In the past, the smith of even the smallest village produced
an amazing array of products!
nails
chains
knives
kitchen utensils
tools for other craftsmen and himself
farming tools
pots and pans
locks
barrel hoops
wagon tires
weapons
architectural elements
Blacksmiths started early in life. Boys seven and younger
were apprenticed out to their fathers or other practitioners of the art
to learn the trade. Blacksmiths lived hard, physically demanding lives,
frequently dying of tetanus, severe burns or black lung disease. However,
they were highly respected members of the community and were rarely idle.
William is busy pounding out a spoon while Bubba
maintains the fire - A good fire is crucial to the success of
a project. An experienced smith can look at a fire and estimate what temperature
it is and what he can do with it just by it's color.
Easy does it! - Bubba is shaping a rose
out of a recycled railroad spike. First he heats it, then he pounds it
out flat, reheats it, and then using a variety of tongs, winds and shapes
the hot metal around a central core until it resembles a rose.
Cedric is shaping a large welded iron ring on the
horn of his anvil - Forge welding is an old skill which predates
acetylene gas welding, Borax is placed at the site of the desired weld,
and then the area is heated until white hot. That's when the two separate
pieces flow together, forming a permanent bond.
You can't have a white hot welding fire without
someone strong to pump the bellows! - Here an apprentice pumps
the bellows for Cedric so that he can closely work on his his welding
project uninterrupted.
Team hammering - Here Ed and Bubba are alternatively
pounding a piece of hot steel. Team hammering is used when metal needs
to be shaped quickly, or a large piece of metal is involved.
Do you have some interesting material/experiences
with blacksmithing
that you'd like to share? E-mail us, we
might be able to use it
on our site!
Would you like to learn more about
blacksmithing?
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more about Blacksmithing?
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I.H.E.A. now has an online catalog of our unique
handmade items!
