Tim McCoy Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 As I have learned more and begun to spend more of my time at the forge I noticed that I have begun to develop a ritual. First I gather my kindling and some small wood blocks to start my fire. Lighting the kindling is done with an old BIC lighter. I sweep the rough floor of my little smithy and then gather the metal for the project I will tackle. I put on my apron and consider the moves I will probably make during the forging process and try to make sure my space is "large" enough to work in . . . nothing that is not needed can be in the way. Choose the hammer(s) and other tools that I will need and set them close by. I work without a vent/smoke stack (it'll be there one day) so I watch that the fire grows slowly and is not throwing too much smoke before it gets the charcoal going. Slack tubs uncovered, extra fuel is nearby, ready, set, go . . . I wonder, do some of you have ritual that you have developed or gown into and how much has it changed as your knowledge has grown? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beth Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 yes tim i do have a ritual but it is far less considered than you ( showing my limited experience no doubt) i simply dig out my coke with my hands, put it through the sieve outside my door with the cows watching me, light the coke with propane ( terribely lazy i know, but my excuse is that my whole house runs on wood fires, which i attend to continually, even to cook, and quite frankly i cant be bothered with maintaining ANOTHER pile of dry kindling and paper!..) then i turn on my fan, and wander off to the boys over across the yard for a cup of tea while it gets hot. i think ritual in all parts of life is good, and it makes sense of your day and what youre there to do. it is a meditation :) this is not the same as routine though.... which is horrible :ph34r: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iron woodrow Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 where i live is infested by large "march flies" like blowflies, but about half an inch long and they draw blood with a sting like a hot poker. in a 5 minute sitting you could whack at least 50. even a full armed WHACK! only stuns them, and the get up and sting you again in about 5 minutes time, added to the extra lot for that 5 minutes... i am not a buddhist, and i offer them to the god of the forge fire, in a special ritual. it helps the fire to remain clinker free.... and it works...!!!!!?!?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marksnagel Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 Since my forge was outside under the oak tree for the last two years and everything had to be brought from the shed, I used to have a ritual. Now that my smithy is finished and I am inside out of the weather I need to start a new ritual. When I figure it out, I'll let you know. But I do know that if I get waylayed or sidetracked in what used to be my ritual something would be forgotten. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willis Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 The first thing I do is take a look around and make sure all my tools are in their correct places. I have small bench anvils in three different areas in my shop. I make sure their in place. I then clean the firepot, get my fire started with newspaper, lighter knot and charcoal. After the fire is going good I put on my left glove and wipe off the anvil. I then procede to heat N beat. After each project is completed I indulge myself in a glass of homemade hard apple cider. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 In general my ritual is to get a drink of water and go to the bathroom before lighting the forge as at demo's I expect to be tied to that forge the rest of the day when it's *hot*. (unless I have an assistant or can have a friend watch over it while I make a pit stop.) With a coal forge I like to have a starter project---one that's not complex to allow the fire to get just right before using it for a more complex project. with a propane forge I like to have two projects one the important project and the other one that can be worked on catch as catch can. So for example: a blade and tent stakes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ptree Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 My ritual: I open the doors and shutters. I turn on the radio. I light the forge to be used I make something. Then I make something else I continue making things till doen or tired. I shut down the forge. I sit in an old chair and think about the day, what went right, what went wrong, and think about how wonderful it was to be able to what I have just done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeddly Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 Thats wisdom right there! I always turn on the radio on my way to the forge. Light the forge, stretch a little, wipe off anvil, survey tooling, etc. Depending on which day of the week it is, I usually know what I want to make. If not, then I just sit and stare at the anvil for a while until something comes to mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Private Entrance Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 Haul the forge and the slake bucket outside. Then the hairdryer and the coal bucket. Next trip is the extension cord. Set the forge up, load it with coal and start it up. Fill the reserve box with coke from the box it sat in to dry. While that's getting started, haul out the anvil. Check the fire. Probably re-light it at least once. Once it looks like it's going again, go pour something to drink. Grab the apron and gloves (why is the left one so much more jacked up than the right?) on the way back to the forge. Check and make sure the path to the vice is relatively clear. Re-light the fire again. Get whatever it is I'm going to work on that day, and a tool I've probably forgotten at least once. At some point in the process, put a pinch in between the cheek and gums. Shoo the wife and kids away when they come to wonder upon my insanity. Bang on stuff for awhile. Hopefully make something that actually resembles what I intended it to be. Shut the forge down, and basically reverse the setting up process. Scoop out the remains of the fire and dump it in the slake bucket. Separate out the junk, toss the coke in the box to dry for the next forge day. Not much of a meditation, but certainly a long drawn out process. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 P.E. I used to have to haul the anvil and tools from down in the basement, up a rickety set of stairs and through the kitchen to get to the forge under the big tree in the back yard---rough neighborhood. I finally got a "rough set up" of anvil and postvise I could leave out back and not have it stolen, (and I had a working relationship with the scrappers that I would leave steel out for them to take and shoot anyone taking steel that was NOT in the designated area...) It's amazing how much more work you get done when you don't spend all your energy just setting up and taking down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 I've gotten in the habit of starting each forging session by making 3 nails, trying for consistant length and round (not L shaped) heads. Gets me warmed up, lets the charcoal that I start my coal fire with burn hollow so I can poke the coke/coal into the middle of the firepot and lets me find out if I've left any tripping hazards in pulling all the forging equipment out of the corner of the patio. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Private Entrance Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 P.E. I used to have to haul the anvil and tools from down in the basement, up a rickety set of stairs and through the kitchen to get to the forge under the big tree in the back yard---rough neighborhood. I finally got a "rough set up" of anvil and postvise I could leave out back and not have it stolen, (and I had a working relationship with the scrappers that I would leave steel out for them to take and shoot anyone taking steel that was NOT in the designated area...) It's amazing how much more work you get done when you don't spend all your energy just setting up and taking down. Agreed - I figure I spend about an hour between set-up and tear down. That's a big chunk of the 3-4 hours I might have to work on a given day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macbruce Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 yes tim i do have a ritual but it is far less considered than you ( showing my limited experience no doubt) i simply dig out my coke with my hands, put it through the sieve outside my door with the cows watching me, light the coke with propane ( terribely lazy i know, but my excuse is that my whole house runs on wood fires, which i attend to continually, even to cook, and quite frankly i cant be bothered with maintaining ANOTHER pile of dry kindling and paper!..) Consider this Beth.........If ya got wood fires already going take a shovel/pail of coals from the wood fires out to the smithy, toss em in the forge and off you go................................................. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beth Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 mac my friend - consider this - the forge is about 20 miles from my house... i get pulled over enough as it is without my truck being on fire..... ;) ps LOVE your "repousse you" as avatar :) its so cool :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John B Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 Would bring a whole new use for the ash tray in your vehicle Beth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beth Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 john - yeah and smoking is not cool anyway no? i could do that thing where you wrap a glowing ember in a rag or whatever and carry it faithfully to my forge.... really and honestly i get mighty tired of kindling paper ash bloody wood, all of it - so no, i use my propane, and it makes me feel great :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John B Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 Technophobe ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Turley Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 The following is hearsay, but I was told that a few bladesmiths in Japan start the morning by holding a small, room temp piece of iron on the anvil and double or triple striking it till it turns red. Then they light a rice straw bundle with the red hot piece, and that is placed in the forge to start the charcoal fire. Dorothy Stiegler told me years ago that she started a fire first thing in the morning and said hello to it, EVEN IF SHE WASN'T GOING TO USE IT! I don't think I have a personal ritual at the forge. Some days I go in and do cold work; no fire. If I need a fire, I straightforwardly get coal, top up the slack tub, get newspaper, get the matches, and start the fire. Some days are gray days and freezing cold. I go in the shop and am disoriented for a while. Some days are blistering hot, so I create siesta hours for myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ten Hammers Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 Frank, I do indeed share things in common with you. siesta time is good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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