Blacksmithing, a skilled craft that has been around for hundreds of years, but would it be too much heavy metal for me on my first attempt?
History Of Ye Olde Trade
Blacksmithing has been around for centuries, and whilst most of the process has not radically changed, there are elements which have been brought up to date.
Quick bit of etymology for you. The term ‘blackmith’ comes from two words. The ‘black’ refers to the black layers that form on the surface of the metal as it is heated. Although not certain, it has been suggested that ‘smith’ might come from the Old English word Smythe meaning ‘to strike’.
Irons Not In The Fire - Blacksmithing
I’d assumed that all blacksmiths worked in stables or workshops that would be hot and dusty. That ash would float from the coals in the furnace, leaving a fine dirty layer on everything. I assumed incorrectly!
What I had envisaged were traditional methods used in blacksmithery. Whilst they are still used today, there have been advances in heating which are far more efficient, effective, and have less impact on the environment.
Inside The Blacksmith Workshop
The workshop looked well used with worn tools, projects in varying degrees of completion, and safety gear strewn across worktops and tables.
Not a flame or ember in sight though. Our heating method was a boxed machine with a metal coil protruding from it. We would be using induction to heat the metal.
Inducted Into Induction
Whilst it may not look like the traditional methods we’ve been used to seeing, there are so many benefits to heating in this way. It gets to temperature incredibly quickly. We’re talking just a minute or two, rather than potential hours of stacking and stoking the fire. Induction only heats the metal that is placed in the middle of the coil, rather than the traditional methods which also heated the atmosphere and wasted energy. The heat is consistent and there’s much less waste going into the environment, and much less waste to clean up!
Induction heat is also much safer to work with. Burns are very rare, and mostly occur due to lack of attention from the person using the machine. These incidents happen once the metal has been heated and taken away from the machine to be worked with on the anvil. This was good to know up front as it was something I paid close attention to when it came to my turn!
Forging Fun Trying Blacksmithing
If you’ve ever played the classic game, Operation, using the induction heater reminded me a bit of that. Although there would be no buzzing or red light if the metal made contact with the coil, it would spark quite significantly. So putting the metal into the coil was easy at first as it was a simple straight rod, but became much trickier as we bent it and twisted it and changed its shape.
I had never really thought about how blacksmithing works. As well as learning the very basic skills of a traditional craft in two hours, it was also a lesson in science.
Hammer Time
After heating a straight rod, the first part of the process was shaping, also called drawing. My glove encased hand held the cold end of the metal, with the red hot part placed on the flat top of the anvil. I thrashed the hammer, then swiftly twisted the rod 90 degrees before striking the metal again. I continued in this way until either the taper was complete or the metal had cooled and needed re-heating.
Through this hammering motion, I wasn’t actually making the rod thinner, it was in fact lengthening the material, or, as the name suggests, drawing it out. My simple mind was blown! I don’t think I’d realised that was how it worked.
Beating The Hook Out Of It
To make the curve of the hook, a nifty little tool called the bending fork neatly slotted into a cut out square on the top of the anvil, called the hardy hole. The hot metal could be hammered and bent into shape around the prongs of the bending fork. Whilst my hook was not particularly neat and compact, it was impressive to see tight coils of metal on other sample projects.
The anvil is a key tool used in blacksmithing and it’s a brilliant piece of design that hasn’t really changed over time. Hit the hot metal against the contours and shapes of the main body to help create different angles. Tools, such as the bending fork, slot neatly and securely into designated nooks and crannies on the anvil which keep them secure for hammering.
Iron Maiden (although is was actually steel)
During the two hours, I made two items.
Firstly a coat and hat hook. Whilst this may seem like a simple, overlooked staple in many homes up and down the country, it is actually incredibly intricate to make and gave me a taster of many of the different techniques used in blacksmithing. From drawing, to cutting and coiling.
I was really pleased with my finished item. It looked quite, erm, unique, so I know it’s definitely mine!
My second creation was a poker.
This might sound less than impressive, but I got to try a brilliant technique which looks great on the finished product and made me feel hard as nails whilst I did it.
The hot rod was held tight in a vice. Using a specialist tool for leverage, I basically just twisted the metal.
Yes, it was heated up so it was much easier to turn, and yes I had help with the last few twists, but don’t let that take away from my moment of feeling strong! I twisted metal!
Workshop Workout When I Tried Blacksmithing
I hadn’t picked up a hammer for a few years. I’d not forgotten how to use one, there’s not too much to remember really is there, but being encouraged to get some muscle behind it, (of which I have very minimal), I could tell I was getting tired towards the end of the session. My strikes were getting less accurate, the force was getting more feeble. What was surprising was that I could feel the effort in the back of my hand more than anywhere else.
New Found Appreciation
I now admire gates and brackets far more than I previously did. Yes some will be mass manufactured, but anything made by hand will have had a lot of time and care invested to create it, making it perfectly individual.
Praise For Piers
My teacher Piers was fantastic. Friendly, patient, and encouraging, he shared so much knowledge and was happy to answer many of my random questions. He had such a wealth of experience from practical projects to artistic sculptures and it was fascinating to learn from him.
Want To Try It Yourself?
- My experience was in Malton – about a 30 minute drive from York centre.
- You can book vouchers for the experience with Piers either through Environmental Art or Uniquely Local.
- You can also find details of blacksmith courses on the Craft Courses directory which is a great resource.
- There are numerous blacksmithing activities available through websites such as Buy a Gift, Not on the High Street, Virgin Experience Days, and Into The Blue.
Cost Of Experience
- My 2 hour experience cost £60.
- It will vary from place to place, and will depend on the length of your activity and what you are making too.
Recommendations
- Wear boots. If you drop the metal on your feet it’s going to hurt, even more so if it’s hot.
- Find out what the source of heat is for your experience. Induction is so efficient that it doesn’t heat the air in the rest of the room like more traditional forging methods, so you may want to wrap up warm if you’re doing this on a cooler day
- If you’ve not used a hammer for a while – this is a great workout!
- Follow the instructions you are given and you’ll stay safe.
- If you fancy working with some lighter and easier metal at home, how about making embossed tin decorations?
- Don’t forget your camera!