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Why does nobody talk about how bad cheap tongs are for forge welding?
I keep seeing posts from beginners using those cheap stamped steel tongs you get on Amazon for like $15 and trying to do forge welds. Tried that myself back when I started about two years ago in my garage here in Denver. The tongs just don't hold the billet steady enough, they flex and twist when you try to set the weld. Lost a couple good billets that way, just flew right off the anvil. You really need some decent forged tongs that lock onto the steel tight, otherwise you're just wasting your time and fuel. Anyone else have trouble with flimsy tongs ruining a weld?
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jennyp192mo ago
Dude it's just tongs, you learn to adjust your technique pretty quick.
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alice_kim2mo ago
Cheap tongs are just the tip of the iceberg though... it's the same pattern with everything in this craft. People buy the cheapest anvil on Amazon and wonder why their hammer blows bounce back wrong, or grab a $30 angle grinder that shakes apart after three projects. The whole "buy cheap, buy twice" thing applies to so much more than just tools. It's like the universe is teaching us that shortcuts always show up later as a bigger headache.
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vera_murphy1mo ago
Thing is, it's not even just in blacksmithing or woodworking either. You see the same pattern in cooking gear, gardening tools, even basic car maintenance stuff. People grab the cheapest set of wrenches from the discount bin and then strip every bolt they touch. I've noticed it with my neighbor's lawn equipment too - he bought the cheapest mower at the big box store and now it's been in the shop more times than it's been cutting grass. There's this weird thing where we think we're saving money upfront but really we're just signing up for more hassle later. And the worst part is, the cheap thing usually fails right when you need it most, like mid-project on a Saturday afternoon. So yeah, the universe is definitely trying to teach us something, but most people just keep making the same mistake over and over.
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