Woodworking and Blacksmithing:

TOP 35 DIY Outdoor and Indoor Projects for Beginners

Disclaimer: All photos used in this book, including the cover photo were made available under a Attribution-Non Commercial-Share Alike 2.0 Generic and sourced from Flickr

Table of content:

Book 1

Woodworking: Top 20 DIY Projects for Your Backyard with Step-by-Step Instructions

Introduction: Understanding Different Kinds of Wood

Chapter 1: Wood Working Tools You Need

The Standard Hand Drill

Tape Measurer

Hand Saw

Power Jointer

Chapter 2: Wood Work for the Lawn and Garden

Wooden Doormat

Wooden Garden Stool

Making Raised Garden Beds

Creating Cold Frames

Constructing Compost Bins

Planter Box

Chapter 3: Pallet Wood Working Projects

Pallet Chair

Porch Pallet Swinging Chair

Shoe Rack Pallet

Dog House Pallet

Pallet Wine Shelf

Chapter 5: Arts and Crafts

The Pallet Art Palette

Giant Wooden Spoons

Cutting Boards

Wooden Candle Holder

Wooden Puzzle Pieces

Giant Wooden Heart

Decorative Chess and Checkerboard

Wooden Globe Stand

Create Your Own Picture Frame

Conclusion: All About the Wood!

Book 2

Blacksmithing: 15 DIY Blacksmithing Outdoor and Indoor Projects for Beginners

Introduction: How to Get Started

Have Good Hammering Posture

Make Sure You Protect Your Face

Have a Good Workbench

Develop a Drawing Technique

Learn How to Bend the Metal

Learn How to Upset the Metal

Chapter 1: A few fun Indoor Decorative Items

Troll Figurines

Horse Head Statuette

Seahorse Sculptures

Hanging Horseshoes

Decorative Heart Shaped Hooks

Chapter 2: Forging Some Practical Tools of the Trade

The Blacksmith Wrench

Steel Ring

Chain Link Fence

The Carpenters Brace

Creating a Common Pair of Pliers

Chapter 3: Blacksmith Projects for the Home and Garden

Living Room Angel

Vine Candlestick

Household Broom

Fireplace Grate

Blacksmith Garden Snake

Conclusion: DIY Blacksmithing has Never Been Better

Woodworking:

Top 20 DIY Projects for Your Backyard with Step-by-Step Instructions

Introduction: Understanding Different Kinds of Wood

You may ask, what is there to understand about a piece of woodwork? Quite simply said; a lot! Lest we forget, wood comes from a living creature, (that’s right, your wooden coffee table was not always an inanimate object folks!) a living creature called a tree. Trees are one of the oldest living organisms on planet Earth, and they have quite a history all on their own.

There are a vast number of different kinds of trees on this good Earth, but for all intents and purposes they can be mainly broke down as belonging into two main categories; soft and hard wood. When you are working with wood it is absolutely crucial for you to know just which one of these categories you are dealing with. These categories of course can be broken down further as you get more specific on what kind of wood you want and what you want it to do for your wood working project.

The main hardwood trees that are used in wood working are Birch, Oak, and Maple. And when it comes to softwood trees, the main trees that we see being used are, Hemlock, Spruce, and Pine. These are the main categories and types that you will be dealing with in your wood working routine, so you need to become better acquainted with them. You have to always remember that the integrity and constitution of anything you build out of wood is only as good as the constitution of the tree that it was taken from.

If for example, you want to fashion a sturdy kitchen table, you are best off using hardwood, and among the hardwood types most commonly used for such a task are Oak and maybe Maple. These kinds of wood provide us with that hard and sturdy surface that we are looking for when we want to sit down at the dinner table! Softwoods on the other hand would usually not be used for such a task due to their more malleable quality.

This malleability of soft wood however is of great benefit when you need to construct something such as a rocking chair that needs to be able to bend a bit in the process. If you are trying to create outdoor furniture on the other hand, you will need not only a hardwood, but one that is resistant to moisture and fungi (rain causes all kinds of things to sprout up on wood) one of the best in this category would be “Black Locust” wood hands down.

As you can see there are a lot of ways and reasons that you may approach the wood you use for woodworking, just try to make sure that you fully understand them before you begin your projects. Once you understand the different kinds of woods that are available and you are then well on your way to understanding the basic fundamentals of wood working itself.

Chapter 1: Wood Working Tools You Need

A woodworking tool man needs some good tools! Having that said, this chapter seeks to provide you with the most up to date information on what tools work best for what types of wood, and when and where you may need them the most. No stone is left unturned in this chapter to present you with the very best of the wood working tools that you will most certainly need on your quest to become the best carpenter around!

The Standard Hand Drill

The common hand drill is a classic standby for the carpenter and you will need one for many of the projects that will be presented in this book. This drill is what will help you tunnel on fixed point to another through your wood materials. If you don’t have a hand drill now you need to get one, because wood working just isn’t the same without it. I’ve used the standard hand drill for yours and I still don’t have any complaints

The standard hand drill is preferable to the newer cordless variety, because the cordless drills are notorious battery drainers and can be quite a nuisance to recharge. If you are a beginning and you need extra time to do your work. I don’t mean to seem like a salesman pitching a product here, but I really would highly recommend the standard (cord based) hand drill. Quite simply, the sooner you have one of these tools at your disposal, the better off you will be.

Tape Measurer

Without a proper tape measure you are not going to be able to get a whole lot done, and what you do manage to stitch together will probably be so full of errors that it probably won’t be worth the effort it took you to build it in the first place! A good, quality tape measure can be purchased at most hardware and home improvement stores.

One of the good things about this tape measurer is that it is clearly and precisely labeled with what are known as “tics”. These tics are designated little markings all along the fiberglass (or metallic) tape of your tape measurer that show you exactly how to measure any given surface. The tape measurers are your gate keeper to accuracy, so make sure you use it.

These tape measurers should work with what are called either “imperial units” or “metric” units. Meaning it should either be broken down in inches and feet, or centimeters and meters. You should be able to clearly see these indications for the entire length of the tape measurer. So keep your eyes peeled and be sure to take note!

Hand Saw

Any good carpenter will tell you that the common hand saw is one of the most important wood working tools in their arsenal, and you shouldn’t leave the tool shed without it! This is the classic standard when ti comes to cutting wood and the sharp teeth on a good saw can usually cut even the hardest of stock wood materials. I still haven’t met a grain based piece of wood that a good saw tooth couldn’t make short work of!

When it comes to the art form of wood working the common hand saw is basically your paint brush, it is the tool that you will be using the most frequently, and from the outset to shape and mold what it is that you are trying to do. This is your modus operandi for wood working. This is the tool you use to make it all come together.

The typical hand saw is cut in a “cross cut” fashion which is great for allowing you to easily glide across many different kinds of wood surfaces. So yes, if you don’t already have one, go out to your hardware store and get yourself a quality hand saw today. And if you can’t buy one, borrow it! I’m sure that neighbor of yours has one lying around right? However you do it is you do it; just make sure you get one!

Power Jointer

This tool is a bit more complex and the mere sight of it has been known to intimidate the crap out of beginning carpenters, but there is really nothing to fear about the power jointer. This device is simply used to help you better flesh out bends in your wood. Think about it a power jointer as basically an industrialized version of sandpaper. Sand paper has been used in wood working for thousands of years and is the most primitive way to go about smoothing out the rough edges of a piece of wood.

But with a power jointer, instead of having to spend 10 hours smoothing out your wood with a little scrap of sand paper you can just run it through the power jointer and have it done just a matter of minutes. Believe me, I use a power jointer all the time and it absolutely works wonders into the wood detail. When you have a good power jointer, with barely any effort at all, you can create masterpieces of wood work.

Just be sure that you get a versatile power jointer, because some of the more standard table top varieties have been known to limit the scope of the kind of work you can do with it. It is for this reason that the “Rigid Power Jointer” is most likely the best kind of jointer you could use for the wide variety of wood working projects that you expect to complete as presented in this wood working guide book.

Chapter 2: Wood Work for the Lawn and Garden

The part of your home that we refer to as your lawn and garden should be at least the one part of your home that is full of rest and relaxation. It should be the place that you leave the stress, and the hustle and bustle behind. Use the wood working projects presented here to enhance the rest, relaxation, and laid back vibes of your lawn and garden.

Wooden Doormat

If you have a lot of traction going in and out of your house; a lot of people coming and going, you don’t want to be a doormat, but you just might want to build a doormat. When you and anyone else in your company come in from a day spent in the garden you need a good place to wipe all the dirt, grass, and potting soil that has accumulated on your feet.

This is where the wooden doormat comes into play. To make your own wooden door mat, get out your tape measurer, and place the tape up to the wooden material you wish to use for your mat. Measure precisely how long and how wide you want your doormat to be. These dimensions are all up to you, so just do whatever works.

Now take a black marker or crayon and use it to annotate exactly where you need to make your first few cuts on the wooden surface. After you have done this, take out your hand drill and begin work drilling out the holes that you will need to construct your wooden doormat.

Next, run your wooden doormat over your power jointer to smooth out any rough edges. After you have done all of this the rest is really just aesthetics. You can make your doormat look a lot nicer by painting some good old fashioned wood stain across the matt. Now just leave it outside to dry in the sunshine of your garden and your wooden doormat is complete.

Wooden Garden Stool

The garden is a nice place to take a seat, but you better be careful about what you use for a chair! I used to enjoy sitting on a tree stump in my garden until I was attacked by a bunch of crazy fire ants. So in order to avoid such a fate, you can opt to sit on a nice wooden garden stool instead! Even if the world isn’t your footstool, you can at least make the garden your footstool!

To begin work on your stool start off by requisitioning the main parts of what will comprise the stool itself. This means fleshing out what will be your seat, stool legs, and bracing boards. For this project you will need to construct four 5 inch long bracing boards, and four 5 inch long legs, as well as a 2 by 4 inch seat. This is what will make up your garden stool. These pieces will be able to support the basic structure of the stool.

Double check and use your tape measurer, and make sure that you get it right. Once you have these dimensions fleshed out you can then use some standard nailing to affix your legs to your bracing boards. With this framework established, you can then use wood working glue to place your seat righty in place. Just sit out this stool in the sun to dry and your Wooden Garden Stool is complete!

Making Raised Garden Beds

The design process for raised garden beds is fairly simple, but it will save you a lot of trouble in the long run to implement their design into your gardening regimen. In order to get started flesh out 4 five foot long 4 x 4’s and put them into the borders of your garden. You should basically come up with a rectangular shape as depicted in the illustration above.

