Setting up a blacksmith shop for home use is not that difficult. One of the great things about blacksmithing is that you can make many forging tools yourself, as you go. It consists of a firepot, to hold the fire, a work surface, and a blower.
The firepot should be about inches deep and can be made from an old brake drum. You can find blowers in antique stores or salvage them from air conditioning units, clothes dryers, or other used appliances. The blower was an old hair dryer!
Visitors often note the low light conditions in a shop. This might seem counterintuitive in the shop of a craftsman, but it allows the metalworker to judge the temperature of the metal he or she is working by its color. Metals go through several stages as they heat, and it is important to find the ideal temperature for working to create a strong, solid piece of metalwork.
A shop also tends to be noisy from all the hammering, as well at hot and dirty from the forge. One branch of blacksmithing known as farriery cannot be replaced by machine tooling. Torch A torch is used for cutting and heating small areas of metal. Before torches, it would take multiple assistants to help position and cool the work, but now a torch can be used to concentrate heat to a specific area to make small decorative maneuvers easier. Quenching Bucket The quenching bucket is simply used to cool the metal.
Mineral oils are often used to facilitate the hardening of steel by controlling heat transfer. It also helps minimize the formation of unintended gradients which may lead to increased distortion or cracking.
Safety Apron Apron worn to protect from hot metal, sparks, and coals injuring the blacksmith. Holding There are many variations of tools used to hold the metal in place while the blacksmith hits and manipulates the metal.
They are generally made of wrought iron or steel and have large, flat smooth jaw surfaces that do not scratch the work. Vices and Clamps Vices and clamps are used to firmly hold hot iron while it is hammered, chiselled or twisted. The blacksmithing tools needed at this stage include:. This is the primary tool used during the heating process.
It requires coal or propane to create a high heat source good for melting iron and steel. Historically, coal was used but nowadays, blacksmith prefers to use propane as it burns cleaner and is relatively inexpensive. This tool is used for heating and cutting smaller pieces of metal. It concentrates heat on a specific area which allows the blacksmith to create intricate, decorative details in the iron or steel. This item is used to cool down the metal.
Mineral oils are often added to the bucket to regulate heat transfer and enable the steel to harden. Some blacksmiths are also using water for the quenching process. It also helps prevent inadvertent gradients from forming which can cause the metal to crack or warp. This item helps safeguard the blacksmith from coals, sparks , or hot metal shards.
The high temperature of these airborne fragments can severely injure a person if not properly protected. It is heat resistant and usually made of leather.
Read more about them here. Tongs, clamps and vices are necessary and provide a strong grip on the iron or steel during the manipulation process. This step requires techniques that blacksmiths are using to strike the heated metal to coax it into shape. The anvil is a tool that the heated iron or steel is placed on for support while hammers of different sizes and shapes are used to manipulate the metal. The fundamental forces necessary to shape the metal properly include the following:.
This technique involves hitting the iron or steel on four sides repeatedly to extend it out into a longer piece. This approach utilizes applied force to shape and add volume to the end a piece of iron or steel.
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