Making and maintaining forging tools and aids — Tools and materials

Module	Tools and materials
Parent learning area	Making and maintaining forging tools and aids
Target group	Vocational learners in blacksmithing and artistic metalwork
Language	English
Jurisdiction	United Kingdom, with legal and training scope stated separately below
Status	Open educational resource draft, ready for expert review
Course text licence	Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International

Introduction

Forging tools are part of the blacksmith's production system. A well-designed pair of tongs can make a difficult forging controllable; a well-fitted hardy tool can make repeated bends consistent; a maintained hammer can improve both finish and safety. Poorly selected material, a loose handle, cracked or mushroomed striking ends, badly fitting tong jaws, or an unstable jig can turn a routine operation into a serious hazard.

This module focuses on the selection, manufacture, inspection, adjustment, maintenance and responsible use of forging hand tools and aids. You will work with practitioner terminology such as tongs, anvil, hardy tool, fuller, swage, punch, drift, hot chisel, set hammer, flatter, jig and fixture.

Supervision rule: all hot forging, heat treatment, grinding, power-hammer, press, drilling and other hazardous practical work described in this module is for a properly equipped training or workplace environment under competent supervision. Do not carry out hazardous work unsupervised. Official rules, current risk assessments, manufacturer instructions, safe systems of work and workplace instructions always take precedence over this course.

The image shows a smith working at an anvil. As you study it, identify the working triangle formed by forge, anvil and tool storage, and consider how tool placement can reduce unnecessary carrying, crossing and reaching.

The video above introduces the range of basic blacksmithing tools. Treat it as supplementary observation material, not as a substitute for your instructor's method, local risk controls or equipment instructions.

Jurisdiction and official authority check

Chosen jurisdiction: United Kingdom. Because occupational safety and vocational education are administered differently within the UK, this module labels the scope of each official claim instead of blending systems.

Great Britain safety scope: workplace-safety references in this module use the Health and Safety Executive, HSE, and apply to England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland has separate enforcement arrangements through HSENI and is not treated as automatically equivalent here.

England vocational pathway scope: the apprenticeship reference in this module is the Skills England Blacksmith occupational standard ST0378, Level 3, version 1.1, approved for delivery. This is an England apprenticeship reference and is not presented as a qualification pathway for Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

United Kingdom standards scope: BSI is the UK's National Standards Body. BSI states that standards are consensus documents and are typically voluntary; their legal or contractual relevance depends on the context. For machinery and product supply, current UK designated standards and product rules must be checked where applicable.

Source check date: 1 September 2026. Current official sources checked for this module include:

Priority rule: official law, regulator guidance, current standards where applicable, manufacturer instructions, employer procedures and the local risk assessment take precedence. This course does not grant certification, competence or permission to operate machinery.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this module, you should be able to explain the purpose of common forging tools and aids, select suitable materials with traceability in mind, identify defects that require a tool to be quarantined, describe appropriate maintenance, check tool fit and function against a drawing or workplace specification, and justify risk controls for supervised making and maintenance tasks.

You should also be able to document what you did, evaluate quality, reduce avoidable material and energy waste, and recognise when a task must be referred to a more experienced person.

Occupational Context

The Skills England Blacksmith standard describes the occupation as designing, shaping and joining metal components by hot forging and other metalworking processes. Its tool-related skills explicitly include manufacturing and maintaining hand tools such as tongs, punches, chisels, hammers, anvil tools and jigs. It also expects blacksmiths to prepare and maintain materials and equipment, test and adjust work, and maintain a safe working environment.

Authentic workshop examples include:

Forging tongs: making or adjusting jaws so a repeated stock section can be held securely without twisting.
Anvil tools: producing a hardy-mounted bending or forming tool for repeated work while maintaining correct fit in the hardy hole.
Punches and drifts: selecting an identified steel and using a controlled heat-treatment procedure appropriate to that steel and the tool's service.
Jigs and fixtures: making a repeatable stop or bending former for a batch of architectural or artistic components.
Hammer maintenance: checking the head, eye, handle and striking faces, then removing a damaged hammer from service until it is correctly repaired.