This is the working framework of your garden beds. But it doesn’t have to be specific. You see, it really doesn’t matter how big your garden is, you can adjust your garden bed frame to match it. Just top it off with a head piece that measures about 6 inches, and a bottom board that measures 4 inches. Finally just create a 3 foot long ditch for drainage in the back, and your garden beds have been successfully raised!

Creating Cold Frames

If you like to garden and would love to extend your growing season well into the winter, then embarking on a woodworking project of constructing a cold frame would be well worth your effort. Combining the best of woodworking and gardening, cold frames are just as practical as they are fun. And they really couldn’t be easier to make.

These things basically function as tiny little greenhouses allowing what precious little sunlight is available during the cold winter months to focus and filter down to your crops that are planted within the safe confines of the frame. And it really couldn’t be easier to construct, all you have to do is take four 2x4’s and assemble them into a square over whatever plants you wish to shelter from the cold.

After you have done this simply take out a piece of tarp or plastic and stretch it over the frame completely covering the plants inside. Securely tape the edges of this plastic material to the wood so that it won’t be blown off.  And that’s about it folks! With a bit of wood working ingenuity you have greatly extended the life of your garden! Enjoy!

Constructing Compost Bins

The material we call “compost” is integral to any success that you may have in the garden. And the structure known as a “compost bin” is just as important in making sure that compost does what it is supposed to do. So how do you make a compost bin? That’s easy. Check it out. Just dig four equally spaced out holes in a square formation in a free spot of your garden.

When I say free, I mean an area where there are no plants growing or any other obstructive material present. After you have done this requisition yourself four 2 x 4 pieces of wood and place one in each of your holes. You should submerge these 2 by 4’s at least 4 feet down into the ground in order for them to be effective.

Once you have done these you are going to want to take a couple of strong 2 by 2’s and use them to fill in the gaps between your 2 x 4 wooden posts. These are the walls of your compost bin so use them to fill up each side of your walled in posts. When you are finished you should basically have a large wooden box in your garden. Now fill this baby up with compost and you are ready to roll!

Planter Box

These wood crafted planter boxes look and work great in your lawn and garden. In order to make your own you will need to have a basic softwood material such as conifer. You will need to construct a base, top, trim, and sides, as well as any optional lattice work.

Use some carbon paper to lay out these dimensions and after running the wood through your power jointer use your trusty hand saw to cut them out. These pieces can be assembled together by drilling wood screws into the joints or even just by gluing them together with a good batch of wood working glue.

Chapter 3: Pallet Wood Working Projects

The common everyday shipping pallet has helped industrialized nations all over the globe get their products from one port to another on a daily basis. But what usually happens when these titans of industry are done with these nearly indestructible shipment containers?

They toss them to the side! Yes, it is the sad reality of a distribution center, but you my friends can give these abandoned pallets a new home and new life as part of your pallet wood working projects! So lets keep it moving along! Go ahead and keep reading to find out more!

Pallet Chair

If you make anything out of a pallet you should make something you can sit on! And the pallet chair not only fits this bill, it perfects it! I’d have to say in all my many years of experience of sitting on my butt (I have quite a few under my belt mind you!) that these pallet chairs are darn near some of the most comfortable you could ever sit on! Begin construction of your pallet chair by fleshing out the parts that will make up the total piece.

First, take some carbon paper and place it on your wood, then use a marker to mark the lines that you need to cut on, once you have done this you can use your handsaw to saw these pieces from the wood itself. You should come up with a pair of side stretchers that will wrap around the legs and the back slats. You will also have pieces to put down for seating. Put all of these together and you have yourself a fabulously fantastic pallet chair!

Porch Pallet Swinging Chair

The only thing better than a great pallet chair inside the house is one outside of it! This swinging pallet chair is an ingenious design that is sure to lift your spirits even on the rainiest of afternoons! And construction is fairly straightforward and simple. Just take a single pallet and cut it in two. With this pallet halved in this manner, take one half and stand it up on the other in a couch-like shape.

Keep these pallet halves in place like this and then take your hand drill and some wood working screws and proceed to screw the two halves together, making sure that they are evenly spaced apart. Once you have done this, take some steel hooks and fasten them right to the back and the seat of the pallet. You will need six hooks for this task. Place one on each top corner of the seat, and one on each top corner of the back half.

Once these are in place you can then either hook up a steel chain or some other material such as a nylon-cord, through the hooks. Now you are going to take your two remaining hooks (at this point you have only used four) and you are going to fasten these two hooks up on your porch ceiling, spread evenly apart so that they line up roughly with the hooks on your pallet.

Now run the chain or nylon you have through the pallet hooks, up into the hooks you fastened to the porch overhang. You could also construct your own awning and attach it from there. Either way your Porch Pallet Swinging Chair is complete! Get ready for some rest and relaxation!

Shoe Rack Pallet

This wood working project is so simple it is ingenious! Really all you have to do is just tilt the pallet as is up against the side of your living room wall and there you have it folks; instant shoe rack! This is beyond beginner basics! All it requires is simply the motor skills to lift the pallet up and turn it upside down!

If you want to start at the very beginning of carpentry skills, make a pallet shoe rack! And it’s worth it! I mean, this baby can hold as much as 20 shoes! It’s really a great investment any way you look at it! And you are just going to love knowing where your shoes are for a change!

