Fire tongs

[Jonzjob]

I have a pair of fire tongs that have given good service and I really like. They have got a bit lazy and the spring at the top needs re tempering. How do I do it? I have the gas torch, but not the know-how?

Any ideas please folks??

[idun]

 Have to ask, what do you do with them????

I know what they look like, but I never have anything associated with my fire that I can think that I would use them on....... all I think I need are my sturdy welding gloves and a big poker and just sort everything out like that.

I have some kitchen tongs, and have tried to use them when cooking and am useless, I'm a two fork gal, and manage just fine with two forks.

[Jonzjob]

"Have to ask, what do you do with them???? "

All the re arranging of the logs, embers and generally manage the fire, a big open fireplace. This is an old photo but still much the same

[URL=http://s47.photobucket.com/user/Jonzjob/media/Johns/291.jpg.html][IMG]http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f180/Jonzjob/Johns/291.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

Maybe not quite as efficient as an insert, but much more cozy [8-|][kiss]

[Pierre ZFP]

I've never done this with fires tongs with a spring (mine are more the 'scissor' type) but I've tempered other things with springs.

To temper your spring, you need to clean back to the bare metal with emery cloth so that it's shiny and you will be able to see the colour changes then heat as evenly as you can until it turns blue.  Then quench immediately. I would quench in oil but you can use water if you like.

[Jonzjob]

Ta Pierre. I had an idea that blue came into it somewhere? They are the very old type, made out of a single bit of mild steel. Flattened in the middle to form the spring and very efficient.

One of the legs broke off and I had weld it back on [:-))] For me that was an achievement and it ain't fell back off yet [8-|]

I have never been very good with an arc welder, but I got one and I do try [8-)]

SWMBO says that I'm very trying [blink]

[Pierre ZFP]

Ha ha, me too!

You probably ruined the tempering when you welded it

[Jonzjob]

Duno about its temper but it didn't do mine any good [:$]

[Chancer]

You cannot (Harden and) temper mild steel AKA plain carbon steel, it has to have a higher carbon content or be infused with carbon (case hardening) tempering is done after hardening to remove brittleness, when a spring snaps it usually due to incorrect tempering.

 

Exposure to too much heat and then slow cooling will anneal the metal which is what has happened after your welded repair.

 

The blue heat and quenching described is the hardening stage which needs to be followed by tempering, this is done by heating up to approximately pale straw colour and leaving to cool, my memory is failing me here and I'm asking myself whether it should actually be requenched, my first recall is usually right but Google it or maybe someone will correct me if it is wrong.

 

If your tongs are not made of high(er) carbon steel all the above will be a total waste of time, you might as well be making a spring out of a paper clip [:D]

[Jonzjob]

A paper clip? I ain't that daft. It wouldn't be strong enough and besides which I would burn my delicate fingers [:-))]

The actual problem is that when I squeeze them together they don't spring back to the orginal position and if I spread them again they only stay spread for a short time. There has to be a way of getting them back to what they were? After all nothing has changed as far as the make-up of the steel init? [8-)]

I'll try the tecky approach and heat them up to too hot to touch, or 'ouch!' I think is the proper term, and chuck them in some water.

[Harnser]

Errm - check the date on the post that you are replying to george.

I would think that the problem has either been solved or scrapped by now!