Kitchenalia
Time at the forge is always time well spent. A few years ago now, we made iron from ore *gasp*. It was quite the experience. I had been thinking for days (and years) about what I would like to make with my small piece of smelted iron and soon realized that some practice was in order. So I started today’s adventure with some bar steel for practice. One day I hope my chunk of smelted iron will become a pot hanger but if it splits into smaller pieces I will be happy to make a series of dress pins, chatelaine of health care implements, or the like. But before I try it out, I will have to have my drawing (making the metal long) skills at prime because I will have to be able to make a chunk into something linear for any of the above projects mentioned.
I practiced my tapering skills on the handle by making a “tang.” One day soon I will split a log and make a handle for it. It won’t burn my hands then when I stick it in the fire to warm up. Some ideas I had for its use was to warm up a vessel of water for washing dishes or hands and bathing. It could also be used as a stove element on the fire. A place to warm up, or keep, a pot on the fire by keeping it out of the coals. It is also big enough to cook “hearth cakes” one at a time…
Also shown is another hook, not finished. Eventually, it will become two hooks for drying herbs in my kitchen. The remainder of the photos is self-explanatory. Looking forward to another forge day in the near future to try out more techniques and make more stuff.
