English:Making and maintaining forging tools and aids — Fundamentals

Making and maintaining forging tools and aids — Fundamentals

Course metadata	Details
Course type	aiMOOC for vocational education
Module	Fundamentals
Parent topic	Making and maintaining forging tools and aids
Target learners	Apprentices, vocational learners and supervised trainees in blacksmithing, artist blacksmithing and forged metalwork
Target language	English
Selected jurisdiction	United Kingdom, with Great Britain safety law and England vocational-training references clearly separated
Level	Introductory vocational knowledge with supervised workshop application
Suggested study time	8–12 hours of guided learning plus supervised practical work
Current-source check	September 2026
Open licence	Original course text: CC BY-SA 4.0. Embedded Wikimedia Commons media retain the licence shown on their individual file pages.
Review status	Ready for review by a competent blacksmithing instructor, workshop safety lead and vocational assessor before local delivery

Safety and authority notice: Forging, grinding, heat treatment, welding, power-hammer work, press work and maintenance of powered equipment can cause serious injury or ill health. This aiMOOC does not authorise unsupervised hazardous work. Carry out practical work only after local induction, under competent supervision, and within the employer's or education provider's risk assessment, safe system of work, equipment instructions and emergency procedures. Official rules and workplace instructions take precedence over this course.

Jurisdiction notice: This course selects the United Kingdom as the national context, but it does not blend devolved legal or training systems. Great Britain safety references are labelled separately from Northern Ireland, and the apprenticeship pathway described is for England only. No qualification, legal duty, job title or certificate in another country or UK nation should be treated as automatically equivalent.

Introduction

Making and maintaining forging tools is a core part of professional blacksmithing. A smith rarely works with only a hammer, anvil and one pair of tongs. Real workshops depend on correctly fitted tongs, punches, drifts, chisels, fullers, swages, hardy tools, bending forks, gauges, templates, jigs and fixtures. The quality of these tools affects safety, efficiency, repeatability and the finished metalwork.

In this module, you learn to think like a toolmaker before you act like one. The central design chain is:

Function → load → material → geometry → manufacturing process → fit → inspection → safe use → maintenance.

That sequence matters. A tool can look well forged and still be unsuitable because the steel grade is unknown, a struck edge is too hard, a hardy shank wedges in the anvil, a tong jaw does not grip the intended section, or a jig produces the wrong geometry.

The module uses examples from hand forging and artistic metalwork. It intentionally avoids giving a novice a stand-alone recipe for hazardous heat treatment, abrasive-wheel work, welding or powered-machine maintenance. Those operations require competent instruction, approved equipment and workplace-specific controls.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, you should be able to:

1. Classify forging tools and aids: Distinguish hand-held tools, anvil tools, top and bottom tooling, gripping tools, cutting and punching tools, jigs, fixtures, formers, gauges and machine tooling.
2. Select materials responsibly: Explain why known low-carbon steel is often suitable for non-cutting aids while struck, cutting and high-wear tooling may require a known tool steel and controlled heat treatment.
3. Control risk: Identify hot-metal, impact, ejection, noise, grinding, fume, manual-handling and machinery hazards and choose controls in the correct hierarchy.
4. Evaluate geometry and fit: Check shoulders, radii, clearances, tong contact, hardy fit, tool alignment and working surfaces.
5. Maintain tools: Inspect, clean, dress, adjust, record defects and decide when a tool should be repaired, quarantined or retired.
6. Judge quality: Use repeatability, safe fit, dimensional accuracy, material traceability, surface condition and documented inspection as quality criteria.
7. Work sustainably: Reduce unnecessary reheating, reuse suitable known material, design repairable tooling and recycle metal without compromising safety.

Why tools and aids matter

A forging tool does more than transfer force. It controls where the workpiece can move and how material flows. A fuller localises deformation. A swage controls a final section. A drift sizes and shapes an already-punched hole. A pair of tongs places your hand farther from the hot work and should grip the stock without forcing excessive hand pressure. A jig makes repeated geometry faster and more consistent. A template or gauge lets you compare the work to a required shape without guessing.

The labelled anvil image shows the face, step, horn, hardy hole and pritchel hole. The square hardy hole accepts bottom tooling with a suitable shank. The shank should locate the tool, not become a driven wedge. The round pritchel hole is commonly used as clearance when punching and for some specialised tooling. Local terminology can vary, so use the terms used by your workshop and instructor.

Core Concepts

Tool families used by blacksmiths

Tool family	Common examples	Primary purpose	Typical checks before use
Striking tools	Hand hammer, sledge, set hammer	Deliver or redirect force	Face condition, handle security, eye condition, cracks, wedges
Gripping tools	Flat-bit tongs, box-jaw tongs, V-bit tongs, pick-up tongs	Hold and manipulate hot work	Jaw fit, rivet or boss condition, reins clearance, alignment
Cutting tools	Hot set, cold set, hardy cutter	Separate or score material	Correct tool for hot or cold work, edge condition, cracks, correct heat treatment
Punching and sizing tools	Punch, drift, bolster	Produce or size holes and profiles	Point geometry, clearance, struck-end condition, material identity
Spreading and drawing tools	Fuller, spring fuller, top fuller, bottom fuller	Localise deformation and move metal	Working radius, alignment, shank fit, spring condition
Finishing and sizing tools	Swage, flatter, set hammer	Refine surface or section	Working profile, scale build-up, alignment, damage
Bending tools	Bending fork, bending wrench, bending pin, former	Control bends, scrolls and curves	Stable mounting, smooth contact radius, clearance, no sharp damage
Production aids	Jig, fixture, template, gauge, stop	Repeat a position, size or geometry	Dimensional accuracy, secure location, distortion, identification
Machine tooling	Power-hammer dies, press dies, tooling blocks	Form work under powered force	Manufacturer and workplace inspection requirements, secure mounting, guards, authorised setup

Machine tooling is not beginner hand tooling. Do not design, alter, install or repair power-hammer, press or other machine tooling unless you are trained, authorised and working under the equipment's approved procedure.

This photograph shows a working collection of specialist blacksmith's tools. It illustrates an important workshop principle: tooling grows around the work actually produced. A professional set should be organised, identifiable and inspectable rather than simply large.

A tool is a system, not just a piece of steel

When you evaluate a tool, consider all parts of the system:

1. Workpiece: Section, material, temperature range, surface condition and required geometry.
2. Tool: Material, heat treatment, working shape, handle or shank and condition.
3. Support: Anvil, bolster, vice, stake, fixture, press bed or machine.
4. Operator: Training, stance, line of fire, grip, communication and fatigue.
5. Environment: Lighting, floor condition, ventilation, noise, hot-metal zone and other workers.
6. Inspection: Pre-use check, maintenance interval, defect record and retirement criteria.

A failure in any one part can make the whole operation unsafe or inaccurate.

Load paths and line of fire

Forging loads pass from the hammer or machine through the tool, workpiece and support. A sound tool keeps that force predictable. Poor fit can create side loading, ejection or fracture.

Ask three questions before striking:

1. Where will the force go if the blow lands correctly?
2. Where could the workpiece or tool go if it slips?
3. Is any person standing in that line of fire?

This matters especially with top tools, punches, drifts, spring tooling and striker work. Two-person sledge work requires agreed commands, competent instruction and a clear striking rhythm. It is not an unsupervised learner activity.

Tools and Materials

Known material is a quality and safety control

The phrase known material means that the grade or specification is sufficiently identified for the intended use. It is not enough that a piece of scrap "looks like tool steel".

For low-load, non-cutting aids such as many templates, gauges, stops and some bending fixtures, known low-carbon steel can be a practical choice. It forges easily, is generally repairable and does not require hardening for many such uses.

For struck, cutting or high-wear tools, material selection is more critical. The steel must suit the intended load and the workshop's approved heat-treatment process. Different tool steels harden differently and can crack, distort or become dangerously brittle if treated incorrectly.

Do not use unidentified scrap for a safety-critical struck or cutting tool merely because it throws a certain spark pattern or came from a vehicle spring. Spark testing can support identification in a competent workshop, but it is not a substitute for traceable material information where failure could injure someone.

Typical material choices at fundamentals level

Application	Suitable fundamentals-level reasoning	Important limitation
Simple template or profile gauge	Sheet or flat known mild steel	Protect sharp edges and verify dimensional stability
Non-cutting jig or stop	Known low-carbon steel where loading is modest	Must still be strong, securely located and inspected
Tong rivet	Material and size specified by the workshop	Rivet fit controls movement; too tight or too loose is poor practice
Hammer, punch, chisel or hardy cutter	Known tool steel selected by the competent instructor or workshop	Requires controlled manufacture and heat treatment; not a beginner guess
Wooden hammer handle	Straight-grained handle material suitable for striking tools, commonly hickory or ash depending local practice	Grain, eye fit, wedges and damage must be checked
Machine die or press tooling	Engineering material and heat-treatment specification	Requires design calculations, machine data and authorised competent manufacture

Tongs: fit is more important than variety

Practitioners commonly describe tong parts as the bits or jaws, the boss around the pivot, the rivet and the long reins. A good pair should grip the intended stock over useful contact areas without forcing you to squeeze the reins excessively.

Common tong faults include:

1. Jaws touching each other before they grip the work.
2. Only one jaw corner contacting the workpiece.
3. Reins closing so closely that fingers can be pinched.
4. Rivet excessively tight, seized or loose.
5. Twisted jaws that push the hot bar sideways.
6. Cracks around the boss or heavily thinned material.

Load video

YouTube

YouTube might collect personal data. Privacy Policy

Continue Dismiss

Media context: This tong overview is by the US practitioner Black Bear Forge. Use it to compare tong forms and vocabulary. It is not UK legal or safety guidance, and your UK workplace rules and instructor directions take precedence.

Hardy tools and bottom tools

The image shows a London-pattern anvil with hardy tooling and a bending fork. A hardy-mounted tool normally has a square shank that enters the hardy hole and a shoulder or body that carries the working load.

Good hardy fit means:

1. The tool can be inserted and removed without being hammered into place.
2. The shank has clearance and does not act as a splitting wedge.
3. The shoulder or tool body seats in the intended way.
4. The working part is oriented correctly.
5. The tool does not rock excessively under the intended load.
6. The shank does not bottom out before the tool seats correctly.

Do not assume that two anvils with apparently similar hardy holes have identical dimensions. Measure and fit the tool to the actual anvil used.

Load video

YouTube

YouTube might collect personal data. Privacy Policy

Continue Dismiss

Media context: This US practitioner video surveys hardy-hole tools. Observe the variety of functions, but do not copy dimensions, materials or procedures without checking your own anvil, material specification and workplace instructions.

Swages, fullers and repeatability

A fuller concentrates deformation so metal moves away from a local region. A swage is generally used to refine or establish a profile or section. A swage block provides multiple forming profiles and openings.

A common learner error is to call every shaped bottom tool a swage. Use the practitioner term that matches its function. If the tool primarily spreads or isolates material, fuller may be the better term. If it finishes or sizes a section, swage may be more accurate.

United Kingdom Jurisdiction, Safety Duties and Vocational Alignment

Jurisdiction boundaries

Area	Scope used in this module	Competent authority or source
Workplace health and safety law	Great Britain: England, Scotland and Wales	Health and Safety Executive, HSE
Workplace health and safety in Northern Ireland	Labelled separately; not treated as identical to Great Britain law	Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland, HSENI
Blacksmith apprenticeship pathway	England only	Skills England
Qualification external quality assurance for the cited apprenticeship	England apprenticeship standard ST0378 version 1.1	Ofqual, as listed by Skills England
British Standards examples	UK standards publications	British Standards Institution, BSI

HSE guidance cited in this course applies to Great Britain. Northern Ireland has its own health and safety legal framework and HSENI is the lead body for promotion and enforcement of workplace health and safety standards there.

Do not read a Great Britain HSE citation as a statement of Northern Ireland law.

Great Britain: work equipment and maintenance

The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998, commonly called PUWER, apply broadly to work equipment used at work in Great Britain. HSE's Approved Code of Practice and guidance covers suitability, maintenance, inspection, information, instruction and training for work equipment.

For a forge learner, the practical meaning is simple: you do not alter, repair, set up or maintain powered equipment merely because you can see how it works. The employer or training provider must control who is competent and authorised to perform those tasks.

Before maintenance on a powered machine, the workplace's isolation procedure must be followed. Energy sources may include electricity, hydraulic pressure, pneumatic pressure, gravity, stored spring force, moving flywheels, hot surfaces and fuel systems. Never rely only on an emergency-stop button.

Great Britain: PPE

HSE's current guidance explains the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 as amended by the 2022 Regulations. Where PPE is required, workers must receive suitable information, instruction and training, and employers are responsible for maintenance, storage and replacement of PPE they provide.

