How to Do Blacksmithing
Build a small forge., Get some steel rods or rebar., Assemble your tools., Build your fire., Insert your steel into the heart of your fire and add the air blast., After you have assembled your tools, and lit a nice hot fire, get hammering!, Practice...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Build a small forge.
A simple one can be built by adding an airblast of any kind that is strong enough to withstand any kind of fire, but coal or charcoal (not briquets) works best. -
Step 2: Get some steel rods or rebar.
Make sure they are about 3 feet (0.9 m) long, so you can hold onto a cool part of the steel while forging on the ends or other parts of the bar. , A hammer can be easily found at yard sales, antique stores, or just a plain ball peen hammer from the local hardware store will work, as long as the face is smooth and doesn't have any grooves.
If your hammer has grooves, you'll need to sand them out.
One hammer is all that is needed for now, and a nice pair of vice-grips or pliers will work as tongs.
If you are lucky enough to have an anvil already, good for you, but if you don't, a section of railroad rail or any big, heavy lump of steel with a flat face will work well (they are known as ASOs, Anvil Shaped Objects). , Remember to be safe; it is a fire! Do it outside in a clearing, free of brush and other things that can easily catch fire.
Have a garden hose, buckets of water, or a fire extinguisher at the ready.
Build a nice pit, by digging a shallow hole and lining around it with rocks, or use a 1 foot (0.3 m) section of a 55 gallon (208.2 L) drum. , Wait patiently, checking the color of the steel frequently.
The steel should be placed near the air blast, but not so close so that the air is blowing directly onto the piece. , When rebar and scrap metal has reached the optimal working temperature, it will be colored between dark orange and bright yellow (almost white). , Some beginner techniques to try include turning a square bar into round, round bar into square, tapering (which means making the end pointy
- the nicer and more slender the taper the better), flattening (the more even thickness the better), and just general scrolls (curls) and bends. , -
Step 3: Assemble your tools.
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Step 4: Build your fire.
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Step 5: Insert your steel into the heart of your fire and add the air blast.
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Step 6: After you have assembled your tools
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Step 7: and lit a nice hot fire
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Step 8: get hammering!
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Step 9: Practice definitely makes perfect.
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Step 10: Practice some more
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Step 11: be careful
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Step 12: think safety
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Step 13: and overall have fun!
Detailed Guide
A simple one can be built by adding an airblast of any kind that is strong enough to withstand any kind of fire, but coal or charcoal (not briquets) works best.
Make sure they are about 3 feet (0.9 m) long, so you can hold onto a cool part of the steel while forging on the ends or other parts of the bar. , A hammer can be easily found at yard sales, antique stores, or just a plain ball peen hammer from the local hardware store will work, as long as the face is smooth and doesn't have any grooves.
If your hammer has grooves, you'll need to sand them out.
One hammer is all that is needed for now, and a nice pair of vice-grips or pliers will work as tongs.
If you are lucky enough to have an anvil already, good for you, but if you don't, a section of railroad rail or any big, heavy lump of steel with a flat face will work well (they are known as ASOs, Anvil Shaped Objects). , Remember to be safe; it is a fire! Do it outside in a clearing, free of brush and other things that can easily catch fire.
Have a garden hose, buckets of water, or a fire extinguisher at the ready.
Build a nice pit, by digging a shallow hole and lining around it with rocks, or use a 1 foot (0.3 m) section of a 55 gallon (208.2 L) drum. , Wait patiently, checking the color of the steel frequently.
The steel should be placed near the air blast, but not so close so that the air is blowing directly onto the piece. , When rebar and scrap metal has reached the optimal working temperature, it will be colored between dark orange and bright yellow (almost white). , Some beginner techniques to try include turning a square bar into round, round bar into square, tapering (which means making the end pointy
- the nicer and more slender the taper the better), flattening (the more even thickness the better), and just general scrolls (curls) and bends. ,
About the Author
Mary Patel
Creates helpful guides on crafts to inspire and educate readers.
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