=10. The Tongs.=—There is an old saying that “a good mechanic can do good work with poor tools,” which may be true; but every mechanic surely should have good tools, on which he can rely and thereby have more confidence in himself. Among the good tools that are essential for acceptable smith work are the tongs.
Very few shops have a sufficient variety of tongs to meet all requirements, and it is often necessary to fit a pair to the work to be handled. Sometimes quite serious accidents happen because the tongs are not properly fitted. They should always hold the iron securely and, if necessary, a link should be slipped over the handles as shown in _B_, Fig. 8. The workman is thus relieved from gripping the tongs tightly and is allowed considerable freedom in handling his work.
=11. The flat-jawed tongs= are shown at _A_, Fig. 8. They are made in various sizes to hold different thicknesses of material. Tongs of this kind hold the work more securely if there is a groove lengthwise on the inside of the jaw; the full length of the jaw always should grip the iron.
_A_, flat-jawed tongs; _B_, hollow bit tongs; _C_, pick-up tongs; _D_, side tongs; _E_, chisel tongs; _F_, link tongs; _G_, tool or box tongs.]
=12. The hollow bit tongs=, shown at _B_, Fig. 8, are very handy for holding round iron or octagonal steel. They can be used also for holding square material, in which case the depressions in the jaws should be V-shaped.
=13. The pick-up tongs= (_C_, Fig. 8) are useful for picking up large or small pieces, as the points of the jaws are fitted closely together, and the two circular openings back of the point will securely grip larger pieces when seized from the side.
=14. The side tongs= (_D_, Fig. 8) are used for holding flat iron from the side. Tongs for holding round iron from the side can be made in this form with circular jaws.
=15. The chisel tongs= are shown at _E_, Fig. 8. One or more pairs of these are necessary in all forge shops. As the hot and cold cutters frequently get dull or broken, it will be necessary to draw them out and retemper them; and, as the heads of these cutters become battered considerably, they are difficult to hold without chisel tongs. The two projecting lugs at the ends of the jaws fit into the eye, and the circular bows back of them surround the battered head of the cutter, so that it can be held without any difficulty.