Birksy Posted April 28, 2017 Share Posted April 28, 2017 In my Careers 1 class as a semester test I have to pick a career and do research on it and I have to use certain sources that my teacher has checked as OK. Since blacksmithing is not a common career none of the sites have any real information on them so she said I could ask and fin out info. on here. So I have a few questions to ask. And before anything else I thank you for spending your time reading this! What does the workplace look like, what are the working conditions and typical hours? What skills are needed for the occupation, what will you need to be able to do? Is there any specific education/training needed, if so how many years and what type of program/degree do you need, and licences or certification information if applicable? What are some rewards and sacrifices, at least 3 of each, and reasoning behind why you think so. What is the job outlook and trends, what is the prediction of how many job openings there will be in the future? What are at least 3 related occupations to the career you researched and give brief description of each? Some of these questions may be obvious to answer but I am also required to use 3 different sources. Any help is greatly appreciated! Clicked submit twice sorry lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Martin Posted April 28, 2017 Share Posted April 28, 2017 (edited) My suggestion is to contact your local ABANA(Artist Blacksmith Association of North America) affiliate and attend one of the meetings, you will learn more in 15 minutes there than an hour here. That said, Most blacksmiths don't do this as a living anymore, although there are a few who do. 3 related modern occupations are farrier, welder, and maybe machinist. I'm sure those more knowledgeable than me shall chime in soon Is it too late to change topics to something easy, like welder? Edited April 28, 2017 by Andrew Martin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Sells Posted April 28, 2017 Share Posted April 28, 2017 Some of your questions can not be answered with out a location, Licensing is not a problem where I live, but other places is very tightly controlled. pay scales as well as demand are locally influenced also Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birksy Posted April 28, 2017 Author Share Posted April 28, 2017 Thank you both and I live in Iowa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted April 28, 2017 Share Posted April 28, 2017 What does the workplace look like, what are the working conditions and typical hours? Google "blacksmith shop" then click images. Working conditions. Everything is hot, heavy, sharp, or dangerous. It is up to the individual to work safely in their shop. Many blacksmiths, even small time blacksmiths, may have large industrial type equipment that is many years old, such as power hammers, presses, lathes, etc. These require additional safety measures. Your questions are too broad to have short answers. As mentioned earlier, find a blacksmith group or organization in near you and go to the meetings. You will learn more in a short period of time than you can ever imagine. Just by talking to the blacksmiths, you can get 3 different sources that are more knowledgable than anything you can find in a book. They ARE blacksmiths. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted April 28, 2017 Share Posted April 28, 2017 So are we talking about an artist blacksmith like Albert Paley? An industrial blacksmith working for a major factory like Scot Forge? A small scale ornamental blacksmith doing gates and railings? I suggest you research the first two mentioned and see if there is one of the third near you. Also some knifemakers are blacksmiths and are self employed. Careers are often more fractal than people on the outside see them. Like I have worked for Bell Labs, National Radio Astronomy Observatory and a major computer company; all as a software engineer, quite different jobs and situations, (At Bell Labs I once spent 89 days in Germany on a business trip. At NRAO I had to get a cardiac stress test so I could visit the antennas at an altitude of 16400 feet down(UP!) in the Andes...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birksy Posted April 28, 2017 Author Share Posted April 28, 2017 Thank you everyone this has helped me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Ling Posted May 3, 2017 Share Posted May 3, 2017 On 4/28/2017 at 9:19 AM, Birksy said: What are some rewards and sacrifices, at least 3 of each, and reasoning behind why you think so. I don't do this full time, but I think someone who doesn't can answer this question, though when its a business, things change, along with how you view the craft. Now, I have made money in the craft, don't get me wrong, but with school, I cant really do it full time, but I try! Rewards- I think it [blacksmithing] really can test you. The ones who are determined, and persevere are the ones who make it, in blacksmithing, and in the "real world". It isn't something that you can master in a day, week, year, or life time. the "master smiths" are great, but they cant do everything, which is understandable. some one who has "mastered" something, just doesn't realize there mistakes and blemishes. anyways, back to the question. It shows you the value of hard work and also the value of hand made items. going kinda back to what I said first, blacksmithing is all about learning, and willing to, and putting in the extra hours. You have to have a passion for this craft. Blacksmithing isn't all about making stuff. again though, this is part from experience, but ill keep puttin it out here that I'm not full time. You have to be able to market your stuff, and get your name out. you can be making masterpieces in your garage, but if no one knows that you are, do you think someone is going to come up to you and ask you to forge them a 60 stair railing, for a high end customer? no! like Alec Steele, he is an impressive young Brit who without his YouTube channel would be no different than the next guy and people wouldn't be talking about him left and right. like lots of the really successful shops it is the second or third generation operating them, and so they all ready have their name out, and have a network of clients, so they don't have to have as much marketing, as more people come looking for them 'cause there better known. Not sure were I was going with this, just kind started typin....hope it helps some.. Littleblacksmith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rashelle Posted May 3, 2017 Share Posted May 3, 2017 That's what it looks like for me. Skills needed: think on my feet, fix things, improvise. Use equipment a plus but my start was in historic 1845 blacksmithing so not totally necessary. Major skill for me is teach effectively and use humor to engage audience and students. Time spent training: I went full time at the 4 year mark of hobby blacksmithing. In that 4 years I spent most of my off time learning. This month makes 2 years as sole occupation blacksmith. My hours are I show up 1-4 hours early and stay 1 hour or so after. In order to balance what I want to do vrs what I have to do I spend at least one day off a week working on my own projects. Most of my off time is spent learning. It is rare otherwise to work on what I want to work on, I have to work on what my students need, or maintenance, or occasionally skill building (which I enjoy anyways). 3 related occupations: general blacksmith, bladesmith, farrier. Welder, fabricator, machinest. Additional photos, large images. https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipOBn12a-H40vIyrH91LUbtfo1D8v6kcZQS9St3UkmAfL8CQ2zN2t3s4WPTbvRHXLA/photo/AF1QipNHg8GVbTWQr0KHb5TPi00rAtAgCYw02slKJ0p4?key=Uk9wSFpTaUNaWFh5NW9lMnRTTFpDbnlxdjZ5ck53 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birksy Posted May 3, 2017 Author Share Posted May 3, 2017 Thank you everyone who has replied it has all helped alot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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