Blacksmith of artistic forging. Artistic forging blacksmith What is included in the training program for blacksmiths-gunsmiths

It has its pros and cons, restrictions related to time, the ability to move to study, and so on, if you are interested in institutions, follow the following link.

Option 2 - get a job as a blacksmith's apprentice

Recently I received a letter from a visitor to a site about blacksmithing; it concerned training to become a blacksmith. Or rather, where to learn blacksmithing. It is clear that people are interested in forging and there are people who want to work as blacksmiths. So I decided to write this post about where to find blacksmithing training. I think that my answer to the letter can help not only Andrey, but also everyone who wants to become a blacksmith.

I don’t have much time to write, so I’m quoting the correspondence.

Hello, Alexey Valerievich.

I really like working with metal, but unfortunately, it is very difficult to master this craft.

We have a big request for you - can you tell me where I can study to become a blacksmith and master artistic forging? Do they accept students in this specialty?

Thanks in advance, best regards.

I'm glad that there are people who want to become blacksmiths. Answered:

Hello Andrei!

I received a letter from you with a question and am happy to answer.

Regarding training to become a blacksmith, if you are interested in a specific educational institution, then I can hardly help you, since I don’t even know where you live or in what region. But I’ll tell you a more practical way: find a forge in your area and try to get a job as a blacksmith’s apprentice. Even if it’s for a low salary. This is what I did 12 years ago and I don’t regret it. It's much more practical than learning theory. You can work with masters of their craft and learn various subtleties not only from their lips, but also by observing how they work.

And if there are no forges in your area (although then even more so, there are no educational institutions for forging there) - then learn yourself, for example, with me on my website. After all, I myself am mastering artistic forging at home, having some experience as an industrial blacksmith and very little experience in artistic blacksmithing. I write about my business on a blog, and skilled blacksmiths often come to my website and also share their experience.

Option 3 - self-taught

If the first and second options do not suit you, are undesirable or impossible, then there is a third option - learn yourself from books and the Internet.

In fact, making a forge is not difficult. If you wish, you can forge something by setting up a place in the garage, shed, or under a canopy. See. If you have a dacha or a private house, then you can do forging in the yard. , get a hammer and go ahead. The blacksmith makes many devices himself, and you can make them with the help of and. If you have questions or doubts, ask, we will help with advice.

There is a lot of material on this topic on our website:

• The "" section contains a lot of materials on the theory and practice of blacksmithing.
• The “” section examines in detail the production of specific forged products (tools and artistic forging).
• The “” section teaches the basics of blacksmithing from simple to complex.

If you want to learn forging yourself, equip a forge with your own hands, but are experiencing difficulties and uncertainty, then you can

is a specialist in metal processing with the aim of creating artistic products to decorate everyday life: gates, fences, stair railings, spiral staircases, railings and handrails, window bars, canopies, awnings, lanterns, garden gazebos and even forged furniture. The profession is suitable for those who are interested in drawing, labor and housekeeping (see choosing a profession based on interest in school subjects).

They say about architecture that it is “frozen music.” I would like to call masterpieces of artistic forging “frozen songs,” the lace swirls of metal are so expressive and airy. Just as the most ordinary words in a song, combined with music, awaken enthusiastic emotions in the soul, so ordinary metal, merging with fire, fantasy and the skill of a blacksmith, turns into a real work of art and pleases not only the eye, but also the heart.

This elegant form of art, combining elements of painting and sculpture, can hardly be called a craft. In the old days, the craft of a blacksmith was considered magic, and the master himself was considered a sorcerer.

Standard houses framed by wrought-iron fences become unique, designer houses acquire unique flavor and elegance, and palaces and castles become elevated to such an extent that it is hard to believe that they are the work of human hands. Wrought iron fences are for a home what lace is for a dress: they decorate and highlight it with elegant patterns. The forged fence of the Versailles Palace, the fence of the Palace of Justice and the Tuileries Garden in Paris, the Kensington Garden in London, the lattice of the Summer Garden in St. Petersburg, the forged balconies and canopies of the Arbat - this incredible beauty will take your breath away! Despite their apparent openwork and lightness, they are reliable and durable, and have been amazing people with their magnificence for several centuries.

The ancient art of artistic forging, after the minimalism of the twentieth century, is again entering the life, culture and way of life of the people. Therefore, the profession of an artistic forging blacksmith is in great demand and is decently paid.

Masterpieces of artistic forging are BEAUTY, PRESTIGE, UNIQUENESS AND DURABILITY!

Features of the profession

An artistic forging blacksmith is engaged in metal processing. These are operations such as melting, bending, forging, forge welding, casting, stamping, twisting, and heat treatment of products.

Functional responsibilities of a blacksmith

• forging parts taking into account dimensions and allowances for subsequent processing;
• broaching and bending of different types of metal (square, round, strip);
• welding of parts;
• cutting with a chisel;
• editing by hand on a plate, anvil, cold or hot, checking templates and drawings;
• selection of metal heating mode;
• assembling the springs into a set, fitting the sheets according to the template;
• final finishing of parts;
• editing of stamped products;
• making tools for our own production.

