Producing forged parts by hand forging — Tools and materials

Introduction

Producing forged parts by hand forging — Tools and materials is a vocational learning module for learners in blacksmithing, artistic metalwork and related craft-metalwork programmes. You will learn how experienced smiths select, inspect and organise hand-forging tools and forgeable materials, how tool choice affects control and finish, and how to prepare for a simple supervised forging exercise.

This module treats hot forging as a supervised workshop activity. It does not authorise you to light or adjust a forge, handle fuel systems, operate powered machinery, heat-treat tools, weld, grind, or carry out hot forging without the training, authorisation and supervision required by your workplace or education provider. Official rules, risk assessments, manufacturer instructions and workplace instructions take precedence over this course.

Open educational resource: Unless otherwise noted, the original course text is intended for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 licence. Embedded Wikimedia Commons files retain the licences stated on their file pages, and YouTube media remains subject to the terms set by its publisher. This draft is structured for expert review by a qualified blacksmithing tutor, workplace safety specialist and vocational assessor.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this module, you should be able to explain the function and limitations of core blacksmithing tools; select known, suitable material for a hand-forging task; recognise tool defects and unsafe material conditions; apply the hierarchy of risk control to a forge-work plan; describe a supervised hand-forging sequence; assess a simple forging against dimensional and surface-quality criteria; and suggest practical ways to reduce energy and material waste.

MOOCwiki metadata

Field	Course information
Course	Producing forged parts by hand forging
Module	Tools and materials
Page title	Producing forged parts by hand forging — Tools and materials
Target language	English
Intended learners	Vocational learners in blacksmithing, artistic metalwork and related craft-metalwork programmes
Selected jurisdiction	United Kingdom; Great Britain safety guidance, England-only apprenticeship example, and a separately identified Northern Ireland regulator
Open-licence intent	Original course text: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0; third-party media retain their stated licences
Review status	Ready for expert review by a qualified blacksmithing tutor, workplace safety specialist and vocational assessor
MOOCwiki theme	Blacksmithing forge — hand-forging tools and materials

Jurisdiction, official precedence and vocational context

Selected jurisdiction: United Kingdom. Because workplace safety and vocational systems are not identical across the four UK nations, the scope is labelled precisely below rather than blended.

Great Britain safety scope: The legal summaries in this module refer to Great Britain — England, Scotland and Wales — and use current Health and Safety Executive guidance. Enforcement responsibilities in Great Britain can fall to HSE or local authorities depending on the workplace. Northern Ireland has a separate regime led by the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland, with enforcement also shared in specified areas. Do not assume that a Great Britain legal summary is automatically identical in Northern Ireland.

England vocational-training scope: The current apprenticeship example is England only. Skills England lists the Blacksmith occupational standard ST0378, version 1.1, approved for delivery at Level 3. It describes blacksmithing as designing, shaping and joining metal by hot forging and other metalworking processes, and it explicitly includes tools, materials, health and safety, quality and hot forging. This England apprenticeship standard is not an automatic qualification-equivalence statement for Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Ireland or any other country.

Certification and competence: Completion of this aiMOOC is not a trade licence, apprenticeship completion certificate, end-point assessment, PPE certification or declaration of competence. Competence is task- and workplace-specific and requires appropriate instruction, supervised practice and assessment.

Verification date: 1 September 2026. Official rules and current workplace instructions always take precedence if they differ from this learning resource.

Great Britain: current safety duties relevant to tools and materials

The Health and Safety Executive states that the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 apply broadly to work equipment, including tools, and require equipment to be suitable, maintained in a safe condition, inspected where necessary and used by people who have received adequate information, instruction and training. That makes hammer condition, tong fit, anvil stability, forge condition and maintenance records part of professional preparation rather than optional housekeeping.

The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992, as amended in 2022, require suitable PPE where risks remain after other controls. PPE is not a substitute for eliminating or reducing hazards at source. The exact eye, face, hearing, clothing, hand and foot protection must come from the workplace risk assessment and the task.

The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 require employers to assess and control harmful noise. HSE identifies lower and upper daily or weekly exposure action values of 80 dB(A) and 85 dB(A), with an exposure limit value of 87 dB(A) after taking hearing protection into account. Hammer-on-anvil work can be impulsive and highly variable, so sound-level assumptions should not replace a workplace noise assessment.

Manual handling duties under the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 are relevant to bar stock, swage blocks, anvils, fuel and tooling. Avoid unnecessary lifting, use mechanical or team-handling methods where appropriate, and follow the assessed method rather than relying on strength.

COSHH can apply to hazardous substances associated with fuels, combustion products, coatings, fluxes, metal dust, cleaning products and other forge consumables. For learner exercises, use known, clean stock and exclude galvanised, plated, painted, oily, chemically contaminated or otherwise unidentified metal unless a competent person has assessed and controlled the process.

United Kingdom standards context

BSI is the United Kingdom's National Standards Body. Standards can support specification and procurement, but a standard number alone does not prove that an item is suitable for a particular forge hazard. As of the verification date, BSI lists BS EN ISO 16321-1:2022+A1:2025 as current for general occupational eye and face protection and BS EN ISO 20345:2022+A1:2024 as current for safety footwear. The workplace must select the correct protection level, markings and compatibility for the actual risk.

Do not assume that PPE, tool, machinery or training standards from another country are equivalent to UK requirements. Where a product or procedure cites a foreign standard, ask the responsible competent person to verify its status and suitability.

Core concepts: what makes a hand-forging setup work

Hand forging is controlled plastic deformation of forgeable metal, normally while it is hot enough to move without excessive force or cracking. The tool system is more than a hammer and anvil: the forge supplies heat; tongs control the workpiece; the anvil and anvil tools support and localise deformation; punches, drifts, fullers and set tools create particular forms; measuring tools control dimensions; and safe storage separates hot work, cold stock and damaged equipment.

A useful process map is:

Specification	Material	Tool fit	Controlled heat	Forging action	Inspection	Finish and record
Drawing, sample or agreed dimensions	Known grade and section	Correct hammer, tongs and support tooling	Authorised forge and approved operating procedure	Controlled blows, positioning and reheating	Dimensions, straightness, cracks, surface and fit	Scale removal, approved finish, identification and housekeeping

The smith aims to move metal efficiently while maintaining control. A well-matched tool reduces wasted blows, improves consistency and reduces exposure time at the anvil.

Tools for hand forging

Hammers and striking tools

A hand hammer is selected by face shape, pein geometry, mass, handle length, balance and the workpiece size. In UK teaching and practice, a cross-pein hammer is a common general-purpose forging hammer. The flat face can spread or planish material, while the cross pein concentrates deformation in a narrower line. Rounding hammers and specialist forging hammers may also be used where the workshop method calls for them.

Before use, check that the head is secure, the handle is sound and correctly fitted, the faces are not dangerously chipped or mushroomed, and the tool is appropriate for the job. Never improvise a loose-head repair during hot work. Damaged striking tools are taken out of service and reported under the workplace procedure.

A sledge hammer may be used by a trained striker working with a smith, but striking-team work needs agreed commands, position and rhythm. Learners should not attempt paired striking unless a competent instructor has specifically trained and supervised it.

The video above is a practitioner introduction to blacksmithing tools. Use it to compare tool names and functions with your UK workshop. It is not a substitute for your employer's or college's tool-inspection and safety procedure.

The anvil and its working surfaces

A blacksmith's anvil provides a hardened working face and shaped features for supporting and forming hot metal. Common terms include face, horn or bick, step, hardy hole and pritchel hole. The hardy hole is normally square and accepts compatible shanked anvil tools. The pritchel hole is smaller and round, commonly used as clearance when punching holes.

An anvil must be stable on its base and positioned so the work area is clear. Generic rules such as “knuckle height” are only starting heuristics; actual working height and layout should suit the task, the worker and the workplace's ergonomic assessment. Accessibility may require a different height, stance or work-rest arrangement.

Do not strike directly on hardened anvil edges with an inappropriate tool or misdirect blows into the hardy hole. Edge damage, flying scale and rebound can all become hazards.

Tongs and workholding

Tongs are not simply long pliers. A good tong fit holds the workpiece securely without excessive hand force and allows the reins to sit in a controllable position. Common jaw forms include flat-bit tongs, V-bit tongs, box-jaw tongs and purpose-made tongs for particular sections.

Check the rivet or boss, jaw alignment, reins and jaw profile. If the workpiece rocks, twists or can pull out under light handling, select or adjust another pair under supervision before heating. Do not rely on squeezing harder to compensate for a poor fit.