Dog House Pallet

Just look how happy that little doggy is! Listen guys, you don’t have to be in the dog house in order to enjoy a good Dog House Pallet! In order to make your own Dog House Pallet just take two standard pallets and stand them up in an “A” frame, angled at about 90 degrees. Now just drill 6 evenly spaced holes where the tops of these pallets come together.  Just put in some screws to secure the assembly and voila! Instant Dog House Pallet! So go ahead and give that dog a home!

Pallet Wine Shelf

This one is a classic! And even if you don’t drink one you could enjoy the vintage art that such an artifice employs! It’s relatively simple too. Really all you have to do is cut off the very end of a pallet and hang it up on your wall! This will make for the perfect shelf in which you can hang up all kinds of wine, beer, or what have you. So spice up your life and try out some of these pallet wood working projects! And I will drink to that!

Chapter 5: Arts and Crafts

Bring out your artistic side! These woodworking arts and crafts are a great way to be creative and to enhance the décor of your home. Now go ahead and get busy folks! There are a lot of cool things to learn in this chapter, so pat attention and don’t slack off. There is a wide variety of styles and styling’s to catch on to. It’s just like Pokémon guys, and you’ve just got to catch them all!

The Pallet Art Palette

As it turns out, the pallet in its natural state makes for the perfect Art Palette! Many have turned the drab, plain exterior of these industrial grade pieces of freight and turned them into beautiful murals and mosaics. And even if you aren’t the most gifted of artists, you could make a completely unique piece of work just by painting a phrase on the surface of the board.

Heck, even a giant smiley face would be cool! There is really no end to what you can do with a blank piece of palette and some paint! There is simply an endless variety of ways that you can do something really incredible with a pallet as your art palette.

Giant Wooden Spoons

For this one you are going to need to get out a fairly clear bit of wood that measures three fourths of an inch thick and ten inches long, as well as 3 inches wide. First get out your raw wood material and then place a piece of carbon paper over it, with a magic marker sketch out the above mentioned dimensions right onto the surface of the wood.

Now get your handsaw and begin to quickly saw out these exact specifications from the wood. Finally, just sand down your wood, make sure it’s smooth, and your giant wooden spoon is ready to be proudly displayed up on your walls! Just don’t invite any giants over because they may get confused and think that your wall art is what you expect them to eat with! And I’d hate to watch a giant wooden spoon after old big foot slobbered all over it!

Cutting Boards

Just take any old flat piece of scrap wood and grind it down to an even flatter surface. You can use the power jointer for this task or you could default back to sand paper if you like. It’s not rocket science of course; the main goal is just to make a flat and smooth piece of wood. You may want to add some wood stain for aesthetic purposes.

But really just a smooth block of wood will do the trick, if you are planning on actually using the cutting board for its intended purpose; cutting! You can cut your veggies (and whatever else) up on a board like this just fine! Just slap that tomato and green peppers on it and get to work!

Wooden Candle Holder

To get started on this one just take out one plain wooden board and with either your wood jointer or a good piece of sandpaper, smooth out the rough edges of the wood. Once you have done this you just need to drill 3 concise holes for what will be your tea lights. Three is a good number, and seems to balance out most centerpieces.

Just pop some candles in this bad boy and consider it a job well done! I like to put this piece up on my mental, and if I’m about to have company over I usually put some nice scented candles inside the candle holder. It works great every single time! You can’t go wrong!

Wooden Puzzle Pieces

Just like the pieces of a puzzle, this project literally comes together! Take a regular old 2 by 4 piece of wood and refine it until it is nice and smooth. Now take a piece of carbon paper and place it over the wood. Now just use a marker to sketch out unique and interesting shapes. As you can see from the illustration above, I’ve managed to depict the state of Indiana!

But however you do it, just cut the shapes out and you have yourself a set of Wooden Puzzle Pieces! This puzzle pieces can be random or as the photo above portrays, they can be part of an actual depiction of something. These puzzle pieces are a lot of fun to make and they look great as folksy decorations around the house.

Giant Wooden Heart

It is simple, but it’s beautiful. Just get a big flat piece of wood and smooth sketch out a heart design on carbon paper. Now take the wood over to your power jointer to refine the curves that will make up your heart. Use your hand saw or even a grinder to flesh out the dimensions needed and you will soon have a Giant Wooden Heart on your hands. It’s really a nice piece of work when everything is said and done.

I have seen these self same wooden hearts for sale in the mall for quite a pretty penny, so if you become good at fashioning this particular craft it could actually pay you back some dividends. You could even post up your product on craft sites such as Etsy; it’s a good way to make an easy honest buck folks! Besides, it’s always nice to see the little guy get a far shake every once in a while isn’t it? So eat your heart out corporate clowns! Because us carpenters got heart! A giant wooden heart in fact!

Decorative Chess and Checkerboard

This exquisitely carved game board looks great as a decoration in your study and is entertaining as an actual working game you and your guests can play amongst each other. Everyone loves the elegant texture of this chess piece, and it’s not hard to make either. Start off by cutting out individually matched strips of wood. These strips should be about 10 inches long and one inch wide.

