Another indispensable element of the forge is the anvil. On it, the metal is given the required shape, hardening and other basic operations are carried out.

Stationary anvils are made of durable alloy steel, their weight reaches 350 kg. The anvil bears a large load, and therefore it must be stable and durable. When struck lightly with a forge hammer, a good anvil produces an even and clear sound, but if there are cracks or voids in it, the sound is dull. When filing, only a barely noticeable mark remains on the working surface of the anvil.

The most common are two-horned anvils (Fig. 132), but one-horned ones are also found.

Rice. 132. Anvil: a – horn; b – shank; in face; d – recess for punching holes; d – hole for installing a backing tool; e – platform for cutting metal; g – shoe.

A horn is a protrusion on its side, which, depending on its purpose, has a different shape (Fig. 132, a). In most one-horned anvils, it is cone-shaped and is intended for bending and rolling out rounded parts of products. The second horn is made in the form of a truncated cone and is convenient for bending at angles less than 90°.

At the base of the horn there is a special non-hardened platform for cutting metal with a chisel (Fig. 132, f).

On the opposite side, the anvil has a square-shaped protrusion similar to a horn - a shank (Fig. 132, b). It is used for right angle bending.

In single-horned anvils, the edge of the working surface is used for this purpose.

The flat surface in the center of the anvil is called the face; most flat forging operations are performed on it (Fig. 132, c). For greater strength, a plate of durable steel is sometimes welded onto it - a platband.

On the working surface on the horn side there is one or several round recesses for punching holes in the workpieces (Fig. 132, d). On the other side, a square hole of 35 x 33 mm was made for installing a backing tool (Fig. 132, d).

The anvil rests on a massive leg, or shoe (Fig. 132, g), which has four mounting holes and a recess in the lower part of the base. A central spike is inserted into the shoe, securing the anvil to the stand.

It is necessary to make a strong wooden or sand cushion under the anvil, which would dampen the impulse from a blow to the front part. Fastening is done using crutches inserted into the holes of the leg, or with clamps. For greater stability, the base is dug a little into the ground.

The front surface must be positioned strictly horizontally. A free space is left around the anvil where a blacksmith and a hammer hammer can work without interfering with each other. For greater convenience, it is placed at a distance of 1.5 m from the forge with the horn away from it.

The height at which the anvil is installed is such that the hammer strikes the casing horizontally. In this case, the worker should not spend additional effort on adjusting the blow - bending down or lifting the tool too high.

The surfaces of the forge and the anvil should be located approximately at the same level, which reduces the effort when transferring parts.

From the book: Korshever N. G. Metal work

The word “forge” is usually associated with a dark room with anvils, forges, hammers and blacksmith’s tongs. However, creating a forge with your own hands is much simpler than it seems at first glance. In addition, the forge can be made quite compact without adapting special premises for it.

The forge itself is a room with equipment for blacksmithing. In the forge, metal blanks are heated and processed using hammers and other forging tools. Less commonly, melting metals and alloys for casting some elements.

In fact, the forge does not necessarily have to be located indoors. In our case, the forge is an open space (or a space under a canopy).

The forge contains a forge - a source of open fire. Small particles of coal are often blown out of it. In addition, the metal is processed hot at about 800-900ºС. Therefore, the floor in the forge should not be made of flammable materials and there should be no electrical wires in the vicinity of the forge and anvil, since hot workpieces often drop onto the floor.

Basic tools you will need to set up a forge:

It can be almost any one that can be found. The main thing is that the edges and working surface of the anvil are not knocked down (the edges must be smooth). When you hit a real blacksmith's anvil with a hammer, it should bounce off it, and the anvil itself should ring loudly. The anvil can be installed either on a large wooden stump or on a frame welded from a corner. The second option is more functional; in addition, it allows you to turn the anvil and install it anywhere in the yard or room without any problems. Installation on a stump, as a rule, secures the anvil in one place “forever”.

The installation height of the anvil is determined by the level of extension of the blacksmith's arm: so that when struck with a hammer, its surface is approximately parallel to the ground.

The hearth can be welded from sheet metal with a refractory brick inserted inside. In order not to cook the forge, you can use a cut old cylinder for this. The forge, like the anvil, is also installed on a frame welded from reinforcement at approximately the height of the blacksmith’s belt. The frame of the forge is less massive than that of the anvil, consisting of 12-14 reinforcements.

