Blacksmith Coal Forge Projects

Making Jewelry and Sculptures

• Forges are ideal for melting down metals that have a relatively low melting temperature, such as copper, silver, lead and aluminum. You can melt these metals by placing them in a ceramic crucible and placing the crucible in the forge. The crucible remains inside the forge hearth while air is blown into the hearth until the metals liquify. The crucible is removed from the forge using metal tongs, and the liquified metal is poured into molds for different types of sculptures or jewelry. Furnaces generally work better than forges, but if the forge is well insulated and sufficiently hot, it will do the job.

Knife and Sword Making

• Forges are commonly used to make knife and sword blades from hard metals, especially from high carbon steel, which has the ability to keep a sharp edge. The coal bed in the forge is heated to high temperatures and a length of steel is placed on the hearth until it reaches a deep reddish-orange color. The steel is removed with iron tongs and placed on an anvil for hammering into a blade shape with steel mallets of different weights. The art of hammering out a smooth blade requires considerable skill and effort. Afterward, the blade is "quenched" by being immersed in cool water.

Forging Metal Tools

• Another common project using a forge is to make steel tools such as augers, crowbars and chisels. The process is similar to knife forging, but with less need for precision. Flat or round bars of steel are placed into the hearth and raised to red hot temperatures, at which point they can be shaped or hammered into the desired tool part. For example, you can heat a round bar of steel until one end is soft, and then hammer it into a chisel.

Making Metal Furniture and Accessories

• Forges can be used to hammer and shape the legs, brackets and other parts of wrought iron tables, chairs and business sign holders. You can cut the different parts of these and other furnishings to the desired sizes with angle grinders or metal cutting saws, and then twist, bend, curve or hammer them into the proper shapes and dimensions. These individual parts are welded together to assemble the furniture pieces and accessories.