The Druid Sustainability Resource Forum

[Stormwind]

I'm a smith; a once common trade it nearly died out as a single person or family occupation. It's been making something of a rebound in the last few year, especially amongst women. I suspect in the not too distant future it'll become almost vital in many places.

My forge uses no electricity. Everything I have for it is worked by hand or foot, including the post-beam drill press. I originally did this because I'm both a living history nutjob and reluctant to pay the utility companies any more than I absolutely must.

I use charcoal instead of coal, though I have worked with the latter. Charcoal comes from a renewable resource. It takes almost twice as much for an equal amount of work as coal, but it burns cleaner since the impurities have been removed during it's manufacture. It's easier to start. It was used by our ancestors for a very long time. And in modern terms one can work stainless steels over it without damaging the steel as coal can do.

So my forge is portable and cost little to operate compared to electric or gas operated forges. It's more difficult to master though. I've read so many of the books on smithing, and there are some outstanding ones, but until I found a Master and started studying with him, I didn't realize how much was left out of those books; how much is taught in apprentice style that doesn't carry over in books and college classes.

Iron is a finite resource, unless we can mine asteroids. Iron isn't steel. Iron, as in pig bars or what most call Wrought Iron, isn't available in the US anymore. Britain is the only place I know of to get it. We do, however, have iron ore here and smelting is not beyond the skills of a smith though it does take practice. To make steel from it requires a process involving charcoal, bone, etc. And a lot of hammering. It's work intensive.

I expect, however, that in the future there won't be an immediate need to smelt iron and make steel. Cars are full of steel. Of varying types. The leaf springs and coil springs are tool steel. Good for blades and of course, tools. There's a lot of metal all over, once just has to get it. I have an arrangement with a car dealer who repairs damaged vehicles that any he will junk I get to strip of leaf springs and coil springs first. I've a lot of steel on standby.

There was a time when nearly every farm had a small anvil and forge. It's hard to find such any longer, and new anvils are anything but cheap. Many folk can look at smithing tools and never know them for what they are. I suspect it won't be long before we start seeing another flowering of smiths.

I'm teaching my sons, and I've been approached by some friends who wish to learn. I've not decided yet how to go about handling this.

I suggest someone in any community consider getting at least some instruction in smithying. It's not as hard as it looks. Note, however, that Redsmithing, Gold & Silversmithing, Tinsmithing and so on are all different to Blacksmithing.

Something for people to consider.

Stormwind
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"If thou hast eyes to see, then see."

[shadowfoot]

I didn't know you were acquiring scrap metals. Will keep that in mind... sometimes there are old vehicles at the farm that stay there for a bit, before moving on. They just removed a couple of them last week, in fact. Although apparently scrap metals are starting to go up in price; something to be mindful of.

Glad there's some interest in learning smithying. I used to do some work in silver and copper, years ago, but nothing big or heavy. Smithying's not for me, though -- I'll stick to textiles and gardening, I think!
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