Here’s a fun little project that came about after I pinched my hand one-too-many times with cheap metal tongs. They are easy to make and cost next to nothing, in terms of the material used.

I made a short video while doing the project:

To start, I used clear, straight grained hardwood that I cut to 3/16″ thick:

There are two of these and they need to be straight grained to bend without breaking.

A piece of 2″ x 6″ lumber is cut to 85 degrees:

This is used for layout of the end block.

The end block is cut out on the band saw:

And glued to the arms. I used scrap pieces clamped on to stop the end block from sliding ahead while it is being clamped, and used waterproof glue to join the parts.

After the glue has set, the end is sanded smooth:

Here’s where the angled 2″ x 6″ is really needed, to support the part while making the spline cuts:

Splines are made from walnut, a nice contrast to the light maple, and glued in place.

After the glue has dried, the whole thing is sanded to shape on my belt sander platform:

To make them more rigid, I added stiffeners to the front part of the arms.

The splines are more decorative than anything else, and are optional, just like the stiffeners for the arms.

To give the wood some protection, I rubbed on a coat of mineral oil.
A neat little springtime project. I have two pairs and only use these now – no more pinches!