What are the dangers of blacksmithing?

Answer 1

There are obvious dangers when blacksmithing:

* dealing with hot metal * flying sparks * dealing with fire

* noise

* working in a shop environment * walking into the anvil * burns

* something obvious i have missed

Then the hidden dangers when blacksmithing:

* metal flume fever (heavy metal poisoning) from coatings on the steel or alloyed with the steel.

* Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

* Infrared Radiation damage to eyes. * Something I didn't know about but should of * repetitive strain injury

* heat exhaustion on hot days

That being said good planning can eliminate almost all of the dangers. When I blacksmith I use new metal from a metal warehouse not scrap from the junk yard.

I wear protective eye ware and have a good set of welding gloves and a leather apron. I keep my work area clean and organized I plan what I am going to do with the hot metal before I do it.

The worst dangers have crept up on me over time:

* Seeing a tool in the store and saying to myself I am not paying that much for something when I can make it my self. * Seeing a tool in the store and saying well its not what I need but with a little tweaking I can make it right. * 15 hammers. I will not say anything more * Toolidess ( the hunger for more tools than I will ever need see above) * poor gas mileage in my car because of all the iron, tools and blacksmithing stuff * The willingness to drive a 160 KM/100 miles to and stand next to a air driven coal fire when its 95F/32C above

see some of the following links for blacksmithing: