Solo [Vell's Metal Supplies]Of Hammer and Metal

[Crylon Stonecraft]

52 Summer 519 Being an Isur, finding employment in Zeltiva in a more physical trade had not been to hard. And looking in at the local smithy and asking if a Isur could pitch in, Crylon had found it relatively easy to get a job. He doubted he would stick around too long, just while he was taking lessons and such, but he would do his best the entire time he was in the city and working on the smithy. Vell's was bigger and better than the smithy he had built himself in Sunberth, but no where near so fine as the ones he recalled from back in Sultros. But then, the Isur were well known for their forges which served both as a functional building and as a temple of sorts. Heading into the building Crylon passed through the part of the open building where wares to be sold were kept, heading straight for the forge in the back which was all one room. Crylon respected this choice, focusing on using the space rather than looking nice. Aesthetics, while being nice, were secondary in his mind to function. He would rather have a ugly but well functioning piece of work, over one that was nice looking but did not work. Working well and being nice in appearance was fine, so long as it did not diminish the pieces function. At the moment Vell himself was laying off to the side of the forge. From his soot stained fingers and body, his sweat drenched clothes, he had clearly just been working not too long ago and was taking a short break. Which of course was the perfect time for Crylon to come in and do some work without getting in Vell's way. He could not after all work all the time, and so Crylon could do some work while he rested, and then back and forth off an on. Once he arrived at the forge Crylon saw what the smith master had been working on. A large pile of iron posts. On closer look Crylon was fairly certain they were to be used for a fence, though that would likely require some additional cross sections. For now Vell was just working on the vertical stands, a mound heaped high of long iron rods with a hole spaced out near the top and bottom, and a point at the top. Checking the forge quickly Crylon saw that it was ready for crafting, Vell having banked it and fed it before lying down. He was the type to make sure things were ready for when he came back before stopping. Next the the anvil there was another pile, this one of raw iron. But unlike the iron he usually worked with which was in small ingots or similar squared blocks, this was a larger and longer block so that each of the over-sized iron bricks could be turned into one iron post. Using both hands Crylon hefted the iron long brick into the air, and then with a step headed to the fire. Then he set the iron within the flames of the forge, at the end using only his left hand to guide and settle it into place as it was not affected by the fire itself. Then he waited, giving the piece of iron time to heat before he began to work the end that was stuck into the flames. And he watched. Pausing to pump the bellows to give it more air, to keep the heat consistent. To watch and wait as the iron turned lighter, and grew hotter on the end within the flames. It was not until it was growing red and pink that Crylon hefted it out with the vice like grip of his left hand and settled it quickly onto the anvil which was a half turn away. WC: 640

[Crylon Stonecraft]

Thanking Izurdin for the blessed strength and durability of his left arm, Crylon took a hammer in his right arm. Then using his left to position and place the metal, similar to how another smith might use tongs or a vice, Crylon smashed the hammer down on the thickness of the metal. The other posts were not quite rods, more like somewhat edged and squared off blocks. But of course, much longer and thinner than the block of iron he was to begin with. So his job was to work the metal to the correct length and then punch the wholes into it. Moving outward, Crylon struck once, twice, three times with the hammer. Each blow upset the metal, flattening and stretching it out. But also making it more densely packed, which was something he wanted to avoid. Strike with the hammer, ting, tang, tung. Then some lighter strikes to flatten and force it longways rather than being all packed into spot like the metal wanted to do. Stretching the metal upward and downward seemed to work easily enough, but keeping it the right density, the right depth and width, that required additional strikes as he worked. Picturing in his head the finished product, the stack of fence rails next to the unworked iron bricks, Crylon focused on the dimensions. He would need to compare to one of the finished ones at the end, but he felt in the meantime he had the dimensions roughly right in his head. Which was good enough for all but finishing work. Moving the hot iron along with his one hand and then holding it in place for his hammer, Crylon smote the hot metal in a pattern. Once, twice, three times. Then some lighter strikes aimed at keeping the proportions just right. It was a well repeated process, as much of metal working was Crylon thought to himself then. While there was an endless variety of things one could make with metal, such as this fence post which he had not worked on before, it used similar practices and motions than other things. Just packed into a different fashion. Plus, one tended to do the same thing over and over again while working the metal, within the same product, in order to do one thing. Rarely was there an action only done once besides in finishing work. Punching the holes in the metal would be the ones for this item, but the rest of the work was repeated over and over. A movement of the metal, then more hammer strikes. Here Crylon paused, seeing that the metal was cooling slightly and not moving right when he struck it. He was not working as fast as Vell he did not doubt, who could likely do each side in one shot without having to reheat it. But then this was his first try at a fence post, and so that tied with his lessened skill likely explained that. Putting the iron back in the fire Crylon waited, once more pumping the bellows as the metal heated to the proper temperature on the one half in the flames. WC: 522