You can also weld a grate (a grate on which burning coal or firewood is located) from fittings at the bottom of the hearth. But the spaces between the grate rods should be as thin as possible (no more than 1-2 mm), since flaming forge coal, when burned, breaks up into very small particles and will spill out through large holes. The air stream should be supplied from the side, slightly at an angle downwards, and not from below, like in stoves. This is due to the fact that the jet is strong and, when fed from below, will blow small particles of coal from the forge, which will scatter quite far.

Old vacuum cleaner

Necessary for blowing air into the forge during blowing work.

Hammer

This is an ordinary hammer. But not like a locksmith's, which has one end that is thinner. A hammer is a hammer that has both ends equally flat. Unlike a sledgehammer, the hammer has a lighter weight (from 800 grams to 2 kg) and a short handle for working with one hand. You should choose a hammer based on your own physical capabilities in order to work with it for a long time and not get tired. It is very important that the hammer is made of good steel; it is better to use an old Soviet one. Chinese hammers can crack after several blows, and some develop grooves on the working surface during use, which indicates the low quality of the metal.

The main difference between a blacksmith's vice and a metalworker's vice is the metal from which they are made. The forging vise is made of tool steel and can be struck without fear of splitting the vise.

Long handles are necessary for working with small workpieces. A plus will be a locking ring that fastens the handles into a lock, which allows you to avoid squeezing them with force when working with a workpiece.

Other tools are non-specialized or ordinary plumbing tools.

This equipment for a full-fledged forge can be placed in a corner, in an area of ​​less than 1 square meter, since the anvil and forge can be moved. If you plan to work indoors, then an additional hood should also be made at the place where the forge is installed. If the forge is located in the yard or under a canopy, then an exhaust hood is not needed; during active combustion, the forge emits little smoke.

Coal for forging needs “fiery” coal. You can distinguish it by its weight. Even very large pieces of this coal are very light. It flares up strongly, burns quickly and gives the high temperature necessary to heat the workpieces to forging temperature. You should choose large and medium pieces. Small ones burn out quickly and do not give the desired temperature.

Independent production of decorative forged products will require a special room for forging and welding. Traditionally, this room is called a forge or blacksmith's workshop.

Placement of equipment in the forge: 1- emery machine; 2 - forging machine; 3. pipe bender; 4 - cabinets for tools; 6 - vice; 6 - workbench; 7 - fan; 8 - water tank; 9 - forge; 10 - tool hangers; 11- table for tools; 12 - anvil; 13 - boxes with coal.

Work in a forge involves working metal parts, usually while they are hot. Welding using an electric or gas machine also involves working with an open flame and metal heated to a high temperature. This places special demands on setting up a forge at home.

How to build a blacksmith shop with your own hands?

It is best to build a forge from materials that are not susceptible to easy fire:

Layout of equipment in a rural forge.

• bricks;
• cinder block;
• asbestos cement sheets.

If the forge is forced to be located in a building with wooden walls, they must be plastered. The floor in the forge is paved with brick, poured with concrete, or made from a mixture of clay and sand, wetting it and thoroughly compacting it. A garage, shed or utility room in the house is suitable for a locksmith workshop. Cold forging machines can also be placed there, since this method of metal processing does not require the use of open fire.

The area of ​​the room for forging decorative elements can be relatively small and dictated only by the convenience and freedom of movement of the blacksmith.

For the production of small-sized products, the optimal forge area can be considered 16 sq.m.

Tools in the forge: hammers, vices, tongs, sharpening.

Such a workshop makes it possible to place all the necessary equipment under one roof. Welding work should only be carried out outdoors.

When carrying out forging work indoors, it is necessary to ensure sufficient ventilation. A supply and exhaust type forced ventilation device would be ideal. In this case, exhaust equipment is placed above the furnace. The height of the ceilings should not be less than 2.5 m. A forge under a canopy does not need ventilation, but working in it in winter will be quite uncomfortable.

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Internal arrangement of the forge, main fixtures

The specifics of a blacksmith’s work involve the placement of characteristic devices in the workshop:

Construction of a blacksmith's forge.

• blacksmith's forge;
• anvils and speraks;
• correct slab;
• bending plate;
• vice;
• hammers, handbrake, sledgehammer;
• tools for cutting, sharpening, drilling, chopping;
• locksmith's workbench.

In addition, it is imperative to equip the forge with a container of water to cool the forging, which will always be at hand, and a fuel box with a poker and a scoop. Ensuring fire safety dictates the placement of a fire extinguisher in an accessible place.

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The most necessary tools

Heating metal blanks to a high temperature before processing requires the presence of a forge in the workshop. This is a type of open-type furnace, on the hearth of which high-temperature fuel is burned - charcoal or coal. The forge is usually located on the wall farthest from the entrance so that the blacksmith can have access to it from 3 sides. This allows you to heat both long workpieces and small parts for the manufacture of decorative metal elements.

Anvil with a device for clamping workpieces.

For a small workshop or for making small parts, a portable forge is well suited, which can be made from sheet metal or from a cut-off gas cylinder. Processing larger workpieces (parts of railings, fences, etc.) will require the installation of stationary equipment. Traditionally, such a furnace is made of brick: the base is laid out from brick or cinder block, leaving space in the center for an ash pan and air flow to the grates. You can also weld the base from a steel corner by making an ash pan from sheet metal. For forced blasting in order to increase the combustion temperature of the fuel, a pipe is laid. You can use a vacuum cleaner to pump air. A grate is installed on top of the ash pit, and the walls around it are laid out from refractory bricks, forming a furnace nest where the burning fuel is located.

The hot workpiece is processed on an anvil. For this purpose, you can adapt a piece of rail, one end of which is ground into the shape of a cone. If possible, it is better to purchase a professional anvil, but a piece of thick (2-3 cm) steel plate with a smooth surface is also suitable for making decorative parts.

You can install the anvil:

• on a wooden block (“chair”);
• on a monolithic concrete base;
• in a barrel of sand.

With any installation method, the height above the floor of the working surface of the anvil (platband) is determined individually and should approximately correspond to the level of the thumb on the hand of the blacksmith standing next to it.

Accessories (bending and leveling plates, vices, clamps) are used to secure and process workpieces. The bending plate has holes into which, if necessary, pieces of rod are inserted according to the pattern; between them, identical elements are bent in large numbers (curls, snails, etc.). On the right plate, long workpieces can be bent at right angles or straightened. Shperaks are mini-anvils for small elements. In a vice, the ends of the part are clamped when twisting, bending, or some tools (shperaks, nizhniki) for processing workpieces.

Impact tools should be represented by a set of hammers and sledgehammers of various weights (4-16 kg) for striking when forging large products. For final processing of the workpiece, handbrake tools weighing 800-2000 g with a handle length of about 35 cm are used. The handbrake is used to deliver precise blows and correct the shape of the product. Hammers with shaped strikers are used for forgings of a special configuration. These hammers are usually purchased or made for a specific task.

Various power tools for metal working must have cables with a cross-section appropriate for the load.

A mechanic's workbench is a table at a convenient height for the owner, on which you can install power tools, lay out blanks and finished parts, and perform cold operations on processing products: sharpening, grinding, cutting, etc.

All forge equipment must be placed taking into account the individual requirements of the master for ease of work and unhindered access to the main workplaces: forge, anvil, workbench. Making a forge at home is quite affordable, and working in it will bring pleasure and allow you to independently make various things from metal.

For metalworking by hot and cold forging, the availability of many tools and devices is important. And, if some of them can be replaced or ignored altogether, then the blacksmith’s anvil is an almost irreplaceable element of the master. After all, all the main processing is performed on it, especially in the hot way.

In our material we will look at the types and features of such accessories for each blacksmith.

The design of the anvil is quite simple, but each of the individual elements is assigned to perform various metalworking operations.

The blacksmith “work table” itself consists of the following parts.

• Face.
• Horns.
• Paws.

Additionally, each anvil has round and square holes on the surface, as well as mounting brackets (in a stationary version).

The material for production is alloy steel grades 35 or 45L. The product is produced by casting and has hardened and non-hardened surfaces.

Face

The front part of the anvil is the main working surface, which bears the entire load during the metalworking process. A prerequisite for manufacturing is the heat treatment of the face to a hardness with an HRC rating of 45–50.

The entire surface is carefully polished to an almost mirror-like shine. The edges on the sides of the anvil face are kept exactly at right angles. The ribs must be sharpened without chips or dents.

Many forging operations are performed on the face of the anvil, and bending of blanks and sheet metal is performed on the ribs.

1) face, 2.9) holes, 3) tail, 4) mounting brackets, 5) chair, 6) paws, 7) horn, 8) non-hardened platform.

Horns

A blacksmith’s “work table,” depending on the type, may have one or two horns; their number determines the shape of the product.

If only one is present, it has a cone-shaped, rounded configuration. In the case of two horns, one is rounded, and the second may have a pyramidal shape (more often called the tail).

The purpose of such an element is to perform the function of a mandrel on which bending of strips or rods is performed, as well as rolling or welding. If there is a second pyramidal one, then bending and straightening of blanks is carried out on it, or products of other complex shapes are forged.

Some types of anvils between the face and the horn have an unhardened part of the platform; metal is cut on it with chisels.

There is often a round hole near the horn and a square hole in the tail. A circular section (15-25 millimeters in diameter) is used for stitching workpieces (instead of drilling), a square section is a kind of installation point for additional devices (lowers). There may also be two round holes with different diameters (depending on the type of product).

Paws

These are, in fact, the legs of a work table, whose task is to provide stability during processing. If the equipment is mounted permanently, then the paws are additionally pressed with brackets driven into a stand - a chair (usually a thick wooden block).

Also, in addition to the listed elements, the device can be additionally equipped with a bench vice for more convenient forging operations alone.

There are several types of this forging device; they are distinguished by the presence or absence of certain structural elements, dimensions and weight, as well as by working purpose.

Types of Anvils

The state standard defines the following types of factory-made anvils.

You need to choose an anvil depending on the planned work. For large and heavy workpieces to be processed, a heavier device is needed, and for small forgings you can get by with a relatively light one-horn design. The choice will also depend on the type of work. You may have to look for two-horned anvils with different holes.

For jewelry work, shperaks of small size and weight are used, since the products are quite small and do not require heavy impact processing. Often a jewelry anvil is made to order according to personal needs, with its own individual elements in the design.

However, you may have to purchase two types of this forging equipment for your workshop. One anvil is for stationary installation, and the second, smaller one is portable.

A high-quality forging tool rings when struck with a hammer, and the striking tool itself bounces off the front surface.

In addition to selection and purchase, it is important to correctly install such a massive device so that no problems arise in the future during the work process.

How to install an anvil

Despite the fact that the anvil is a rather massive device, it requires a serious approach to installation. Improper installation can cause problems: falling and tipping over. But, most importantly, the stand must absorb all impact energy.

A large wooden block with a diameter of 500-600 millimeters is most often used as a chair. The wood must be from hardwood: oak, maple, ash, birch and others. If there is no suitable material, you can use a barrel made of wood or metal. Earth, clay, sand are poured into it and compacted very tightly. A thick wooden gasket is fixed on top, on which the anvil is mounted.

The height of the stand is selected individually, depending on the height of the blacksmith.

The chair itself, made from a wooden block, should not create additional vibrations, so it must be dug into the ground to a depth of at least 0.5 meters with a sandy, tightly compacted lining at the bottom of the hole. Be sure to check the installation level of the chair (horizontal and vertical).

What to replace

If it is not possible to purchase an anvil, then it can be replaced, for example, with a homemade device made from a rail, channel or I-beam.

An anvil made from rail will last a long time, although it will not replace a full-fledged factory product.

How to make a replacement for an industrial product can be seen in the video

Homemade products made from a channel or I-beam can only be used temporarily, since their shelves are not thick enough and the steel is not resistant to mechanical stress.

Of course, the best option would be a full-fledged factory anvil, made by casting and having all the necessary elements with a hardened surface. Such a product will last in the blacksmith shop almost forever.

What can you add to this material? How critical is the absence of a factory anvil in a craft workshop and how can it be replaced? Share your experience in choosing this forging tool and using it. Take part in the discussion of the article in the comments section.

