Two reasons for using crucible tongs to handle the and lid after their initial firing?

1. Safety precautions:

- Crucibles and lids can become extremely hot during the initial firing process. Crucible tongs provide a safe way to handle these items without coming into direct contact with the heat.

2. Minimizing fingerprints and contaminants:

- Using tongs helps to prevent leaving fingerprints or other contaminants on the crucible and lid. Fingerprints and other contaminants can affect the crucible's performance.