by J.M. Drew St. Paul Publishing Company
1918
Assuming that the beginner has the tools mentioned on the
preceding pages, or at least the most necessary ones, (forge,
anvil, hammer, and tongs), let us start a fire. The first thing a
blacksmith should try to learn is how to manage his fire so as to
get the greatest heat just where he wants it, with the least
waste of fuel.
Start a fire by using pine shavings, or any material which would
make good kindling for a fire in a cook stove. After getting a
good blaze started, pack a little coal around, not upon, the
kindling, so that it will take fire slowly. Now begin to blow gently.
After having bad a fire in the forge there will always be coke
which may be used instead of coal in starting the fire; but for the
first time we are supposed to have only wood and blacksmith's
coal. Remember that coal should never be placed upon the fire,
but around it. After being near the fire for a short time it is
changed to coke by having all its sulphur and other impurities
burned out of it. By continually packing the coal about the fire
needs the most heat, and prevents the fire from spreading. It is often of advantage to wet the coal about the fire in
order to pack it harder and thus keep the fire confined to the middle.
Your fire will now present the appearance of a mound of coal with a center of burning coke, and more or less of an
opening in the middle through which the blast is coming. Experience will soon show how much blast should be given.
The stronger the blast the greater the heat up to the limit where the coke in the middle of the fire begins to be lifted
out of place. As a first lesson in blacksmithing, let us make a poker with which to manage our fire. Take a piece of half
inch round iron about two feet long. Heat one end to a white heat for a distance of about three inches, and bend in
the form of an eye (See Fig. 5.) Now heat the other end and flatten about four inches and bend as shown in the cut.
