My little forge and its history

One of my hobbies is blacksmithing. Blacksmithing as a hobby is not so common in Germany although the craft hasn't died out as business at all. We have a lot of horses here in Germany because alot of people ride. So we still need some farriers. Hence some people here still like wrought iron and can afford really hand made pieces there are some artist blacksmiths too. And last not least there some blacksmiths in the medieval reenactement scene too.

Blacksmithing is just great!
I just like the feeling to bang onto hot iron and talk it into getting the shape I have in my mind. It's a really geat thing to hold a nice piece of ironwork in your hand, imagining that it used to be just an ordinary piece of flat or round iron a couple of hours ago.

My old shop with my daughter trying out wether forging might be fun

I started blacksmithing in 2007 when I built my first coal forge out of clay and used a piece of railroad rail as an avil. Last summer I bought myself a used 160 pounds anvil and seriously started blacksmithing. In the meantime I had built a little addition to the garden shed behind the house and now started making myself the most important tools for my forge and some other simple pieces of ironwork too.

Nice neighbours...

But my neighbours didnt like my new hobby at all. I had started my first experiments with charcoal but now was using stone coal which produced a lot of fumes especially when I was firing up the forge.

My shop in the garage

As one of my neighbours kept complaining about it, I build myself a propane gas forge which worked odourless. But now it was the sound of the burner that upset my neigbours. One saturday afternoon last august I had a nice happening behind the house with some neighbours and even the police.

My selfmade propane gas forge

Even the cops couldn't stop me at first because it was not really too loud and some noise from hobby activities must be put of with during daytime. They just took a couple of pictures and calmed the people promising they would pass the case to the Public Order Office.

Some selfmade anvil tools

… and nice authorities

Public Order Office obviously couldnt do anything against my activities because our constitution grants the right on free personal developement and this includes a certain amount of noise from hobby activities too. But the sods at the townhall found another way to get me by my balls: Although you can build small buildings without any license here, there is a prescript that limits the overall length of the buildings standing on or near the border of the estate. And we already had too many sheds and things there. So I had to be glad that they only banned my using the shed as a forge but not made me tear down some of the buildings standing on the border.

Still blacksmithing!

Hence I kept my mouth shut and moved to the garage with my forge. That really wasn't too bad because the rest of my shop already was there and I have a lot more room around my anvil now. So I have my whole shop under one roof and I am quite happy with this.

Wrought iron curtain rod

Although I first was a bit sceptical about using a gas forge because it isn't traditional, in the meantime I got convinced of the advantages of a propane forge: It doesn't tend to burn the iron like a coal forge does and it's much easier to heat up long bars in the middle as well a gas forge is much more simple to operate than a coal forge. The main problem is only that it is a bit expensive to operate: One sack of coal costs about the same as one filling of the propane tank but the coal lasts much longer.

A holder for a hanging basket

I also sometimes use my blacksmithing skills too when I have to hold courses in metal works and there is the possibility to do so. Some people in the courses really like it but some others dont. Some are obviously a bit afraid of the fire and the red hot iron. But also some women like forging: One time there was a lady in one of my courses who owned an old site caravan heated by a stove for wood an coal. She was very glad and proud when I showed her how to forge a nice firehook by herself.

An iron snake

Last fall I had to deputise for the instructor of a training workshop for workless. I had access to a lathe there and there were some excellent shielded arc welders among the lads there. So I had the opportunity to build myself a really great propane gas forge which I use now.

Some small pieces of ironwork

Blacksmithing is really a great thing and a wonderful hobby. It's very satisfying to shape the iron according to th picture you have in your mind. You get a lot of nice things like viking knifes, candleholders, curtain roads, sculptures and more for yourself or as nice gifts for your friends and relatives.