Overheard a guy at the welding supply store say he doesn't quench his tongs in water anymore

He said he just leaves them on the anvil to air cool, and I've been cracking tong handles for six years over a bucket for nothing, has anyone else tried skipping the dunk?

2 comments

2 Comments

kai_bennett6d ago

Taylor's got a point but people overthink everything now.

taylor_flores6d ago

honestly i gotta push back on this one. i tried air cooling my tongs for a few weeks and my handles started getting that weird springy feel when they got hot again, like they were losing their temper. water quenching is a pain but it sets the hardness in a way that just leaving them on the anvil doesn't do, especially if you're working fast and cycling through heat. i've had handles crack way less since i went back to the bucket, so maybe that guy's got a specific alloy or he's just not working hot enough to notice.