Core Concepts

Tool, aid and workpiece

A tool directly applies, supports or resists force during manufacture. Examples are hammers, tongs, chisels, punches, drifts, fullers and swages. An aid helps position, repeat, measure or control the job; examples include jigs, fixtures, templates, stops, gauges and bending forks. The workpiece is the material being shaped.

Good toolmaking begins with the workpiece and the operation. Ask: What must the tool grip, strike, cut, support or locate? What force, heat, wear and repetition will it experience? How will it be inspected and maintained?

Fitness for purpose

A tool is fit for purpose when its material, dimensions, geometry, heat treatment, handle or mounting, surface condition and intended use work together safely. A tool that looks traditional is not automatically safe, and a tool that is very hard is not automatically good. Impact tools require a balance of hardness, toughness and controlled geometry.

For a training workshop, the drawing, sample, approved process sheet or instructor specification should define acceptance criteria before you start.

Material identity and traceability

Use identified stock whenever the steel's properties matter to tool performance. Keep grade markings, supplier certificates, labels or workshop stock records connected to the material. Mark offcuts where practical so useful material does not become anonymous scrap.

Unidentified reclaimed steel may have unknown carbon content, alloy content, prior heat treatment, cracks or coatings. Do not guess that a salvaged component is suitable for an impact tool. In a vocational setting, use it only where a competent person has approved the identification method and intended service.

Do not heat painted, plated, galvanised or otherwise coated stock in a training forge unless an approved workplace process and COSHH assessment specifically covers it. Clean, identified forgeable stock is the normal learning material.

Hardness, toughness and wear

Hardness is resistance to indentation, scratching and wear. Toughness is the ability to absorb energy before fracturing. A highly hardened but insufficiently tempered striking tool may chip or shatter. A very soft cutting tool may deform rapidly.

The required balance depends on tool type and steel grade. Heat treatment must therefore follow an approved schedule for the actual material, not a universal colour recipe.

Normalising, hardening and tempering

Normalising is a controlled heating and cooling treatment used with suitable steels to refine or equalise structure and reduce unwanted effects of previous forging. Hardening uses a steel-specific heating and quenching process to increase hardness. Tempering is a controlled reheating after hardening to reduce brittleness and develop the required balance of properties.

These processes are material-specific. Use the steel supplier's current data, an approved workshop procedure, suitable temperature control and competent supervision. Do not infer a critical heat-treatment temperature only from visible colour.

Tools and Materials

Core hand tools

Tool	Practitioner use	Key selection or maintenance point
Cross-peen or straight-peen hammer	General forging and directional spreading	Head secure, handle sound, faces free from cracks and dangerous chips, face edges dressed to the approved profile
Tongs	Holding and controlling hot work	Jaw shape matches stock, pivot is secure but free, reins align, no cracks or sharp fins
Hot chisel or hot set	Cutting hot stock	Correct tool for hot work, sound edge, striking end not mushroomed
Punch	Displacing material to begin a hole	Working end matches specification, body straight, striking end serviceable
Drift	Sizing and shaping an existing punched hole	Correct taper or profile, smooth working surface, no cracks
Fuller	Localised spreading or forming	Working radius smooth and consistent, top and bottom tools correctly matched when used as a pair
Swage	Finishing or forming a specific section	Cavity clean, edges appropriate to the job, tool stable and correctly supported
Flatter and set hammer	Refining flats, shoulders and transitions	Face condition and edge radius suit the intended finish

Anvil tools and aids

The square hardy hole accepts properly designed bottom tools. A hardy tool should fit with practical clearance so it can be inserted and removed without jamming. The tool must be supported as designed; it must not rely on an unsafe improvised wedge or a shank bottoming in the hole unless the approved design explicitly requires that arrangement.

