Short description
Blacksmithing is one of the traditional ???lost arts??? deserving re-discovery by anyone interested in do-it-yourself building and crafting.
Charles McRaven discovered blacksmithing when he moved ???back to the land??? in the 1970s and shares his knowledge in The Blacksmith??'s Craft. Creating one??'s own tools and instruments from metal enhances woodworking, stonework, building, and restoration work. In his readable and humorous style, McRaven tells readers all they need to know to begin blacksmithing.
Simple and clear instructions, supplemented by step-by-step photography, show how to build a forge, how to make and/or acquire tools, and how to use those tools to create items of lasting beauty and durability.
This book belongs in the reference library of everyone interested in traditional American building crafts and culture, as well as those practical folks who want to make and repair their own metal tools, household items, hardware, or farm equipment.
Long description
Blacksmithing is one of the traditional "lost arts" deserving re-discovery by anyone interested in do-it-yourself building and crafting. Creating one's own apparatus from metal enhances wood-working, stonework, building, and restoration work. Traditional builder and historic preservation consultant Charles McRaven shows how practical, simple, and rewarding the forging of hand tools can be. Having discovered blacksmithing himself when he moved "back to the land" in the 1970s, Charles McRaven tells readers all they need to know to set up their own smithies and begin blacksmithing. Over the years, McRaven claims he has made almost every mistake that can be made while perfecting his skills, and he shares this hard-won knowledge with readers in a readable and humorous style. The simple and clear instructions supplemented by the step-by- step photography, show how to build a forge, how to make and/or acquire tools, and how to use those tools to create utilitarian items of lasting beauty and durability.