The Spring 2021 Conference, May 21 - 23, at Jason Valler's: Valler Coffee, 129 Sucker Creek Road, Lincoln, Montana 59639   

Frank Annighofer Demonstrated Forging a Set of Fireplace Tools

Frank is one of only five ABANA Level-3 National Curriculum Instructors, Nationwide.

Photos by Joel Machler, Kermit Indreland and Frank Annighofer.

The conference site. (Note the snow.)

Frank demonstrating steps to forge a fireplace tool set.

Joel assisting

Glen Gilmore demonstrating

Frank Annighofer

Russell helping our newest blacksmith

Gem with his finished forge-weld-tipped poker.

Andy working on his poker.

Steve Siegelin

Jeffrey Funk and Jem Blueher

Frank's finished firetool set.

Forging a Fire Poker

by Frank Annighofer

Wintertime. Sitting by the fire. Here is an easy design for a nice fire lace tool set. Let's start with the poker.  It requires the skills of about level 1 of our curriculum: Tapering, controlled bending, forging shoulders, riveting, and some forge welding. The design I am showing here could be called basic.  The business end has a point for pushing something into the fire and a sideways point to rake something from the back forward. The upper end has a loop that gives some beef to grab it properly and allows to hang it on a hook. If you want to make it more elaborate: There is plenty of room to add to it: Add a twist or diamond along the bar; decorate the loop with chisel work, and so on.

Let us start with about 30” of 1/2” square stock(1). Taper one end about 2” long to a 3/16” square tip(2). Mark 3” from the end and bend over the far edge of the anvil. Turn around and bend all the way that the tip is pointing back to you (3). Now it is time to think about forge welding about half of the tip back to the handle. This forge weld is called a faggot weld or stacked weld.  Clamp the bend part in the vise and bend the tip end out of the way (4). Warm the end up again, wire brush it clean from scale. Take a good yellow heat and weld with light blows with the bent part of the tip turned down and against the near edge of the anvil (5). Your next heat should show if the welding worked. If you let the piece cool in air or by putting one side on the anvil you should see an even color. If the tip side is cooling off faster showing a clear boundary towards the main stock you have to repeat the welding sequence: clean, flux, heat to yellow, weld. After the weld seems properly done you can taper the new tip and shape the fire end of your poker to its final proportions. Faggot forge welding is supposed to be easy. Well, this one is actually not that easy. Try it out and you will see what I mean.

If you want to add any detail to the middle part of the poker that will be next: add a twist or two, maybe a pineapple twist, do some chisel work on the sides, or something else. For this exercise I just slightly take of the corners of the square bar. Then cut to desired lengths. Around 30” works well for a final length. In my design about 2” will be added by the round eye piece. That means the cut is about 2” shorter.  After cutting you create shoulders on 2 sides of the bar. This can be done with a butcher chisel or better with a guillotine or spring tool that cuts top and bottom at the same time. Then finish with flat dies or a combination of anvil's edge and set hammer. I let the sideways dimension swell to about 3/4”. Starting the shoulders at 2 1/2” I get to about ¾ x 3 and ¼ thick when I am finished.

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Northern Rockies Blacksmith Association.   Steve Siegelin, Secretary, 2200 W. Dickerson, Unit 33, Bozeman, MT 59718    406 579-7694     siegelin@montana.edu

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