A bending fork uses two points or lugs to control a bend. A bottom fuller or bottom swage supports or forms the work from below. A bolster supports work during punching or riveting. Jigs, stops and templates improve repeatability but must not introduce hidden pinch points, unstable overhangs or obstructed escape routes.

In the image above, the London-pattern anvil shows a hardy tool in place and a bending fork with its square shank visible. Use the image to distinguish the anvil face, hardy hole and removable bottom tooling.

Work-holding tools

Common tong forms include flat-bit tongs, V-bit tongs, box-jaw tongs, bolt tongs and pick-up tongs. The name describes the jaw geometry or intended stock rather than a universal size.

A good tong fit is judged by function: the jaws contact the intended stock securely, the work does not rock or roll unexpectedly, the reins give controlled hand clearance, and the pivot works without excessive looseness or binding. Do not compensate for poor jaw fit by squeezing excessively.

Use this tong-making video to observe sequence, symmetry and jaw development. Compare the demonstration with your own training provider's approved method before attempting any practical work.

Material selection guide

Tool or aid	Typical material family	Why it may be chosen	Vocational caution
General forge tongs	Low-carbon steel is common	Tough, readily forgeable and easy to adjust	Jaw geometry and pivot quality matter more than making the jaws excessively hard
Rivets and simple pins	Ductile low-carbon steel is common	Allows controlled forming and peening	Size, fit and end condition must match the design
Jigs, templates and light-duty fixtures	Low-carbon structural or engineering steel as specified	Easy fabrication and repair	Load, wear, heat and clamping method still need assessment
Punches, chisels and fullers	Identified carbon, alloy or tool steel selected for service	Can provide wear resistance, hot strength or toughness after correct processing	Follow the exact steel data and approved heat-treatment procedure
Hammer heads and high-impact tools	Purpose-specified hammer or tool steel	Designed to combine strength, toughness and controlled hardness	Do not substitute anonymous scrap or improvise heat treatment
Handles	Sound approved hardwood or manufacturer-specified replacement material	Shock absorption, grip and replaceability	Grain, eye fit, wedges, surface condition and tool-specific instructions matter

There is no single steel grade that is automatically best for every forging tool. Service temperature, impact, wear, section size, available heat-treatment control and repair method all matter.

Consumables and supporting materials

Supporting materials may include layout chalk or soapstone, marking blue where permitted, abrasives, suitable lubricants for cold pivots, corrosion-protection products, cleaning materials, rivets, fasteners and approved handle wedges. COSHH assessments and product safety data must be available where required.

Do not allow oil, solvent, paint, wax or combustible cleaning material to contaminate hot-work zones. Storage, use and disposal must follow the workplace procedure.

Safety Duties and Risk Controls

Great Britain: work equipment

Under PUWER, work equipment must be suitable for its intended use and maintained so that it remains safe. Where deterioration can create danger, inspection arrangements are required. People using work equipment, or carrying out maintenance that exposes them to risk, need appropriate information, instruction and training.

For a forge this can include grinders, drills, power hammers, presses, linishers and other fixed or hand-held machinery. Machine guarding, isolation and maintenance arrangements are equipment-specific. Never bypass guards or improvise an isolation method.

Great Britain: hierarchy of controls

Control risks by starting with elimination and engineering or physical measures before relying on procedural controls and PPE. In practice this can mean choosing a safer process, designing a jig that keeps hands clear, using a correctly guarded machine, providing extraction, reducing noise at source and arranging safe material handling.

PPE is important but does not replace higher-level controls.

Great Britain: PPE

HSE guidance states that employers must protect workers from health and safety risks and provide suitable PPE free of charge where a risk assessment shows it is needed. PPE must be assessed for suitability, maintained, stored, supported by instructions and used correctly.

Forge PPE is task-specific. Eye protection, hearing protection, suitable footwear, clothing and sometimes face or respiratory protection may be required. Gloves are not a universal answer: around rotating machinery they can introduce entanglement hazards, so follow the machine-specific safe system.

