Copper and iron forging
Copper and iron forging in my smithy
Color of metal is very important in forging as it indicates the temperature of the workpiece. For this reason, it is essential that it is dark inside a smithy because it makes it easier to determine the color of the heated metal.
There used to be a rule that an apprentice had to make his own tools, including pliers. A blacksmith cannot be without a pair of pliers because they are used for handling heated metal.
/Copper can be forged without being incandescent./
The shapes of blacksmith pliers have been the same for millennia, ever since man started processing metal.
Copper can be forged without being incandescent. However, this makes it more difficult to forge because the color of the heated piece cannot be seen. It was not easy for me to learn how to heat and forge copper correctly and to make forged nails for the desk with a copper top.
When using coke firebox, which I use myself, it is important not to keep iron in the fire for too long. Iron can burn off and as a result structure, and consequently quality, of iron changes. Same happens if iron is too deep in fire and is exposed to the air that fans/keeps the fire. Coke which I use for fire in blacksmith fireplace is getting more difficult to buy as there are less and less blacksmith workshops.
smithy
Igor Kanop, Creative iron
