Archie Zietman Posted November 27, 2006 Share Posted November 27, 2006 Hello. How useful is an assistant in the shop? I know that in a glass shop, an assistant is almost impossible to live without, if you want to do really nice work. How useful is a blacksmithing assistant? What kinds of things would you have them do (besides cleaning?) Thanks, Archie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blacksmith Jim Posted November 27, 2006 Share Posted November 27, 2006 Strikers. They swing heavy hammers over and over while the smith just positions the piece. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polarbearforge Posted November 27, 2006 Share Posted November 27, 2006 It depends on who it is. Sometimes having an assistant is more work than not having one. For me, in my shop, an assistant would just get in the way. Now I rarely blacksmith and focus pretty much on bladesmithing, so it will vary a lot from shop to shop. Jamie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swamp Fox Posted November 27, 2006 Share Posted November 27, 2006 An assistant is just that, assisting the blacksmith in all ways possible, including providing food and drink. They keep the work flowing, doing the little things that would otherwise detract the blacksmith from doing his job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6013 Posted November 27, 2006 Share Posted November 27, 2006 Find a fellow that wants to work only as hard as you do. The two of you will learn to work together much more easily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KjZitur Posted November 27, 2006 Share Posted November 27, 2006 My wife is my assistant (read apprentice/striker/in charge of the finnish and shipping department/secratary/gofor/personal motavational speaker/BOSS...just to name a few!!)...we work toghther 24/7....couldn't get along without her!!!...........ken Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce wilcock Posted November 27, 2006 Share Posted November 27, 2006 a striker is as good has you make them ,so its up to you ,and no one can help you there. if you arnt confident and consistant with your own work a helper cannot help you ,becouse he cannot anticipate your next move,more strikers and any failings on your part leave them unable to work and disjointed, so its team work that makes a good assistant ,let them into your way of thinking ,so they can read your mind ,and you will make strikers that are jems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valentin Posted November 27, 2006 Share Posted November 27, 2006 I remember the days when i used 2 work just with my father.And i am telling u having assistents was not a choise it was a must in order 2 be able 2 take some works that for just to people whoud take to long 2 finish it ! Having ...help is good most of the time but life was more fun without them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J W Bennett Posted November 28, 2006 Share Posted November 28, 2006 I often wished I had another set of hands. However over te years I have found ways to get around not having 2 sets of hands. I made some eyebolts for the covered bridge project in september out of 2" roundstock that came from the original bridge. I have to admit I was glad when a friend came down the driveway and offered to help. Thats the one and only time I've had a striker but he sure was handy. Don't reckon I will ever get to the point were I can afford one anyways. JWB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ten Hammers Posted November 29, 2006 Share Posted November 29, 2006 I must admit that good help is hard to find. Occasional help ( grinding or running the plasma ) is necessary here but I have only found 2 people ( one is a female friend of my youngest daughter and the other is son in law- husband of the other daughter ). The female help is a farm girl but is no longer available. Son in law is a welder but with 3 daughters of his own, it's tough for him to be available. Good help pays attention to you when you give instructions and asks questions when necessary. Good help is as picky as you are and will go the xtra mile to get the wanted results. I seldom need a striker but 3rd set of hands is mighty handy sometimes. The quest continues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shane Stegmeier Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 A third set of hands! You can work by yourself, but there are ways that a helper can really make your work better. Especially when you have someone that you have been working with for awhile, and they can anticipate what you are going to do next, and their skills compliment your strengths, as well as help make up for your weaknesses. If you have a good freind who is also interested in blacksmithing learn to work together. You should take turns taking the lead on projects, but it is easy for one person to take the lead, and the other person helps... (It is nice to make sure that your helper gets some cool stuff out of all of your combined work, making two sets of tools and stuff...) There are some types of tooling that it is very hard to use by yourself (without having to make more tooling...) traditional top and bottom fullers are hard to use by yourself, you can make your tools to be mounted in a spring or use a smithing magician. but that is more tooling to make or buy. Sometimes two sets of eyes can make a huge difference in judging square, and avoiding dangerous situations... Working with someone who is really there to help, really makes a huge difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shane Stegmeier Posted December 1, 2006 Share Posted December 1, 2006 Well I find that I forgot the two most common things that I need help with in the shop... One thing has been coming up a lot lately, I need someone else to hold the stock in a precise position on the anvil while I use a set hammer or a side set to neck the stock in a specific way, I tried rigging up a spring tool to do the same thing, but my quicky didn't do nearly as nice a job as I could have done if I had used a side set, and then a set hammer... A guilotine tool, or a nicely made spring fuller with dies would do the job, but I have to fight for the time to make tool as it is... Plus working with someone else is fun, there is a comraderie that develops, weither your team striking for someone, or driving a steam hammer while someone else is lead blacksmith and you have a third guy assisting... The other place that an assistant is really helpful is as a fire tender. Someone who manages your coal/coke fire, and juggles pieces in the fire while you are working on a piece at the hammer, or the anvil. It is easy to let your fire go just a little and have the center fall and pull your expensive tool steel down into the middle of the fire, or your being too careful and you get done with one piece and neither of the other two pieces is hot enough or hot in the right spot... I used to be pretty good at tending a fire, and getting the heat right where I wanted it, but to be honest I have been filling my gas forge for too many years, and I find that I am a bit out of practice when I do need to use a coal/coke fire ;-) The truth only hurt when you can't laugh at yourself,...;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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