PPE must fit the individual. Inclusive provision means having suitable sizes and designs for different bodies, faces, hearing protectors, prescription eyewear needs and mobility requirements.

Great Britain: noise

Forging, grinding and impact work can generate hazardous noise. HSE lists lower and upper daily or weekly exposure action values of 80 dB(A) and 85 dB(A), and an exposure limit value of 87 dB(A) after accounting for hearing protection. Peak limits also apply.

Do not estimate compliance by guesswork. A competent noise assessment may be needed. Control noise at source where reasonably practicable, then use hearing protection and hearing-protection zones where required. Because hearing protection can affect communication, the workshop must also plan visual or other reliable signals.

Great Britain: hazardous substances

Engineering work can expose people to dust, fumes, gases, mists, lubricants, degreasers and coatings. HSE COSHH guidance identifies extraction, suitable PPE or RPE, process control and health surveillance where appropriate as possible controls.

For toolmaking, think beyond the forge flame: grinding dust, scale, coatings, welding fume from fabricated jigs, cleaning chemicals and metalworking fluids can all require controls. Use local exhaust ventilation where specified and keep it maintained and tested according to the workplace system.

Great Britain: manual handling and ergonomics

HSE's manual-handling approach is to avoid hazardous manual handling where reasonably practicable, assess tasks that cannot be avoided and reduce the risk. Toolmaking often involves awkward bars, anvils, swage blocks, tool racks and repeated hammering.

Use mechanical aids, better layout, team handling, smaller units, appropriate working heights and task rotation where they reduce risk. Select a hammer weight appropriate to the task and the trained user rather than treating physical size or strength as a measure of competence.

Hot metal, impact and projectile hazards

Hot steel can remain dangerous after visible colour has faded. Flying scale, chipped tool edges and fragments from mushroomed striking ends can injure eyes and skin. Keep hot material in recognised locations, communicate clearly when placing hot work down, and use barriers or exclusion zones where the process requires them.

Remove cracked, chipped, loose or mushroomed impact tools from service. Do not continue "for one more job". Quarantine the tool, record the defect and repair it only by an approved competent method or replace it.

Inspection and Maintenance

A simple decision flow

Clean and identify	→	Inspect	→	Test fit or function	→	Decide
Remove loose scale and dirt when cold	→	Look for cracks, chips, mushrooming, loose handles, bent reins and worn pivots	→	Check dimensions, jaw contact, hardy fit, free movement or approved gauge	→	Return to service, repair under competent control, or quarantine and replace

This text diagram is a decision aid only. The workplace inspection procedure sets the actual frequency, acceptance criteria and authorisation.

Hammer checks

Check that the head is secure on the handle, the eye and handle are not split, the grip is sound, and the striking faces are not cracked, chipped or dangerously mushroomed. Dress faces only to the approved profile and by an approved method. If the heat treatment or remaining section is uncertain, quarantine the hammer for expert review.

Tong checks

Check the jaw geometry against the intended stock, rivet or bolt condition, free movement, rein alignment, cracks at the boss and shoulders, and excessive wear. A repaired tong must be function-tested cold with representative stock before being returned to hot work.

Punch, drift and chisel checks

Inspect the working end, shaft and striking end. Mushroomed struck ends, cracking, deep laps or distortion are rejection signs until properly repaired. Cutting and punching tools must keep the approved working geometry. If material identity or heat treatment is uncertain after repair, do not assume the tool is safe.

Hardy and bottom-tool checks

Check that the shank enters and leaves the hardy hole freely, the tool sits in its intended orientation, shoulders or support surfaces are sound, and there is no crack at a section change. Never hammer a jammed hardy tool deeper to "make it fit".

Example maintenance record

Record field	Example content
Asset ID	TONG-V-014
Tool	V-bit tongs
Material	Identified low-carbon steel, workshop stock record reference
Intended stock	As stated on the tool tag or drawing
Inspection	Jaw contact, pivot movement, cracks, rein alignment
Defect	Excessive pivot play
Action	Quarantined and referred for approved rivet replacement
Release	Competent person signs after cold function check

Step-by-Step Demonstration: Supervised Making and Fitting of Simple Forge Tongs

This demonstration is intentionally written for a supervised vocational workshop. It does not authorise independent forging. The instructor must provide the drawing, stock size, safe system of work, heat range, equipment settings and inspection criteria appropriate to the actual workshop.

Preparation

Materials: two matched blanks of identified low-carbon steel, an approved pivot rivet or fastener, and representative cold stock for the final fit test.

Tools and equipment: forge, anvil, suitable existing tongs for handling the blanks, forging hammer, measuring and marking tools, approved punch or drilling method for the pivot, and any jigs specified by the instructor.

Controls: completed risk assessment, ventilation and extraction as required, clear hot-metal route, appropriate PPE, serviceable tools, machine guarding and isolation arrangements, and direct supervision.

Demonstration sequence

Confirm the drawing, material identity, intended stock section and acceptance criteria with the instructor before heating anything.
Cut or prepare two matched blanks using the workshop's approved process, then mark the jaw, boss, pivot and rein regions.
Heat only under the instructor's direction and forge the jaw and boss of the first half while maintaining the required section and clean transitions.
Draw or form the rein to the drawing, avoiding thin fins, sharp laps and unnecessary twisting.
Produce the pivot hole by the approved punching or drilling method, keeping the hole position consistent with the drawing.
Make the second half as a mirror partner and compare the two halves before assembly.
Assemble the halves with the specified rivet or fastener so the joint is secure while still allowing free controlled movement.
Adjust jaw alignment under supervision so both jaws contact the representative stock as intended and the work is held without rocking.
Allow the tool to cool by the approved method, remove sharp burrs or scale that would affect handling, and apply any permitted corrosion protection only when the tool is cold.
Carry out the cold fit-and-function inspection, record the material and inspection result, and obtain the required release before the tongs are used on hot work.

What the instructor should demonstrate visibly

The learner should be able to see how the smith keeps the boss and jaw transition free from deep laps, how the two halves are compared for symmetry, how the pivot is tightened without locking the joint, and how jaw contact is checked with representative stock.

A good demonstration also shows what happens when a tool is not acceptable: a cracked boss, excessive pivot play, twisted reins or jaws that contact at only one unstable point should be quarantined or corrected before hot use.

Common Errors and Corrective Thinking

Common error	Why it matters	Better response
Choosing steel by appearance alone	Chemistry and previous treatment are unknown	Use identified material and keep traceability
Making a striking tool as hard as possible	Excessive hardness can reduce toughness and increase chipping risk	Use the specified steel and approved heat-treatment schedule
Allowing a hammer or chisel head to mushroom	Edges can break away as projectiles	Remove from service and dress or replace by an approved method
Tong jaws do not match the stock	The work can roll, slip or twist	Refit or select a jaw form that gives stable contact
Tightening a tong rivet until the joint binds	Control becomes jerky and tiring	Achieve secure assembly with free controlled movement
Forcing a hardy shank into the anvil	Jamming can damage tool, anvil or hands during removal	Make the shank to the approved clearance and support arrangement
Grinding without controlling dust, sparks and noise	Maintenance introduces new hazards	Use the designated guarded station, extraction and PPE
Reheating repeatedly because the sequence was not planned	Wastes fuel and increases oxidation and decarburisation	Plan operations, tools and checks before heating
Keeping defective tools in the normal rack	Another user may unknowingly use them	Quarantine, label and record defects immediately

Quality Criteria

A finished forging tool or aid should be judged against its drawing, sample, workshop specification and intended service, not only by appearance.

