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| *Ostroff, Fair and Company>>>Technology |
Where exactly would a blacksmith work? |
Where exactly would a blacksmith work? It is safe to say, proximately a hundred and fifty years ago every village had a blacksmith who made and repaired all the tools people used, such as plows, axes, shovels, lanterns, door hinges, logging chains, harness hardware, iron tires for wagons and the hardware necessary to build wagons and homes. Blacksmiths often also worked as farriers, shoeing horses and oxen. Today because people buy their tools from Home Depot and their farm equipment from John Deere. And instead of making utilitarian objects, blacksmiths have become artists who make architectural ironwork like iron gates; reproductions of historic objects, from armor to hinges to shoe buckles; modern accessories like lamps or fountains; or simply pure sculpture. A few blacksmiths also still work as farriers, but by and large that has become an entirely separate career, even though those who practice it are sometimes still called blacksmiths. Blacksmiths work with fire and very hot metal, and the job requires both physical strength and care. The basic process involves heating the iron to a near-molten state, laying it on a flat metal surface called an anvil, and pounding it into shape with a hammer. But doing this well requires a lot of skill. If the iron is too hot, it can鈥檛 be worked properly. If it is too cold, the iron is brittle and may crack. And because each piece of iron has different metallurgical attributes, blacksmiths need considerable experience in order to be able to judge the characteristics of each piece of metal they work with and handle it accordingly. Finally, although blacksmiths often reproduce historic objects, only a few stick exclusively to historic methods. Most also use modern metalworking techniques, including MIG welding, optical eye flame cutting, and spray metalizing. Most blacksmiths are self-employed crafters who have their own shops and equipment and need all the skills required to run a successful business. Some have other people working for them, but others work entirely alone. How they spend their time: 鈥orking with customers to plan the design of objects 鈥raveling and putting on demonstrations at shows and craft fairs 鈥unning a business, including promotion, management, and record-keeping 鈥sing metalworking and welding equipment 鈥eating metal stock or parts in a forge, tempering them, and hammering them into specified size and shape 鈥utting, assembling, and welding metal parts, using welding equipment 鈥sing air-powered tools, punches, and strippers to finish pieces Blacksmiths are also known as farriers-most these days work on livestock trimming feet & applying metal shoes (horses) on site at the farms the animals are on. Occasionally you will find blackamiths who have shops making other things (railings etc) ... a blacksmith's shop. ... a metal shop. ... a stable. If you have access to a time machine, you can go back in time about 200 years, and find a person who works with hammer and what in those days was called high temperature ... such a person worked in most any community making swords, shoeing horses, etc. But in modern times, the only people doing this kind of work are in outdoor historical places that show the kind of stuff that was done centuries ago. |
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