The work of the blacksmith comprehends the different processes connected with the manufacture into useful and ornamental forms, of wrought-iron and steel while in a heated condition. A forge, an anvil, hammers, tongs, punches, cutting, and shaping tools are among the principal adjuncts he uses to carry on his craft. The forge, where the metal is heated, is an open fire supplied with a blast of air from a bellows, fan, or blower, to enable him to procure a high temperature readily. In close proximity to the fire, receptacles, containing coals and water respectively, should be placed. The anvil, on which the work is performed, is a suitably shaped block of wrought-iron faced with steel, and raised to a convenient height on the end of a short log of wood let into the floor. Forge hammers are of three kinds - hand, sledge, and steam - to suit different weights of work, each being of many forms. The tongs, punches, chisels, swedges, and shaping tools are of endless variety, and adapted for the special branches of the trade.

Among the primary difficulties the young blacksmith meets is the lighting of the fire, which, however, if properly gone about, is not so difficult as it seems. Wood shavings are very suitable for the purpose, and in most instances can be readily procured. When a workman leaves his forge at night, or long enough to necessitate the relighting of the fire, he should, in all cases, rake back the partially burnt coals, clear out all the dross and clinkers, removing the ashes so as to expose the mouth of the tuyere. This having been properly done, a large handful of shavings may be placed in the cavity, lit in several places, and allowed to burn slowly until well nigh reduced to ashes, when the partially burnt coal cinders may be cautiously placed on them and the air blast gently applied. More cinders may be added as the flames catch hold, the blast may be increased, and after a short time, fresh coals may be put on without danger. With proper attention to these instructions failure will be next to impossible, and there will be little trouble from the burst of smoke unavoidable in the ordinary method. The fire should be regularly replenished, and should have the clinkers and other impurities occasionally removed, so as to keep it as clear as possible. It is necessary to have the coals moist, to prevent undue waste, and at the same time, to help them to adhere or cake, so as to form a sort of covering or roof over the work while heating.

Iron forging is divided into three main branches - drawing-down, upsetting, and building-up or welding.

Drawing-down is the reduction of size by the use of the hammer on two adjacent sides alternately, in the case of square section, the iron being twisted with the left hand, after every stroke, through a quarter of a revolution. Exactness in the amount of turning ensures the section remaining rectangular. This is very difficult for a time, and must receive constant attention until it is mastered. An approximation of flatness is troublesome to obtain for a beginner, but with watchfulness this also may be secured.

Upsetting is the converse of the foregoing process, and is accomplished by striking on the end of the iron, so as to increase the size of section. The heat is applied only at the part to be upset, which may be at the end or elsewhere, and when sufficiently enlarged, the remaining processes necessary to complete the work would be performed.

Building-up or Welding is a much more difficult branch of the blacksmith's work than either of the foregoing, and can be done successfully only after much practice in the art. The temperature required is what is known as a white or welding heat, reached when the surfaces have begun to fuse, and it may be readily recognised by the semi-molten appearance of the iron, together with the discharge of small, vivid, white sparks. Sand must be employed as a flux to prevent oxidization, and to facilitate the ready removal of adhering impurities, contracted in the fire. The flux should be sparingly thrown by the hand on the parts to be welded while in the fire, after they have been observed to approach the proper heat. It is absolutely necessary that both pieces should be at a welding heat, and that no time be lost after removal from the fire, before they are brought into contact, and thoroughly welded together. A sharp stroke across the anvil with both pieces, immediately after removal from the fire, when the face of the scarf is in a vertical position, will discharge the slag from the joints, or if the pieces are too large to be so treated, it can be done by the aid of a wire brush. As the anvil is cold, the piece lying undermost will very soon lose its heat, particularly the point of the scarf. In order to minimise the effect of this, it is a common practice to allow the point to project for a short distance beyond the edge of the anvil, and as soon as the upper one has been attended to, the work would be inverted, and the other scarf welded up. For light work, the joints used are generally of the simple oblique scarfing variety, although several others are employed in particular cases. It is needless to say that bending enters largely into blacksmith work, as many of the beautiful effects obtained are almost entirely traceable to the grace of their curves. Much of this class of work is done by the use of the anvil horn and hammer alone, although occasionally additional means may be found advantageous. Punching is usually performed from both sides and finished on a steel faced bore of suitable size, through which the point of the punch passes, the hole in the first instance being made smaller than the size required, and afterwards enlarged by tapered punches. This produces a large hole without wasting the material. The processes performed by top and bottom swedges, and many other shaping tools, are too numerous and varied to be even entered upon here.

Hardening and Tempering of Steel - These are very important branches of blacksmith work, but are by no means so difficult as usually supposed. Hardening simply implies heating and rapid cooling in some cold liquid, generally water, while tempering is the cooling of the steel at a certain temperature. The latter is required so as to obtain different degrees of hardness, and may be performed either by heating in a bath of some molten metal which fuses at a known temperature, or by observation of the colours that appear on steel at different degrees of heat, ranging from 4200 to 6200 Fahr. The colours change from white to yellow, straw colour, purple, and blue, each indicating a certain degree of hardness, increasing regularly from blue to white. The method adopted will depend on the article under treatment; some