Subject: blacksmithing

From: "D. M. Dickie" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 20 Mar 96 09:08 PST

Ouch!  I seem to have hit a few nerves with my last posting.  Sorry, that
was not my intention.  I only wanted to foster some discussion, and in a
way, I guess it worked.  Please understand that I only express my thoughts
and opinion - I DO NOT attempt to coerce anyone into adopting either as
their own!!  

I guess the main thrust of my argument is not whether modern methods and
machines are used, but whether the resulting work is aknowledged as being a
fabricated piece, rather than being presented as hand-forged, traditional,
authentic blacksmithing.

No, I do not make railings and gates and other large scale products.  I do
however, realize that the use of torches and arc/mig/tig/ welders makes that
job a lot simpler, and less time consuming, but I also know that hundreds of
tons of gates, railings, fences and whatever are scattered all over Europe
and even eastern North America that were made very nicely long before any of
those modern tools were invented.

Thanks for the justification of using a torch.  I know that blowpipes were
used in silver/goldsmithing and so-on long ago, but I was not aware that
they could be employed in a scale that would allow iron work.  Maybe I'll
have to re-think my philosophy!!

No offence!

=============================================================================
D. M. (Mike) Dickie 
FLATLANDER FORGE
Box 85
Pennant, SK
Canada S0N 1X0

[email-masked]

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From: Ralph Snel <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 21 Mar 1996 12:40:38 MET

> have to re-think my philosophy!!

Be careful now! I didn't want to imply that torches were used on iron work.
But just along the same line as you mentioned in a previous post, you can
use the modern version:

> For instance, I use a drill press.  I don't use a torch.  Why?  Because
> drilling as a technology goes back a long way into the history of
> blacksmithing.  Though my drill press is electric, and uses modern twist
> drills, various types of drilling technology have been around for a long
> time, so I am using the current version.  The same applies to my 25# Little
> Giant.  Power hammers in various configurations have also been around for
> centuries.  Most were not rotary hammers powered by electricity, but there
> were water/people and maybe animal powered hammers long ago - I use the
> modern version.

Has anyone ever tried using a blowpipe in a forge, just as an academic
exercise? In principle it should work, blowing in more air in the reducing
area of the fire. If it's useful is a totally different question...

Ralph Snel
[email-masked]
Sweden