The main supporting forging tool is anvil weighing 100-150 kg, made of carbon steel. Anvils are divided into hornless, one-horned and two-horned. The most convenient is the two-horned one (Fig. 2). The upper surface of the anvil is called the clypeus, or face, and the lower surface is called the base. The top and casing must be hardened and polished, free from cracks and dents. Otherwise, marks may remain on the hot workpiece. On the front surface of the anvil there is a square through hole, usually 30X30 mm in size, for installing tools and accessories. The pointed part of the anvil (horn) is used for bending and straightening rings, and the opposite flat part (tail) is used for bending at right angles.

There are several ways to attach anvils (Fig. 3). The traditional method is to mount it on a wooden block - a chair. For this, blanks with a diameter of 500-600 mm of hard wood are used - oak, birch, etc. The height of the chair together with the anvil is about 75 cm, i.e. the face of the anvil should be at the level of the thumb of the blacksmith's lowered hand. If it is not possible to purchase a solid deck, then the chair can be made from separate bars fastened with steel hoops. The anvil is secured to the chair with U-shaped brackets. The chair can be made from a steel angle measuring at least 70X70 mm. A rubber gasket with a thickness of at least 8 mm must be placed between the steel chair and the anvil. The anvil is secured to the chair with U-shaped steel stepladders. The method of fastening it in a home forge is not practical to use on a concrete base.

Shperak They are also a supporting forging tool, but with less mass, and have a variety of shapes. They are usually made by blacksmiths themselves for a certain type of work (Fig. 4.)

The methods for attaching shperaks are also varied: they can be inserted into a square hole in an anvil, clamped in a forge vice, or hammered into a wooden chair.

Basic drums tools - a sledgehammer, a handbrake (hammer) and all kinds of shaped hammers (Fig. 5).

Sledgehammer- a large hammer weighing 4-8 kg, used for delivering strong blows and processing large workpieces.

Handbrake- a hand hammer weighing 1-2.5 kg is the main working tool of a blacksmith, since not a single forging operation is complete without its use.

Shaped hammers- This is a large and diverse group of instruments, differing in the mass and shape of the striking parts. They are made by blacksmiths themselves to perform specific jobs.

When making hammers, special attention should be paid to two points: when punching a hole for the handle, you need to ensure that the “edge” has an elliptical shape, that is, it expands from the center to the edges, then when wedging the handle with a wedge diagonally, it is securely fixed in the hammer ; An indispensable condition for the manufacture of a hammer is its balance in mass, i.e., regardless of the linear dimensions of its working parts (head and back), the hole must be in the center of balance, the mass of the head must correspond to the mass of the back (Fig. 6).

To hold and move hot workpieces, pliers are used, which differ in size and also in the shape of the jaws, depending on the shape of the workpieces they hold (Fig. 7). There are also special types of pliers made by a blacksmith for a specific type of work, for example, for holding rivets.

In addition to sledgehammers, handbrake handles and pliers, artistic forging also requires various backing tools.

Chisel And cutting used for cutting metal. Chisels are made of two types - with a thin blade for chopping hot metal and with a thicker one for chopping cold metal. The shape of the working part of the chisels is different - straight, round, hatchet-shaped. Forging chisels have a wooden handle and the undercut is a rectangular shank that fits into the hole of the anvil.

Blacksmith punch (bit)- a tool usually with a square or round working part, used for punching holes in hot workpieces, sometimes used for chasing hot metal. For special work it can be made in any shape.

Rolling out (rolling out)- a tool of various shapes, used to speed up the drawing and flattening of metal.

Tamper (crimp)- a device consisting of two parts - a top and a bottom. The top has a wooden handle, the bottom is inserted into the hole of the anvil. It is used to give the workpiece a round, square or polyhedral shape and simplifies the drawing process.

Ironing board used for smoothing workpieces after forging. The working part is polished. Has a wooden handle.

In addition to the basic blacksmith tools described above, there are many auxiliary devices - various mandrels, tips, bits, etc., made depending on the needs of the blacksmith (Fig. 8). To avoid injuries, it is recommended to make wooden handles of blacksmith tools from high-quality wood - walnut, hornbeam, white acacia. To finalize the product and decorate it, the blacksmith must have a wide range of tools for corrugating, graining, and all kinds of embossing (Fig. 9).

