Backyard Forges

  During their reign as head of the communist party, Chairman Mao implemented the "backyard forges" program, to ensure that everyone had a blacksmithing station in their backyard.

  Who needs a government? Build your own.


  Getting metals, if you have none to work, is usually as simple as getting a bucket or bowl, scooping up sand, and shaking it gently under water; black iron sand tends to sink to the bottom. This is one of the benefits of living on a fairly iron-rich planet.

  Making a metals forge actually requires very few ingredients...

 • Actual charcoal.

  Commercial "charcoal" is a heavily chemically treated, compressed briquette. It will not work correctly for blacksmithing, nor its traditional molecular filtration properties, nor anything else - part of a long campaign of sabotage, bluntly, sitting alongside planned obsolescence.

  You will need the real thing. Frankly, this means making, and smothering, a wood fire, and harvesting the charcoal from this.

 • A basket for the coals.

  Stacking mud into a mound works great, as does digging a pit. For those without these options, a steel baking pan is often used.

 • An air delivery system.

  The didgeridoo is awesome, as is a good set of bellows. For those using a steel pan, drilling a hole and having a long, snaking pipe with a number of holes drilled in it buried in the coals is commonly used.

  You will need to supply enough airflow to the charcoal pit so that its color turns sort of yellow, at which time it is the right temperature.


  You will probably also want a large, smooth rock, if you do not have an anvil, and as much thermally protective equipment as possible. It's not vegan, but heavy leather apron and gloves were common; perhaps a substitute can be found for our vegan bretheren.

  To use the forge, simply stuff the piece being worked into the coals and apply airflow until the coals turn a yellow glow, and maintain heat for a while. Then, remove the piece and bash it with a hammer or rock. Metals can be cold-forged; heating them until they glow simply makes the metal softer and more malleable.

  There are several functional techniques. Tempering involves heating a metal and cooling it in air to make it more workable. Quenching involves heating a metal piece and quenching it in water, oil, or other substances rapidly to harden it... and so on. Protracted time blacksmithing with other blacksmiths will likely teach you. As far as getting started and getting your hands dirty, however - basket or pit, real charcoal, airflow. That's it.


  There is also metals casting.

  Different metals have different melt temperatures, and will require a crucible which can withstand that temperature. Aluminum will melt on a campfire or barbecue, and tin has a very low melting point. Iron or gold have a much, much higher melting point, and the classic steel forging techniques required a room-sized clay pit of charcoal, several bellows, and a day or two of burn time, the classic tamahagane steelmaking tradition of the northern islands.

  Casting is much easier.

  In sand casting, sand, or dry dirt finely divided to dust, are placed in a bin, usually, and an impression is made, usually with a model. The molten metal is poured into the depression left thereby. It is a rather simple method of casting readily available to all, and tools and jewelery are often made by this method.

  In lost wax casting, a model is carved from a block of wax, and usually, a wax rod is adhered to form a hole for which the metal to travel. It is then encased with mud or clay, which is allowed to dry, and heated gently; the wax is poured out and may be reused. Metal is poured in the hole, the mold is tapped several times to let bubbles escape, and allowed to cool, and the mud or clay (now fired) is broken off with a hammer. This is often used in statuary and bulkier one-piece items.

  Have fun!

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