Useful quality questions are:

Material: Is the material identity recorded where properties matter?
Geometry: Are working faces, jaw forms, tapers, shoulders and radii correct and repeatable?
Integrity: Is the tool free from cracks, dangerous laps, chips, mushrooming and sharp fins?
Fit: Does the tool fit its anvil hole, stock, handle, rivet, jig or mating tool correctly?
Function: Does it perform the intended action without unexpected movement, binding or instability?
Heat treatment: Where required, was the approved material-specific process followed and recorded?
Finish: Are surfaces clean enough for safe handling and accurate function without removing necessary section?
Traceability: Can another competent worker identify what the tool is for, what material was used and what maintenance has been done?

Sustainability and Resource Efficiency

A sustainable forge does not simply use less material; it keeps useful tools in safe service longer, avoids unnecessary heating and prevents hazardous waste.

Good practice includes selecting stock close to the required section, planning forging sequences to reduce reheats, maintaining forges and burners, reusing sound jigs, segregating known alloy offcuts, recycling clean steel scrap, repairing serviceable tools before replacement where this is safe, and preventing corrosion through appropriate storage.

Keep identified tool-steel offcuts separate from anonymous scrap. A small labelled offcut may be valuable for a future punch or fixture; an unlabelled offcut may become unusable because its properties can no longer be trusted.

Environmental choices also interact with safety. Extraction systems, filters, oils, coatings, solvents and contaminated absorbents must be maintained and disposed of under the workplace environmental and COSHH arrangements. Do not trade a small material saving for increased exposure or fire risk.

Inclusive Workshop Practice

Blacksmithing competence is based on planning, control, judgement and skilled movement, not on matching a stereotype of physical strength. Inclusive toolmaking can use suitable hammer weights, adjustable work heights, mechanical handling aids, team handling, alternative tongs or fixtures, visual communication and task rotation.

Tool handles, PPE and workstations should fit the individual. Learners who use prescription spectacles, hearing aids or other assistive equipment need controls that integrate with those needs. Instructors should plan demonstrations so every learner can see key contact points and inspection details without entering a hazard zone.

Glossary

Term	Meaning in this module
Anvil	The primary supported striking surface used for hand forging
Boss	The thicker pivot region of a pair of tongs
Drift	A tool used to size or shape a hole after material has been punched
Flatter	A struck finishing tool used to refine flat surfaces
Fuller	A tool with a radiused working edge used to spread or localise deformation
Hardy hole	The square hole in an anvil used for compatible bottom tools
Hardy tool	A removable anvil tool with a shank designed to fit the hardy hole
Jig	An aid that locates or guides work so an operation can be repeated consistently
Mushrooming	Plastic deformation that spreads the struck end of a tool into an unsafe overhanging rim
Normalising	A controlled thermal treatment used with suitable steels to refine or equalise structure
Punch	A tool that displaces material to initiate or form a hole
Reins	The long handles of blacksmithing tongs
Rivet	A permanent mechanical fastener formed to join components, such as tong halves
Swage	A forming tool with a shaped cavity or profile
Tempering	Controlled reheating after hardening to reduce brittleness and obtain required properties
Toughness	Ability of a material to absorb energy and resist fracture
Traceability	The ability to connect material or a tool to reliable identity and process records

Reflection

1. Which tool in your workshop would be most dangerous if its material or maintenance history were unknown, and why?
2. How could a better jig, tong fit or tool rack reduce both wasted movement and risk?
3. What defect would make you stop work immediately rather than attempt a quick adjustment?
4. How would you explain the difference between a serviceable tool, a repairable tool and a tool that must be replaced?

Media Study

Use media actively. Pause videos, sketch tool geometry, identify contact surfaces and compare what you see with your workshop's terminology and procedures.

While watching, identify which basic forging skills directly affect toolmaking: drawing out affects reins and tapers; upsetting can build local section; bending controls handles and jigs; punching creates eyes or holes; cutting separates stock; forge welding may appear in some traditional tools but must follow the training provider's approved process.