You should cut 8 of these out from your main wood material. Smooth these strips of wood out on your power jointer and make sure they are uniform in shape and as identical as you can possibly get them. Now take your wood working glue and glue the 8 strips together longwise. After they are secured together and our glue dries, take some wood-stain and stain ever other strip of wood.

This will give you a light strip/dark strip color contrast effect, as you will soon see, this is important for the overall makeup of what will become your checkerboard. Now you just need to fashion a few chess pieces and your Decorative Chess and Checkerboard is complete!

Wooden Globe Stand

If you have an old globe that you would like to spruce up into something really nice check out this Wooden Globe Stand! This project can basically be broken down into four main parts. Start off by fashioning your legs from a piece of 2 x 2 stock wood. Use straight across cuts until you have achieved 4 legs that are 8 inches high respectively.

Now get out a flat piece of wood and whittle it down to a rectangle shape that measures 8 inches long and 4 inches wide, now cut out a circular hole in the center (this is where your globe will go). Once this hole is fashioned attach each of your legs to a corner of the rectangle with wood screws. Now just put your globe right in the middle of this stand and admire the elegance that this classy Wooden Globe Stand calls forth!

Create Your Own Picture Frame

Even without anything to put inside these classy wooden frames, they look good enough to hang up on the wall. The best wood to use for this project is soft wood based pine. Start off by cutting out two lateral arms that are 8 inches long and 2 inch wide, and two vertical arms that are 6 inches long and 2 inches wide. These pieces should fit together perfectly to form a rectangle.

Use the power jointer or sand paper to smooth these pieces of wood down. Once they are nice and smooth, assembly into a rectangle formation and use wood working glue to hold the pieces in place. Once the glue has dried your picture frame is complete!

Conclusion: All About the Wood!

Carpentry, or as it is otherwise known; woodworking, is one of the most fulfilling enterprises you could ever take part in. There is just something about taking a plain block of wood that was rather meaningless and bland, and then crafting something remarkable from it. It is the thrill of creation that keeps us wood working enthusiasts coming back for more. And the better you get at the craft the better the things you can make.

It’s a learning process. And once you get to the point that you can make all of your own furniture, as well as enjoying the craft, you will ultimately save a lot with your finances as well. When you can make a kitchen table just as nice as the furniture store this is a definite bonus. And pretty soon you will be all about the wood! Thank you for taking the time to read this book!

Blacksmithing:

15 DIY Blacksmithing Outdoor and Indoor Projects for Beginners

Introduction: How to Get Started

Blacksmith was for the past 100 years mostly a lost art, factories and big metal smelting industry had all but negated the need for the local blacksmith. But there has been a recent resurgence in the interest into this ancient trade and many backyard blacksmiths are coming to learn for themselves the awe and wonder that this age old art can inspire.

There is in fact a kind of sacred soul that blacksmithing espouses; primal energy that has worked its way across all nations of the planet from the past to the present. But beyond this primal enthusiasm you will also need to know a bit of technique in order to get started. So right here at the outset of this book here are a few tips and tricks to get you started on the right foot.

Have Good Hammering Posture

If you would like to get the best of your little blacksmith operation then you need to have a good hammering posture. This means that every instance in which you engage the anvil with your hammer you need to keep your legs in the right formation, and your back arched for momentum. This will help out with maintaining your center of gravity.

In doing this you should make sure that your right foot is always situated directly in front and that your left foot is always slightly to the rear. Also keep your head up, and angled toward the left-hand side of the anvil. This is the best hammering posture to have so that you can avoid the horrific experience of having your hammer fly back up off the anvil and hitting you in the face!

It sounds like some sort of comical carton to imagine someone striking down on the hard surface of a hammer only to have that said hammer fly back up and smack them right in the head, but this very thing happens a lot more than most people realize. Just a few weeks ago I had a friend that had to be rushed to the emergency room for just such a contingency.

He was apparently so into hammering out a new sword for himself that he forgot all about his hammering posture and just began hammering away without any form at all. This came back to bite him with a vengeance in the form of a mistimed hammer blow that ricocheted up into his chin! I visited him the next day and he had his jaw wired shut! Not a pretty sight folks! So in order to avoid this grisly fate make sure you keep a good hammering posture in place at all times.

Make Sure You Protect Your Face

Needless to say, your face is very important for you, and if you would like to enjoy it a little while longer, then you need to protect it! This means wearing goggles and other protective headgear. Welding goggles are one of the best forms of protection you could muster and should cover your entire face. Without this protection just one small piece of soot could wreak havoc if it gets in your eyes but it’s even worse if it gets up your nose!

I know this first hand because I have inhaled my fair share of soot! I can remember one occasion in particular in which I had just laid down the best horseshoe, and was wrapping up my project when I took a deep breath and inhaled a burning ember from the forge! The reaction was immediate, my nose and throat were instantly singed and I immediately erupted into a coughing spasm. Needless to say I was put out of commission for a little while!

Thankfully, I eventually recuperated but if you would like to save yourself from this kind of trouble, be sure to protect your face at all times. And for those of you that seek more protection than mere goggles might provide then you should opt for the use of a welding helmet. These helmets cover your entire head, easily protecting eyes, nose, and ears.

The dark shield of the front visor is also extremely beneficial when it comes to protecting your eyes from bright light such as the intense arc that is created when blacksmithing. These helmets are available at many hardware, and even sporting goods stores. So yes, be sure you protect your face!

