Iron Smelting , Blooming and Smithing - £180.00
Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th October
9:30am - 4:00pm
Two day Course: Based at the Discovery Centre and at the Industrial Hamlet the two days will be spent learning about the use of iron and how to smelt, bloom and smith it, tutored by experts in their field.
Day 1
Iron smelting and Blooming
Introduction to metallurgy
This talk looks at the evidence for the first use of metals. It reviews the archaeological evidence and considers the problems for those wishing to reconstruct the processes
Pulling swords from Stones: The smelting of minerals
Working in groups of 2-3 this session provides you with the opportunity to transform minerals into iron. You will reconstruct some of the earliest processes used by humans to win metal from the earth. Once the iron is smelted the bloom can then be ready to be made, and once this is done it will be taken to Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet.
Day 2
Iron Smithing
The second part of the iron smelting course takes place at Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet. Once the iron bloom has been produced and removed from the furnace it must then be immediately consolidated by forging while it is still hot this will be done next to the furnace.
The bloom, once cooled, will then be, taken to Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet where the team will in turn help the bladesmith to forge it down into a bar of iron.
This process takes time but is rewarding and shows just how difficult it would have been for the iron-age blacksmith to make the first iron, and how they were held in great esteem and seen as almost having magical powers to be able to produce something so hard and useful from a large spongy mass.
The amount of iron produced from any bloom is small, and whilst two people on the course in rotation will help the bladesmith forge the iron, the remaining course members will produce a small knife from steel provided by the blacksmith. They will forge and grind the blade, cutting out a handle and riveting it on, time permitting.
Aims
The bladesmith will provide an insight into the skills and complexity of early iron-age forging showing just how difficult it was to produce the first iron and how valuable this material was, once produced. The course will also provide an understanding of the skill required to develop the bloom into a billet of iron and then into a finished article by providing experience of knife forging.
Course Content
The people on the course will get:
A chance to forge an iron bloom into an iron ingot using a blacksmiths’ forge.
An opportunity to have a go at hand forging a blade from a carbon steel bar, using the techniques early ironsmiths would have used, using a forge, anvils, hammers and tongs.
The hand forging technique is a traditional technique that has now virtually died out in favour of more modern techniques, so people who undertake this will be one of a few select people in the world who will have had this opportunity.
Depending on time and progress there will also be the possibility of hardening, tempering, grinding, hafting(handle making) and riveting the knives.
WHAT TO BRING.
It is essential to wear hard shoes. No open toed sandals/trainers etc.
It is essential to wear old clothing full length trousers/jeans and long sleeve top.
Please bring something for lunch both to eat and drink as the day will be fairly intensive.
What will be provided.
Leather aprons and gloves and safety glasses for people forging.
All tools and material