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Description
My very first blacksmithing piece! It is a fire poker, used to move coal and coke around and keep the fire going. This is an important tool for a blacksmith, since without fire not much gets done. Made from 1/4" mild steel, fired in a coal forge.

Learned how to make the metal flat, learned how to make a bend or two. Learned how _not_ to measure or estimate lengths.

Things I'm pleased with: having observed an expert smith at work before he set me loose, I managed to get the flat bit at the end pretty much the same thickness throughout, and I managed to pick up the trick to hammering the sides to keep the width under control.

Things I'm not so pleased with: the handle. Third try I got it close enough to how I imagined (and learned how to straighten a bend in the process), but feeling it now I think I'd rather reverse the curves so the wide bit's at the end instead. The angle for the flat bit is also a little sharper than I'd planned, but I'm going to see how it works- I can always change it later if I feel the need. Also, despite remembering on the first try, by the third try I'd forgotten to work from the end in- I did the sharper curve first, then awkwardly bashed the rest of the curves in on funny angles. Still! Every point there is something I learned not to do next time.

Also, I learned how to identify clinkers, the basics of forge tending (managed to put it out once, though), and some materials instructions on lighting a forge (birch bark. it is teh win, and lights, I quote, "like gasoline.")

Description
My very first blacksmithing piece! It is a fire poker, used to move coal and coke around and keep the fire going. This is an important tool for a blacksmith, since without fire not much gets done. Made from 1/4" mild steel, fired in a coal forge.

Learned how to make the metal flat, learned how to make a bend or two. Learned how _not_ to measure or estimate lengths.

Things I'm pleased with: having observed an expert smith at work before he set me loose, I managed to get the flat bit at the end pretty much the same thickness throughout, and I managed to pick up the trick to hammering the sides to keep the width under control.

Things I'm not so pleased with: the handle. Third try I got it close enough to how I imagined (and learned how to straighten a bend in the process), but feeling it now I think I'd rather reverse the curves so the wide bit's at the end instead. The angle for the flat bit is also a little sharper than I'd planned, but I'm going to see how it works- I can always change it later if I feel the need. Also, despite remembering on the first try, by the third try I'd forgotten to work from the end in- I did the sharper curve first, then awkwardly bashed the rest of the curves in on funny angles. Still! Every point there is something I learned not to do next time.

Also, I learned how to identify clinkers, the basics of forge tending (managed to put it out once, though), and some materials instructions on lighting a forge (birch bark. it is teh win, and lights, I quote, "like gasoline.")