Does anyone have an opinion on the diy tong kits they sell on Amazon for around $30? I know we have some good tools in the shop but it might be a fun project and end up with a set of tongs. Here is a link to a set Amazon.com: E-cowlboy Rapid Tongs Bundle Set Five Types DIY Blacksmith Tongs with Rivet, Rapid Bolt/Flat Jaw/Slot Jaw/V-Bit/Scroll Tongs : Home & Kitchen
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These are usually plasma cut and are suitable for making a tong set for yourself.
There is a risk of heating them too long in a coal fire, however, as one of the Dallas Blacksmith Association guys did while teaching a class on how to make them from these kits. It melted the ends of his tongs so that they were useless.
If you’ve ever blacksmithed before, tongs are pretty easy to make, even from scratch. If you buy them you’re only out $25 so give it a try. I bought my first set from here: Quick and Dirty Tool Company:
I took blacksmithing from Kelly Kring at Brookhaven/Dallas College and I highly recommend it. You will make one if not two sets of tongs in class. I also bought a very cheap set from a guy in the class and acquired another set from @TLAR at DMS. (He gave them to me free). You can never have too many, tongs, hammers, clamps or steel. 
Lastly, in the advanced class at Brookhaven I bought some other tongs from here:
His tools are excellent, and he’s a very nice blacksmithng seller, too. I used the tools to make my own rounding hammer.
When you make your first tongs, please post them. I still use mine.
BTW: There is enough metal in a railroad spike to make a tong side. (Two ties to make a set)
I suppose that you could make a full, albeit small set, of tongs from a single spike.
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I like the tongs from spikes idea. I might give that a shot first.
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