One of my wife’s biggest concerns when I started blacksmithing was safety. She wanted me to make sure that I was using all the safety equipment I needed to prevent myself from getting injured. What safety equipment do blacksmiths need to use? Blacksmiths can use basic personal protective equipment like safety glasses, a respirator, non-synthetic clothing, earplugs, and proper footwear …
Why Blacksmiths Tap The Anvil With Their Hammer During Forging
If you’ve seen blacksmiths in a movie, or even if you’ve taken a course, you’ve probably seen someone tap their anvil with their hammer. What’s the deal with that? Why do blacksmiths tap the anvil with their hammer during forging? Blacksmiths might tap the anvil with their hammer for multiple reasons. Some do it to calibrate their grip and swing. …
What Are The Advantages of Forging Over Casting?
Why do blacksmiths go to the effort of forging solid pieces of steel, instead of just casting liquid metal into a mold? Today we’re going to discuss the differences of forging vs casting metal. What are the advantages of forging over casting? Forging produces a stronger and tougher piece of metal, with a tighter grain pattern. However it’s more costly, …
5 Tools Every Beginner Blacksmith Needs To Get Started
Getting started with blacksmithing isn’t all that hard. In fact, I’d say you can start with just 5 tools. What are the 5 tools every beginner blacksmith needs to get started? You’ll need a forge, an anvil, a hammer, tongs, and a vice. Most of these you can buy used or make yourself for just a few hundred dollars. One …
How Do Blacksmiths Measure The Temperature Of Their Forge And Steel?
No matter what kind of metal you’re trying to forge, the process is basically the same. You need to heat your metal to a specific temperature where it becomes easy to shape. But how do blacksmiths measure temperature and know when their metal is hot enough to work with? How do blacksmiths measure the temperature of their forge or the …
What Is The Function And Purpose of A Blacksmith Bellows?
Historically, the bellows was one of the most essential tools that a blacksmith had in his workshop. Without it, getting metal hot enough to bend and work with just wouldn’t have been possible. What is the function of a blacksmith bellows? A blacksmith uses a bellows to deliver a constant supply of oxygen to the fire. This helps with the …
