Man. I have the want to do so many different projects and pursue so many different art forms. I want to do it all at once and since I can't, I don't do any of it.

So how guilty should I feel (spoiler I don’t) about the fact that the good looking middle aged lesbian at the metal store just gave me about an 70% discount on steel to play with at the blacksmith open studio?

Hey! Are there blacksmiths in your story? I'm a hobbyist blacksmith and I'm here to help!

Blacksmithing is one of those things that a lot of people get wrong because they don't realize it stuck around past the advent of the assembly line. Here's a list of some common misconceptions I see and what to do instead!

Not all blacksmiths are gigantic terrifying muscly guys with beards and deep voices. I am 5'8, skinny as a twig, have the muscle mass of wet bread, and exist on Tumblr. Anybody who is strong enough to pick up a hammer and understands fire safety can be a blacksmith.

You can make more than just swords with blacksmithing. Though swords are undeniably practical, they're not the only things that can be made. I've made candle holders, wall hooks, kebab skewers, fire pokers, and more. Look up things other people have made, it's really amazing what can be done.

"Red-hot" is actually not that hot by blacksmith terms. when heated up, the metal goes from black, to red, to orange, to yellow, to white. (for temperature reference, I got a second degree burn from picking up a piece of metal on black heat) The ideal color to work with the metal is yellow. White is not ideal at all, because the metal starts sparking and gets all weird and lumpy when it cools. (At no point in this process does the metal get even close to melting. It gets soft enough to work with, but I have never once seen metal become a liquid.)

Blacksmithing takes fucking forever. Not even taking into account starting the forge, selecting and preparing metal, etc. etc. it takes me around an hour to make one (1) fancy skewer. The metals blacksmiths work with heat up and cool down incredibly fast. When the forge is going good, it only takes like 20 seconds to get your metal hot enough to work with, but it takes about the same time for it to cool down, sometimes even less.

As long as you are careful, it is actually stupidly easy to not get hurt while blacksmithing. When I picked up this hobby I was like "okay, cool! I'm gonna make stuff, and I'm gonna end up in the hospital at some point!" Thus far, the latter has yet to occur. I've been doing this for nearly a year. I have earned myself a new scar from the aforementioned second degree burn, and one singe mark on my jeans. I don't even wear gloves half the time. Literally just eye protection, common sense, and fast reflexes and you'll probably be fine. (Accidents still happen of course, but I have found adequate safety weirdly easy to achieve with this hobby)

A forge is not a fire. The forge is the thing blacksmiths put their metal in to heat it up. It starts as a small fire, usually with newspaper or something else that's relatively small and burns easily, which we then put in the forge itself, which is sort of a fireplace-esque thing (there's a lot of different types of forge, look into it and try to figure out what sort of forge would make the most sense for the context you're writing about) and we cover it with coal, which then catches fire and heats up. The forge gets really hot, and sometimes really bright. Sometimes when I stare at the forge for too long it's like staring into the sun. The forge is also not a waterfall of lava, Steven Universe. It doesn't work like that, Steven Universe.

Welding and blacksmithing are not the same thing. They often go hand-in-hand, but you cannot connected two pieces of metal with traditional blacksmithing alone. There is something called forge welding, where you heat your metal, sprinkle borax (or the in-universe equivalent) on it to prevent the metal from oxidizing/being non-weldable, and hammer the pieces together very quickly. Forge welding also sends sparks flying everywhere, and if you're working in a small space with other blacksmiths, you usually want to announce that you're welding before you do, so that everyone in a five-foot radius can get out of that five-foot radius. You also cannot just stuck some random pebbles into the forge and get a decent piece of metal that you can actually make something with, Steven Universe. It doesn't work like that, Steven Universe.

Anvils are really fucking heavy. Nothing else to add here.

Making jewelry is not a blacksmithing thing unless you want jewelry made of steel. And it will be very ugly if you try. Blacksmithing wasn't invented to make small things.

If there's anything here I didn't mention, just ask and I'll do my best to answer.

Blacksmith, 2020 - by Maciek Przeklasa (1984), Polish

tinkaton’s smithy

打鐵花 (da2tie3hua1; struck iron fireworks) is a traditional folk firework that began in Henan and Shanxi, first arising in Queshan county, Henan and later circulating through the whole country. It had first appeared during the Northern Song dynasty, and was most popular during the Ming and Qing dynasties.

For Queshan struck iron fireworks, a two-layer pergola is built and covered with willow branches for performances, under which the molten iron is struck up with two willow sticks to create a rain of fire.