A leg vice or blacksmith's vice is designed to tolerate heavy smithing loads better than a light bench vice. It must still be correctly installed, maintained and used for suitable operations.

Anvil tools, punches, drifts and cutting tools

Fullers concentrate force to spread material in a controlled line. A bottom fuller may fit the hardy hole and a top fuller may be struck from above by a trained person. Set hammers and flatters refine shoulders and surfaces. Swages help form specified profiles.

A punch creates a hole by displacing material; a drift sizes or shapes an existing hole. A hot chisel or hardy can be used to cut hot material, but cut-off work creates particular risks from sharp edges, flying scale and separated hot pieces. Learners should carry out these operations only after specific instruction.

Tool steels used for punches, chisels and fullers require correct heat treatment for their grade and service. Never guess a hardening or tempering process from spark colour or appearance. Use traceable material and an approved heat-treatment procedure.

Measuring, marking and layout tools

Typical control tools include a steel rule, try square, dividers, callipers, templates, gauges, soapstone or approved heat-resistant marking systems, and workshop drawings. Measuring hot metal directly can damage tools and expose hands to heat, so use the measuring method specified by the instructor, such as a cold reference gauge or a template that can be applied safely.

Jigs and templates support repeatability. A good jig does not compensate for incorrect stock, poor heat or unsafe workholding; it makes an already controlled process more consistent.

Forge, hearth and support equipment

The forge supplies controlled heat. Small craft workshops may use solid-fuel forges using coke or suitable smithing coal, or gas forges using LPG such as propane. Each system has different ventilation, combustion, fuel-storage, fire and shutdown controls.

Learners must not light, tune, relight, repair or shut down a forge except under the approved workshop procedure and the required level of supervision. Never operate a forge in an unapproved enclosed or poorly ventilated space. Fuel leaks, carbon monoxide, fire, radiant heat and burns can be life-threatening.

Support equipment can include a quench tank, slack tub, fire tools, stock racks, swage block, leg vice, extraction or ventilation equipment, heat-resistant stands and a designated hot-metal area. Quench water is not a general cooling shortcut: rapid cooling can change steel properties, create steam and cause distortion or cracking.

Materials for hand forging

Low-carbon steel

Known low-carbon steel, commonly called mild steel in UK workshops, is widely used for introductory forge work because it is ductile and does not require hardening for ordinary decorative forms. Typical training pieces include hooks, leaves, scrolls, brackets and simple joints.

“Mild steel” is a broad trade term, not a complete material specification. For assessed or engineered work, use the grade, section, dimensions and supplier documentation required by the drawing or job specification.

Medium-carbon, high-carbon and tool steels

Steels with more carbon can provide higher hardness and wear resistance after appropriate heat treatment, making them useful for tools and springs. They are less forgiving of incorrect forging and heat treatment than low-carbon steel. Grade identification, forging range and heat-treatment data are essential.

Do not teach yourself tool hardening by heating an unknown scrap item and quenching it. A cracked or over-hard tool can fail violently in service. Heat treatment must follow the specified steel grade, workshop procedure and supervision.

Wrought iron and heritage material

Historic wrought iron is a fibrous ferrous material that behaves differently from modern low-carbon steel. In conservation work, preserving original material and identifying repair stock can be important. “Wrought iron” is often used casually in retail descriptions for decorative mild-steel work; vocational learners should distinguish the historic material from the visual style.

Reuse of historic iron should respect conservation ethics, provenance and the client's specification. Do not remove material from heritage fabric without authority.

Other forgeable metals

Some stainless steels, copper alloys, aluminium alloys and other metals can be forged, but their safe temperature ranges, oxidation behaviour, tool contamination issues and finishing requirements differ. This module does not treat them as interchangeable with mild steel. Use only materials included in the approved training programme, with grade-specific instructions.

Stock forms and material preparation

Common stock forms are round bar, square bar, flat bar, strip and plate. Material preparation begins before heating: verify grade and section, check length allowance, remove unsafe burrs by an approved method, and confirm the stock is clean and free from hazardous coatings or contamination.

A practical material card can record supplier, grade, section, batch or heat number where available, job reference and any required preparation. Traceability matters most when the forged part has structural, safety, heritage or heat-treatment requirements.