PPE is not the first control. Eliminate or reduce the hazard first where reasonably practicable. Then use task-specific PPE selected from the risk assessment.

Typical forge PPE may include impact-rated eye protection, safety footwear, hearing protection, suitable work clothing and other protection specified by the employer. Gloves or gauntlets are task dependent: they can protect against some contact hazards but may also reduce grip, trap hot scale or create other problems. Follow the workshop's risk assessment rather than treating gloves as an automatic rule for every forging task.

BSI currently lists BS EN ISO 16321-1:2022+A1:2025 for occupational eye and face protection general requirements and BS EN ISO 20345:2022+A1:2024 for safety footwear. A product standard does not by itself decide what PPE you need; selection comes from the actual risk assessment and workplace requirements.

Great Britain: noise

Forge work can be very noisy. HSE gives typical uncontrolled engineering noise examples of around 95–100 dB(A) for hammering steel. This is an illustration, not a measurement of your own forge.

Under the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 in Great Britain, HSE identifies 80 dB(A) as the lower exposure action value for daily or weekly personal noise exposure, 85 dB(A) as the upper action value, and 87 dB(A) as the exposure limit value after taking hearing protection into account.

A competent noise assessment should therefore consider hammering, grinders, power hammers, presses, extraction systems and nearby processes. Hearing protection is important where required, but it does not replace quieter methods, isolation, damping, maintenance or other noise-reduction measures.

Great Britain: manual handling

Anvils, swage blocks, dies, stock and tooling can be heavy or awkward. HSE guidance under the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 emphasises avoiding hazardous manual handling where reasonably practicable, assessing unavoidable handling and reducing the risk of injury.

Use lifting aids, team handling, sensible storage heights and planned routes where appropriate. Do not improvise a lift because "it is only one tool".

Great Britain: grinding, dust, welding and fume

Tool maintenance often involves filing and sometimes grinding. Abrasive wheels can burst, grab or eject work, and grinding produces sparks, noise and dust. HSE's abrasive-wheel guidance covers training, machine operation, wheel selection, guards and PPE.

Learners must not mount grinding wheels, alter guards or use abrasive equipment without the required training and authorisation. Hand filing is often a lower-risk maintenance method for small burrs or radii when it can achieve the required result.

If a jig or fixture is fabricated or repaired by welding, welding-fume controls apply. HSE states that all welding fume can cause lung cancer and requires exposure control, including local exhaust ventilation where appropriate and suitable RPE where adequate control cannot otherwise be achieved.

COSHH also matters for substances such as coatings, cleaners, grinding dusts and process fumes. Use the employer's COSHH assessment and product safety data rather than assuming that a familiar workshop chemical is harmless.

England: current blacksmith apprenticeship alignment

Skills England lists the Blacksmith apprenticeship, reference ST0378, version 1.1 as approved for delivery, at Level 3. The page records an update date of 10 December 2025 and identifies Ofqual as the external quality assurance provider.

The occupational standard includes making, preparing, testing, adjusting and maintaining blacksmith hand tools and forge equipment. That makes this module directly relevant to the occupational role.

Important: This aiMOOC is not the apprenticeship, does not award a qualification, does not certify competence and does not authorise machine use. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have separate education and training arrangements. No automatic equivalence is claimed.

Risk Controls for Toolmaking and Maintenance

Use the hierarchy of controls

A strong safety decision does not begin with "Which PPE should I wear?" It begins by asking whether the hazard can be removed or reduced.

For example, if a damaged jig can be repaired with a file rather than a grinder, the lower-energy method may remove several hazards at once. If a repeated form can be produced with a stable jig instead of hand-holding a short workpiece, the design can reduce line-of-fire exposure. If a tool can be made from a known, suitable stock size without extensive grinding, that may reduce dust, noise and wasted material.

Core hazards and practical controls

Hazard	Typical forging-tool example	Controls to consider before PPE	Learner expectation
Hot metal and scale	Tool blank, drift, tong jaw or jig remains hot after visible colour has faded	Hot-metal zones, tongs, clear cooling area, communication, designated storage	Treat recently heated metal as hot until confirmed otherwise by approved procedure
Impact and ejection	Punch skates, work slips from tongs, hardy tool rocks	Correct geometry, secure fit, sound tools, controlled blows, clear line of fire	Stop immediately if grip or seating is uncertain
Tool fracture	Brittle chisel edge or cracked struck end	Known material, correct heat treatment, inspection, dressing, retirement criteria	Never continue with a cracked or badly mushroomed struck tool
Noise	Hammering steel, grinding, power hammer	Process choice, isolation, damping, maintenance, time control, hearing zones	Follow noise assessment and hearing-protection requirements
Abrasive-wheel hazards	Dressing a hammer face or chisel	Trained operator, correct wheel, guard, work support, dust and spark control	Do not use or adjust grinding equipment unless authorised
Welding fume	Welding a jig or machine-tool fixture	Avoid welding if not needed, use LEV, control process and material condition	Welding is supervised and separately controlled
Manual handling	Moving swage block, anvil tool rack or stock bundle	Lift planning, trolley, hoist, team handling, better storage	Ask for assistance rather than improvise
Entanglement	Loose clothing near grinder, drill, power hammer or rotating equipment	Guarding, secure hair and clothing, correct machine setup	No loose items near moving machinery
Stored energy	Press, spring tooling, pneumatic or hydraulic equipment	Isolation, blocking, lock-off, release stored pressure	No maintenance without authorised isolation
Fire and combustion	Forge fuel, hot scale, sparks, hot stock	Fire-safe layout, fuel-system checks, housekeeping, ventilation, emergency plan	Follow the workshop fire procedure and never operate a forge in an unsuitable enclosed area

A practical stop-work rule

Stop and ask the instructor or supervisor if any of the following occurs:

1. The work cannot be held securely with the available tongs.
2. A tool begins to mushroom, chip, crack or loosen.
3. A hardy tool rocks or wedges unexpectedly.
4. A jig shifts, bends or produces a different result from the approved sample.
5. The material identity is uncertain for a struck, cutting or heat-treated tool.
6. A grinder, extractor, guard, interlock or machine behaves abnormally.
7. A workpiece is too heavy, long or awkward for your planned handling method.
8. You lose a clear line of sight, stable stance or clear line of fire.
9. You are unsure whether a workpiece is still hot.
10. The actual task differs from the risk assessment or instructor demonstration.

Stopping is a professional control, not a failure of productivity.

