Check Out That Chain

Our first year blacksmiths are at the forge fifteen hours a week and they have two and a half hours of welding as well.  In the first year there is a real focus on learning the processes needed to work with hot metal; it’s skills driven, with lots of practice pieces to make accurately.

One of the exercises that I particularly like is chain making – the students have to fire weld three links together and then there is a competition.  Everyone puts a pound into the pot and then its off to the fabrication workshop to the hydraulic ……… to test the strength of those chains.  That weld has got to stay together, and the chain has to remain intact, until it has been stretched by the force of at least three tons.  The winner takes the pot.

This year’s successful winner was Tom Nickson – his chain finally gave way and pulled apart after a force of 5.75 tons.  Well done Tom! That’s quality welding and only slightly below Adrian’s own weld which pulled apart after a force of 6.5 tons.

I love the sense of competition and the dramatic clunk that the welds make when those fire welds rip apart.  Check out the video.

Del