Forge is a device used to heat workpieces. There are many of its designs. For artistic forging, it is best to use open-type forges. They are simple in design and allow you to heat workpieces of any length and shape. Fuel for the furnace - coke, charcoal, anthracite.

The highest quality fuel is charcoal. However, the high consumption when used for the forge and difficulties with acquisition hinder its use. In furnaces of modern designs, it is advisable to use foundry coke, which is not inferior in quality to charcoal, and in some cases exceeds it. The design of a traditional forge used by blacksmiths is shown in Figure 10. Its basis is a table with a hearth and a place for heated workpieces. Table size 1 X 1.5-1.5 X 2 m, the height is arbitrary depending on the height of the blacksmith. It is made from wooden logs or stone. The inside is filled with stone, sand, clay, burnt earth and compacted well. To make a table, you can use brick, concrete, and welded metal structures.

The hearth, or hearth, where the fuel is burned, is lined with refractory bricks or made entirely of fireclay clay. The size of the fireplace in plan is arbitrary and depends on the size of the heated workpieces, but not more than 40 X 40 cm, 10-15 cm deep.

For the nozzle, cast iron bushings or sections of cast iron pipes insulated with fireclay are used.

Air is supplied to the forge using bellows or electric centrifugal fans. It is not advisable to use fur for blowing, since it is a labor-intensive and low-productivity process. To collect and remove smoke and gases, an umbrella made of sheet steel 1-1.5 mm thick is installed above the forge. Typically, the dimensions of the catching part of the umbrella correspond to the dimensions of the table. The cross-section of the smoke channel must be at least 20 X 20 cm. The height of the umbrella depends on the volume of fuel burned, the blowing force and the height of the exhaust pipe. It is selected empirically. However, it is not recommended to raise the umbrella higher than 80 cm above the table level.

The design of a modern stationary forge is shown in Figure 11. A cast iron plate (table) with a hole in the center is mounted on a welded metal structure, into which a removable cast iron forge is inserted, which has a flange connection for connecting an air duct, a bottom cover for removing ash from the ash pan and a place for installation of replaceable grates. The air duct is equipped with a damper to regulate the air supply. Depending on the need to obtain a flame of a certain configuration, grates with holes of various shapes are used. Grate bars with evenly spaced holes produce a wide torch flame that evenly heats the workpiece. For local heating, grates with slot-shaped holes are used.

However, it should be noted that in traditionally designed forges the presence of a rear wall does not make it possible to heat long workpieces, and in modern stationary forges the dimensions of the forge socket do not always allow heating a workpiece of complex shape. The forge shown in Figure 12 does not have these disadvantages. The advantage of its design is the absence of cast factory cast iron parts and ease of manufacture. The supporting frame is welded from a steel angle, the table is made of sheet steel 3-5 mm thick. A hole measuring 30 x 30 cm is cut out in the center of the table, into which an ash pan in the shape of a truncated cone with a bottom cover and a flange for connecting the air duct is welded. The table is lined with refractory bricks, and a hearth board (grid bars) is placed on the ash pit, which can be made from sheet steel 8-10 mm thick. The incoming air cools the board, which protects it from burnout. Over time, due to the temperature difference between the upper and lower surfaces of the hearth board, it warps. However, this defect is easily eliminated by leveling it on an anvil.

The ash chamber and hearth board can also be round in shape. In this case, the grate is made from a steel strip 6-10 mm thick and 30-50 mm wide, which is twisted into a spiral. The gap between the turns should be approximately equal to the thickness of the strip, and the diameter of the grate should be the required dimensions (Fig. 13). The fuel in such a forge is located in one plane. Therefore, the dimensions of the working area (combustion area) can be adjusted within wide limits. The area is limited from the sides by fire-resistant bricks, which are fixed with a cast-iron or steel frame. To obtain flames of various configurations, cast iron caps with holes of various shapes are used, as in the previously described grates. Due to the fact that this forge design does not have a forge socket, there must always be fuel between the hearth and the workpiece. If the incoming oxygen in the air does not have time to burn out in the coal layer, this leads to the formation of a large amount of scale, burnout of the metal, and deterioration of its plastic and physical properties.

