Sponge Iron

We just learned about the Bloomery used to make metal from iron ore.

After the iron ore is put through the bloomery, it creates something called a bloom or sponge iron.

This usually has a bunch of holes in it, and needs to be hammered and put back in the bloomery before it can be used.


(from: wikipedia - bloomery)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Tornadogenesis

Bloomery

We just learned about the Iron Ore that is used to get iron for blacksmithing.

One way to get the iron out of that iron ore is using something called a Bloomery.

A bloomery is like a chimney, where a fire is made at the bottom with charcoal, iron ore is poured into the top, and there are are holes on the bottom that help bring in air for the fire to keep burning.


(from: wikipedia - bloomery)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Tornado Appearance

Iron Ore

We just learned about Heat Treatment.

Let's learn about how the blacksmith gets the metal for the forge.

The metal used most often by blacksmiths is iron, which comes from iron ore.

This is a type of metal that is found inside of other rocks and minerals, like hematite, goethite, limonite and siderite.



(from: wikipedia - iron ore)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Tornado Rotation

Heat Treatment

We just learned about Forge Welding.

Another way to work with metal is called Heat Treatment.

Some mixtures of metals will get harder or softer if you keep them really hot for a very long time.


(from: wikipedia - heat treating)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Snownado

Forge Welding

We just learned about the Punching.

Another thing blacksmiths do is called forge welding.

When a blacksmith has two pieces of metal that they want to stick together, like maybe a handle for a shovel, or a hilt for a sword, they get the two pieces of metal really hot, and then hammer them against each other.

The metal has to be so hot that it is almost melting into a liquid, and then the two metals get joined together.

In ancient times when people would make swords, they would take two types of metal and forge them together.
One type of metal would bend easily but never break, another type of metal would never bend, but could break.
By forge welding them together, they could make a sword that would never bend and never break.


(from: wikipedia - bladesmith)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Waterspout Tornado

Punching

We just learned about blacksmith's Swaging.

Another thing they do is called Punching.

Remember we learned about the Pritchel Hole on the anvil.
When a piece of metal needs a hole in it, the blacksmith will hold the metal over the pritchel hole, and then hammer a hole into it with a shaped piece of metal called a punch.


(from: wikipedia - punch (tool))


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Multiple Vortex Tornado

Swaging

We just learned about Upsetting in blacksmithing.

Another thing blacksmiths do is called swaging.

When a blacksmith needs to make a shape, a mark or a bend on a piece of metal that they can't do using just their hammer and anvil, they can use something called a swage block.

The swage block may have shapes on it, like a rounded cave that the metal can be pounded into, when they need to make a spoon.



Some swage blocks have rounded edges for helping to make a wheel, or half hexagon shapes for making a rod that is hexagon shaped.


(from: wikipedia - swage block)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Landspout Tornado

Upsetting

We just learned about the bending in a blacksmith shop.

Another thing a blacksmith may do is called upsetting.

This is where a piece of metal is held upright and hit like a nail.
If only the end is hot, then the metal at the end will flatten out and the metal will get shorter.


(from: wikipedia - blacksmith)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Funnel Cloud

Bending

We just learned about the Drawing Down.

Another way to work with the metal is called bending.

To bend the metal in a nice rounded shape, the blacksmith can use the horn of the anvil, use something called a bending fork into the hardy hole.
Then they hammer the metal to bend it.

(from: wikipedia - hardy tool)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Tornado

Drawing Down

We just learned about the Slack Tub.

Another thing a blacksmith does is called Drawing Down.

If a blacksmith wants to make some metal thinner, they can hit the metal sideways with the peen hammers or fuller that we've learned about and try and keep it the same width but make it longer.

If you think of the metal like clay, and you tried to push the clay out the long way to make it thinner, that is what the blacksmith is doing with the hammer and the metal when they are drawing.

After they have spread it out with the peen hammer or fuller, they use the flat part of the hammer with the anvil to flatten out any bumps they may have made in the metal.


(from: wikipedia - blacksmith)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Snow Roller

Slack Tub

We just learned about the Fuller.

Another part of a blacksmith's forge is the slack tub.
This is the large tub of water that the blacksmith dips the metal in to cool it off.

If there is a part of the metal that the blacksmith does not want to get shaped, they can cool it down, and then only the hot part will be shaped.

For blade making, like swords or knives, the blacskmith uses oil instead of water.


(from: wikipedia - forge)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Blizzard

Fuller

We just learned about the Tongs.

