Ironworking

Ironworking is the craft and industry of producing and shaping iron and its alloys, including steel, through processes such as smelting, forging, casting, welding, and heat treatment. It covers traditional blacksmithing as well as modern industrial fabrication.

Historically, ironworking began with bloomery furnaces that reduced iron ore to a malleable bloom, a technique developed in the early Iron Age in parts of the Near East and Europe. The move to blast furnaces increased output and enabled the production of pig iron, wrought iron, and, later, steel. Over time these developments transformed weapons, tools, and infrastructure and laid the groundwork for industrial metallurgy.

Core techniques include smithing, where hot metal is hammered on an anvil to shape it; forge welding to join pieces; and casting to pour molten iron into molds. Materials vary in carbon content and microstructure: wrought iron is nearly pure iron with fibrous slag inclusions; cast iron contains more carbon and is brittle; steel has controlled carbon and alloying elements. Heat treatments such as annealing, tempering, and quenching further modify properties.

Today, ironworking is dominated by steelmaking and fabrication. Primary processes include blast furnaces and basic oxygen or electric arc furnaces, followed by rolling, machining, and finishing. Applications span construction, transportation, machinery, and consumer goods, with safety, quality control, and sustainability standards guiding practice.