Blacksmithing Course

Lesson 1 • Shop Safety Rules and Emergency Procedures

Establishes non-negotiable safety rules and rehearses emergency responses. Students leave able to act correctly during fire, burn, or equipment failure incidents.

Lesson 2 • Personal Protective Equipment

Covers selection, fit, and maintenance of all PPE required at the forge. Correct PPE use is the first line of defence against burns, sparks, and noise.

Lesson 3 • History and Evolution of Blacksmithing

Traces blacksmithing from ancient iron smelting to modern artisan practice. Provides context for why traditional techniques remain relevant today.

Lesson 4 • Understanding the Forge Environment

Identifies every zone of a working forge shop and its function. Establishes spatial awareness essential for safe daily operation.

Lesson 1 • Heat Treatment Fundamentals

Introduces annealing, normalising, hardening, and tempering as a linked sequence. Students understand when and why each treatment is applied.

Lesson 2 • Iron and Steel Composition

Explains carbon content, alloying elements, and their effect on workability. This knowledge drives every material selection decision in the shop.

Lesson 3 • Sourcing and Identifying Stock

Covers common stock shapes, sizes, and supplier grading systems. Students learn to verify material identity using spark testing and markings.

Lesson 4 • Metallurgical Principles for Smiths

Introduces grain structure, crystallisation, and how forging refines metal. Students connect hammer work to microscopic changes in the steel.

Lesson 1 • Anvil Selection and Positioning

Covers anvil anatomy, weight classes, and ergonomic height setting. Correct positioning reduces fatigue and improves hammer accuracy.

Lesson 2 • Tool Maintenance and Dressing

Teaches grinding, handle replacement, and surface care for all primary tools. Well-maintained tools perform predictably and reduce accident risk.

Lesson 3 • Hammers: Types, Grip, and Swing

Identifies cross-peen, rounding, and sledge hammers and their specific uses. Proper grip and swing mechanics prevent injury and maximise energy transfer.

Lesson 4 • Tongs, Hardies, and Holding Tools

Introduces tong styles matched to stock shapes and hardy tool categories. Secure workholding is critical for precision and safety at the anvil.

Lesson 1 • Cutting and Splitting

Covers hot cutting with hardy and chisel and cold cutting with hacksaw and angle grinder. Choosing the right method depends on stock size and required precision.

Lesson 2 • Drawing Out and Tapering

Teaches controlled elongation and taper formation using hammer angle and anvil edge. These moves underpin nearly every forged shape.

Lesson 3 • Bending and Scrolling

Introduces over-the-horn bending, scroll starts, and angle bends using the anvil and hardy. Accurate bends require understanding spring-back and heat placement.

Lesson 4 • Upsetting Stock

Covers end and side upsetting to increase cross-section and add mass. Students control buckling and maintain axis alignment throughout the process.

Lesson 1 • Introduction to Arc and MIG Welding

Provides a practical overview of electric welding processes used alongside forge work. Students understand when to use electric welding vs. forge welding.

Lesson 2 • Faggot and T-Welds

Covers bundle welding for mass building and T-joint welding for structural connections. These welds appear frequently in gates, railings, and tool making.

Lesson 3 • Forge Welding Principles

Explains flux chemistry, welding heat recognition, and hammer timing for a solid weld. Forge welding is the oldest and most demanding joining skill in the trade.

Lesson 4 • Riveting and Collaring

Introduces hot and cold riveting and collar application as mechanical fasteners. These methods join pieces without fusion and allow some movement.

Lesson 1 • Tempering for Toughness

Teaches oven and torch tempering methods and colour interpretation for common tools. Tempering reduces brittleness while retaining useful hardness.

Lesson 2 • Annealing and Normalising Cycles

Demonstrates full anneal and normalise cycles to restore workability after heavy forging. Students apply these cycles to prepare stock for machining or re-forging.

Lesson 3 • Hardening Tool Steel

Covers austenitising temperature, quench media selection, and quench technique for tool steel. Correct hardening produces maximum hardness without cracking.

Lesson 4 • Surface Finishing Techniques

Covers filing, grinding, and polishing progressions to achieve smooth or textured surfaces. Surface finish affects both corrosion resistance and visual appeal.

Lesson 1 • Forging a Cross-Peen Hammer

Covers the complex forging sequence for a hammer head including eye punching and drifting. This is the most demanding project in the chapter.

Lesson 2 • Forging a Cold Chisel

Step-by-step forging of a cold chisel from tool steel bar stock. Students practice drawing, beveling, and shoulder formation in a single project.

Lesson 3 • Quality Testing Finished Tools

Introduces hardness testing, edge geometry inspection, and functional use trials. Students verify that self-made tools meet performance standards before shop use.

Lesson 4 • Designing Functional Tools

Teaches geometry, steel selection, and proportion for chisels, punches, and hammers. Good design balances cutting performance, durability, and ease of use.

Lesson 1 • Project Planning and Time Estimation

Teaches material takeoff, heat cycle planning, and realistic time estimation for custom work. Accurate planning is essential for pricing and client communication.

Lesson 2 • Structural Ironwork: Gate Component

Applies joinery and bending skills to forge a repeatable gate picket with tenon end. Students practice consistency across multiple identical pieces.

Lesson 3 • Forging a Knife Blade

Guides students through stock removal and forging approaches to produce a knife blade profile. Heat treatment is applied to achieve a functional cutting edge.

Lesson 4 • Portfolio Development and Client Communication

Covers photographing work, building a portfolio, and communicating with clients about custom orders. Professional presentation converts craft skill into business opportunity.