The Beginner's Guide to Blacksmithing

Clear, photo-illustrated instruction for learning the practical and artisanal craft of blacksmithing. Keen on making your own custom cutlery? Want to make your own fireplace tools or even your own garden art? The Beginner’s Guide to Blacksmithing, adapted from The Backyard Blacksmith, introduces you to everything you need to know, from the tools and basic techniques to various approaches to this old-school trade. Whether your interest is practical, like fixing broken rails or tools, or artistic, like sculpture and decorative art made from metals, you will find all the instruction you need to be successful in this essential reference. This easy-to-follow beginner’s guide features: Clear instructions that make learning easy—Like having a master blacksmith at your side, detailed, step-by-step, full-color exercises teach all the universal skills and techniques used to forge iron. Accessible content for absolute beginners—Learn to find and salvage the right kinds of steel, set up your shop, collect the essential tools, and work safely, then explore the properties and characteristics of hot metal and how to shape it successfully. Beautiful and functional projects—The book includes beautiful and functional projects organized by difficulty level, allowing you to progress at your own pace and master the skills you learned in earlier chapters. Blacksmithing is a rewarding craft that you can enjoy in your backyard or home workshop, and this book makes learning basic skills easy and fun. Set yourself up for success with this indispensable guide.