SmithyWorkshopManual1

Smithy
Workshop
Manual
By
ZafarIqbalZafar
PrincipalEngineer
PIEAS
August26,2012

SmithyWorkshopManual2

SmithyWorkshopManual3

Contents

Smithy . 5

Equipments . 5

Anvil 5

Hammers 5

Hand hammers 5

Sledge hammers 6

Chisels .. 6

Tongs .. 6

Fullers . 7

Hardy 7

Slack tub .. 8

Forge .. 8

Practice 1, making a supporting hook .. 9

Steps for practice 1 .. 9

Precautions .. 10

Practice 2, making a chisel 10

Steps for practice 2 .. 10

SmithyWorkshopManual4

SmithyWorkshopManual5

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:

1- 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.

2- 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.
SmithyWorkshopManual6

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.

3- 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.

4- 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.
SmithyWorkshopManual7

Tongs

5- 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.

6- Hardy

The hardy is a cutting tool similar to the chisel. It is used as a chisel or

hammer for cutting both hot and cold metals. It has a square shank
that fits into the hardy hole in the anvil, with the cutting edge facing
upwards. The metal to be cut is placed on the cutting edge and struck
SmithyWorkshopManual8

with a hammer. They are also used with set tools which are placed
over the workpiece and struck.

7- 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.

8- Forge

A forge is a hearth used for forging. The forge heats the workpiece to
a malleable temperature (a temperature where the metal becomes
SmithyWorkshopManual9

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 as shown in the following 3rd
SmithyWorkshopManual10

figure.

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.

Precausions

1- Use safety cloths and helmont 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.
SmithyWorkshopManual11

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.

Your chisel should look like as below.