Posts Tagged: blacksmithing
The Blacksmith’s Library -- Books
Posted by on Thursday, April 14, 2011 in - leave a comment
• Books are an important resource for blacksmiths. A number of titles are available on forging processes and tools, ornamental work such as gates and grilles, and period and contemporary work. In addition there are several periodicals (Blacksmith’s Journal and The Traditional Metalsmith …
The Blacksmith’s Library -- Artifacts
Posted by on Monday, April 11, 2011 in - leave a comment
• This is the first of two posts giving a quick overview of the types of reference material blacksmiths accumulate over the years. Reference books are important to serious blacksmiths and that will be the topic of the second post. This post is about the original objects blacksmiths acquire for …
Wrought or forged?
Posted by on Wednesday, March 23, 2011 in - leave a comment
Many people today don't realize the difference between hand forged iron and wrought iron. And why would they? Industrialization coupled with marketing have succeeded in selling the consumer an efficiently produced product at an attractive price. While a select group of people have always had an …
A Blacksmith's Finish
Posted by on Tuesday, January 18, 2011 in - 3 comments
• There are a number of finishes available for forged work including traditional finishes like paint or wax. The one we’ve found best for interior locations uses a mixture of raw linseed oil and beeswax. We mix the linseed oil and beeswax in the shop, blending them by heating them together in a …
Shaping a Grip
Posted by on Wednesday, December 15, 2010 in - leave a comment
Blacksmithing uses two operations to transform mild steel or wrought iron: forging and shaping. Forging is using a hammer and anvil to alter a piece of steel’s dimensions. Shaping is changing the piece’s lines in relationship to the air around it. A line becomes a circle, a spiral, or an abrupt …
The Blacksmith's Fire
Posted by on Monday, November 29, 2010 in - 1 comment
• There is a black rock that can catch fire and burn so hot it can make straight rods of steel bloom into latches, hinges, or even roses. That sounds like one of those teasing jokes adults tell kids. How silly. • But true. We use coal, the fuel that became the favorite of 18th century north …