Blacksmithing Projects: Forged Spoon In 5 Steps
Would you have guessed that forging a spoon is one of the most straightforward blacksmithing projects for beginners? Forging a spoon in the blacksmith shop teaches you several basic techniques that every blacksmith uses. As a plus, you end up with a tool that you can use in your own home. This is a classic beginning blacksmithing project, and one you will learn in The Crucible’s Blacksmithing I. Here, we will show you exactly how to forge a spoon in five steps.
Beginning Blacksmithing: Forged Spoon In 5 Steps
Tools required:
Step one: Upsetting your piece
Hold your steel stock at an angle at the far edge of the anvil and hammer to taper. Place your piece in the forge so that only one half of your steel is heating. Remove it from heat and quench your piece up to the tongs.
With the hot end of your piece on the anvil, strike the cold end until it cools to red or bends. Straighten, chamfer, flatten, rollover, and reheat in the forge. Then, continue upsetting with hard hammer blows.
Straighten your piece by holding the bar from one end. Place only the curve, high side up, on the anvil. Strike the high spot with measured blows. Continue upsetting until the piece is ¾ inch at the widest spot.
Step two: Draw out your metal
Shape the edges into an octagon. Remember there are two angles on each edge. Flatten and roll your piece over. Using a round-face hammer and anvil horn, reduce the neck to ⅜ inch at the thinnest point.
Step three: Shape the spoon handle
Reheat your piece and hammer to flatten the middle. Continue to work both sides until they are ¼ inch thick. Spread the edges with overlapping blows to shape the handle. When you strike the face, rotate contact to have the anvil under the blow. Thin to 3/16 of one inch and your desired shape.
Chamfer by placing the edge on the anvil and rotating contact for overlapping blows. Clean all faces with a flat-faced hammer. Reheat your piece in the forge. Spread the edges of your handle with consistent, overlapping blows. Flatten to ⅜ of one inch. With the thin edge while rotating contact. Make sure to work any high spots.
Step four: Shape the bowl and neck
Spread the edge with constantly overlapping blows, flattening and shaping until it is no more than ⅛ of one inch thick. Shape the neck of the spoon over the anvil horn. Place the flattened section over the hardy hole. Sink it with a ball-peen hammer to a depth of ⅓ to ⅜ of one inch. Strike between the two points of contact.
Work the back and the edge of the spoon over a ball anvil in the vise. Make an offset bend in the neck. Place the spoon concave-down over the edge of the anvil. Strike the materials off of the anvil to make a small bend. Rotate 180 degrees and place over the horn perpendicular to the taper. Strike the material off until the spoon sits well.
Step five: Finishing
Reheat your piece in the forge. Use a metal wire brush to scrape off the slag, the scale that forms from repeatedly heating steel. Directly after removing the slag, repeatedly dip your forged spoon in a bucket of oil to protect it. Once completely covered, if necessary, hold it next to the forge until it turns a matte black.
Continue Exploring Guides In Metal
Power Hammers 101: How To Use a Power Hammer
Learn how to work with power hammers and how they work in this introductory guide to blacksmithing with a power hammer....
Foundries 101: What Is A Foundry? What Foundry Workers Do?
Have you wondered what a foundry does? Learn the difference between ferrous and non-ferrous metals and how to start a foundry career....
Bronze Casting 101: Process of Casting Bronze [+How To Learn]
Learn the different uses for bronze casting in foundry and jewelry making, and how to get started in this beginner's guide to bronze casting....
Lost Wax Casting Guide
Learn the different types of lost wax casting, from metals to glass, and how to get started in this beginner's guide to lost wax casting....
16 Blacksmithing Techniques
Learn how to build your own blacksmithing forge and become a blacksmith with this step-by-step guide....
Beginners Guide to Metal Casting
Learn everything you wanted to know about metal casting from types of molds to different casting methods....
Make Your Own Projects in Blacksmithing
The Crucible has new blacksmithing classes offered weekly.
Techniques in Ornamental Iron Work
Take your skills to the next level and begin producing work that sells! This class covers traditional decorative ironwork methods and introduces the power hammer. You will explore...
Blacksmithing I
Learn the basics of blacksmithing! This class teaches the fundamental skills needed to forge steel and understand blacksmithing tools. We will introduce tapering, upsetting,...
3-Hour Taster: Blacksmithing – Twisted Hook
3-Hour Tasters are a great way to explore a new art form without the deeper commitment of a full course. After a basic introduction to forging steel and using blacksmithing tools,...
Blacksmithing Lab
Lab sessions are a great benefit, exclusively for Crucible members! Practice the skills you learn in class and explore new possibilities with your craft. No instruction is provided...
Blacksmithing II
Deepen your knowledge in this sequel to Blacksmithing I. This class is designed to develop your basic skills along with techniques including scroll-making, collaring, basic...
Youth Blacksmithing I
Learn to bend and shape steel in The Crucible’s smithy as you practice traditional blacksmithing techniques, such as drawing, bending, twisting, punching, slitting, and drifting...
Women’s Blacksmithing I
Learn blacksmithing taught by women, for women! This class covers the fundamentals needed to forge steel and understand blacksmithing tools. We will introduce tapering, upsetting,...
Youth Blacksmithing II
This class, designed as a sequel to Youth Blacksmithing I, extends your basic blacksmithing abilities. Techniques covered will include scroll making, collaring, basic tool making,...
3-Hour Taster: Blacksmithing – Bottle Opener
3-Hour Tasters are a great way to explore a new art form without the deeper commitment of a full course. After a basic introduction to forging steel and using blacksmithing tools,...
Power Hammer I
We will focus on power hammer techniques as we forge a set of basic hammer tools, side sets, and a round-back flatter. By the time these new tools are heat-treated, students will...
Forge Your Own Blacksmithing Tools
Create your own blacksmithing tools! You will make a punch and learn how to use it to punch the eye on a hammerhead. You will learn techniques in double striking and heat-treating,...
Bladesmithing
This specialized course focuses on the forging techniques needed to produce sharp-edged tools of high-carbon steel. We will cover blade design, control of steel grain structure,...