Have a Good Workbench

Every dedicated blacksmithing enthusiast needs to have a good workbench at their disposal. The workbench should be the place that you store your tools in, and the place that you can make last minute tweaks. It also makes for a good seat! If you find yourself getting a little bit weary, you can literally sit down on your workbench.

You should keep your most used and familiar equipment such as your tongs, hammers, and pliers, all within easy reach from your workbench. One good design for a workbench is to have a strong I-beam structure used as what is termed a “farmer’s anvil”. Yes, with this design your workbench can indeed turn into a kind of anvil in itself.

But you shouldn’t do any heavy work on it; the workbench is mainly just for all the revising and tweaking that might need to be done after the fact. Another way to improve upon this workbench design is to drill two holes into the bench from which you can mount a proper vice to the bench. With all of these mechanisms in place you can have a very good workbench indeed.

Develop a Drawing Technique

In the world of blacksmithing, the act of forming your metal is called “drawing” in which you literally draw the metal right out of its molten state. You do this by getting the piece of metal that you wish to “draw” out, hot and molten until the material is malleable. This material is your clay; you can use it to shape it into whatever you need it to be.

Take your tongs and hold them in the left-hand. Now grab hold of your metal, clasping onto it as tight as you can, and once you have a good grip on it place it down on top of the anvil. As you hold onto the metal, continuously hammer right into the center of this molten, malleable metal until you draw it out into the shape that you wish for it to take on.

You may not be completely accurate when you first attempt to utilize a drawing technique, but you will find that you will get better as time goes on. I remember it took me quite a few years to get exactly where I wanted to be with my own drawing technique. Mostly it just depends on how much you employ the method. Practice makes perfect, so just keep working at it and you will begin to see some rather marked results.

Learn How to Bend the Metal

When we speak of learning how to “bend” metal, we are talking specifically about using high heat to create curvature in your metal material. This means that you need to clamp down on one section of the metal and then work on bending its opposing side. You can do this with tongs or a vise either one.

I tend to use a vise in order to make sure things are as stable as I would like for them to be. My hands have a bit of a tremor sometimes, so in order to prevent the shakes, the vise can serve as my set of steady hands for me. However, it is that you hold your metal steady, just be sure that you bend it all the way over the horn of your anvil.

This is a great way to prep your blacksmithing materials. I myself usually begin this process well ahead of my first full-fledged hammer blows. I view it as a kind of practice before the game! And like a pitcher learning to throw a curve ball, the sooner you learn this great bending technique the sooner you can really play ball! So learn how to bend your metal right!

Learn How to Upset the Metal

You don’t have to get upset in order to be a good blacksmith, but you just might want to learn how to “upset” your metal! When a blacksmith works to upset his metal it means that he is trying to shorten it. Just take caution because this methodology can get quite erratic, quite fast. The key is to know exactly where to begin the upsetting process. After determining the exact area that needs to be upset, put the other part of your metal down and begin the entire upsetting process.

This is extremely useful when it comes to targeting a specific feature of a sculpture, as you will see as we explore some of the projects highlighted in this book a little bit more in depth. But no matter what the end result is with the 15 projects presented within these pages, these are all important techniques to keep in mind as you get started.

Chapter 1: A few fun Indoor Decorative Items

Blacksmithing can produce a lot of great material, and there is a wealth of stuff to choose form. But the best thing about all of the indoor decorative items presented in this chapter is that they all come on a budget, and with a little bit of time and energy anyone can do them. It just takes the effort and dedication to see them through until the end. So without further ado, here they are in no particular order.

Troll Figurines

Start off this project with a railroad spike (a legally acquired railroad spike I might add). Set the fires of your forge and place this spike down on your anvil. Take your hammer to your spike and use it to taper the endpoint to about 1 inch in length. Now use a square-punch to make the proper eye depressions on the object. Next, start whittling away just underneath the eye to add realistic depth to the piece.

Now clamp the whole thing down into a vice and put it in a 45 degree angle and start punching the nose of your troll (Who doesn’t want to punch a troll in the nose?) into shape. You can also use your chisel to scratch out some whiskers just to put a bit of maturity and distinction on your troll’s countenance. Now chisel out the eyebrows and the line that will serve to demarcate the troll’s face from his hat.

You can now work to draw out the metal surface of the Troll Figurine (as mentioned in the introduction). Try to make sure that the facial features are uniform and well structured. You can now turn down your forge’s temperature and let the object cool and harden. As you can see, your Troll Figurine has now come to life!

Horse Head Statuette

Like your Troll Figurine, the Horse Head Statuette is another great item you can forge for a decorative item in your home. This project requires the use of a center punch, an eye punch, and a butcher’s punch. First place the end of it on your anvil and begin hammering down on the metal until it splits in the middle. Try to make the split as even and uniform as possible.

Once you have split the metal like this you can then work on forming the horse ears on either side, spreading them out as far as possible. Use your chisel to shape the ears under the heat. Once the ears are taken care of you can then move on to forming the nose in the centre of the sculpture. Push the nose up and then make an indentation for the eyes. Now remove the metal from the forge and allow it to harden and dry. This horse Head Statuette is ready to go!

Seahorse Sculptures

Heat up your forge and put your metal material you plan to work with on your anvil. Now start harming the metal over the heat until you can flatten the sheet to about 3/8th ’s of an inch deep. Now place the metal right over your anvil’s horn and begin hammering down over the horn until the piece is thin and malleable. As the metal bends over the top half you can use this as your face.