Design Principles for Forging Tools and Aids

Start from function

Write the tool's job in one sentence before you make it.

Examples:

Poor brief: "Make a hardy tool."

Better brief: "Make a removable, non-cutting bending aid that locates in this anvil's hardy hole and gives a smooth post around which 10–12 mm mild-steel bar can be bent under supervised hand-forging loads."

The better brief tells you what must fit, what must stay smooth and what the tool must not be used for.

Geometry that avoids stress raisers

Sharp internal corners can concentrate stress. Sudden section changes can encourage cracking. Struck-tool heads can mushroom if the geometry or hardness is unsuitable. Working edges can chip if too brittle or too acute.

Good fundamentals practice therefore includes:

1. Blend transitions where the design allows.
2. Use sensible radii on non-cutting contact surfaces.
3. Keep striking faces appropriate to the intended hammer or striker.
4. Avoid grinding away so much material that a section becomes weak.
5. Maintain symmetry where alignment matters.
6. Remove burrs that can cut hands or initiate cracks.
7. Preserve the intended edge geometry instead of making every edge "sharper".

Fit and clearance

A tool that fits a hole is not necessarily a good fit. For hardy tooling, the shank should usually locate without being forced. If the shank acts as an interference wedge, repeated impact can damage the tool or anvil.

For tong jaws, good fit means useful contact with the intended section. Tongs that hold 16 mm round securely may not hold 16 mm square in the same way. If a workshop uses one pair for several sections, the instructor should confirm that the grip remains secure.

For jigs, fit includes locating stops, pin diameters, slot width and the allowance for scale and hot expansion. A jig that only works when hammered violently into position is badly designed.

Ergonomics and body mechanics

Tool design should help the smith work in a balanced posture without excessive gripping force.

Consider:

1. Handle length and mass.
2. Tong rein spacing.
3. Working height.
4. Reach between forge, anvil and tool rack.
5. Whether the tool pulls the wrist out of a neutral position.
6. Whether a jig reduces or increases repetitive force.
7. Whether a heavier tool actually improves control or merely adds fatigue.

Ergonomics is not "comfort after safety". Fatigue and poor posture can become safety hazards because they reduce accuracy and control.

Step-by-Step Demonstration: Supervised Hardy-Mounted Bending Pin

This demonstration uses a known low-carbon steel blank to make a simple non-cutting, non-struck bending aid with a square hardy shank and a rounded working post. It is selected because it teaches function, fit, shoulder geometry, forging accuracy and inspection without requiring the learner to harden a cutting edge.

Do not perform this practical from the text alone. It is a supervised forge exercise. The instructor chooses stock size, confirms the anvil and hardy dimensions, approves the fire or furnace, provides suitable tongs and decides which finishing operations are permitted.

Demonstration objective

The finished aid should:

1. Locate freely in the designated hardy hole.
2. Seat correctly without being driven into the anvil.
3. Have a smooth rounded post suitable for the planned bending radius.
4. Contain no visible crack, lap, cold shut or dangerous burr.
5. Be clearly marked as a non-cutting, non-struck bending aid.
6. Be removable by hand when cool.
7. Be entered in the workshop's tool or learner record.

Instructor-led sequence

1. Brief the task: Confirm the intended bending job, designated anvil, stock identity, risk assessment, hot-metal route, cooling area and permitted tools.
2. Measure the receiving feature: Measure the actual hardy hole at relevant points and inspect it for damage; do not rely only on a nominal anvil size.
3. Mark the blank: Mark the shank zone, shoulder region and working-post zone so you can preserve enough material for each feature.
4. Check handling: Select tongs that grip the blank securely throughout the planned heats and confirm a stable working position.
5. Heat under supervision: Heat only the required region using the workshop's approved forge procedure and instructor guidance; colour alone is not a precision thermometer.
6. Forge the shank progressively: Reduce and square the shank in controlled stages, checking that it remains straight rather than trying to reach final size in one heat.
7. Establish the shoulder: Forge a clear transition so the body can seat as intended; avoid a sharp internal notch that would create an unnecessary stress concentration.
8. Forge the working post: Round and smooth the upper working region to the approved radius without thinning it below the planned section.
9. Allow controlled cooling: Place the tool in the designated cooling area and allow it to cool according to the instructor's procedure; do not quench simply to make it touch-safe sooner.
10. Cold-fit only: When confirmed cool, test the shank by hand; it should enter and leave freely without hammering, wedging or bottoming before the intended seating surface.
11. Dress and inspect: Remove minor burrs with an approved lower-energy method such as filing where suitable; grinding is used only by trained, authorised persons under the grinder procedure.
12. Supervised functional test: The instructor approves a short test bend with suitable stock and tongs, observes stability and line of fire, then the tool is re-inspected for movement, deformation or cracking.
13. Identify and record: Mark or tag the tool with its function, designated anvil or shank size where useful, material identification and any workshop asset or learner reference.
14. Close the job: Return tools, segregate hot material, clear scale and offcuts safely and update the maintenance or assessment record.

Why no hardening step is included

The bending pin is intentionally a non-cutting, low-carbon aid. The learning outcome is accurate fit and safe function, not heat treatment.

A hardened tool can fail dangerously if its material, section, hardening method and temper are wrong. Heat treatment of punches, chisels, hammer heads, hardy cutters and other struck tools belongs in a supervised module using known steel and an approved procedure.

Demonstration quality criteria

Criterion	Acceptable evidence	Unacceptable sign
Hardy fit	Inserts and removes by hand when cool; no forced wedging	Must be hammered in or prised out
Seating	Stable under intended hand load	Rocks, twists or bottoms out incorrectly
Working post	Smooth, consistent radius appropriate to task	Deep dents, sharp burrs or severe taper
Shank geometry	Straight, square enough to locate, with deliberate clearance	Twisted, excessively tapered or jammed
Shoulder	Clear load-bearing transition with sensible radius	Sharp notch, undercut or visible crack
Surface integrity	No visible lap, cold shut or crack	Any crack-like indication or folded defect
Identification	Function and material traceable in record	Unknown material or unlabelled special restriction
Test result	Produces controlled bend without movement	Tool shifts, distorts or damages anvil

Common demonstration errors

1. Forging the shank too quickly and losing squareness.
2. Making the shank exactly the hole size and creating an interference fit.
3. Using the hot tool to "burn in" or force a fit.
4. Testing a hot shank in the hardy hole and risking seizure or damage.
5. Leaving a sharp corner at the shoulder.
6. Quenching an unidentified steel merely to speed cooling.
7. Grinding aggressively until the shank fits, leaving poor geometry and excess heat.
8. Failing to mark which anvil the custom fit belongs to.
9. Treating a bending aid as a struck or cutting tool later.
10. Skipping the post-test inspection.