[Crylon Stonecraft]

After a few chimes the metal had once more heated to the right coloring, and Crylon hefted it out with his left arm and set it on the anvil. Then pinning it in the proper place, he began to hammer once more. Once, twice, three times. Some smaller blows to upset the metal in the proper width. Once twice, three times, over and over again. He kept at this until his body began to sweat, stopping shortly to remove his shirt and turning back to his task. Getting into the rhythm, into the strain of the work. Hardening and testing his body through harsh labor. Building it up, his strength and endurance through repetition. His left arm was blessed by Izurdin, untiring. The rest of him had to try for that, but was no where near his one limbs perfection. Finally he made it to the end of the side, spending a few blows to hammer out the details. Flattening a spot here. Edging a spot there. Pausing to look at one of the finished pieces, and then working to imitate this with hammer strikes on this hot iron. Each hammer blow was slightly different, as Crylon worked to perfect his method. Canting the hammer just so on this blow. Then like this on this one. Or striking from this angle. He slowly figured out that if he came at the metal at this angle, then it worked better for stretching it longways. Required less upsetting to stop it from widening too much as the force seemed to carry upward more than the way he had been trying before. Which meant less time spent fixing the width after each set of strikes that stretched it up and down. There was a science to this, Crylon was coming to see, a particular method of doing things that worked best which could only be figured out by trial and error. Whether that was his trial and error, or someone else coming before telling him the best way, did not matter. At the moment though, it was his own. Beyond just working the metal, he was also working himself and his understanding of smithing and expanding both. Once the one end of the iron seemed right Crylon fetched the tool meant for poking the hole in the hot metal. A jagged piece which could stab right through hot metal. But he did not want to damage the tools or the anvil, and so her properly placed the length of iron over a small hole in the anvil meant just for that. Punching holes. Then holding the jagged tool over the metal where the hole would be beneath, he smacked the top with another hammer and forced the length of jagged metal into the hot metal. And it bent. And bulged. Another blow, and the jagged piece blew through the side of the metal, punching a hole through. Once this was done Crylon hammered the metal some more, folding back the excess bits to meld back into the surrounding metal, smoothing out the edges so that it was a clean cut and not a rough or jagged hole in the side. Then he checked his work. Looking at one of the finished items, and comparing it to his. The position of the hole on the bottom, compared to the length of the metal. With a nod he considered his work accurate, having placed the hole right for the bottom side of the post. Silently he placed the metal back in the forge, this time heating the not yet worked side. And now his work would more or less repeat as he worked the other end, the top half. WC: 614

[Crylon Stonecraft]