The efficiency of open forges is low - 2-5%. Therefore, in some cases, closed furnaces are built or so-called stoves are used (Fig. 14). The stove is a series of refractory bricks that limit the combustion zone (Fig. 15). Windows are left at the front and back for loading workpieces. They are also covered with brick on top. If the dimensions of the stove are larger than the dimensions of the brick, then a metal sheet can be used as a ceiling. When burning coal, due to the process of slag formation, a layer of sintered coal is formed above the combustion site. This property of coal is used by blacksmiths. Under such a natural cover, parts heat up faster and oxidize less.

In addition to stationary forge designs, portable ones are widespread. Small size, the ability to transport, and the relative ease of manufacturing are their undoubted advantages for use in a home workshop. However, it should be taken into account that a portable forge is not designed for heating large workpieces, but it is quite sufficient for the manufacture of tools and small forged products. The design of a portable forge is the same as a modern one with a cast iron hearth or hearth board, only smaller in size (Fig. 16). Air is supplied from a fan rotated by a foot pedal.

There are designs with manual fan drive through a multi-stage gearbox. If the forge will be used in a workshop, it is recommended to also use an electric fan, and if the need to heat the metal arises from time to time, then the simplest heating structures can be used to make building brackets, hinges, etc. (Fig. 17) . For example, a piece of steel pipe of the required diameter with a welded bottom or a metal bucket is lined with refractory bricks and coated with fireclay (fireproof) clay so that the recess has the shape of a cone. At the level of the top of the cone, a piece of cast iron pipe (tuyere) is built in, to which the vacuum cleaner pipe is connected. Instead, you can use a blowtorch, then the diameter of the tuyere should be slightly larger than the diameter of the blowtorch nozzle. A piece of cast iron pipe is placed at the same level as the blowtorch. This design can be improved by using cast iron corner pipes for blowtorches (Fig. 18). To increase the power of a forge made of brick, it is recommended to use two blowtorches (Fig. 19).

In the home workshop, a chair vice is also used - a clamping forging tool designed for clamping cold and hot workpieces, as well as holding devices when performing various forging operations. In addition to the vice, clamping tools include all kinds of wrenches, keys, etc., used for twisting, curling and other operations (Fig. 20). In addition to the sledgehammer, the home workshop may also have other impact tools - various devices that replace the blacksmith's assistant - the hammer (Fig. 21). Foreign sources provide designs for foot-driven hammers (Fig. 22).

In the absence of a hammer, i.e. when working “with one hand,” it becomes necessary to somehow hold the workpiece. Holding pliers with a workpiece in one hand and a striking tool in the other, the blacksmith is unable to hold the backing tool. In such cases, a rope loop is sometimes used, which is used to clamp the workpiece on the anvil using a pedal made from a board (Fig. 23). If the dimensions of the anvil mirror allow, an eccentric clamp can be used to fix the workpiece, which allows the blacksmith to free his hands and perform other necessary operations (Fig. 24).

If there is a need to manufacture identical elements (curls, meanders, etc.), use a steel bending plate with holes into which rods are inserted according to a given pattern and the heated workpiece is bent around them (Fig. 25). The slab is placed in a frame made of steel angles, which is preferably mounted on a rigid base or placed on an anvil, fixing it in a square hole.

In a forge, it is desirable to have a forge mold, which is a massive slab with holes and streams. The heated workpiece is placed on the appropriate place on the plate and given the required shape with hammer blows (Fig. 26).

Testing and measuring instruments used in blacksmithing are divided into universal, special and templates.

Universal tools include rulers, tape measures, and calipers. To control perpendicularity, use squares with an angle of 90°. Using a caliper, measure the external and internal dimensions of the workpieces.

Special tools and devices for measuring forgings during the forging process include forging calipers and bore gauges. Forging calipers are used to measure the lengths and diameters of forgings, a bore gauge is used to determine the internal size (Fig. 27). In addition to the above tools, various templates are used in artistic forging to control the overall length, as well as the main dimensions and shape of the workpiece.

Shaped templates distinguish between contour and profile. In addition to them, shrinkage templates are also used to measure the linear dimensions of workpieces, taking into account the shrinkage of the metal after cooling.

In a blacksmith's workshop, it is also desirable to have tools and equipment that significantly facilitate the work and make it possible to use new techniques for the artistic processing of metals. These include an electric welding machine, a drilling machine, an electric flexible shaft with a set of interchangeable heads, lever shears, etc.