SMITHY:

It is a workplace where metal is worked by heating and hammering. In smithy, a

metal piece is heated to red hot and is then hammered to form the desired
shape. When a metal is heated to red hot, it becomes soft and can easily be
shaped by hammering.

EQUIPMENTS:
Anvil

The anvil serves as a work bench, where the metal to be forged is placed. Anvils
are made of cast or wrought iron with a tool steel face welded on or of a single
piece of cast or forged tool steel. The flat top has two holes; the square hole is
called the hardy hole, where the square shank of the hardy fits. The smaller hole
is called the punch hole, used as a bolster when punching holes in hot metal.

Hammer:

A hammer is a tool meant to deliver an impact to an object. Hammers are used

to flatten, shaping, and cutting purpose. There are two types of hammers used in
the smithy shop.

Hand Hammers: weigh from2 3 lbs used for sticking the job with light and

quick blown in succession an also for drawing and upsetting the end of the bar.

Sledge Hammers: weigh from 10 -20 lbs with shafts from 3 ft to 3.5 ft long.

These are used by helper for heavy blows.

Chisels

Chisels are made of high carbon steel. They are hardened and tempered at the
cutting edge while the head is left soft so it will not crack when hammered.
Chisels are of two types, hot and cold chisels. The cold chisel is used for cutting
cold metals while the hot chisel is for hot metals. Usually hot chisels are thinner
and therefore can not be substituted with cold chisels.

Tongs

Tongs are used by the blacksmith for holding hot metals securely. The mouths
are custom made by the smith in various shapes to suit the gripping of various
shapes of metal. The tongs used in smithy shops are shown in the following
figure.

Fullers

Fullers are forming tools of different shapes used in making grooves or hollows.
They are often used in pairs, the bottom fuller has a square shank which fits into
the hardy hole in the anvil while the top fuller has a handle. The work is placed
on the bottom fuller and the top is placed on the work and struck with a
hammer. The top fuller is also used for finishing round corners and for stretching
or spreading metal.

Slack Tub

A slack tub is usually a large container full of water, brine or oil used by a
blacksmith to quench hot metal. The term is believed to derive from the word
"slake", as in slaking the heat. The slack tub rapidly cools the workpiece in a
large body of water. The slack tub also provides water to control the fire in the
forge.

Forge

A forge is a hearth used for forging. The forge heats the workpiece to a
malleable temperature (a temperature where the metal becomes easier to
shape) or to the point where work hardening no longer occurs. A forge typically
uses bituminous coal, industrial coke or charcoal as the fuel to heat metal. The
forge fire is controlled in three ways: amount of air, volume of fuel, and shape of
the fuel/fire.

Practice 1

To make a pipe supporting hook from a piece of mild steel rod.

Steps:
1- Take a four inch long with half inch diameter round cylindrical mild steel rod.
2- Place the piece of round rod in fire with the help of tongs and heat it till red
hot.
3- Place the red hot piece of round rod on face of the anvil and flatten it to
about 4 mm thickness with the help of sledge hammer.
4- Again put the rod in the fire till red hot.
5- Place the red hot rod on anvil and again flatten it by hand hammer gently till
3 mm thickness.
6- Using fuller, mark the flattened piece.

7- Now place it in fire again till red hot and then put it on the anvil. Cut
the piece from marks with the help of chisel.
8- Place it again in the fire till red hot and then put it in hardy hole of the
anvil and bend it with the help of hand hammer and tongs to make
supporting hook.
9- Cool it in slack tub.

Precautions

1- Use safety cloths and helmet during practice.

2- The red hot metal must be firmly kept in tongs while hammering
3-Never touch the hot iron piece before dipping it in water.

Practice 2

To make a chisel from a piece of round metal rod.

Steps:
1- Take a six inch long and half inch diameter round mild steel rod.
2- Insert two inches of one edge of the rod into the hearth till red hot.
3- Put the red hot edge of the rod on the anvil with the help of tong.
4- Now taper the red hot edge by hammering on upper and lower sides of
the rod till it looks like a screw driver. Meanwhile, hammer slightly on left
and right sides of the tapered edge.

Note: Never hammer when the metal is not red hot.

The final chisel should look this :

Safe Practice in Smithy Workshop

Always wear eye protection preferably industrial quality safety

glasses with sideshields. Red hot metal job that can be quite
hazardous. Don't take chances with your eyes.
Wear shoes preferably leather work shoes to protect your feet from
red hot metal job.
Wear the lab coat during the workshop.
Wear the gloves during the workshop to handle the tong and other
tools because it is easy to handle.
Remove wrist watches, necklaces, chains and other jewelry
Keep your fingers clear from the red hot metal job and from the
cutting tools.
The job should be carefully handled with tong.
Should be careful while hammering so that it does not hit anyone
else.