Along time ago, way back when I started woodworking (in the middle ages, when rocks were soft etc), making furniture from trees is what I wanted to do. No, not the chainsaw carved logs that resemble the furniture the Flintstone’s would have owned. But nice stuff like Windsor chairs et al. Many of the tools were either not available or they were available used but in really poor condition. I realised that if I wanted to work like this I would have to make some of those tools myself. Then one summer the local community college offered a 1 week introduction to blacksmithing seminar. Needless to say I jumped at the chance to learn some iron work to help me try to make tools.

Since then many of the tools have been brought back to the marketplace by other people who felt that there was a need and found that they were good at tool making. So we owe them a debt of gratitude for bringing back Spoon Bits and Travishers and Hook tools and all of the other odds and ends of tools that had been lost to the industrial revolution.

While I think that I am good at making tools for myself, I do not feel the need to make hundreds of them and sell them. So I continue now and then to do a little metal work to make tools for myself.

So this past summer I spent a lot of time casting brass, forging steel, and generally making things to make things with.

If you are seeing too much metal work for your liking on my site, well this is why.

I’ll get back to wood real soon.

be well

K

PS: Blacksmithing itself is a worthwhile hobby if any of you are thinking of trying it. You get the metal hot and hit it hard! And it’s playing with fire. 😉 there are a lot of great videos on you tube, everything from how to setup your first forge to “pro” techniques like how to make a rose or a dragon’s head,  pattern welding etc etc.