Begin to develop this portion of the metal by lifting up the bottom divot so that it becomes the lower half of the horse face. Now bend the top of the head up about 90 degrees, allow the metal to pool into shape. To create more of these sculptures simply repeat this process until you have as many sculptures as you would like to have.  After you allow for the metal to dry and harden your Seahorse Sculptures are ready to go.

Hanging Horseshoes

Crank up your forge and place your blacksmith material on the anvil. Now take your hammer and pound the center down until the edge of your metal is raised slightly. Now raise the temperature of the forge slightly and continue to pound out the center of the metal. Now take your chisel and cut out the depression you have created.

Pick up your molten metal that remains with your tongs and hang it over your anvil’s horn. It may take several minutes but you will soon see the metal drawn out and falling down in a horseshoe pattern. After it finishes dropping down and hardens like this, you will have yourself a Hanging Horseshoe. Repeat this process to create as many hanging Horseshoes as you like.

Decorative Heart Shaped Hooks

To get started on your decorative heart shaped hooks take out a piece of metal measuring about 3 eighths of an inch thick. Now take this piece and situate it right over the side of your anvil so that approximately half of the material is on the anvil and half is hanging over the side. Keep this fold at about 5 inches and let it wrap right over the anvil’s head.

Now take a mig and flux that bad boy until it is completely malleable in your hands. Slightly raise the temperature of the forge (if yo9u haven’t already) and now take a chisel and punch out the center of the metal. This is the focal point from which the heart will be shaped. Poke the horn of your anvil through this opening and use your instruments to shape what remains into a heart.

Once you have shaped these basic heart designs, move your heart shape over to a good place for it to harden and dry out. It may take several minutes but soon it will harden into a nice heart shape. Now just repeat this process as many times as necessary and your Decorative Heart Shaped Hooks are complete.

Chapter 2: Forging Some Practical Tools of the Trade

Blacksmithing isn’t just about fun and games; there are some really useful tools that you can handcraft for yourself. In this chapter we will to our best to walk you through some of the more interesting of these type of projects that you can get started on.

The Blacksmith Wrench

We could all use a wrench from time to time, and one that’s been forged in the blacksmith shop is sure to be durable and of long use. In order to create your own blacksmith wrench you can use material as basic as the box-springs from a bed. Just set the temperature of your forging station and place your box-springs on your anvil. As the metal heats up, just take your chisel and begin to cut out the dimensions of your wrench. There are several cutout templates that you can use as well in order to get the job done.

Steel Ring

It may seem like a simple thing, but a steel ring can serve many purposes in a blacksmith shop. It can also be used as an auxiliary item for other projects. So crank up the heat in your forge and place your metal down on your anvil. Allow the metal to reach a bright red consistency and the place it directly overt your anvil’s horn.

This will allow gravity to do its work, bending the metal down until it forms a ring. Take this ring off your horn and apply a little bit of heat to the center so that it becomes solid. Give it a few minutes and the metal will be drawn out simply by gravity to form your ring. Pick the ring up off of your anvil’s horn so that it can harden and solidify. Your steel ring is now complete!

Chain Link Fence

Have you ever heard the phrase, “Good fences make good neighbors”? Well as much as we like to network and be sociable, sometimes we could use a bit of a wall of separation and a chain link fence can fulfill this niche quite nicely. The great thing about a chain link fence is that they are usually see through, and while providing a good barrier for your property they do not obscure your vision of the neighborhood.

These kinds of fences are ideal for example if your neighbor’s have dogs or cats that have the habit of roaming around freely, if this is the case, your chain link fence will keep them out. These fences are also a great security resource to of course, working as a deterrent for would-be trespassers and even burglars. As you can see, Chain Link Fences are an extremely common resource but very important all the same.

In order to begin your chain link fence all you have to do is take your steel and wrap it around your anvil horn. Allow it to wrap around the horn and form a ring, just as mentioned above let these rings dry in the and then combine these rings together for your chain link fence.

The Carpenters Brace

The carpenter’s brace is a great tool for any blacksmith and can be used for a variety of purposes. It is also quite costly to come by if you were to buy it from someone else, so you might as well learn how to make it on your own. Use an instrument called a “square-punch” to prep your metal and put your metal down on your anvil. Turn the metal around until it is of appropriate size.

You should use around 600 mm of metal and put it down on the anvil. The first side that you begin to hammer upon will be known as the “chuck” of your brace. After this portion is established flip the piece and now hole-punch the other side. This Carpenter’s Brace is now ready to go!

Creating a Common Pair of Pliers

Pliers are a great resource for anyone. All you need is an 8 inch piece of scrap metal. Place this metal on your anvil and begin beating it into shape. As the metal heats up under the heat of the forge you can then use a good, strong chisel and use it to carve out your pliers. After this has been done, pick up the freshly fashioned pliers with your tongs and set them out in a good, safe place to solidify and harden. Your pliers are ready for business!

Chapter 3: Blacksmith Projects for the Home and Garden

As labor intensive as it all may seem, Blacksmithing is a great way to relax and really reboot from the workaday world. This is why blacksmith projects for the home and garden are so popular; it’s just a great way to really zone out and tune in to the wider world of leisure. Here are a few projects that help to facilitate that mindset.

