How to Make Blacksmith Tongs

Cut your flat steel bar in half to create two 20-inch lengths.

Place the two flat steel bars on top of each other with their ends lined up. Drill a 1/4-inch diameter hole in the center of the bar, three inches from one end, through both flat bars. Insert a 1-inch long length of round steel rod into the holes, through both pieces of steel bar.

Place the end with the round metal rod into your forge until it develops an orange to red hot hue.

Clamp the tong end into a vise, vertically, so that the handle end of the tongs is facing directly upward. Leave enough space between the vise and the round steel rod to fit your adjustable crescent wrench onto the flat steel bars. Tighten it onto the flat sides of the flat steel bar.

Turn the wrench a quarter turn of a circle, bending both steel bars together. This will create the required bend that will allow a clamping/scissor effect to take place with your tongs.

Place the tongs into the forge to heat the round metal rod.

Clamp one side of the round metal rod in the vise with about 1/4 inch of round rod exposed above it. Pound the exposed round metal rod with your hammer to create a rivet end, this will stop the round metal rod from being pushed through.

Turn the tongs over, cut off enough round rod with your hacksaw to leave 1/4 exposed, and pound this end down to create the other side of the rivet closure against your anvil, permanently creating the axis of your tongs.

Operate the tongs by opening the handle side as you would a large pair of scissors.