Bladesmith tongs from Harbor Freight Oil Filter Wrench

[DocChuck]

I made a set of tongs out of a Harbor Freight Oil Filter Wrench and some scrap steel angle iron and flat bar. First, I filled in the slip joint with a TIG welder. Now it functions more like simple pliers. Then I heated up the ends of the tongs to bent them to further close the gap, leaving enough room to grab a ¼" x 2" farrier's rasp file. I use these worn out rusted files as tool steel to repurpose and forge them into knives and other cutting tools.

Then I welded to pieces of 1" angle iron together to form a U-shaped channel that was just wide enough to accept a 2" rasp. Next I cut piece of the channel and welded it to the end of the modified oil filter wrench. Next,I cut a 1" length of 2" flat stock and welded it to the opposing end of the modified wrench. Once done, I checked the fit and grasping angle. Although it can grab a wide array of thicknesses...it is best suited for ¼"x2" farrier files.