Editing Forge (section)

==Forging equipment==
{{more citations needed section|date=August 2012}}

=== Anvil ===
{{main|Anvil}}
[[File:Anvil, labelled en.svg|thumb|The structure of an anvil]]
The [[anvil]] serves as a [[workbench]] to the [[blacksmith]], where the metal to be forged is worked. Anvils may seem clunky and heavy, but they are a highly refined tool carefully shaped to suit a blacksmith's needs. Anvils are made of cast or wrought iron with a tool steel face [[Welding|welded]] on or of a single piece of cast or forged tool steel. Some anvils are made of only cast iron and have no tool steel face. These are not real anvils, and will not serve a blacksmith as such because they are too soft. A common term for a cast iron anvil is "ASO" or "Anvil Shaped Object". The purpose of a [[tool steel]] face on an anvil is to provide what some call "rebound" as well as being hard and not denting easily from misplaced hammer blows. The term rebound means it projects some of the force of the blacksmith's hammer blows back into the metal thus moving more metal at once than if there were no rebound. A good anvil can project anywhere from 50 to 99% of the energy back into the workpiece.  The flat top, called the "face" is highly polished and usually has two holes (but can have more or less depending on the design). The square hole is called the hardy hole, where the square shank of the hardy tool fits. There are many different kinds of hardy tools. The smaller hole is called the pritchel hole, used as a bolster when punching holes in hot metal, or to hold tools similar to how the hardy tool does, but for tools that require being able to turn a 360-degree angle such as a hold-down tool for when the blacksmith's tongs cannot hold a workpiece as securely as it needs to be. On the front of the anvil, there is sometimes a "horn" that is used for bending, drawing out steel, and many other tasks. Between the horn and the anvil face, there is often a small area called a "step" or a "cutting table" That is used for cutting hot or cold steel with chisels, and hot cut tools without harming the anvil's face. Marks on the face transfer into imperfections in the blacksmith's work.

===Hammer===
[[File:Turaidas muižas kalves darbarīki.jpg|thumb|Various traditional blacksmith tools]]
{{main|Hammer}}
There are many types of hammer used in a blacksmith's workshop but this will name just a few common ones. Hammers can range in shape and weight from half an ounce to nearly 30 pounds depending on the type of work being done with it.

# Hand hammer - used by the [[Blacksmith|smith]].
#* [[Ball-peen hammer]]
#* [[Ball-peen hammer|Cross-peen hammer]]
#* [[Ball-peen hammer|Straight-peen hammer]]
#* Rounding hammer
# [[Sledgehammer|Sledge hammer]] - used by the [[Blacksmith's striker|striker]].

=== Chisel ===
{{main|Chisel}}
[[Chisel]]s are made of high [[carbon steel]]. They are hardened and tempered at the cutting edge while the head is left soft so it will not crack when hammered. Chisels are of two types, hot and cold chisels. The cold chisel is used for cutting cold metals while the hot chisel is for hot metals. Usually, hot chisels are thinner and therefore can not be substituted with cold chisels. Also, many smiths shape chisels as to have a simple twisted handle as to resemble a hammer, they can be used at a greater distance away from the hot metals. They are very useful and found throughout the world.
<ref>[http://www.school-of-blacksmithing.co.uk/make_tools/indiv_cold_chisel.html Peat Oberon's School of Blacksmithing: The cold chisel you will make on our 'Make your own tools' course<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080828194645/http://www.school-of-blacksmithing.co.uk/make_tools/indiv_cold_chisel.html |date=2008-08-28 }}</ref>

=== Tongs ===
{{main|Tongs}}
[[File:Eddystone, Pennsylvania - Railroad parts. Baldwin Locomotive Works. Blacksmith forging and hammering tools. - NARA - 518729.tif|thumb|Blacksmith using tongs]]
Tongs are used by the blacksmith for holding hot metals securely. The mouths are custom made by the smith in various shapes to suit the gripping of various shapes of [[metal]]. It is not uncommon for a blacksmith to own twenty or more pairs of tongs; traditionally, a smith would start building their collection during the apprenticeship.
There are various types of tongs available in the market.
(1) flat tong
(2) rivet or ring tong
(3) straight lip fluted tong
(4) gad tong

=== Fuller ===
{{main|Fuller (metalworking)}}
Fullers are forming tools of different shapes used in making grooves or hollows. They are often used in pairs, the bottom fuller has a square shank which fits into the hardy hole in the anvil while the top fuller has a handle. The work is placed on the bottom fuller and the top is placed on the work and struck with a hammer. The top fuller is also used for finishing round corners and for stretching or spreading metal.

=== Hardy ===
{{main|Hardy (blacksmithing)}}
The hardy tool is a tool with a square shank that fits in a hardy hole. There are many different kinds of hardy tools such as the hot cut hardy, used for cutting hot metal on the anvil; the fuller tool, used for drawing out metal and making grooves; bending jigs - and too many others to list.

===Slack tub===
A ''slack tub'' is usually a large container full of [[water]] used by a blacksmith to [[quench]] hot metal. The slack tub is principally used to cool parts of the work during forging (to protect them, or keep the metal in one area from "spreading" for example, nearby hammer blows); to harden the steel; to tend a coal or charcoal forge; and simply to cool the work quickly for easy inspection. In bladesmithing and tool-making the term will usually be changed to a "quench tank" because [[oil]] or [[brine]] is used to cool the metal. The term slack is believed to derive from the word "slake", as in slaking the heat.