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This
treadle hammer was built from the plans designed by Clay Spencer of Madison,
Alabama. It has a 65 lb. hammer connected by a adjustable link to the treadle.
Three large springs suspend the hammer. Its anvil is made of a 36" X 6" X 6"
piece of steel. There are hardie holes in both the hammer and the anvil
to hold many different kinds of tools. The treadle hammer has many uses
to a smith as many operations require three hands. |
| Almost
all blacksmithing is done with iron and steel. None of the other common
metals can be forged after heating in the same way. Modern iron is produced
from large furnaces which melt iron ore. What first comes from these blast
furnaces is called pig iron. Wrought iron is produced by refining and rolling
hot pig iron to reduce the carbon and to remove most of the impurities.
It is the most tough and malleable form of iron. It also has a greater
resistance to corrosion than most other types of iron. |
| Unfortunately,
wrought iron has not been produced since around 1911. It has been replaced
by mild steel, which is iron with a small amount of carbon in it. For structural
work and general machining, this is a better material. It is not however,
as satisfactory for blacksmithing. It forges harder than wrought iron and
is much more difficult to fire weld. Because it is possible to reuse the
same iron many times, today's smiths might find it worthwhile to collect
discarded iron for further use. |
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