Maintaining Forging Tools and Aids

Maintenance means preserving safe function, not preserving every tool indefinitely. A good smith knows when to dress a tool, when to repair it and when to remove it from service.

Pre-use inspection routine

Use a consistent sequence:

Clean → look → feel when confirmed cool → check fit → check movement → identify defects → decide.

Look for:

1. Cracks or crack-like marks.
2. Chipped or spalled edges.
3. Mushroomed struck ends.
4. Loose hammer heads.
5. Split, crushed or burnt handles.
6. Loose or seized tong pivots.
7. Distorted tong jaws.
8. Burrs and sharp unintended edges.
9. Bent hardy shanks.
10. Worn jig pins or elongated holes.
11. Distorted templates or gauges.
12. Unauthorised weld repairs.
13. Missing identification marks.

A defect found early is cheaper and safer to manage than a failure during striking.

Hammers and sledges

A hammer head should be securely fitted to a sound handle, with a face appropriate to the intended work. Check the eye, wedges, handle immediately below the head and the full grip area.

Do not continue using a hammer if the head moves on the handle. Do not keep using a badly chipped, cracked or heavily mushroomed striking surface because "it still hits".

When a face needs dressing, preserve the intended crown or radius. Grinding a forging hammer dead flat with sharp corners can mark work and may change how blows land. A competent instructor should demonstrate the workshop's preferred hammer-face geometry.

Punches, chisels, drifts and struck tools

The struck end of a hand tool can spread outward through use. This is mushrooming. Sharp mushroomed lips can break away under impact.

Maintenance may require controlled dressing back to a safe profile. The method must not overheat a heat-treated tool or remove so much material that the tool is weakened.

A punch or chisel can also overheat during hot work. If the tool stays in hot material too long, its heat treatment may be affected. Skilled practice includes cooling the tool as required by the material and workshop method without chilling the hot work unpredictably.

Tongs

Tongs need secure but free movement at the pivot. Maintenance can include cleaning scale from the boss, adjusting the rivet, correcting jaw alignment and refitting the bits to the intended stock.

A tong should not need extreme hand force to hold normal work. If the grip depends on squeezing harder, the jaws probably do not fit properly.

Lubricate pivots only when the tool is cool and in accordance with workshop practice. Keep oil and combustible residues away from hot work and forge areas.

Hardy tools, bottom tools and spring tooling

Inspect shanks for bending, upset material or burrs that change the fit. Check working radii and alignment.

Spring fullers and spring swages require extra attention because the spring stores energy and controls alignment. Cracks near welds, bends or high-stress transitions are reasons to stop and quarantine the tool.

Never repair a spring tool by an improvised weld while it is still in service. Welding procedure, material condition and post-repair inspection must be authorised.

Jigs, fixtures, templates and gauges

Production aids are often treated as harmless because they do not have cutting edges. That can be a mistake.

A worn jig pin changes geometry. A distorted scroll former changes every part made from it. A loose stop can eject work. A template with a bent reference edge can pass defective parts as acceptable.

For repeat work, compare aids against a master drawing, approved sample or controlled dimension at defined intervals.

Powered equipment

Maintenance on power hammers, presses, grinders, drills, hydraulic systems and extraction is controlled work. A learner may perform only the checks and maintenance explicitly allowed by the equipment procedure and their level of competence.

Never remove a guard, reach into a danger zone or investigate a fault while equipment remains energised or capable of movement.

Historical-media warning: This 1943 industrial image is useful for studying forging scale, machine force and workflow, but it is not a model of current UK PPE, guarding or safe systems of work.

Heat Treatment Fundamentals

Heat treatment changes properties by controlling heating and cooling. For many forging tools, the goal is not "maximum hardness". The correct balance may require a hard or wear-resistant working region together with enough toughness to resist cracking under impact.

The three questions before heat treatment

1. What steel is it? Different steels require different austenitising, quenching and tempering conditions.
2. What is the tool expected to do? A hot punch, cold chisel, hammer face and bending fork experience different loads.
3. What approved process applies? Use the material supplier, engineering specification or workshop heat-treatment procedure.

Do not copy a quench medium or temperature from a video because another tool looks similar.

Hardness versus toughness

Hardness helps resist wear and deformation. Toughness helps resist crack growth and sudden fracture. A tool that is too soft may mushroom rapidly; a tool that is too hard for its impact duty may chip or shatter.

A competent toolmaker designs for the actual duty rather than maximising one property.

Heat-treatment warning signs

Quarantine a heat-treated tool if you find:

1. New cracking after quench or temper.
2. A chipped edge or spalled face.
3. Severe distortion.
4. Unknown or mixed material.
5. Evidence that the tool has been overheated in service.
6. An unapproved repair weld in a critical region.
7. A surface condition that prevents reliable inspection.

Tool hardness should be verified by an appropriate workshop method where the specification requires it. A file test can provide rough comparative information but is not a substitute for calibrated hardness testing when a documented hardness value is required.

Quality Assurance

Quality is not just appearance. A forging tool is a production asset and a safety-critical object when it controls impact, hot stock or machine force.

Eight quality criteria

1. Fitness for purpose: The tool performs the intended operation without requiring unsafe improvisation.
2. Material suitability: Material is known and appropriate to load, wear and heat-treatment requirements.
3. Dimensional accuracy: Critical sizes, radii, clearances and angles meet the drawing, sample or workshop standard.
4. Fit and alignment: Tongs grip correctly, hardy shanks locate correctly and top and bottom tools align.
5. Surface integrity: No unacceptable cracks, laps, cold shuts, chips or burrs.
6. Repeatability: Jigs and gauges produce the same approved result across a batch.
7. Maintainability: Wear surfaces can be inspected and dressed or replaced where designed.
8. Traceability: Tool identity, material or restriction, inspection and repair history are recorded where needed.

Accept, repair, quarantine or retire

Decision	Meaning	Example
Accept	Tool meets the required condition and can return to service	Tong rivet is secure, jaws align and grip test passes
Repair	Defect is understood and an approved repair can restore safe function	Minor burr removed by authorised dressing without changing critical geometry
Quarantine	Tool is removed from service pending competent assessment	Crack-like mark found on a struck punch
Retire	Tool cannot be economically or safely restored	Hammer head has a confirmed structural crack

A quarantine system works only if everyone respects it. A red tag, locked defect bin or digital status is useless if someone can quietly return the tool to the rack.

