# Forum Home Renovation Metalwork & Welding  Forging

## Marc

I have seen many people work the forge and the hammer and I can tell when someone is proud of his work. 
Making a hammer or a flatter in this case, is not a particularly challenging job, but this one is done with such love for details that it is worth watching.
I hope you enjoy it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nq0m...6BC0sek9jTY7nQ

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## OBBob

Nice. I watched the blacksmiths at the 'Lost Trades Fair' last week for some time. I was wondering how many apprentices have just reached out to flip over some work forgetting how hot it is??  :Yikes2:

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## Marc

Burning yourself happens to all not only apprendices. Most common burn is picking up a puncher that looks cold but has just gone through hot steel. We had a tin of water under the pritchel hole for the punch to fall into

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## OBBob

Not to mention tripping hazards... it'd pretty much be an illegal trade under today's legislation!   :Biggrin:

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## goldie1

Fascinating.  Marc when you are working steel like that what is the flaky stuff that keeps coming 
of the surface

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## Marc

It is called mill scale, because it is found on hot rolled steel as a consequence of rolling the steel hot. It is basically rust but has a bit of magnetite so it protects the steel from further rusting. 
In the video, each time the billet is heated, new rust forms just as it does when the steel is rolled in the factory. Because the rust is rigid, when the steel is deformed it comes off. 
It is only a problem for forge welding or for making damascus steel. And it is also a cause of burns.

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## Marc

In this video you can see the formation of scale better. The smith is forging a billet of damascus steel, using a press rather than a power hammer  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JN9AKGPz2yo

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## goldie1

Cheers my Dad was a blacksmith when he was a young bloke. I always regret never seeing him in  
action. He still had a forge in the shed when I was a kid but I only have a few vague memories 
of him using it when I was very young

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## Marc

> Not to mention tripping hazards... it'd pretty much be an illegal trade under today's legislation!

   Plenty of blacksmith shops still in operation. The commercial one use way more machinery that we did, well we had no machinery at all besides drill and stick welder.
Probably way more hazards in an industrial foundry or forge not to mention mining operations oil rigs etc.

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## Marc

> Cheers my Dad was a blacksmith when he was a young bloke. I always regret never seeing him in  
> action. He still had a forge in the shed when I was a kid but I only have a few vague memories 
> of him using it when I was very young

  If you are interested pay this mob visit, they are a friendly bunch.  Welcome

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## goldie1

> If you are interested pay this mob visit, they are a friendly bunch.  Welcome

  Thanks Marc I will check them out

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