Blacksmith

Overview

Blacksmiths shape bars, rods and blocks of metal by heating and hammering to produce or repair metal articles.

Day-to-day

• selects metal stock for job requirements
• heats metal in forges and furnaces and hammers, punches and cuts metal using hand tools and machine presses
• tempers and hardens finished articles by quenching in oil or water baths or by cooling gradually in air
• prepares electrolytic and silver solutions for electroforming and planting solution to the objects to be coated
• sets and adjusts controls to regulate electric current and depositing of coating on objects
• prepares horses hooves for shoeing, nails horseshoes to hooves and trims hooves
• cuts, trims, shapes and smoothes stock to form mould patterns
• fills boxes with sand and sets patterns in place and pours molten metal into moulds, applies refractory paint and positions cores in moulds
• finishes metal and articles by polishing and buffing and applying shellac, lacquer, paint and other finishes.

Considerations

• physically demanding.