Example maintenance record

Field	Example entry
Tool ID	BF-HY-07
Tool	Hardy-mounted bending pin
Material	Known low-carbon steel, workshop stock code MS20
Designated equipment	Anvil A3
Inspection date	2026-09-01
Condition	Shank free fit; no cracks; working post smooth
Action	Light file dressing of burr at shoulder
Functional check	Passed supervised test bend
Inspector or learner	Name or learner ID according to local policy
Next review	Before each use and at workshop periodic inspection

Sustainability and Resource Efficiency

A sustainable forge does not simply reuse the most scrap. It uses material, energy and tooling intelligently without creating hidden risk.

Practical sustainability principles

1. Use known offcuts intelligently: A traceable offcut can become a jig, gauge or non-critical aid if the section and material suit the job.
2. Design for repair: Replaceable pins, removable stops and documented shanks can extend tool life.
3. Reduce unnecessary heats: Plan forging sequences, prepare tools before heating and batch similar work where appropriate.
4. Match heat to stock: Do not keep a large forge at full output for small intermittent work if a smaller approved process is available.
5. Maintain before failure: Dressing a small burr early may prevent major damage later.
6. Segregate scrap: Keep known alloy scrap separate where the workshop recycles by grade; do not mix hot scrap with general waste.
7. Use coatings responsibly: Choose the minimum necessary cleaning and coating process and manage chemicals under COSHH.
8. Avoid unsafe shortcuts: Energy saving never justifies switching off ventilation or extraction while hazardous contaminants remain.
9. Prefer durable tooling: A well-designed tool that lasts for years often uses less material than repeated poor replacements.
10. Record materials: Traceability prevents a useful tool-steel offcut becoming "mystery scrap" later.

Authentic Workshop Examples

Example 1: Refitting tongs for a batch of flat bar

A learner has flat-bit tongs that nearly hold the stock but contact only at one corner. The wrong response is to squeeze harder. The professional response is to confirm the intended section, heat and refit the jaws under supervision, then cold-check alignment and conduct a supervised grip test before returning the tongs to service.

Quality evidence: broad contact, secure hold, suitable rein spacing and a free pivot.

Example 2: A hardy cutter has a mushroomed top

A hot-cut hardy shows a flared struck region. The tool is removed from service. The competent person identifies its material and heat-treatment history, decides whether controlled dressing is permitted and inspects for cracking before return.

The learner does not grind the mushroom off without authorisation because aggressive grinding may overheat the edge, alter geometry or hide a crack.

Example 3: A scroll jig no longer matches the drawing

A production jig has made hundreds of scrolls. The last batch is progressively opening out. Inspection finds a bent locating pin.

The quality solution is not to "hammer each scroll back by eye". The jig is quarantined, compared with the controlled drawing, repaired or re-pinned, then proven with a sample before batch production resumes.

Example 4: A punch is made from unidentified scrap

The shape looks correct and the maker says the scrap came from a spring. Because the grade and previous history are unknown, the tool is not accepted as a safety-critical struck punch. The workshop either identifies the material through an approved process with sufficient confidence or remakes the tool from specified stock.

The lesson is that craftsmanship includes material control.

Example 5: A welded fixture is planned for repeated production

The team first asks whether welding is necessary. If it is, a competent welder works to the approved procedure with appropriate fume control and material preparation. The finished fixture is inspected for dimensional distortion and proved with a sample before use.

A strong weld in the wrong location can still make a poor fixture if heat distortion changes the geometry.

Example 6: Maintenance on a power hammer

A learner notices a loose component near the die area. The correct action is to stop using the machine, report the defect and follow the workshop's isolation and maintenance procedure.

The learner does not reach into the machine, tighten parts while energy remains available or restart it to "see whether the noise has gone".

Common Errors and Corrective Thinking

Common error	Why it matters	Better professional response
Choosing material by appearance	Material properties and heat treatment remain unknown	Use traceable stock or an approved identification route
Making hardy shanks tight	Can wedge, jam or damage the anvil	Provide deliberate clearance and correct seating
Over-hardening struck tools	Can create brittle fracture risk	Follow known-steel heat-treatment specification
Leaving mushroomed struck ends	Flared lips can break away under impact	Quarantine and dress by approved method
Using tongs that almost fit	Work can rotate or eject	Refit or select correct jaws
Making every edge sharp	Sharp edges can chip, mark work or create stress raisers	Use geometry appropriate to the operation
Grinding as the first repair method	Adds noise, sparks, dust and overheating risk	Use the least hazardous method that meets the quality need
Quenching to speed handling	Can crack unknown steel and create misleading assumptions about hardness	Cool according to the approved process
Failing to label special tools	Another user may misuse a tool later	Mark function, material or restrictions where needed
Using distorted jigs	Every repeated part can become wrong	Verify against controlled dimensions or a master sample
Repairing powered equipment without isolation	Stored energy can cause fatal movement	Follow authorised isolation and lock-off procedure
Treating PPE as the whole control plan	Hazard remains uncontrolled at source	Apply the hierarchy of controls first

Media Study: Tool Variety and Heritage Context

Load video

YouTube

YouTube might collect personal data. Privacy Policy

Continue Dismiss

This US practitioner video demonstrates the idea of making simple hardy tools. Use it as an observation exercise: identify which features locate the tool, which surfaces take load and which material decisions would require verification in your own workshop. Do not treat salvaged-steel choices in any online video as automatically suitable for your safety-critical tooling.

Load video

YouTube

YouTube might collect personal data. Privacy Policy

Continue Dismiss

This historical footage of Patterson's Spade Mill in Northern Ireland gives heritage context for industrial forging and repeated tool-supported production. It is valuable for process observation, not for copying historical guarding, PPE or work practices. Northern Ireland safety law is separate from the Great Britain HSE framework used elsewhere in this module.

