the Argobuilder; Craftsmanship, Adventure, Enjoying Life!
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    • The Warp and Weft >
      • Making a Large Tapestry Loom
      • Making a Small Hand Loom
      • Weaving Projects for Small Hand Loom
      • Beautiful Handmade Tapestry Beaters
    • The Merry Blacksmith
    • Making Cheese
    • Wooden Cheese Boxes
    • How to Make Pickled Pike
    • Wisconsin Bluegill Fry
    • Making Wooden Spoons by Hand
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    • Making Horsehair Brushes and Brooms
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      • Underwood Standard Portable 3 Bank Typewriter
      • Corona 3 Folder Typewriter Refurbishment
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      • Design of Rubber Parts for Antique Typewriters
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    • Alphorn Gallery
    • Making an Alphorn Bag
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    • Making a booknook
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      • Assembling Miniature Steam Model Clyde Oscillating Steam Engine
    • Ship Model FD 10 Arnanes Fishing Smack Johanna
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    • Building a Ship in a Bottle
    • Model of a Disney Water Taxi
    • BlueJacket Optimist Sailboat Model
    • Oseberg Viking Ship Model
    • Making a Cuckoo Clock
    • 3D Print Workshop
    • 3D Printed Object Gallery
  • Tales of Adventure
    • Sailing from Door County to the UP Michigan
    • Sailing Northern Door County
    • Sailing Lake Superior Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
    • Sailing Lake Huron: St.Ignace, Mackinac Island, Les Cheneaux Islands, St Martin Islands
    • From Manitowoc to Algoma and back on a small boat, 2017

The Merry Blacksmith

”The Merry Blacksmith” , one of my favorite Irish fiddle tunes.

An ancient trade indeed! Skill in working metal has gone hand in hand with human development since the dawn of civilization. My fascination with this history and these skills, led me to set up my own backyard outdoor blacksmith shop.

Here I will share how I got my start in blacksmithing, beginning with building a brake drum forge and buying the initial tools.  I am an amateur,  and I do not claim expertise regarding blacksmithing, but this has been a great activity to get started in and I am happy to share here how I got started.
Picture
Approaching the Temple of Hephaestus, Athens, 2016. Built in 450 BC. Hephaestus was the God of blacksmiths, and was the blacksmith of the Gods. Maybe he is hiding in my little forge too....
Links:
Building a Brake Drum Forge
Anvil, Anvil Stand and Shop Vise
Hand Tools and Anvil Tools
Outdoor blacksmith shop, outdoor smithy
My backyard smithy, September 2019. I have a large industrial fire extinguisher and a hose on out in the outdoor blacksmith shop also. Here I am forging a railroad spike.
Picture
Forging a point on a 3/4” square bar that will be part of a large roasting spit assembly. It was a good day for wearing klompen.
Picture
Here is the finished forge including a covered table top and smoke stack

Some photos of products from the smithy:

Forges Pig Roast Spit, Blacksmith Pig Roast Spit
Blacksmith forged Pig or Chicken Roasting Spit. 3/4" steel vertical supports and the spit itself. Hooks are riveted to the vertical supports. Handle is 3D printed PETG
Picture
2 Chickens on the forged spit roast. Trussed up to the tines with wire. It worked perfectly! I did these chickens in the Peruvian style and served them with homemade Peruvian green sauce. Fantastic!
Picture
Hook for a hanging flower basket, with a twist and decorative leaf. Boiled Linseed Oil finish.
Picture
Hand forged BBQ fork with boiled linseed oil finish
Picture
Hand forged BBQ fork with boiled linseed oil finish
Picture
I made this hook to be used to hand a garden trowel from. Boiled linseed oil finish. The design is from a photo of a hook that I had seen online.
Picture
4' long fire poker; made from 1/2" steel with a forge-riveted on hook.
Picture
Hatchet forged from a railroad spike; with hand-carved local white oak handle.
Picture
Railroad spike hatchet, boiled linseed oil finish.
Picture
The first piece of hardware I made using the new forge and anvil.
Picture
The bar-twister I made worked nice to add twists to hooks. The holes in the hooks are hot punched using the punch and pritchel plate.

Books I used for reference:
  • "The Backyard Blacksmith" by Lorelei Sims. Very helpful book on blacksmithing for those that want to get started.
  • "The Blacksmith, Ironworker and Farrier", by Aldren A. Watson. This is wonderful reference book on the history and traditional methods of blacksmithing.

Suppliers:
  • Centaur Forge www.centaurforge.com, was a great place to find tools and anvils. They are nearby for me so I drove over to see them. I was like a kid in a candy shop looking at everything in stock at their shop.
Copyright 2016 - 2022 www.argobuilder.com ALL photos and writing are by the Argo Builder and his crew, unless noted otherwise. Contact jason@argobuilder.com to request permission to use any writing or images from this site. Thanks. Use the information at your own risk, please ​make safety your first priority, the author does not claim responsibility for the accuracy ​or inaccuracy of any information on this site
  • Home
  • The Shipyard
    • Building SCAMP "ARGO"
    • Compac 16 Pilothouse
    • Building a Kaholo SUP
    • Making a SUP Paddle
    • Ships' Provisions
    • True Seafaring Tales: Book Reviews
    • Nautical Fiction: Book Reviews
    • Seafaring and Boat Building Reference Books
  • The Woods of Arcady
    • Wisconsin Mushroom Hunting
    • Wisconsin Wildflower Photo Gallery
    • Making Apple Cider
    • Making Maple Syrup
    • Building a Stone Arch
    • Making Traditional Wooden Skis
  • The Homestead
    • The Warp and Weft >
      • Making a Large Tapestry Loom
      • Making a Small Hand Loom
      • Weaving Projects for Small Hand Loom
      • Beautiful Handmade Tapestry Beaters
    • The Merry Blacksmith
    • Making Cheese
    • Wooden Cheese Boxes
    • How to Make Pickled Pike
    • Wisconsin Bluegill Fry
    • Making Wooden Spoons by Hand
    • Handmade Wooden Dustpans
    • Making Broom-Corn Brooms
    • Making Horsehair Brushes and Brooms
  • The Muse
    • Poetry
    • Antique Typewriters >
      • Underwood Standard Portable 3 Bank Typewriter
      • Corona 3 Folder Typewriter Refurbishment
      • Typewriter Platen Replacement
      • Design of Rubber Parts for Antique Typewriters
    • Making an Alphorn
    • Alphorn Gallery
    • Making an Alphorn Bag
    • Viking Lur
  • The Model Maker
    • Making a booknook
    • Krick Alexandra Steam Launch >
      • Assembling Miniature Steam Model Clyde Oscillating Steam Engine
    • Ship Model FD 10 Arnanes Fishing Smack Johanna
    • Artesania Latina, Cargo Ship "Capri"
    • Building a Ship in a Bottle
    • Model of a Disney Water Taxi
    • BlueJacket Optimist Sailboat Model
    • Oseberg Viking Ship Model
    • Making a Cuckoo Clock
    • 3D Print Workshop
    • 3D Printed Object Gallery
  • Tales of Adventure
    • Sailing from Door County to the UP Michigan
    • Sailing Northern Door County
    • Sailing Lake Superior Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
    • Sailing Lake Huron: St.Ignace, Mackinac Island, Les Cheneaux Islands, St Martin Islands
    • From Manitowoc to Algoma and back on a small boat, 2017