They're seaming tongs for closing the joints on standing seam roofs.

Paul K. Dickman

"Leo Lichtman" wrote in message
...

"Rich Grise" wrote: (clip)The 580 tongs I'm guessing are for hot sheet
metal.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The same thought passed through my mind. The style and construction of
those tongs says "blacksmith." The width says "sheet metal." A piece of
sheet metal the width of those tongs would be too stiff to bend cold, so
we come to hot sheet metal. But nothing in a blacksmith shop would heat a
piece of sheet metal that wide uniformly, so there must be more to the
story.