The Blacksmith Demonstration

The Blacksmith Demonstration. . , Working with Red Hot Metal , A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects from iron or steel by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut the metal. Blacksmiths produce a wide variety of objects such as gates, grilles, railings, light fixtures, furniture, sculpture, tools, agricultural implements, decorative and religious items, cooking utensils and weapons. Blacksmiths work by heating pieces of wrought iron or steel until the metal becomes soft enough for shaping with hand tools, such as a hammer, anvil and chisel. Heating generally takes place in a forge fueled by propane, natural gas, coal, charcoal, coke or oil. While there are many people who work with metal such as farriers, wheelwrights, and armorers, the blacksmith had a general knowledge of how to make and repair many things, from the most complex of weapons and armor to simple things like nails or lengths of chain. In the fledgling settlement of San Agustín, the main role of the blacksmith was to repair metal objects which had come to the settlement from the Spanish Caribbean or from Europe. , As the blacksmith pumps the bellows, seen to the right, air is forced through the charcoal fire in the forge, creating temperatures in excess of 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit. Using this heat, the blacksmith places a metal rod into the fire until it heats to the proper temperature. Note the color chart on the right-hand side of the board which indicates the color of the metal as temperatures rise. , The flaming particles of charcoal are lovingly referred to as “pixie dust” by many blacksmiths. Note that this blacksmith does not use gloves, understanding that the conductivity of the metal rod is limited , heat does not travel all the way up the rod. , In addition, gloves can “hide” the true heat of the rod, creating the possibility of a nasty burn. This may seem counterintuitive, but a slow burn of leather can rise in temperature very rapidly, potentially burning the blacksmith. Many blacksmiths prefer to feel the immediacy of the heat of the metal with their bare hands. , Some Blacksmithing Techniques , Forging , Forging is the process smiths use to shape metal by hammering , forging differs from machining in that forging does not remove material. Instead, the smith hammers the iron into shape. Even punching and cutting operations (except when trimming waste) by smiths usually rearrange metal around the hole, rather than drilling it out. , Forging uses seven basic operations or techniques: Drawing down . Shrinking . Bending . Upsetting . Swageing . Punching . Forge welding. , These operations generally require at least a hammer and anvil, but smiths also use many other tools and techniques to accommodate odd-sized or repetitive projects. , Forge Welding , Welding is the joining of the same or similar kind of metal. A modern blacksmith has a range of options and tools to accomplish this. Focusing on forge welding, the pieces to join are heated to what is generally referred to as welding heat. For mild steel most smiths judge this temperature by color. , Any foreign material in the weld, such as the oxides or “scale” that typically form in the fire, can weaken it and cause it to fail. Thus the mating surfaces to be joined must he kept clean. To this end a smith makes sure the fire is a reducing fire: a fire where, at the heart, there is a great deal of heat and very little oxygen. The smith also carefully shapes mating faces so that as they come together foreign material squeezes out as the metal is joined. To clean the faces, protect them from oxidation, and provide a medium to carry foreign material out of the weld, the smith sometimes uses flux , typically powdered borax, silica sand, or both. The smith first cleans parts to be joined with a wire brush, then puts them in the fire to heat. With a mix of drawing and upsetting the smith shapes the faces so that when finally brought together, the center of the weld connects first and the connection spreads outward under the hammer blows, pushing out the flux (if used) and foreign material. , The dressed metal goes back in the fire, is brought near to welding heat, removed from the fire, and brushed. Flux is sometimes applied, which prevents oxygen from reaching and burning the metal during forging, and it is returned to the fire. The smith now watches carefully to avoid overheating the metal. There is some challenge to this because, to see the color of the metal, the smith must remove it from the fire , exposing it to air, which can rapidly oxidize it. So the smith might probe into the fire with a bit of steel wire, prodding lightly at the mating faces. When the end of the wire sticks on to the metal, it is at the right temperature (a small weld forms where the wire touches the mating face, so it sticks). The smith commonly places the metal in the fire so he can see it without letting surrounding air contact the surface. (Note that smiths don't always use flux, especially in the UK.) , Now the smith moves with rapid purpose, quickly taking the metal from the fire to the anvil and bringing the mating faces together. A few light hammer taps bring the mating faces into complete contact and squeeze out the flux , and finally, the smith returns the work to the fire. The weld begins with the taps, but often the joint is weak and incomplete, so the smith reheats the joint to welding temperature and works the weld with light blows to “set” the weld and finally to dress it to the shape. , Finishing , A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects from iron or steel by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut the metal. Blacksmiths produce a wide variety of objects such as gates, grilles, railings, light fixtures, furniture, sculpture, tools, agricultural implements, decorative and religious items, cooking utensils and weapons. Blacksmiths work by heating pieces of wrought iron or steel until the metal becomes soft enough for shaping with hand tools, such as a hammer, anvil and chisel. Heating generally takes place in a forge fueled by propane, natural gas, coal, charcoal, coke or oil. While there are many people who work with metal such as farriers, wheelwrights, and armorers, the blacksmith had a general knowledge of how to make and repair many things, from the most complex of weapons and armor to simple things like nails or lengths of chain. In the fledgling settlement of San Agustín, the main role of the blacksmith was to repair metal objects which had come to the settlement from the Spanish Caribbean or from Europe. , Turn Up the Heat , Color is important for indicating the temperature and workability of the metal the blacksmith is working with. As iron heats to higher temperatures, it first glows red, then orange, yellow, and finally white. The ideal heat for most forging is the bright yellow-orange color that indicates forging heat. Because they must be able to see the glowing color of the metal; some blacksmiths work in controlled light conditions. The key is to have consistent lighting, but not too bright. Direct sunlight obscures the metal's heat colors, creating a potential burn hazard for the blacksmith.