Final answer:
Blacksmithing starts with a forge, anvil, hammer, tongs, and quenching tank. Solid iron is heated in the forge, becoming malleable and ready to be shaped on the anvil through the use of a hammer, while tongs ensure safe handling.
Step-by-step explanation:
Essential Blacksmithing Tools
To start blacksmithing, an array of tools are needed to heat and shape iron effectively. The process involves heating solid iron using a forge to reach high temperatures where iron becomes malleable. At this state, due to heat energy transfer, iron atoms vibrate more intensely and move more freely, allowing the blacksmith to craft various objects.
Alongside the forge, a blacksmith needs an anvil, a hammer, tongs, and a quenching tank as basic equipment. An anvil serves as a surface to work the hot metal, the hammer is used to shape it, tongs are needed to hold the heated metal safely, and a quenching tank is used to cool down the metal quickly after it has been shaped.
Understanding the reduction of iron ore to iron is also important. Iron ores like hematite (Fe₂O₃) or magnetite (Fe₃O₄) are typically reduced in a blast furnace using coke and air pre-heated to 900°C, which turns carbon into carbon monoxide and facilitates the extraction of iron from the ore.