And once again, I had a great time… although it was really hot today…
I love everything about that crazy barn…
I love the smells, and all the old tools, and the forges… and the cool old guys… of which, I suppose, I might now be one…
Today, I took those two pieces of precut metal and the rivet, and made blacksmithing tongs… to use when I am blacksmithing… and, despite the precut pieces, it was not an easy project.
Of course, to start, we needed to clean out the clinker breaker and the clinker box, and sort the clinker, coal and coke… (you can read all about this process in the posts I did after my first class… just search for it)… I had my newspaper jellyfish ready to start the forge and light the coke.
Oh yeah, crank in some airflow, and the forge is ready to work!
Dance to my tune, hot steel!!!
Please join me for tomorrows post to see the finished project and more blacksmithing pictures.
Pouring My Art Out 
You know what I have never understood about blacksmithing? Why doesn’t the fire burn right through the forge?After all it is made of the same material as you are working with.
uh… I will have to ask about that…
Man, you’re going to make your own tools. That’s freaking awesome. I am envious.
It is pretty darned exciting.
Blacksmithing is such an underrated & cool art form.
I am really enjoying it… and we do it old school… black coal, hand cranked air blowers… oh, yeah.