Spent $60 on a new style of tongs and they're a total game changer for my scroll work

I was getting really tired of my old flat bit tongs slipping on small round stock, so I grabbed a pair of wolf jaw tongs from a local supplier. They grip the stock so much better that I can actually focus on the twist instead of fighting the piece. Has anyone else switched to a different style of tong and had it make a huge difference?

3 comments

3 Comments

sean_dixon961mo ago

Yeah, wolf jaws are great for that. I had a teacher who swore by using a lighter pair of tongs for scrolls, said the weight of the tool itself can throw off your rhythm.

the_eric3d ago

Oh man, that teacher knew what they were talking about! I had the same thing happen to me when I first started making scrolls. I was using a pair of tongs that were just a little heavier than my usual ones and it totally messed up my flow. It felt like I was fighting the tool more than working with it, if that makes sense. I finally switched to a lighter pair and it was like night and day - my scrolls came out way more consistent and I wasn't getting tired as fast. Maybe it's just a feel thing, but for me it really mattered.

uma_patel191mo ago

But does a few ounces really make that big of a difference? Seems like overthinking it.