In the pursuit of Type 2 fun, we signed up for our first blacksmithing class so we could try something new. Mr. Nacho is way more creative when it comes to working with his hands (hello, woodworking!). But for me, I just wanted to get out of my comfort zone. Not gonna lie, containers of gas and flames do make me nervous, but I figured I was overestimating the risk of something bad happening.
What is blacksmithing?
Blacksmithing is the art of forging metal using heat, hammers, and tools like anvils and tongs. Blacksmiths heat metal in a forge until it’s red-hot, then hammer, bend, and shape it into useful or decorative items.
What to wear (and bring) to a blacksmithing class
It’s important to try and not wear synthetic fibers like polyester or spandex, as these can melt into your skin if they catch fire.
- Long-sleeved, natural fiber shirt (cotton, wool, or denim) – I wore a 90% cotton sweatshirt… risky? Not sure.
- Durable pants (jeans or heavy-duty work pants) – We both wore jeans
- Closed-toe shoes (ideally leather or steel-toed) – I wore Sorel boots
- Safety glasses (essential for eye protection as little shards of metal could fly up in your face)
- Water bottle
- Hair tie (to tie long hair back)
We’re noobies to blacksmithing
We’ve had no prior blacksmithing experience and signed up for a 3-hour beginners class. The goal of the class was to create two linking hearts for Valentine’s Day. Mr. Nacho would make one heart, and I would make another, and they would then be linked together. How lo-mantic.
The class had 6 people total (all couples). The location also wasn’t in a traditional classroom, but rather outside in a walkway out by the parking lot. Luckily it was sunny out, but it was still a chilly 40 degrees. I mistakenly thought I would stay warm enough working with the forge and heat, but I was wrong and it was quite chilly. I wish I would’ve bundled up more!
We forged metal outside in the back of a building
Our instructor set up a small mobile forge for us to use, powered by a big tank of gas. A forge is a furnace where metal is heated. This forge was a small rectangular metal box on a stand, and open on two ends. Each end was where you would put your metal in to heat up so it could be malleable to work. A large bucket of water was next to the forge to help cool down the tongs if we needed to, and we also used it to cool down the tips of our pieces at some point.
Next to the forge was an anvil, which is where we mainly worked. The anvil sat on top of a tall piece of wood. This is where each of us would shape our pieces.
The instructor each had us take a metal bar (it was small, like a 8” stick) to work with. He then placed them in the forge to heat up (which took about 15 minutes).
While the bars were heating up, the instructor gave us spiels on safety. For example, how to hand off the tongs to one another safely, or how to carry and hold the hot metal safely. He reiterated many times to not touch the metal (even if it looks like it’s cool), and he also shared interesting facts about blacksmithing.
Hammer time!
The instructor first did some demos on what we would be doing, commenting on technique of how to hold and angle the hammer, and how to strike the anvil. He provided the tongs and hammers for us to use. After the demonstration, each person took turns grabbing their bar from the forge with long tongs, and shaping the metal with a hammer on the anvil. We first hammered our bars to get the right pointed shape. Then the instructor guided us on how to mold the metal to get the shapes that we wanted. He also shared tips on how to position our bodies around the anvil to be most effective working with our metal.
We took turns at the anvil, watching each other’s progress before reheating our pieces in the forge after each round. Observing both the other participants and the instructor’s guidance helped refine our own techniques. We first shaped one curve of our heart pieces, then mirrored the process to form the second curve.
The instructor handled the more technically challenging step of adding notches to our pieces before putting them back into the forge, preparing them to be bent into a heart shape. After reheating each heart once the notch was set, he shaped our metal rods into heart forms. One heart remained ‘open’ while the other was closed, allowing them to be linked together later.
Finalizing our pieces
Using this tool that I don’t know the name of, we each twisted one side of the heart to create a decorative spiral. Next, we looped the ‘closed’ heart through the ‘open’ one, and the instructor then sealed the open heart, officially linking them together and finishing our piece. Our instructor also waxed the hearts as a protective coating to prevent rust.
While the final result of our blacksmithing hearts very much gave off a wabi-sabi vibe (wabi-sabi: a Japanese aesthetic that embraces imperfection), the real joy for me was the novelty of trying something new.
What’s next?
While I might try another blacksmithing class, I don’t see it as a long-term hobby of mine. I’ve been pleased with our forays into tai chi, pottery, and blacksmithing. It’s been nice to step outside of my comfort zone to try something new, especially with these hands-on projects, since I’m not great with my hands. Mr. Nacho is super crafty and into woodworking now, so I think he enjoys these hands-on types of classes. I look forward to whatever is next for us! Perhaps soap making? Stained glass? Who knows.