Unknown and coated scrap

Reusing scrap can save resources, but “free steel” is not automatically suitable steel. Unknown scrap may be a hardenable alloy, a spring steel, a high-strength steel, plated material, or contaminated with paint, oil or chemicals. Heating zinc-coated steel and some paints or residues can generate hazardous fumes.

For learner hot-forging tasks, prefer clean, traceable stock of known composition. If scrap is to be reused, a competent person must identify it and assess hazards before it enters the forge area.

Authentic examples: choosing tools and materials

Example A — decorative hook: A tutor specifies known low-carbon square bar. The learner selects a cross-pein or general forging hammer appropriate to the section, tongs that grip the bar without twisting, a stable anvil and a template for taper length and hook curvature. The exercise develops drawing, taper control, bending and quality inspection.

Example B — punch for workshop tooling: This is an advanced, supervised task using a specified tool-steel grade. The learner must follow the prescribed forging and heat-treatment data, finish the struck end correctly and inspect for cracks. Unknown spring steel is not an acceptable substitute simply because it “looks tough”.

Example C — repeated railing scrolls: The smith may use a bending jig and controlled stock length to improve repeatability. Quality is judged against the drawing or sample, not against a vague idea that handmade work should all be different.

Risk controls before hot work

The safest forge session is planned before any metal is heated. Use the hierarchy of controls: remove unnecessary hazards where possible; substitute safer materials or methods; apply engineering controls such as guarding, extraction and stable equipment; use administrative controls such as training, exclusion zones and inspection; then use suitable PPE for the residual risk.

Hazard	Typical warning signs	Priority controls
Hot metal and radiant heat	Unmarked hot stock, congested routes, poor placement	Designated hot-metal areas, clear routes, suitable tools, supervision, task-specific PPE
Flying scale and fragments	Damaged tools, mis-strikes, scale accumulation	Serviceable tools, correct technique, eye or face protection selected by risk assessment, housekeeping
Noise	Repeated hammer-on-anvil impact, ringing work area	Noise assessment, reduction at source, isolation where practicable, hearing protection where required
Poor tong fit	Workpiece twists or slips, excessive gripping force	Correct jaw profile, adjustment by competent person, cold trial before heating
Fuel and combustion products	Poor ventilation, flame instability, suspected leak or unusual odour	Approved forge, ventilation or extraction, fuel-system checks, authorised lighting and shutdown
Hazardous coatings or residues	Galvanised, painted, plated, oily or unidentified stock	Exclude from learner hot work, identify material, COSHH assessment and suitable control
Manual handling	Heavy anvils, swage blocks, long bar or fuel sacks	Avoid unnecessary handling, use suitable aids or team methods, plan storage and routes
Musculoskeletal strain	Oversized hammer, poor work height, repeated awkward reaches	Match tool to task and worker, vary work, ergonomic setup, coaching and rest arrangements

PPE and clothing: task-specific, not one-size-fits-all

Your workplace risk assessment decides PPE. Typical forge controls may include impact-rated eye or face protection, safety footwear, hearing protection and protective clothing suitable for heat and hot scale. BSI standards and product markings can help verify performance, but only after the hazard has been assessed.

Do not treat generic glove advice as universal. Gloves may be appropriate for some handling operations and unsuitable for others if they reduce grip, dexterity or heat awareness. Follow the task-specific workplace rule and training. Loose synthetic clothing, unsecured long hair, jewellery and dangling items can create hazards around hot work and machinery; prepare clothing and personal items according to the workshop procedure.

Inclusive PPE must fit the individual. Employers and education providers should consider body size, prescription eyewear, hearing needs, religious dress, mobility and other individual requirements without lowering the required level of protection.

Tool inspection routine

Before each supervised practical session, identify the tool, confirm it is the correct type and size, check its condition, check handles and joints, confirm guards or extraction where applicable, verify the inspection status required by the workplace, and report defects. Do not place a damaged tool back in a communal rack.

A mushroomed struck end on a punch or chisel can shed fragments. A loose hammer head can leave the handle. Cracked tong reins can fail under load. These are reasons to stop and report, not opportunities for an improvised learner repair.

The safety video above is a practitioner's perspective from outside the UK regulatory system. Use it as a hazard-spotting exercise only. UK legal duties, HSE guidance, the employer's risk assessment and workplace instructions take precedence.

