THE FORGE

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If we're not sure if a metal is ferrous, a magnet will solve the puzzle. If the grainy texture of a break in iron doesn't distinguish it enough from steel, I hit it with a hammer. Steel rings: iron clunks.

Granted, wood is intuitively more inviting than cold metal. But you work metal the same as you work wood, whether you're building a wooden storage crate or a sheet-metal evaporating tray.

ESSENTIAL TOOLS

In our first smithing adventures we bought a small and finely machined vise, a fine-toothed flat metal file, a little 1/4" steel-cutting chisel and a matching pointed pick-punch. The next shop extras were a high-speed electric bench grinder with both a coarse- and fine-grinding wheel, plus the capacity to accept buffing wheels and grinding discs. If you intend to do any serious metalwork, you will also need a heavy workbench to hold your grinder and vice. Don't invest in anything fancy, as it will be burned by hot metal repeatedly. We have built several and found that native oak, bought aged but rough-cut from a local sawmill is best, Make the top of your bench from planks at least two inches thick, and two times that is better (if you have plenty of help to lift and carry the wood).

You can save trips to the hardware store by getting a few items at once: a set of chisels, a set of metal-cutting files, a set of punches (pointed, indent-end nailset type and flat-tips) and the largest vise and grinder you can afford. You can save half by ordering a China-made vise from a discount tools catalog, but be sure the vise has an ample flat anvil surface in back and that the anvil is located on top of the bolts that hold the vise to the bench rather than extending back (where it will wobble). Common vises have tempered lawns but the attached anvils are made of an untreated steel that is sufficient for occasional gentle flat forging although its easily dented. Look into a Wilton or other premium U.S. brand to get a tempered vise surface that won't dent of scar when hit by tempered tools suds as a hammer brad, pick or punch. For serious hammer-and-anvil forging, get a real anvil - one made of properly treated steel, not cast iron. As noted below, you can make or buy one.

THE SPARK TEST

Apply a piece of metal to the grinding wheel and look for the sparks. If there are...

None: a nonferrous metal, clean metal will spark silvery-white if aluminum, yellow if brass, red-gold if copper, silvery-gray if lead. Very few sparks at the end of four-to six-inch-long streamers in a light straw-yellow color: wrought iron.
Just a few light straw-yellow colored sparks; some close to wheel with thick streamers; metal often softens and malforms wheel face: mild steel.

Many white sparks with long streamers:
tool steel (in tools and hardened fasteners).
A shower of white sparks close to wheel: high-carbon steel (in edged tools). Sparks and streamers showing a chrome-yellow color three inches or so from the wheel: high-speed steel (high-speed drill bits). A shower of white sparks that seem to pop to life a few inches from the wheel: manganese steel (used in machine parts feeding to resist wear).

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