Interactive Tasks

Quiz: Test Your Knowledge

Why is material traceability important for a forging tool? (It supports correct material selection processing and future maintenance) (!It makes every steel behave the same way) (!It removes the need for inspection) (!It proves the tool is automatically certified)

What is the main purpose of well-fitted forge tongs? (To hold and control the intended stock securely) (!To harden the workpiece during forging) (!To replace all workshop jigs) (!To measure furnace temperature)

What should happen to a mushroomed struck tool before further use? (It should be removed from service for approved repair or replacement) (!It should be struck harder to flatten the rim) (!It should be used only on softer steel) (!It should be stored with serviceable tools)

Which material family is commonly suitable for general forge tongs? (Low carbon steel) (!Ceramic tile) (!Grey cast iron) (!Lead sheet)

What is the lower daily or weekly noise exposure action value stated by HSE for Great Britain? (80 dB A) (!50 dB A) (!65 dB A) (!110 dB A)

What is PUWER concerned with in this module? (Safe provision use inspection and maintenance of work equipment) (!Automatic qualification of blacksmiths) (!Pricing of handmade ironwork) (!Design copyright for decorative gates)

How should a hardy tool normally fit the anvil hardy hole? (With practical clearance according to the approved design) (!By being hammered in until it jams) (!By being welded permanently into the anvil) (!By balancing loosely on the horn)

Why is PPE not the only control for forge hazards? (Higher level controls should reduce risk before PPE addresses residual risk) (!PPE is never required in a forge) (!PPE makes risk assessment unnecessary) (!PPE is used only for visitors)

What is a key quality check for newly made tongs? (The jaws hold the intended stock without unstable rocking) (!The reins are as heavy as possible) (!The pivot is locked solid) (!The jaws are polished to a mirror finish)

What level is the current Skills England Blacksmith apprenticeship standard ST0378? (Level 3) (!Level 1) (!Level 5) (!Level 7)

Memory Game

Hardy tool	Removable anvil tool that fits the square hardy hole
Drift	Tool used to size or shape an existing hole
Fuller	Radiused tool used to spread or localise deformation
Rivet	Permanent fastener commonly used to join tong halves
Reins	Long handles of blacksmithing tongs
Tempering	Controlled reheating after hardening to reduce brittleness

Drag and Drop

Match the correct terms.	Topic
Secure stock holding	Tongs
Sizing a punched hole	Drift
Forming a repeated profile	Swage
Checking material identity	Traceability
Removing a defective tool from use	Quarantine

...

Crossword Puzzle

Anvil	What supported striking surface is central to hand forging?
Tongs	What tool holds and controls hot stock?
Fuller	What radiused tool spreads metal locally?
Rivet	What permanent fastener often joins two tong halves?
Tempering	What treatment reduces brittleness after hardening?
Mushrooming	What unsafe spreading can develop on a repeatedly struck tool end?

LearningApps

Cloze Text

Forging tools should be made from

when properties are important to performance. A pair of tongs should grip the intended

without unstable rocking. A mushroomed striking end should be placed in

until it is correctly repaired or replaced. The square anvil opening for bottom tools is the

. A tool used to size a previously punched hole is a

. After hardening, a suitable steel may require controlled

to reduce brittleness. Under the HSE hierarchy, engineering controls should be considered before relying only on

. The Skills England Blacksmith occupational standard is set at

. A maintenance record should preserve material and inspection

. Hazardous forge practical work in this course requires competent

.

Open-Ended Tasks

Easy

Tool audit: In a supervised cold workshop area, photograph or sketch four forging tools, label their working and handling surfaces, and note one inspection point for each.
Material traceability: Create a simple stock-tag system for low-carbon steel and one identified tool steel so offcuts retain their material identity.
Tong fit test: Using cold representative stock and serviceable tongs supplied by your instructor, compare two jaw fits and explain which gives more stable control.
Maintenance record: Design and complete a one-page inspection record for a hammer or pair of tongs without carrying out any hot work.

