Blacksmithing at Old Poway Park, Dec. 2001

The Dragon Patrol got to do some blacksmithing. Mr. Stobbe arranged for the boys to make flint strikers out of metal files. The boys had to learn how to start a coal fire and to get the forges up to the correct temperature. Then the files went into the fire to get red hot. First step was to put a big dent, or fuller, in the middle of the file. The fuller was the start of the long tapered handle. It takes a surprising number of heating and hammering cycles before this fuller gets correctly established. Once the fuller is established, the remaining end of the file gets hammered down into a long rat tail. This took a whole bunch more heating and hammering. The boys quickly learned how to work as a team to get their files into the forge and out onto the anvil quickly before the metal cooled off. The steel of the files is hard stuff and it takes alot of hard hammering to get the metal to flatten out. You can only hit the steel when it is glowing red hot. The metal also liked to twist and bend alot, so many of the hammer blows were used just to keep the handle forming straight. After the handles were formed, the long straight handles were curved around with more heating, hammering and bending. Next step was to anneal the steel by getting the entire flint striker evenly heated to a dull red glow and then letting it cool off slowly. The final step was to harden the steel by getting the entire flint striker red hot again and then quenching it quickly in a bucket of special oil. Mr. Stobbe provided the boys with small pieces of flint and sparks were made by everyone. The boys next challenge will be to actually start a real fire using the flint and their striker!

Getting the fire started. Adding coke to the coal. Cameron cranks away on the hand powered bellows.

By the end of the day everyone had had their fill of turning the crank of the blowers.

Getting the fire going on the second forge. Big Mike, Jason, Alex, Matt and Mr. Stobbe.

Nathan works the bellows while Cameron gets his file into the fire. Hot Stuff!

Big Mike and Alex work together hitting while Mr. Stobbe holds the hot file with tongs.

Matt watches while Big Mike gets the file hot again.

Matt, Nathan and Jason relax after alot of hard work.

Showing of the finished flint strikers.

Back row: Doug, Big Mike, Mr. Stobbe, Jesse

Front row: Jason, Matt, Cameron, Alex and Nathan