Smelting

Blacksmithing is definitely something that you need to do first hand in order to get reasonably good at it, but the entry level tech is easy to get. I built my forge out of a truck brake drum, a 55 gallon drum some 2X4's, and some plumbing fittings. I scavenged a vacuum cleaner out of the garbage that still worked and the plumbing fittings I had to buy. While power would be hard to come by PS, hand crank blowers and other ways to move the air over the fuel works. I use propane because it is easier on the neighbors, but low sulfur coal is really good to get that deep down "burn the metal" heat. My first forge was more like a coal fired jet engine because we did not have a good way to control the air blast.

I met a woman this summer who smelts her own iron. She takes iron rust and turns it into metal - really neat but very very expensive in fuel and in the work it takes to refine the bloom of metal into something you can really use for anything. The tech is very low - clay and straw for the smelter, charcoal to fire it and a airblast. The trick is getting it all to work correctly because the airblast has to just right so that there is not too much air in furnace. I have been doing this for about two years. It is great fun and very therapeutic too!. I am beginning to start my collection of strange but useful hammers and tongs because of this.

Offered by Gus.