Step-by-step supervised demonstration: forge a simple taper and hook

This demonstration is an authentic introductory blacksmithing exercise using known low-carbon steel. It is written for a tutor-led workshop. A learner must not carry it out alone.

Brief and authorise the task: The tutor confirms the drawing or sample, chosen stock, permissible forge, PPE, safe route, hot-metal area and stop signal.
Select known stock: Use clean, traceable low-carbon bar of the section specified by the tutor; do not substitute coated or unknown scrap.
Inspect tools cold: Check the hammer, handle, tongs, anvil stability, template and any support tooling before the forge is used.
Cold-rehearse workholding: Grip the stock with the selected tongs and confirm that it cannot twist or pull free under light handling.
Prepare the forge under authority: The authorised person starts the forge and confirms ventilation, extraction and fuel-system conditions according to the local procedure.
Heat only as instructed: Heat the working end to the forgeable range specified for the material and task; do not rely on colour alone because lighting and alloy affect appearance.
Move to the anvil using the agreed route: Keep control with correctly fitted tongs and follow the workshop convention for warning others about hot metal.
Draw the taper: Use controlled hammer blows and regular rotation so the section reduces evenly; keep the work supported on the anvil and avoid heavy blows that exceed your control.
Reheat before the steel becomes too cold to forge safely: The tutor decides when a reheat is needed; continuing to strike unsuitable cold steel wastes effort and can damage the work or tooling.
Refine the taper: Work toward the template dimensions with progressively controlled blows, correcting twist and uneven faces before forming the hook.
Bend under supervision: Form the hook around the anvil horn or the approved jig, keeping the bend in the required plane and checking against the template.
Finish the hot work: Place the work in the designated hot-metal area or cool it only by the approved method; do not quench merely to save time.
Inspect quality when safe to handle: Check length, taper, bend, straightness, twist, cracks, cold shuts, unwanted hammer marks and conformity with the sample or drawing.
Record and restore the workplace: Mark the job as required, segregate scrap, return serviceable tools, report defects and complete shutdown or housekeeping only as authorised.

Common errors and how to correct them

Error	Likely effect	Better practice
Hammer too heavy for the learner or task	Poor accuracy, fatigue and uncontrolled blows	Choose a controllable hammer and build rhythm before force
Tongs do not match the section	Twisting, dropped workpiece or excessive grip force	Select or adjust jaws during cold setup
Striking after the work has cooled below the suitable forging range	Cracking risk, wasted effort and poor surface	Reheat under the approved procedure before continuing
Overheating or burning steel	Excessive scale, grain damage and ruined material	Follow the material-specific heating guidance and instructor cues
Forging one face repeatedly	Rhomboid or uneven section	Rotate deliberately and inspect faces
Chasing dimensions without a template	Inconsistent batch parts and excess heats	Use a gauge, template or marked sample
Using unknown scrap	Unpredictable forging or heat-treatment response and possible fume hazard	Use identified, clean stock with known specification
Ignoring a mushroomed struck tool	Fragment hazard	Remove from service and report for competent dressing or replacement
Treating PPE as the main control	Hazard remains at source	Apply elimination, engineering and administrative controls first
Copying a video setup without local approval	Unverified legal, equipment or training assumptions	Compare critically, then follow UK official guidance and local workplace instructions

Quality criteria for a simple hand-forged part

Quality is judged against the specification, sample, drawing and intended use. For a training hook or similar exercise, useful criteria include:

Criterion	Evidence
Material conformity	Correct known grade and original section recorded
Dimensional accuracy	Lengths, taper and bend fall within the tutor's stated tolerance
Section control	Faces are reasonably even, with unwanted twist corrected
Surface integrity	No visible cracks, laps, cold shuts, severe gouges or burnt areas
Hammer control	Marks are intentional or acceptably refined for the required finish
Functional geometry	Hook, eye, scroll or joint performs its intended function and aligns correctly
Repeatability	Batch pieces match the approved template or sample
Finish	Scale removal and protective finish meet the job specification
Record	Material, process deviations and inspection results are documented where required

A handmade surface may intentionally retain hammer texture. “Smooth” is not automatically higher quality; the correct surface is the one specified for the design, function and client.

