Blacksmiths

Blacksmiths shape bars, rods and blocks of metal by heating and hammering to produce or repair metal articles.

What the job involves

• Selects metal stock for job requirements

• Heats metal in forges and furnaces and hammers, punches and cuts metal using hand tools and machine presses

• Tempers and hardens finished articles by quenching in oil or water baths or by cooling gradually in air

• Prepares electrolytic and silver solutions for electroforming and planting solution to the objects to be coated

• Sets and adjusts controls to regulate electric current and depositing of coating on objects

• Prepares horses hooves for shoeing, nails horseshoes to hooves and trims hooves

• Cuts, trims, shapes and smoothes stock to form mould patterns

• Fills boxes with sand and sets patterns in place and pours molten metal into moulds, applies refractory paint and positions cores in moulds

• Finishes metal and articles by polishing and buffing and applying shellac, lacquer, paint and other finishes