Living Room Angel

These decorative angels are great for the living room or any other place in your house. They are stylish and homey adding a special flair to your home décor. These types of items are actually so popular right now that they can bring in a pretty hefty penny on craft sites such as Etsy and Pinterest. So if you have even just a small modicum of talent with your metal work, you could create a real trade for yourself by mastering the crafting of this particular item.

To get started on this one, use a piece of steel of milder consistency and an 18 inch long piece of stock which can be easily manipulated with a pair of tongs. To get started form a rounded head over an anvil’s horn. You can now use your cross peen hammer to smooth out what will be the angel’s wings.

Once the wings are formed you can then use the hammer to spread out the torso and bottom portion of the angel. Now place your angel over a plate and use a chisel to cut the exact shape of your angel out. This Living Room Angel is ready to go.

Vine Candlestick

I used to make these Vine Candlesticks around Christmas time and send them off to quite a few of my friends and relatives as gifts. They usually looked at least just as good—if not better—than similar candlestick decorations at the department store, and I saved a lot of money in the process. It’s never too early to think about the holiday season, and so if you are looking to save some money and time, this might be just the right DIY for you to do so.

In order to fashion your own vine candlestick you should start out with ½ an inch of metal stock. Also use several 3/8th inch components and put them down on your anvil as well. Next, work on your vine texturing with your power hammer. Now draw out your candlestick’s top and bottom to fine points.

Now begin heating this up and let it fall back down to the bottom of the anvil. And from this bottom piece move up to the center and fashion out the handles of the candlestick. Put your candlestick on your dry plate so that it can harden, and your Vine Candlestick is complete.

Household Broom

The old fashioned Household Broom has never really gone out of style. In fact, the broom is my number one cleaning instrument in my blacksmith shop. To create the basis for your own household broom start off with some half inch metal stock and hammer the ends of it until it spreads out to about 1/16th of an inch. Let the hammer flatten this section out thoroughly.

Now while this flattened metal is malleable take your utensils and use it to roll the metal into a socket-like shape (this is where you will insert your wooden broom). Set this piece out in a safe place to cool, and allow it to harden sufficiently for its future use. And that is basically it! Put a good piece of wood in there and have it with your Household Broom!

Fireplace Grate

Like many, I love relaxing by the fireplace during the cold winter months. I also like to have a stylish fireplace so that means creating my own unique and eye pleasing Fireplace Grate. To make your own Fireplace Grate you will need to start off with a bar of metal with the dimensions of about 3/8 by 2 inches. You are going to need to halve the long bars by about 6 inches.

Now take out a hot chisel to carve out the rest of the design. Next, split each end, and release the part which is the front-side of the grate. Roll up your endpoints. This pair will constitute the front and back legs of the grate. With this basic assembly in place you can now get creative and fashion some artistic heads for your grate, you can make them into sea serpents, mermaids, or anything else that stands out for you. Ok, have fun because your Fireplace Grate is done!

Blacksmith Garden Snake

Even if you are afraid of snakes, you will love this Blacksmith Garden Snake project. Place this metal serpent in your lawn and garden to give it some flair all its own! To make your Blacksmith Garden Snake begin with second hand farrier’s rasp halve the material and fold it three times before flushing the whole thing. This should give you approximately the right amount of metal needed for the head of the snake.

Now put this piece over the horn of your anvil and start beating on its neck so that it shapes into place. Try to keep a uniform thickness as you hammer. You can now move to the other side and begin to taper it toward the other section. Taper it until it is about 1 inch in thickness descending down to about half an inch in diameter; this is the shape of your snake’s body.

With this established go back to the head and start working on some of the facial features. You can use a hole-punch for the eyes and a chisel for the mouth. Once you have done this, heat up your snake’s body once again, and begin to roll it with your tongs up and down the anvil until everything is nice and smooth. Let it all cool down and your Blacksmith Garden Snake is ready for business.

Conclusion: DIY Blacksmithing has Never Been Better

For many, when they consider the blacksmith, they think of someone who resided in some bygone era of the past. Perhaps they are put in the mind of some kind of a medieval metallurgist beating metal into swords and horseshoes. But despite what you might think, blacksmithing is not just a craft of the past, or even one that is in decline. On the contrary, the art of blacksmithing has risen from the ashes to become more popular than ever before.

In fact, I can remember just a few months ago attending an arts and crafts festival in Shipshewana, Indiana in which the main center piece of the gathering was a big blacksmith shop in which budding blacksmith’s from all around the region gathered to show their ability when it comes to striking an anvil. There were those who were experts at ancient weaponry such as swords and axes, as well as those that created more simple tools and home décor such as presented in this book.

It didn’t matter what the actual subject of creation was a beautiful thing to behold all the same. And that is the main purpose of this book. The projects presented here are all very versatile and work more like templates from which you can improvise and pick and choose from. It is designed this way on purpose so that you can learn what works best for you.

Whether you are a veteran blacksmith who has been around the block or a true newbie who is still learning the ropes, this book has strived to provide you with a great deal of material for both of these particular skill sets. So having that said, I sincerely hope that this book has helped to inform you, as well as motivate you to get out there and begin your own work with metal, because this is a great time to hop on board the blacksmith bandwagon. And the art of DIY Blacksmithing has never been better! Thank you for reading!