Sustainability and resource efficiency

Blacksmithing uses energy-intensive heat, so planning matters. Measure stock before cutting, use realistic forging allowances, group compatible heats where the workshop procedure allows, avoid repeatedly reheating work because of poor sequencing, and use jigs for repeat jobs. These actions reduce fuel use, scale loss and wasted labour.

Segregate clean ferrous offcuts for suitable reuse or recycling. Keep unknown, coated and contaminated scrap out of learner forging stock until it has been assessed. Recondition tools only through competent maintenance: extending a hammer, tong or punch's service life is sustainable only when the result remains safe.

Fuel choice involves more than a simple “gas good, coke bad” comparison. Heritage practice, local availability, forge efficiency, extraction, electricity source, batch size, emissions and the workpiece all matter. Record actual fuel or energy use where possible and compare processes on evidence rather than assumptions.

Heritage Crafts notes that blacksmithing in the UK faces issues including the availability and cost of coke as well as environmental concerns around air, noise and water pollution, material waste and energy consumption. A sustainable workshop therefore combines craft quality with efficient workflow, maintenance, responsible material sourcing and pollution control.

Inclusive and professional workshop practice

Good forge training is demanding but should be accessible. Tool size, handle diameter, working height, reach, lighting, hearing communication and demonstration pace can often be adapted without changing the quality standard. Left-handed and right-handed learners may need mirrored demonstrations or different work positions.

Use clear verbal and visual signals, allow learners to rehearse movements cold, and avoid assuming that physical strength is the main measure of competence. Efficient forging depends on timing, balance, tool fit, body mechanics and process planning. Where an adaptation affects risk, it must be included in the workplace assessment.

Professional blacksmithing also includes communication: tell colleagues when stock is hot, keep shared routes clear, record defects, return tools to known locations, and ask for assistance before a task exceeds your competence or authorisation.

Glossary

Anvil: A heavy, hardened support with a working face and shaped features for forging.

Bick: A UK term often used for the horn of an anvil.

Cross-pein hammer: A forging hammer with a narrow pein oriented across the handle.

Drawing down: Lengthening metal while reducing its cross-section.

Drift: A tool used to size or shape an existing punched hole.

Flatter: A top tool used to refine or flatten a forged surface.

Forge: The controlled heating equipment or hearth used to bring material to a forgeable condition.

Fuller: A tool that concentrates force to spread or neck material in a controlled line.

Hardy hole: The square anvil hole used for compatible shanked tools.

Heat: In smithing, both the act or period of heating and the working interval while the metal remains forgeable.

Leg vice: A heavy blacksmith's vice designed so forging loads pass through a leg to the floor.

Mild steel: Common workshop term for low-carbon steel; not a complete grade specification.

Pritchel hole: A round hole in the anvil used as clearance for punching and related work.

Punch: A tool used to displace material and create a hole.

Reins: The long handles of blacksmith's tongs.

Scale: Oxide that forms on heated metal and can detach during forging.

Set hammer: A top tool used to form accurate shoulders, corners or flats.

Swage: A shaped tool for producing or refining a particular profile.

Tongs: Purpose-shaped workholding tools for controlling hot stock.

Upsetting: Shortening metal while increasing its cross-section.

Wrought iron: Historic fibrous ferrous material that is not the same as modern decorative mild steel commonly sold as “wrought iron”.

Reflection

Use a learning journal to reflect on how tool fit affected control, which preparation steps prevented rework, where the hierarchy of controls appeared in the workshop, how you knew a material was traceable, and which quality criterion was hardest to achieve. Discuss your reflections with your tutor before the next hot-forging session so that feedback can be turned into a specific practice goal.