Besides the peaked point at the top, the top half of the metal post more or less mirrored the bottom half. This meant the motions he had gathered from the bottom half could be repeated and improved upon without too much variation. Coming at the metal like so. And striking as such. Once the metal on the other end was hot Crylon once more fished it out and placed it on the anvil. Then he struck. Once, twice, three times, and a few taps to settle the metal the right way. Though one less than when he had started, due to his improved use of the hammer and its angling of the blows. An improvement, even if only incrementally. But still, a sign of his improving on this particular task just since he had begun. His next one would go that much faster, as he would know those improved techniques from the start. Moving the metal with his left arm he pulled it into proper positioning, and then struck with his right arm. Ting, tang, tung. Some smaller lighter strikes to push the metal inward, and keep it from growing too thin and wide. Then a strike on the top to flatten it out once more. Making something flat was somewhat easy, it just required striking with the hammer. Edging something to a curve, like with the top post, well that seemed a bit different. He had a feeling that would be the most difficult part of his work. But for now he focused on what he was doing, stretching out the metal further. Focusing his hammer strikes Crylon came at it just like so, with the hammer angled as such and striking from this angle. And it worked, each blow moving the hot metal in the way he desired a bit more. Like trying to build from wet dirt, clumping and moving as once molded it. But, well being metal a bit different than that. His arm sped up the process, as he could use it as both a vice, tongs, and other tools to move and place and handle the metal due to its resiliency and strength. For a moment he pondered if he could use it to punch a hole in the hot metal, maybe with an extended finger? But no, he shook his head to the stray thought, he had the tools to do things properly, so he would. A strike of the hammer, two, three. Some smaller ones to work the metal back in. Then another on top to flatten it back out. Edges and sides and tops and bottoms. Slowly Crylon could see the metal taking the desired shape, coming into its final form which more closely mirrored the finished product he was aiming for. The pile of finished posts off to the side which the master smith had made before. A strike of the hammer, and again once more and a second more after that. He kept at it till the metal was stretched and shaped, all but the peak ending in a point and the hole to be shot through it. So close, and he would have his first one done. And then he would go on to another, and then eight more after that, or however many he could do before Vell returned and then he would assist the more skilled smith. WC: 561

[Crylon Stonecraft]

Nearing the end of the item, Crylon moved the metal into position over the hole he had used before. Once again before he began he checked his positioning. Comparing to the previously made pieces. To the holes on it and where he had this one placed. To the hole in the anvil through which he would pierce this iron piece. Satisfied it was all placed correctly, Crylon took up the jagged piercing tool and placed it over the anvil hole with the metal beneath. And then like before he struck, this time managing to pierce right through the hot metal in one go. Setting down the piercing tool Crylon used his hammer to flatten the pierced pieces back down, melding them back into the surrounding hot metal into one piece with hammer blows. And then some more general moving, adjusting the make it all nice and flat like the rest of the piece. A strike here like so, and then one here to move this... And it all seemed to more or less be uniform. While he had been working Vell had risen, and had come over to inspect his work. Crylon gave the man a nod, who in turn nodded to Crylon before commenting on his work. “Not bad, though could use some work. But it should serve, as you have gotten about as close to mine as you can. It just took you awhile longer. For the top, just use the flat of the anvil, but pack and stretch it to a point at the end. Where before you were flattening it out, working it back into shape, now you want to let it keep packing in and getting tighter till a point forms.” Crylon nodded again, taking up the hammer and the piece of metal and focusing on the end. With a smooth repeated motion Crylon hammered at the tip, elongating and thinning it. Once, twice, three times. And then he kept going. Ting, tang, tung. Stretching it further without going back to upset or reshape the metal. Vell watched as Crylon worked, not commenting just watching. It reminded Crylon a bit of the fire poker he had made, but not quite the same. A strike, a second and a third. Each one moving the hot metal outward and to a point. As he got to the very tip he worked in slower and smaller strikes, till he got it worked into an actual tip. This took some more blows, but eventually it did form into one. Now he was left with a long and flat length of iron, with a hole a bit up from the bottom and a bit down from the top, and a pointed top. Once he was done Vell took some tongs and inspected it, before finally nodding and handing it back to Crylon. Heading over to a long trough used just for that, Crylon dropped the metal in and began its cooling. “Not bad. I'll take over for a bit, you can assist. Get the other hammers, and we'll work together on the next one so you can see my method before you try another on your own. But good work for your first try.” WC: 534

[Calla Davin]

Special Delivery!

Crylon :

Skills	XP
Blacksmithing	4
Endurance	2
Planning	1

Lores

• Vell’s Metal Supplies: Store and Forge Layout
• Blacksmithing: Creating Iron Fence Posts
• Blacksmithing: One Must Alternate Light and Heavy Strikes When Shaping Iron
• Blacksmithing: A Repetitive Business
• Blacksmithing: The Color of Hot Iron
• Blacksmithing: Poking Holes Through Hot Metal
• Blacksmithing: Forming a Point on a Post

Additional Comments: Very thorough job thread. I seem to always learn something when reading your threads, so thank you for that! Please message me if you have any questions about your grade, and don't forget to edit your post in the grade request thread.