Glossary

Term	Practitioner meaning
Anvil face	Main hardened working surface of the anvil
Hardy hole	Square anvil socket used to locate suitable bottom tools
Pritchel hole	Round anvil hole commonly used for punching clearance and specialised tasks
Hardy tool	Anvil-mounted tool with a shank designed to fit the hardy hole
Bottom tool	Tool supported by the anvil or machine while work is formed against it
Top tool	Hand-held or handled tool struck from above to shape the work
Fuller	Tool that concentrates deformation to move material away from a local region
Swage	Tool used to refine or establish a controlled section or profile
Swage block	Heavy block containing multiple forming grooves, holes and profiles
Punch	Tool that creates a hole by displacing and removing material
Drift	Tool used after punching to size, shape or align a hole
Bolster	Supporting block or plate with holes or profiles used during punching, riveting or forming
Hot set	Chisel-like cutting tool intended for hot metal
Cold set	Cutting tool intended for cold metal and requiring appropriate edge geometry and material
Boss	Reinforced region around the pivot of a pair of tongs
Reins	Long handles of blacksmith's tongs
Bits	Working jaws of blacksmith's tongs
Mushrooming	Flared deformation that develops on a repeatedly struck tool end
Dressing	Controlled restoration of a working edge, face or damaged surface
Jig	Aid that guides or locates work to produce a repeatable operation or shape
Fixture	Device that securely holds or locates work or tooling for an operation
Former	Shape around or against which hot or cold metal is bent or formed
Template	Reference shape used to compare or mark out geometry
Gauge	Device or reference used to check a size, gap, radius or other feature
Clearance	Deliberate space that allows parts to fit and move without unintended interference
Shoulder	Step or change in section that locates or supports part of a tool
Line of fire	Area into which a tool, workpiece or fragment could move if control is lost
Quarantine	Formal removal of a tool from service pending competent assessment

Reflection

Use these prompts before the interactive tasks:

1. Which tool in your current or training forge would you inspect first, and why?
2. When does a reused steel offcut support sustainability, and when does unknown material create unacceptable risk?
3. What is the difference between a tool that fits and a tool that fits safely?
4. Which maintenance tasks in your workshop are learner tasks, and which require separate authorisation?
5. How could a badly designed jig produce an entire batch of defective work?
6. Where does PPE sit in the hierarchy of controls for forge noise, grinding dust and impact hazards?
7. How would you prove that a repair restored both function and safety?
8. Which parts of this module are specific to Great Britain or England, and which are general craft principles?

Interactive Tasks

Quiz: Test Your Knowledge

What should determine the material selected for a forging tool? (The tool function load and approved material specification) (!The colour of the scrap steel) (!The heaviest stock available) (!The material used in an unrelated video)

What is the main purpose of deliberate clearance on a hardy shank? (To locate the tool without wedging it in the anvil) (!To make the tool rattle as much as possible) (!To increase the hardness of the shank) (!To replace the need for a shoulder)

What should happen when a struck tool develops a visible crack? (It should be removed from service and assessed) (!It should be struck more lightly until it closes) (!It should be painted to hide the mark) (!It should be quenched immediately and reused)

Which statement about PPE is correct in Great Britain workplace practice? (PPE follows higher level risk controls and task assessment) (!PPE removes the need for engineering controls) (!Any glove is suitable for every forging task) (!Eye protection alone controls forge noise)

What does a drift normally do in blacksmithing? (It sizes or shapes a previously made hole) (!It provides fuel to the forge) (!It hardens the hammer face) (!It measures personal noise exposure)

Why should tongs be fitted to the intended stock? (To provide secure contact without excessive hand force) (!To make the reins touch during use) (!To increase the workpiece temperature) (!To replace the need for inspection)

What is mushrooming on a struck tool? (Flared deformation at a repeatedly struck end) (!A protective coating applied after forging) (!A method of measuring a hardy hole) (!A decorative scroll pattern)

What is the correct learner response to an unexpected power hammer fault? (Stop report the fault and follow the isolation procedure) (!Reach into the machine and tighten the loose part) (!Restart repeatedly until the sound disappears) (!Remove the guard for a better view)

Which item is a suitable quality criterion for a production jig? (Repeatable geometry against the approved reference) (!The greatest possible mass) (!A bright polished finish on every surface) (!No maintenance record)

What does completion of this aiMOOC provide? (Structured learning that still requires supervised practical competence) (!Automatic blacksmith certification) (!Permission to use any forge machine unsupervised) (!Automatic qualification equivalence in other countries)

Memory Game

Hardy hole	Square anvil socket for suitable bottom tooling
Mushrooming	Flared damage on a repeatedly struck tool end
Boss	Reinforced tong region surrounding the pivot
Swage	Tool used to refine or establish a controlled profile
Fixture	Device that securely holds or locates work
Dressing	Controlled restoration of a working edge or face

Drag and Drop

Match the correct terms.	Topic
Known low-carbon steel	Non-cutting jig or simple forming aid
Known tool steel	Struck or cutting tool requiring specified heat treatment
Hand file	Lower-energy method for removing a minor burr
Hardy shank	Locating part of an anvil-mounted bottom tool
Maintenance record	Traceability of condition defect and repair

Match each item according to its safest normal role in this fundamentals module.

Crossword Puzzle

Hardy	What name is given to the square anvil socket and the tools fitted to it?
Fuller	Which tool localises deformation to spread material away from a region?
Swage	Which tool is commonly used to refine a controlled section or profile?
Drift	Which tool sizes or shapes a hole after punching?
Fixture	What device securely holds or locates work for an operation?
Mushrooming	What flared deformation can develop on a repeatedly struck tool end?

Cloze Text

Complete the text.

A forging tool should be designed from its intended . A hardy shank needs deliberate so that it locates without wedging. Tongs should grip the intended stock with secure . A flared struck end is called . Unknown scrap should not be accepted automatically for a safety-critical . A cracked struck tool should be placed in . In Great Britain work equipment duties are strongly associated with . The England blacksmith apprenticeship cited in this module has reference . A production jig should be checked for dimensional . Official workplace instructions always take over this course.

Open-Ended Tasks

Easy

1. Tool identification map: Photograph or sketch ten forging tools in a supervised workshop and label each by family, purpose and one pre-use inspection point.
2. Tong fit observation: Compare two pairs of tongs on cold sample stock and explain which pair gives safer contact without performing any hot work.
3. Hardy hole survey: With instructor approval, measure the hardy holes of two cool anvils and create a simple comparison sheet showing why nominal size should not be assumed.
4. Defect poster: Produce an illustrated poster showing mushrooming, cracks, burrs, loose handles and distorted jaws and state the correct stop-work response to each.