Standard

Toolmaker interview: Interview a practising blacksmith, tutor or maintenance technician about the most common tool defect they reject and summarise the decision criteria in a short report.
Risk control storyboard: Produce a six-frame drawing or photo storyboard showing the safe sequence for inspecting, quarantining and returning a repaired forge tool to service.
Supervised tong project: Under direct workshop supervision, make or refit a simple pair of tongs to an instructor drawing, record the material and process, and present the cold fit check.
Sustainability audit: Observe a supervised forge session and map where steel, fuel, abrasives and tool life are lost, then propose three realistic improvements that do not weaken safety controls.

Advanced

Tool failure analysis: Analyse a quarantined tool or instructor-provided failure photograph, distinguish likely geometry, wear, material and maintenance factors, and recommend evidence needed before deciding on repair.
Jig development: Design a cold prototype or CAD model of a repeatable bending or locating jig, annotate loads and pinch points, and present it for expert review before any workshop manufacture.
Material selection study: Compare two identified candidate steels for a punch, fuller or other instructor-approved tool using supplier data, then justify which service conditions each material suits without assuming cross-grade heat treatment.
Expert review video: Produce a short instructional video with your tutor or a practising smith that demonstrates a safe cold inspection of forging tools and clearly states which later hot or machine operations require competent supervision.

Learning Assessment

Tool selection reasoning: Given three workpieces and four tong types, justify the safest functional match and identify what evidence you would need before hot use.
Defect decision: Review a set of tool-condition photographs and classify each item as serviceable, requiring competent repair, or requiring quarantine and replacement, with reasons.
Material decision: Use supplied material data to choose a suitable material family for a tong, jig and impact tool, explaining why one material cannot be assumed suitable for all three.
Maintenance planning: Build a risk-based maintenance plan for a small forge tool set, linking inspection points to likely failure modes and recording responsibility.
Safety transfer: Explain how PUWER, COSHH, noise control, PPE and manual-handling principles interact during a supervised tool-maintenance task involving grinding and handling heavy tooling.
Quality transfer: Given a newly made tool that works but does not meet the drawing, decide whether it can be accepted, reworked or rejected and justify the decision from function, integrity and traceability evidence.

Evidence of Learning

Evidence type	What good evidence can show
Knowledge	Correct use of practitioner terminology, material-selection reasoning, awareness of GB safety duties and clear distinction from the England apprenticeship pathway
Skills	Safe cold inspection, measurement, fit testing, defect recognition, record keeping and supervised manufacture or adjustment to an approved drawing
Products	A serviceable tool or cold prototype, inspection record, material traceability record, annotated drawing, jig design or maintenance plan
Quality judgement	Ability to compare a tool with defined criteria and to quarantine rather than improvise when evidence is insufficient
Transfer	Ability to apply the same reasoning to an unfamiliar tong, anvil tool, jig or maintenance problem without assuming that another country's rules or another steel grade are equivalent
Professional behaviour	Clear communication, respect for supervision boundaries, responsible use of resources and willingness to seek expert review

OERs on the Topic

The original instructional text of this aiMOOC is provided for publication under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International licence. Wikimedia Commons media included in this course retain the individual licences stated on their Commons file pages. Embedded YouTube videos remain under the rights and platform terms chosen by their uploaders; embedding them does not relicense their content.

Useful openly accessible media pages include:

Expert Review Checklist

Before this module is adopted for workshop delivery, a competent blacksmithing or engineering educator should review the practical sequence against the actual forge layout, equipment manuals, learner supervision arrangements and tool drawings.

The reviewer should also confirm that the current HSE guidance, Skills England standard, applicable BSI or designated standards, COSHH assessments, noise controls, PPE selection, fire arrangements, machinery guarding and isolation procedures match the workplace. Any material-specific heat treatment must be checked against current supplier data or an approved metallurgical procedure.

Media links and Commons licences should be rechecked if the course is substantially revised. No part of this aiMOOC should be used to claim automatic equivalence with qualifications, legal duties, job titles or standards in another country.