Modern Blacksmithing for Makers
Get the free Heat Color Checklist. A one-page ladder that pairs each glow with the move the metal is ready for, plus the setup walk-through to run before your first heat.
A safe heat to move or reposition a piece without changing much inside it.
The active shaping range. Soft enough to draw, bend, and upset.
Very reactive. Right for forge welding, risky for thin sections and burnout.
Shade the work and view it against a dark backdrop, like the anvil face.
Heavy scale, a grainy texture, or a flaking surface. Stop, cool it, clean it.
A stable pad, an anchored anvil, an extinguisher in sight, and a clear exhaust path.
The checklist covers your first heat. The book covers the rest: choosing a coal, gas, or electric forge for a small shop, hammer and tong technique with 30, 60, and 120 day drill plans, hardening and tempering, forge welding and scrolls, and a project path from hooks and hangers to finished pieces.
Read it on Amazon →Which forge suits your shop, how to size it, and the setup and safety each one needs.
What weight to buy, cast iron vs steel, checking a used one, and mounting it at the right height.
Normalize, harden, quench, and temper, with temperatures, temper colors, and fixes.
Clean, scarf, flux, read the weld heat, strike, then test it and fix what fails.
Grab the free one-page checklist, print it, and pin it up by the forge.
Send me the checklist →