[eng by me + edited an ad out]

(On top of the information in the video, I have some more about its recent history under the cut.)

*Also, a note about one of the subtitles: I realized later that "going into battle without a shield" actually just meant going shirtless. I was only confused about this phrasing while translating because she didn't go shirtless, although that is for obvious reasons

Queshan struck iron fireworks had almost been lost before Yang Jianjun unearthed it again in 1988. It had almost died out in the early years of the Republic of China being established, after which there had only been three performances until 1988: 1952, 1956, 1962. Yang Jianjun had seen the 1956 performance as a 7-8 year old and later on as the director of a cultural centre, began digging up the skill and its history. In the process, he became an apprentice to Li Wanfa, who had been the last head of the Queshan Struck Iron Fireworks Society. He practised with sand and water, learning of its historical origin, its ancestral inheritors, craftsmanship and performance arts, but didn't touch the real thing until 1988. Through Yang Jianjun's efforts and investment, the first struck iron fireworks performance in more than 25 years took place in Nanshan Square (then a deserted area) in Queshan county.

Queshan struck iron fireworks are different from other struck iron fireworks in that it requires a wide area to perform, whereas others only needed a wall or could be hit straight up into the air, and it costs much more money to set up.

The names of inheritors are difficult to trace, and can only be traced back to the Qing dynasty during the Qianlong period, making Yang Jianjun a sixth-generation inheritor, and Jiang Xunqian (OP) the first woman and a seventh-generation inheritor.

so much extra infernal iron in act 3 and nothing to do with it so i was thinking karlach upgrade number 3 [THE INFERNAL STRAP]

banned from woodwork class

Yandere Imagine

Thinking about a Yandere dwarf boyfriend who works as a blacksmith with an elven reader

Yandere dwarf who doesn’t mind the height difference between you two. What he lacks in height, he makes up in mass. He’s stocky and strong, he can easily carry you wherever you need to go.

Yandere dwarf who often makes you various daggers from the forge. Each one carefully crafted to your preferences. Wouldn’t this help your journey way better than anyone else’s weapons?

Yandere dwarf then began to craft you jewelry and armor. He doesn’t like the thought of you wearing anything from another blacksmith… it makes him a bit jealous

Yandere dwarf who does his best to make sure you’re never injured on any quests. He’s willing to take most of the hits just to ensure your pretty skin is never scarred.

Yandere dwarf who knows his life span is insignificant compared to yours, but he wants to spend the rest of it with you. He doesn’t care that you’re an elf, he wants to be with you

Yandere dwarf who makes you a matching rings so when the time comes that he’s no longer at your side, you’ll always have a part of him.

Monthly maintenance 🤖 🔨

blacksmith

finally figured out mods. bg3 is a dress up game for me now.

forced myself to fill a page - april 2024 - pam wishbow

Angelic Steel: Chaggie

Charlie: Has anyone seen Vaggie?

Husk: I think she's out back in the shed.

Charlie: But... we don't have a shed.... (walks out back and sees a sizeable shed) WHEN DID WE GET A SHED?!?!

Husk: About a week ago when Vaggie had an epiphany to try a new hobby.

Charlie: Wait. Vaggie's trying a new hobby? AND SHE DIDN'T TELL ME?!?! (stomps over to the shed and rips open the doors, instantly getting blasted by heat that's hotter than Wrath itself) Vaggie!

Vaggie: (looks up from a forge, shirtless, blacksmith apron covering her front, and covered in sweat and some soot with her hair tied up in a messy bun) What's up, babe?

Charlie: (jaw drops as her eyes turn red and scour Vaggie's exposed skin) Wha...... *gulp* What... uh... what are you-?

Vaggie: (pulls a white hot rail of steel out of a handmade forge with a smile) I figured out how to make and forge angelic steel!

Charlie: (blushing as her tail sprouts and starts flicking back and forth like a cat) You're forged angelic steel~.....

Vaggie: Uh... Babe?

Charlie: I never realized how much I've wanted to make love to a sexy welder all my life~ (slides the shed door shut and starts prowling forward in demon mode)

Vaggie: (sweat drop) .....T-Technically... I'm a blacksmith.... SHIT!!! (drops the rod, cursing at herself when she hears the steel shatter, and runs for the backdoor of the shed)

Charlie: (gives chase) Where are you going, forge goddess?!~ I have a fire you can play with!~

Blacksmiths, 1926 - by August Sander (1876 – 1964), German

blacksmith // ragnarok online

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