The following is from Audel's Millrights and Mechanics Guide, 1940,Theo Audel, & Co., Publishers, 49 W. 23rd St., New York
By definition, a blacksmith is a smith who works in or welds wrought iron, as by beating upon an anvil, and makes or shapes small utensils or parts of machines, shoes horses, eyc., one who forges or welds iron on an anvil.
Formerly a blacksmith was a smith who worked in black metal or iron, as distinguished from a white smith, who worked on white metal or tin.
Blacksmith's Tools
The sections on metal worked by the blacksmith are few and simple. The sections of iron and steel dealt with by the smith are either round, square or a rectangular bar; hence no complicated tools are necessary. The only cutting tools used by the blacksmith are those actually employed to sever the forging from the stock or to remove extraneous metal, the chief art of smithing consisting in reducing the sectional bar to the desired form of drawing it out.
Tongs of various shapes are used to hold the iron bars which are being operated upon. The anvil and its attachments are important tools which are used in nearly operations.
Tongs
Next to the anvil and hanimer in importance are,. the tongs, of which there is a great variety. Tongs are used for holding metal that is at too high a temperature to be held in the bare hands; for placing iron in and removing it from the fire, and work of a similar character. As the hand should be free to manipulate and turn the metal, the tongs are held in position by a link driven on over the handles. The elasticity of the handles serves to hold the work securely.They are usually light and have long handles so that objects on may be reached without stooping.
Fig. 9,871 represents the simplest form of tongs. These are known as flat tongs from the shape of the jaws. They are used for holding flat pieces of metal, and vary in size according to the work in hand.
Figs. 9,872 and 9,873 show single and double pick up tongs. These are used for picking up hot pieces of metal that may have fallen upon the floor.
FIGS. 9,883 to 9,885-Various tongs 4. Fig. 9,893 modified pincer; fig. 9,884, box; fig. single goose neck.
Round bit tongs are illustrated in fig. 9,871. The jaws are suited for holding cylindrical objects. made of great strength and weight and heavy shafts and-axles. In such, the jaws have a square piece can thus be held more securely by gripping on the than when it is seized on the flat surface.
The face of a good anvil is of hardened and tempered steel. The blacksmith is very particular about its condition. Care must be exercised to prevent cutting into the face of the anvil or marring it with the edge of the sledge or hammer.
The edges of the anvil should not be chipped from careless operations.
The rounded corner provides a working surface of very short radius.
The hardy hole is a square opening in the face of the anvil at the heel end, into which the tangs of the anvil tools fit.
The punch or slug hole is used in punching to provide a space through which the slugs may pass.
The cutting block, which is not hardened, is used for placing stock to be cut with a chisel.
The horn or beak serves as a mould for bending curved portions of the work. The horn should be well dressed, smooth and drawn to a small round point.
The heel presents a flat working surface, and its corners and edges should be comparatively sharp.
The body should be amply large to quickly absorb the heaviest blows.
The feet (four in number) serve to increase the base upon which the anvil rests as well as to afford the means for clamping it down into position.
The anvil should be placed upon the end of the heavy block of wood sunk into the ground to a depth of at least two feet, so that it may rest upon a firm but elastic foundation. As the anvil is subjected to constant vibrations, by nature of the work, it is necessary that it should be firmly fastened to the block. In doing this, avoid spiking, as the spikes will soon work loose and the block be spoiled. A very convenient and reliable method of holding the anvil is shown in fig. 9,896. There are two iron
rods about 3/8 in. in diameter passing over the feet of the anvil and running through a 1 in. round or square bar extending through the block. Nuts on these rods make it possible to draw them very tight and thus hold the anvil firmly.
Anvil Tools
Under this heading is included all the, tools provided with a tang, so that they may be held in the hardy hole of the anvil as distinguished from the tools erroneously called "anvil tools," held in the smith's hand and used in combination with the anvil tools; they are properly called hand forming tools. The anvil tools ordinarily used for general work, and which should always be included in any blacksmith's shop equipment are
These are ilIustrated in figs. 9,897 to 9,903.
Hardies
These are bottom cutting chisels used to cut off lengths from ban, or crop ends from forgings. They are called cold or hot according as they are shaped and tempered for cutting cold or hot iron, being shown in figs. A and B respectively.
Bending Fork
This tool is made with square, flat or round fingers, as shown in fig. C, and is used extensively in a variety of bending operations.
Bottom Fuller
This tool as shown in fig. D is simply an inverted wedge with a blunt nose or working edge. It is used for spreading or notching the work.
Bottom Swage
The most common form of swage, as shown in fig. E, has a concave face and is accordingly used to smooth off a round bar. It is also used for drawing metal down to a required diameter.
Cutting Block
A flat plate of mild steel as shown in fig. F to be used for cutting operations, which because of the shape of the work, cannot be conveniently performed on the cutting face of the anvil.
Punching Block
A block similar to the cutting block, but provided be with a series of holes of various sizes as shown in fig. G. The holes provide a space through which slugs punched from the work may pass.
It should be understood that in addition to the standard anvil tools just' described, there are numerous special tools occasionally used.
Figs. 9,904 to 9,9W.-Heller anvil tools. Fig. 9,904. farrier's straight hardie; fig. 9,905. farrier's half round hardle; fig. 9,906 blacksmith's straight hardie.
Hand Forniing Tools
These are virtually counterparts of the anvil tools. and are used in combination with the anvil tools. The author calls them hand forming tools because they are Drovided with a handle so that they may be held by the srnith's hand in forining or shaping the work, the corresponding, anvil tool used at the same time being held by the anvil by inserting the tang into the hardy hole of the anvil. The hand forming tools ordinarily used are
