RUN OF THE MILL - Ruskin Mill Trust

30
The Forge
by Ryan and Louis, 1st-years
In the forge we first watched a demonstration from
Chris, the Forge Tutor, on how to make a fire poker.
Before we did any work ourselves we had to learn about
health and safety and how to use tools correctly.
We learnt that the metal needed to reach approximately
500 degrees Celsius before it started to change colour.
This meant we had to hold our hand above the metal
before picking it up to check if it was too hot. We also
had to wear an apron, plus a glove on the hand we held
the metal with.
When I started to make a fire poker I first had to mark
50 cm on a bar of steel with chalk and saw it with a hack
saw. I then needed to heat the bar in the forge until it
turned bright orange and then hammer the end into a
point. To do this I needed to hold the bar close to the
anvil face at an angle and hit each side of the bar the
same number of times. I also had to make sure I hit the
metal at the same angle it was held.
After bringing the end to a point I heated the other end
and hit it over the beak of the anvil. This curved the
metal around into a loop which put an eye at the top of
the poker. I then
heated the centre
of the bar and put it
in a vice so I could
twist it with a
wrench. This put a
twist in the centre
of the poker.
Ryan cutting metal to size in the vice
Glasshouse College
Run of the Mill ~ Winter 2010
I have enjoyed this
session so much
that I will now be
doing Iron Age
Forge as my Core
Subject next term.
Lighting
The Forge
To start the fire
on the forge you
need to get about
six pieces of
newspaper, wrap
them loosely into a
ball, lay it on the
forge and then set
it alight. You then need to stick some
charcoal on the fire but not too much
so you don’t stop oxygen getting to
it. Once the fire has grown slightly,
you use the blower to get more
oxygen into it. This increases the size
of the fire significantly, in which it
will then be hot enough for you to
heat steel.
TOOLS & EQUIPMENT
Tongs: Used to hold hot steel.
Anvil: to shape hot steel on with a hammer
Ball peen hammer: Used to hit steel.
Punch: Used to make perfect round holes.
Chisel: Used to split steel.
Swage block: Used to shape metal.
Goggles: Used to keep eyes safe.
Vice: Used to hold steel firmly.
Hacksaw: Used to cut steel.
Gloves: Used to protect hands.
Steel toe cap boots: Used to protect feet.
Aprons: Used to protect clothes and body.
Left to right:
Swage Block
Anvil
Vice
Ryan shaping metal on the anvil
The forge after lighting