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TOPIC: Tong adjustment

RE:Tong adjustment 01 Feb 2009 17:20 #16

calshoer OFFLINE Guru Posts: 7253 Karma: 0	Smitty over a long time don't your reins get a little closer together? Even with careful use, not overheating them and so on, all the tongs I have seen do that,even the good ones. At some point they will need adjustment.
	Patty Stiller CNBF,CLS www.hoofcareonline.com The administrator has disabled public write access.

RE:Tong adjustment 01 Feb 2009 18:27 #17

JimBondra OFFLINE Very Senior Member Posts: 576 Thank you received: 1 Karma: 0	I find that if the shoe is hot:D You don't have to adjust your tongs. smitty88 Re: Tong adjustment dont go cheapy if your buying tongs Smitty is that you?
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RE:Tong adjustment 01 Feb 2009 18:52 #18

smitty88 OFFLINE Guru Posts: 6951 Thank you received: 64 Karma: 13	calshoer wrote: Smitty over a long time don't your reins get a little closer together? Even with careful use, not overheating them and so on, all the tongs I have seen do that,even the good ones. At some point they will need adjustment. Patty, Wear/Tear the jaws also get smaller depending the quality of tongs Jim, you no im not a cheapy:D
	Smitty88 John Mc Loughlin The administrator has disabled public write access.

RE:Tong adjustment 01 Feb 2009 19:04 #19

clinkercjf OFFLINE Senior Member Posts: 317 Karma: 0	The rivet and the hole also wear over time and eventually will need to be overhauled. Oversize the hole and a larger rivet.
	Time is a great teacher, but unfortunately it kills all its pupils. Louis Hector Berlioz Troy Ehrmantraut, CJF 2002 Journeyman Practical High Score Award. The administrator has disabled public write access.

RE:Tong adjustment 04 Feb 2009 07:10 #20

Julie Plaster
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Thanks all.

calshoer wrote:

...even the good ones. At some point they will need adjustment.

Smitty, which ones are your preferences? I want to buy some new ones. What brand of tongs do most of you like to use?

It’s time for a tool maintenance check up.

May need to replace a rivet. I've never replaced a rivet. Anything wrong with using a grinder to remove a rivet?

I was looking for information on the blacksmith forums. Interesting thread.
http://www.iforgeiron.com/forum/f7/probably-******-question-about-rivets-5072/

I was reading about putting a small keyway in the hole on one side to keep the rivet from turning both halves. Everybody else do that?

Pretty good pictures. (BP0015 Tong Rivets) http://www.iforgeiron.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=185:bp0015&catid=13:blueprints-000-100&Itemid=50

Thank you,

Julie

Julie Plaster

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RE:Tong adjustment 05 Feb 2009 04:14 #21

Tennessee
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Hey Julie,

There's nothing wrong with grinding the rivet off. Roy Bloom has a good tool maintenance DVD out there. He puts the little keyway in one side of the tongs, also. However, instead of going all the way across the hole with a cold chisel, he only does one side of the hole with a hot cut in one spot. It does the same thing without distorting the hole so it has to be re-drifted or re-drilled.

Jeremy Rigsby

Jeremy Rigsby

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RE:Tong adjustment 05 Feb 2009 17:45 #22

Julie Plaster
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Thanks much for the responses.

I've registered for the Co-Op membership, going shopping at our marketplace here. Going to pick up Roy Bloom's tool maintenance DVD, and some new tongs.

Smitty, which ones are your quality preferences? I like the idea of you not having to make adjustments. I'd like to reduce my need to do so.

What brand of tongs do most of you like to use on a regular basis?

Respectfully,

Julie

Julie Plaster

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RE:Tong adjustment 05 Feb 2009 18:43 #23

cowboy_bc
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Hi all,

I have a pair of (Diamond) tongs adjusted for every size of stock. When they were new I went to the trouble of grinding off the rough edges from when they were drop forged, I then polished them and then sprayed them with clear laquer (all my tools except the GE's). Never had to replace a rivet but I have had to tighten them up by heating the jaws and rivet and very carefully tapping on the rivet so you don't size up the jaws.

Kevin

Kevin Joseph Wheeler

Always strive to be the person your dog thinks you are.

if i was smart enought to spell properly I probably wouldnt be shoeing friggen horses for a living ay. Red Amor

If it don’t seem like it’s worth the effort it probably...

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RE:Tong adjustment 21 Feb 2009 17:58 #24

Ronald Aalders
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cowboy_bc wrote:

Hi all,

I have a pair of (Diamond) tongs adjusted for every size of stock. Kevin

I have a couple of tongs. Pretty simple ones that you need to adjust from the shape of the jaw to the length of the reins even before you get to adjusting jaw width to really nice ones that I especially bought for my sliders. However considering price and quality my diamond is best. Not expensive (that is I don't remember it being expensive) and no wear so far after 10 years.

Ronald Aalders

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RE:Tong adjustment 21 Feb 2009 18:20 #25

smitty88
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Julie Plaster wrote:

Thanks much for the responses.

I've registered for the Co-Op membership, going shopping at our marketplace here. Going to pick up Roy Bloom's tool maintenance DVD, and some new tongs.

Smitty, which ones are your quality preferences? I like the idea of you not having to make adjustments. I'd like to reduce my need to do so.

What brand of tongs do most of you like to use on a regular basis?

Respectfully,

Julie

Julie,
i use a couple of hand made pair that are sweet my brother made
i have three/four pair blurton and one pair of diamond

that i use for 5/16 the diamond is not dear but it suites light section
i see young lads at the college byeing tongs that are not very good

throwing there money away

Smitty88
John Mc Loughlin

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RE:Tong adjustment 24 Feb 2009 04:55 #26

Julie Plaster OFFLINE Senior Member Posts: 231 Karma: 0	Dan, You started a good post and the responses are very helpful! Many thanks to all! Julie
	Julie Plaster The administrator has disabled public write access.

RE:Tong adjustment 18 Mar 2009 02:36 #27

Dan Puckett
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I heated them up, put them on some bar stock, and put it in the vice. I left it for an afternoon (or overnight, as the case may have been). I did that to my 5/16, 3/8 and 1/2 tongs. When I cant even hold a yellow shoe in place, something needs adjusting.

I've gotten good service from my Chip Hunt tongs. May not be the nicest or highest quality, but with an occasional adjustment, I think they'll last me a long time. Lot of guys close to the school use Jim Keith and Jay Sharp tongs. Some make their own.

Dan Puckett, CF

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RE:Tong adjustment 22 Mar 2009 13:11 #28

Dogwood Forge OFFLINE Senior Member Posts: 131 Thank you received: 2 Karma: 0	IMO Jim Kieth tongs are the best ones out there. I've used Blurton, Diamonds, Yukons, Breckenridges, and Blooms. Jim Kieth tongs are defiantly the way to go.
	Chip Crumbly CJF, AWCF http://www.georgiafarriers.org/ The administrator has disabled public write access.