Standard

1. Maintenance checklist: Design a one-page pre-use checklist for hammers, tongs, punches, hardy tools and jigs that could be used in your training workshop.
2. Jig quality study: Inspect a workshop jig or template with a tutor, compare it with its drawing or approved sample and report whether wear could affect repeatability.
3. Supervised bending aid project: Under instructor supervision, document the making and inspection of the non-cutting hardy-mounted bending pin demonstrated in this module.
4. Blacksmith interview: Interview a practising blacksmith or vocational instructor about how they decide whether to repair, quarantine or retire a hand tool.

Advanced

1. Tool failure investigation: Analyse a retired or deliberately damaged forging tool, identify likely failure mechanisms and propose inspection evidence that could have detected the problem earlier.
2. Sustainable tooling proposal: Redesign one commonly replaced jig or aid so that wear parts are replaceable while material identity, safe loading and dimensional control remain clear.
3. Workshop risk-control video: Produce a short supervised educational video showing the hierarchy of controls for one tool-maintenance task without demonstrating unsupervised hazardous operation.
4. Cross-jurisdiction research: Compare one Great Britain safety duty or England training pathway with one other named country, keeping each country's law, standards and qualification system in separate labelled sections and making no automatic equivalence claim.

Learning Assessment

1. Tool design rationale: Given a proposed forging aid, justify the function, material class, geometry, fit, inspection points and maintenance plan rather than simply describing how to forge it.
2. Defect decision: Evaluate five tool-condition scenarios and decide whether each tool should be accepted, repaired, quarantined or retired, giving evidence for your decision.
3. Risk-control transfer: Compare filing and abrasive grinding for one dressing task and explain how the hierarchy of controls changes the preferred method.
4. Quality investigation: Diagnose why a batch made on a jig is drifting out of tolerance and propose a verification process before production restarts.
5. Jurisdiction reasoning: Explain why HSE Great Britain guidance and an England apprenticeship standard must not be presented as one undifferentiated UK legal or qualification system.
6. Sustainability and safety: Propose a material-reuse plan for forge offcuts that improves resource efficiency without allowing unidentified alloy scrap into safety-critical tooling.

Evidence of Learning

Important evidence of learning includes:

Knowledge

1. Correct use of practitioner vocabulary for tongs, hardy tools, punches, drifts, fullers, swages, jigs, fixtures and maintenance defects.
2. Understanding of the relationship between tool function, load, material, heat treatment, geometry and fit.
3. Correct distinction between Great Britain HSE safety references, Northern Ireland HSENI, England apprenticeship arrangements and UK BSI standards.

Skills

1. Systematic pre-use inspection and defect recognition.
2. Accurate measurement and fit checking.
3. Safe selection and fitting of tongs under supervision.
4. Ability to compare a tool or jig against an approved drawing, gauge or sample.
5. Clear stop-work judgement when conditions differ from the approved task.

Products

1. Completed tool-identification map.
2. Maintenance checklist.
3. Supervised bending-aid record or equivalent instructor-approved project.
4. Quality inspection report.
5. Sustainability improvement proposal.

Transfer achievements

1. Applying the same design-and-inspection logic to unfamiliar tools.
2. Recognising when a material or repair decision exceeds your current competence.
3. Choosing lower-hazard maintenance methods where they meet the quality requirement.
4. Keeping qualification and legal claims jurisdiction-specific.
5. Explaining why good toolmaking supports both craftsmanship and occupational safety.

Expert Review Checklist

Before local delivery, a competent reviewer should confirm:

1. The jurisdiction statements remain current.
2. Local risk assessments and workshop procedures are linked or supplied separately.
3. The selected practical project matches the learners' actual competence.
4. Stock materials and tool-steel grades used in the workshop are identified.
5. Grinder, forge, power-hammer, press and welding controls reflect the actual equipment.
6. PPE requirements match local assessment and current supplier information.
7. Inspection and quarantine systems are compatible with the workshop's maintenance system.
8. Media remain available and are pedagogically appropriate.
9. Accessibility requirements are addressed for learners with different physical, sensory or learning needs.
10. No task requires a learner to work beyond supervision or authorisation.

Official Sources and Current Check

The legal and vocational claims in this module were checked against the following competent or official sources in September 2026:

1. Health and Safety Executive: Safe use of work equipment, L22 — PUWER guidance for Great Britain.
2. Health and Safety Executive: Personal protective equipment at work, L25 — PPE regulations guidance.
3. Health and Safety Executive: Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 — Great Britain noise action and limit values.
4. Health and Safety Executive: Noise in engineering — engineering noise examples including steel hammering.
5. Health and Safety Executive: Manual handling at work — avoiding, assessing and reducing handling risk.
6. Health and Safety Executive: Safety in the use of abrasive wheels — abrasive-wheel safety and training.
7. Health and Safety Executive: Welding fume — protect your workers — welding-fume controls.
8. Health and Safety Executive: COSHH risk assessment — hazardous-substance control.
9. Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland: About HSENI — Northern Ireland safety authority and scope.
10. Skills England: Blacksmith ST0378 version 1.1 — current England apprenticeship standard.
11. British Standards Institution: BS EN ISO 16321-1:2022+A1:2025 — occupational eye and face protection.
12. British Standards Institution: BS EN ISO 20345:2022+A1:2024 — safety footwear.

Official rules and workplace instructions take precedence. Always re-check current official sources before delivery because legislation, standards, qualification status and approved workplace procedures can change.

OERs on the Topic

Useful openly licensed visual resources include the Wikimedia Commons files embedded throughout this course. Their file pages provide author, source and licence information. The labelled anvil diagram is CC0, while several workshop photographs use Creative Commons licences. Reusers must follow the licence shown for each file.

Further open learning connections:

1. Blacksmithing: The broader craft of shaping metal by forging and related processes.
2. Forging: Principles of plastic deformation under compressive force.
3. Anvil: Structure and functions of a smith's anvil.
4. Tool steel: Alloy concepts relevant to wear, hardness and toughness.
5. Jig: Production aid for guiding or repeating an operation.
6. Fixture: Workholding and location for repeatable manufacture.
7. Occupational safety and health: Risk-control principles that apply across workshop processes.

Linked Learning Areas

Making and maintaining forging tools and aids — Fundamentals Blacksmithing Forging Forging tools Tool steel Heat treatment Tongs Anvil Jigs and fixtures Quality assurance Occupational safety and health Sustainable manufacturing

This module connects vocational blacksmithing with Materials science, Engineering, Design and technology, Metalworking, Craft education, Quality management, Occupational safety and health, Sustainable manufacturing and Heritage crafts.