Another blacksmithing tool is the fuller.

This type of tool is a long tool like a bar that has a rounded edge on one side.
There are two types of tools, an upper fuller or lower fuller.

The upper fuller is like a bar that is placed on top of the hot metal.
It has a handle that the blacksmith holds onto while hitting the top of the fuller, and the rounded part of the fuller spreads out the metal as it is pushed down into it.

The lower fuller goes underneath the metal by the anvil, and sits into the hardy hole while the blacksmith hits the metal.


(from: wikipedia - fuller)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Dust Storm

Tongs

We just learned about the chisel.

Another tool used in a blacksmith forge is the tong.

The metal is too hot for the blacksmith to touch, so the tongs are used to hold it still while it is being shaped and hammered, or for putting it in or taking it out of a hot forge.

There are a few types of tongs, like flat tongs, ring tongs, and gad tongs.
Depending on what type of metal the blacskmith is working with, different shapes of tongs can help hold it better.
If it is a flat piece of metal, the flat tongs work well.
But if it is a round bar, it might slip with flat tongs, so the ring tongs would work better.


(from: wikipedia - tongs)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Sand Storm

Chisel

We just learned about the sledgehammer.

Sometimes when a blacksmith needs to cut a piece of metal, they will use something called a chisel.

There are two main types of chisels, a hot chisel or cold chisel.

A cold chisel is used for metal that is cooled down, and is sometimes used to put marks or grooves in metal.
A hot chisel is used for metal that has been in the forge and is very hot.
A blacksmith will hold the chisel over the metal, and then hit the top of the chisel with the hammer.

There is a special type of chisel called the hotcut hardy, which goes into an anvil's hardy hole.
The point of the hotcut hardy chisel is facing up, and the blacksmith puts the metal on the top of the chisel and hits the metal, pushing it into the pointed part of the chisel.


(from: wikipedia - chisel)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Freezing Rain

Sledgehammer

We just learned about the Straight Peen Hammer.

Another type of hammer used in blacksmithing is the Sledgehammer.

This type of hammer has a round flat face on both sides, and a very long handle.


(from: wikipedia - sledgehammer)

In the old days of blacksmithing, there would be one person holding the piece of metal in place, while another person called the striker would take a big heavy swing and hit the piece of metal very hard with the sledgehammer.


(from: wikipedia - blacksmith)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Heat Lightning

Straight Peen Hammer

We've learned about the Ball Peen Hammer and the Cross Peen Hammer.

Another type of blacksmithing hammer is the Straight Peen Hammer.

This is used just like the cross peen hammer, but in the other direction.
The cross peen hammer has a sideways line that makes a cross shape with the handle.
The straight peen hammer is lined up straight with the hammer handle.


(from: wikipedia - hammer)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Thundersnow

Cross Peen Hammer

We just learned about the ball peen hammer.

Another type of hammer used in smithing is the cross peen hammer.

This hammer has a flat head on one side, and a sharp line on the other.
It is used to put indentations in the metal, and spreads the metal out.


(from: wikipedia - hammer)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Thunder

Ball-peen Hammer

We just learned about the Anvil - Pritchel Hole.

When a blacksmith has a piece of hot metal, there are a few different types of hammers they can use.

One is called a ball-peen hammer.
This hammer has one flat side, and one rounded ball shaped side.

Peening metal means to hit the metal with a hammer to bend or shape it.
Because the one side of the ball-peen hammer is ball shaped, it will bend and shape the metal differently than a flat hammer.

The ball shaped side has a few different uses.
It can be used to make small marks in the metal for a different look.
It can help hammer small nails called rivets into holes.
It can help mush the metal up against corner pieces.


(from: wikipedia - ball-peen hammer)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Lightning Rod

Anvil - Pritchel Hole

We just learned about the Anvil - Hardy Hole.

Another part of the anvil is the Pritchel Hole.

This is a small round hole by the edge, used to punch holes in the metal.
The blacksmith would put the piece of metal over the hole, then hold a tool like a nail over the metal and hit it with a hammer to make a hole in the metal.

(from: wikipedia - anvil)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Lightning Strikes - Trees

Anvil - Hardy Hole

We just learned about the Anvil - Table.

Another part of the Anvil is the Hardy Hole.

This is a rectangle shaped hole in the top of the anvil that can be used to hold special tools called hardy tools that are used to help shape the metals.


(from: wikipedia - hardy tool)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Lightning Plasma