Interactive Tasks

Quiz: Test Your Knowledge

What is the main purpose of correctly fitted blacksmith's tongs? (To hold and control the workpiece securely) (!To cool the workpiece during forging) (!To measure the carbon content of steel) (!To replace the need for an anvil)

What is the hardy hole on a typical blacksmith's anvil? (A square hole for compatible shanked anvil tools) (!A water reservoir for quenching) (!A round hole used only for measuring bar) (!A slot for storing hammer handles)

Which material is normally the most suitable starting point for a simple supervised beginner forging exercise? (Known clean low-carbon steel) (!Unknown plated scrap) (!Painted structural offcuts of uncertain grade) (!Unidentified spring steel)

What should you do with a punch that has a dangerously mushroomed struck end? (Remove it from service and report it) (!Continue using it with lighter blows) (!Cool it in water after every strike) (!Wrap the end with tape)

Which statement best follows the hierarchy of controls? (Reduce hazards at source before relying on PPE) (!Use PPE instead of maintaining tools) (!Accept unknown scrap if gloves are worn) (!Increase hammer weight to shorten exposure)

Why should learner forging stock be traceable and clean? (To control material behaviour and avoid unknown coating hazards) (!To make the anvil ring more loudly) (!To eliminate the need for reheating) (!To ensure every forged surface is polished)

What is a drift normally used for? (To size or shape an existing punched hole) (!To ignite a solid-fuel forge) (!To test hearing protection) (!To weigh a hammer)

What is a key quality sign in a forged taper? (An even controlled reduction without cracks or cold shuts) (!Maximum scale left on the surface) (!Random changes in section) (!A different material at the tip)

What is BSI in the selected jurisdiction? (The United Kingdom National Standards Body) (!The regulator for every blacksmith apprenticeship in Europe) (!A forge-fuel supplier) (!A certificate automatically awarded to apprentices)

Which statement about the England Blacksmith occupational standard is correct? (It is Skills England standard ST0378 at Level 3) (!It automatically qualifies a learner in every country) (!It replaces workplace risk assessment) (!It permits unsupervised hot work after this module)

Memory Game

Anvil	Hardened support used to receive forging blows
Tongs	Purpose-shaped tool for gripping and controlling hot stock
Fuller	Tool that concentrates force to spread metal in a line
Drift	Tool that sizes or shapes an existing hole
Scale	Oxide that forms on heated metal
Reins	Long handles of blacksmith's tongs

Drag and Drop

Match the correct terms.	Topic
Square anvil hole for shanked tooling	Hardy hole
Round anvil clearance hole used for punching	Pritchel hole
Lengthening metal while reducing section	Drawing down
Shortening metal while increasing section	Upsetting
UK term for a heavy smithing workholding vice	Leg vice

...

Crossword Puzzle

Anvil	Which hardened support receives hammer blows during forging?
Tongs	Which tool holds and controls a hot workpiece?
Fuller	Which tool concentrates deformation along a narrow line?
Forging	What process shapes metal by controlled plastic deformation?
Scale	What oxide layer forms on heated steel?
Pritchel	What name is given to the small round hole in an anvil?

LearningApps

Cloze Text

A blacksmith selects

material so that forging behaviour and hazards are predictable. The square opening used for compatible shanked anvil tools is the

hole. Tongs must

the workpiece securely before it is heated. A damaged striking tool should be removed from

and reported. The hierarchy of controls places hazard reduction ahead of relying only on

. Low-carbon steel is commonly called

steel in UK workshops. A drift is used to size or shape an existing

. Official rules and workplace instructions take

over this learning resource.

Open-Ended Tasks

Easy

Tool identification: Produce an annotated photograph or sketch of six cold blacksmithing tools in your training workshop, naming each part and function without operating the tools.
Inspection checklist: Write a one-page pre-use checklist for a hammer, tongs and anvil, then compare it with your workplace procedure and record any differences.
Material traceability: Create a material card for a piece of known low-carbon stock, recording the available supplier, grade, section and job information.
Risk control poster: Design an English-language poster that shows one forge hazard progressing from elimination or substitution through engineering controls, administrative controls and PPE.

Standard

Cold rehearsal: Under tutor supervision, rehearse tong selection, workpiece transfer and hammer positioning with cold stock, then write a reflection on grip, reach and control.
Demonstration analysis: Watch an instructor-led hot-forging demonstration and produce a time-coded observation sheet identifying tool changes, reheats, quality checks and stop decisions.
Quality inspection: Measure a cooled training forging against a drawing or template, photograph the evidence and write a short inspection report covering dimensions, twist, cracks and surface finish.
Modelling experiment: Use modelling clay in a classroom experiment to compare drawing down with upsetting, photograph the shape changes and explain what the model can and cannot represent about hot steel.

Advanced

Workshop procedure review: Compare this module with your organisation's approved forge procedure and current HSE guidance, then submit an expert-review note that identifies where local instructions are more specific.
Tooling plan: Produce a tooling and material plan for a small repeat forging, including tong fit, gauges, jig use, material allowance, inspection points and waste-minimisation measures before any hot work is authorised.
Expert interview: Interview a practising blacksmith, tutor or heritage metalworker about tool selection, material traceability and quality control, then publish a consented written or video summary that distinguishes personal practice from legal requirements.
Sustainability audit: With workplace permission, audit one supervised forge session for offcuts, reheats, fuel or energy use and tool maintenance, then propose two improvements that preserve safety and product quality.

Learning Assessment

Tool selection rationale: Given a drawing and a rack of serviceable tools, justify the hammer, tong and anvil-tool choices and explain how each choice affects control, quality and risk.
Material decision: Compare known low-carbon stock with an unidentified coated scrap piece and explain which one you would authorise for a learner forging task and why.
Risk-control transfer: Analyse a scenario involving poor tong fit, high noise and a congested hot-metal route, then propose controls in hierarchy order rather than listing PPE first.
Process reasoning: Review a cooled forging with uneven taper, twist and heavy scale, infer likely process causes and propose a corrected supervised sequence.
Quality judgement: Use a drawing, template and inspection notes to decide whether a forged part should be accepted, reworked or rejected, and defend the decision with evidence.
Sustainability trade-off: Evaluate whether a suggested material reuse or fuel-saving measure is genuinely sustainable when safety, traceability, quality and maintenance are included.

Evidence of Learning

Evidence of learning should show more than recall. Knowledge evidence includes correct UK terminology, material distinctions, tool functions, relevant Great Britain safety duties and the limits of the England apprenticeship example. Skills evidence includes cold tool inspection, tong-fit checking, use of templates and measurement, supervised process observation and quality inspection. Products can include an annotated tool image, material card, inspection checklist, cooled supervised forging, quality report and sustainability audit. Transfer is shown when you can choose a safer tool or material for a new job, identify when a foreign video or standard does not establish UK compliance, and stop or escalate work when the task exceeds your competence or authorisation.

A strong portfolio includes tutor feedback, dated revisions and a short explanation of what changed in your practice after feedback. No evidence item in this section requires unsupervised hot work.

Official sources and further reading

Great Britain safety regulator

HSE — Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 overview: Suitability, maintenance, inspection, information, instruction and training for work equipment.
HSE — Personal protective equipment at work: Guidance on the 1992 Regulations as amended in 2022.
HSE — Noise at work, employer responsibilities: Current action values, exposure limits and control duties.
HSE — Manual handling at work: Practical guidance linked to the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992.
HSE — COSHH and welders: Useful allied-process guidance on fumes, gases, dusts, coatings and control measures.

Northern Ireland regulatory distinction

HSENI — About HSENI: Northern Ireland's lead body for promoting and enforcing health and safety at work standards. This link is included to make the jurisdiction boundary explicit; this module does not transpose Great Britain legal requirements into Northern Ireland.

England vocational standard

Skills England — Blacksmith ST0378 version 1.1: Level 3 occupational standard covering blacksmithing knowledge, skills and behaviours.

United Kingdom standards body

BSI — The UK's National Standards Body: BSI's national role and standards-development remit.
BSI — BS EN ISO 16321-1:2022+A1:2025: Current general requirements for occupational eye and face protection.
BSI — BS EN ISO 20345:2022+A1:2024: Current safety-footwear standard.

Craft and vocational context

Heritage Crafts — Blacksmithing: UK craft description, techniques and sustainability issues.
Plumpton College — Blacksmithing and Metalwork: Current UK vocational-course context and facilities.

Media notes and licences

The Wikimedia Commons files embedded in this module were checked by exact file name. Their individual Commons pages provide creator, source and licence information. Examples include public-domain or Creative Commons-licensed media such as Anvil, labelled en.svg, Blacksmith.svg, BLACKSMITH TOOLS.jpg, Blacksmith Hammer.jpg, Traditional Blacksmith Forge.jpg and Blacksmith working 3.jpg. Reusers should preserve the attribution and share-alike conditions stated on each file page.

The embedded YouTube videos are supplementary demonstrations or practitioner commentary. They are not UK regulatory guidance and do not override HSE guidance, manufacturer instructions, risk assessments, college rules or employer procedures.