Pros and cons of the profession

pros

• demand for the profession;
• decent wages;
• creative, interesting work.

Minuses

• working in a semi-inclined position, which creates additional stress on the spine;
• high level of noise from the anvil, which has a negative effect on hearing;
• increased level of vibration from the hammer, affecting the joints and ligaments of the arms and shoulders;
• high temperature in the room. The forging temperature should be 800-1200 degrees Celsius. The following fuels are used in forges: charcoal, peat, fuel oil, various types of coal, natural gas;
• in general, there are quite a lot of traumatic factors that require special attention and compliance with safety regulations.

Place of work

Forging workshops and factories, forges, of which there are quite a lot even in Moscow, and especially in the Moscow region.

Important qualities

• physical strength and endurance;
• artistic ability;
• a sense of beauty, harmony and purposefulness;
• good eye;
• developed attention.

A blacksmith must know perfectly:

• designs of forges, furnaces and blowers, ability to work with them;
• properties of metal during forging and processing of certain types of parts;
• heating modes of steels of various grades;
• purpose and conditions of use of all forging equipment and tools;
• technical conditions for assembling a set of springs;
• sequence of transitions for forging complex parts;
• forging properties of various metals;
• modes of heating and cooling of parts.

Training to become a blacksmith in artistic forging. Education.

The profession of an artistic forging blacksmith can be obtained at art universities with a specialty in “Artistic processing of metals.”

Metallurgical universities teach technologies for artistic processing of metals: “Artistic forging”, “Artistic casting”. The Moscow State Evening Metallurgical Institute (MGVMI) trains specialists in the technology of artistic metal processing on-the-job.

The School of Blacksmithing has been opened at MSUMI on a paid basis. Education at the school is carried out at four levels of training. In 3 months you can get the qualification “blacksmith’s assistant”, in six months - “apprentice blacksmith”, in 10 months - “master blacksmith”, graduates of the Moscow State Higher Museum of Mechanical Engineering - “technological engineers for the artistic processing of metals”.

St. Petersburg State Academic Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture named after. I. E. Repin. The basic artistic education received here can be successfully applied in forging. At the School of Blacksmithing at this university you can get a specialty as a blacksmith-designer.

St. Petersburg State Academy of Arts and Industry named after. Baron A.L. Stieglitz (formerly V.I. Mukhina Leningrad Higher Art School). Department of Artistic Metal Processing (HOM, Faculty of Decorative and Applied Arts). The training ground is the city itself, decorated with forged gates, bars, and bridge fences.

Diploma specialty: artist with a specialization in artistic metal processing. During the training, students are taught all possible technological processes of metal processing - from milled iron to casting. The result is a wide range of specialists who can successfully work in any technology.

Moscow State Art and Industry University named after S. G. Stroganov. Since 1945, the Department of Artistic Processing of Metal and Other Materials has been opened at the Faculty of Monumental, Decorative and Applied Arts. The department trains metal artists (jewelry, forged and monumental).

Ural State Academy of Architecture and Art (UralGAHA). Since 1990, the Department of Decorative and Applied Arts has opened a specialization in artistic processing of stone and metal. The teachers of the department are members of the association “Blacksmiths of the Urals”.

Universities

The following specialties are taught in colleges (vocational schools):

• Pavlovsk art and industrial university No. 23, Kovrov (Vladimir region)
• Oryol Art School.
• Suzdal blacksmith and restoration school.
• Vocational school No. 12, Chebarkul, Chelyabinsk region.
• Mechanical Engineering Professional Lyceum, Krasnoyarsk.
• Vocational school No. 16, Barnaul, Altai Territory.
• Vocational school No. 41, Bely Yar village, Verkhneketsky district, Tomsk region.

There are courses at the Russian Academy of Crafts, where you can master a profession in a short time.

Another way to master a profession- Immediately get a job as a blacksmith's apprentice. This site has a directory of blacksmiths

Salary

The salary for a beginning artistic forging blacksmith in Moscow starts from 40 thousand rubles. An experienced master can qualify for a salary of 80 to 120 thousand rubles per month.

Salary as of 02/17/2020

Russia 30000—70000 ₽

Career steps and prospects

The career of an artistic forging blacksmith begins with the position of an apprentice blacksmith. Despite the education received at a college or university, practical experience and mastery of all the subtleties of the craft are priceless, and they can only be obtained in real work under the guidance of an experienced mentor. The next stage is the blacksmith's assistant, then the blacksmith. Further career consists of improving skills, mastering related specialties, and the possibility of starting your own business.

The craft of forging appeared around the 4th millennium BC. The forged products that have survived to this day are distinguished by their elegant shapes and expressive lines. The art of forging flourished in the 15th-16th centuries, when water-powered hammers with paired bellows appeared in Europe. They contributed to the rapid development of technology and the creation of large forge shops. During this period, ornate fences and furniture began to be made. In the 19th century, with the development of industry, stamping methods appeared and the craft of forging ceased to be so popular. In the modern world, interest in artistic forging has revived and craftsmen masterfully combine ancient technologies with the achievements of scientific and technological progress (cold forging machines and other innovations in equipment).

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