago, and the welds look sketchy on those too. Has anyone else had tongs fail like this from a bad factory weld? I'm going to reforge these myself now.

3 comments

3 Comments

the_drew13d ago

Yeah, sketchy factory welds on tongs are way too common. I had a pair of cheap bolt jaws snap in the same spot, scared me straight. Now I just buy the reins and make my own jaws, or at least re-weld and quench any store-bought pair before I trust them. What kind of weld are you planning to do on the fix?

jamie1019d ago

Re-weld and quench" is the smart move. I just use a simple stick weld on mine, nothing fancy. A good clean bead and a proper tempering cycle is all it really takes to make them safe.

phoenix_carter13d ago

It's like the rule with cheap furniture, you know? The welds are always the first thing to go. I've seen it happen with grill tools, ladder steps, all sorts of stuff where a company cuts that corner.