Forge

A forge typically uses bituminous coal, industrial coke or charcoal as the fuel to heat metal.

The smith can also adjust the length and width of the fire in such a forge to accommodate different shapes of work.

One common, efficient design uses a cylindrical forge chamber and a burner tube mounted at a right angle to the body.

The burner mixes fuel and air which are ignited at the tip, which protrudes a short way into the chamber lining.

The air pressure, and therefore heat, can be increased with a mechanical blower or by taking advantage of the Venturi effect.

Anvils may seem clunky and heavy, but they are a highly refined tool carefully shaped to suit a blacksmith's needs.

The purpose of a tool steel face on an anvil is to provide what some call "rebound" as well as being hard and not denting easily from misplaced hammer blows.

The flat top, called the "face" is highly polished and usually has two holes (but can have more or less depending on the design).

Hammers can range in shape and weight from half an ounce to nearly 30 pounds depending on the type of work being done with it.

They are hardened and tempered at the cutting edge while the head is left soft so it will not crack when hammered.

Also, many smiths shape chisels as to have a simple twisted handle as to resemble a hammer, they can be used at a greater distance away from the hot metals.

It is not uncommon for a blacksmith to own twenty or more pairs of tongs; traditionally, a smith would start building their collection during the apprenticeship.

A slack tub is usually a large container full of water used by a blacksmith to quench hot metal.

The slack tub is principally used to cool parts of the work during forging (to protect them, or keep the metal in one area from "spreading" for example, nearby hammer blows); to harden the steel; to tend a coal or charcoal forge; and simply to cool the work quickly for easy inspection.

In bladesmithing and tool-making the term will usually be changed to a "quench tank" because oil or brine is used to cool the metal.

This acts as a relief valve for the extreme pressure produced by the closing of the die halves and is later trimmed off of the finished part.

Depending on how the machine is powered, the mass of the ram, and the drop height, the striking force can be anywhere from 11,000 to 425,000 pounds.

Mild steel is the best choice, and magnesium generally performs poorly as a drop forging material.

Various gods and goddesses are associated with the forge in a number of mythologies, such as the Irish Brigid, West African Ogun, Greek Hephaestus and Roman Vulcan.