A truly unusual and unique resource, this extremely hands-on book brings together three popular but long-out-of-print classics (THE MODERN BLACKSMITH; THE RECYCLING, USE, AND REPAIR OF TOOLS; and THE MAKING OF TOOLS) essential for anyone interested in the making, repair, maintenance, or arcana of tools. An essential volume in any serious craftperson's library, this book covers setting up a smithy (anvil, forge, hammer, tongs, and all), and manufacturing everything from stone-carving chisels to decorative wall hooks.
The Complete Modern Blacksmith
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
108 of 112 people found the following review helpful
By Valerie
Format:Paperback
Alternative tiles for this book might be, "Blacksmithing for Survival" or, "Gorilla Blacksmithing' or, "Blacksmithing on a Budget"
It could also be called, 'Practical Blacksmithing', if about three others hadn't got to the title first.
I never met the author, A. Weygers, except through this book. From what I can see he had these characteristics; He was artistic, but didn't suffer from an artistic temperment. He understood technical things but wasn't a nerd. He could deal with machines but also liked people.
He also shared one characteristic with me: he scrounged around in the junk heap to find parts to build things.
His writing is clear and concise. He isn't snobby or given to obscure terminology. The illustrations in the book, done with pencil by Weygers, are very good and informative.
You may be interested to know that Weygers patented a flying saucer. Or, actually, he called it a 'discopter'. It is patent 2,377,835.
This book is actually three small books bound as one. There is some repeating in the book because of this. But not much. There is something to learn on every page. The main theme of the book is how to make tools. He shows how to make blacksmithing tools, metal working tools, woodcarving chisels, stone carving tools, gardening tools and other things.
He has an interesting discussion about how to drill square holes. I have never seen this information in any other book.
He also gets into some artistic items. But he doesn't insist that you become an artist.
The most important tool that he shows you how to use is your brain. He shows how to improvise tools by using junk that you find for free or cheap. Ironically, some of the 'junk' that he shows in this book has now become collectable, but you get the idea. Start with nothing, find something, make something with it, use that to make something more, and keep building.
He shows the basic metal forging techniques such as bending, twisting, upsetting, welding, punching, hardening and tempering.
He also shows some power tools and the trip hammer. Even how to make dies for the trip hammer.
He shows how to sharpen a cutting tool, and explains the science behind it. I thought that I could get a tool pretty sharp, until I tried out this man's methods. Then I found out that I hadn't known what sharp was. I have several books that describe how to sharpen, and I have tried their methods. They worked fine, but not as well as this man's.
There isn't any 'trash' in this book, such as pages of pictures of tools copied from some tool catalog. Or lengthy digressions into the author's personal philosophies. There is only about a half dozen pages with photographes on them. Nearly every page has illustrations dome by Weygers to teach the methods explained in the text. There are a few photos of Weyger's work in stone and wood. This book is down and out, cover to cover, practical.
He has drawings of the tempering colors done in pencil, which I think is amusing, if not useless. He also talks about making 'carbon tipped' tools. I am certain he meant 'carbide' as in 'tungsten carbide'. I can forgive him a couple of errors. You won't find many books as excellent as this. Or an author with as much passion to teach as Weygers.
This is one of my favorite of all books. If you build just one tool in this book, it will have paid for itself. This could be your first, last and always blacksmithing resource.
If you can find some of the earlier publications, when this book was published as three separate books, you will find that the illustrations were much better reproduced than they are by this publisher, and the printing and paper seem to me to be higher quality.
It could also be called, 'Practical Blacksmithing', if about three others hadn't got to the title first.
I never met the author, A. Weygers, except through this book. From what I can see he had these characteristics; He was artistic, but didn't suffer from an artistic temperment. He understood technical things but wasn't a nerd. He could deal with machines but also liked people.
He also shared one characteristic with me: he scrounged around in the junk heap to find parts to build things.
His writing is clear and concise. He isn't snobby or given to obscure terminology. The illustrations in the book, done with pencil by Weygers, are very good and informative.
You may be interested to know that Weygers patented a flying saucer. Or, actually, he called it a 'discopter'. It is patent 2,377,835.
This book is actually three small books bound as one. There is some repeating in the book because of this. But not much. There is something to learn on every page. The main theme of the book is how to make tools. He shows how to make blacksmithing tools, metal working tools, woodcarving chisels, stone carving tools, gardening tools and other things.
He has an interesting discussion about how to drill square holes. I have never seen this information in any other book.
He also gets into some artistic items. But he doesn't insist that you become an artist.
The most important tool that he shows you how to use is your brain. He shows how to improvise tools by using junk that you find for free or cheap. Ironically, some of the 'junk' that he shows in this book has now become collectable, but you get the idea. Start with nothing, find something, make something with it, use that to make something more, and keep building.
He shows the basic metal forging techniques such as bending, twisting, upsetting, welding, punching, hardening and tempering.
He also shows some power tools and the trip hammer. Even how to make dies for the trip hammer.
He shows how to sharpen a cutting tool, and explains the science behind it. I thought that I could get a tool pretty sharp, until I tried out this man's methods. Then I found out that I hadn't known what sharp was. I have several books that describe how to sharpen, and I have tried their methods. They worked fine, but not as well as this man's.
There isn't any 'trash' in this book, such as pages of pictures of tools copied from some tool catalog. Or lengthy digressions into the author's personal philosophies. There is only about a half dozen pages with photographes on them. Nearly every page has illustrations dome by Weygers to teach the methods explained in the text. There are a few photos of Weyger's work in stone and wood. This book is down and out, cover to cover, practical.
He has drawings of the tempering colors done in pencil, which I think is amusing, if not useless. He also talks about making 'carbon tipped' tools. I am certain he meant 'carbide' as in 'tungsten carbide'. I can forgive him a couple of errors. You won't find many books as excellent as this. Or an author with as much passion to teach as Weygers.
This is one of my favorite of all books. If you build just one tool in this book, it will have paid for itself. This could be your first, last and always blacksmithing resource.
If you can find some of the earlier publications, when this book was published as three separate books, you will find that the illustrations were much better reproduced than they are by this publisher, and the printing and paper seem to me to be higher quality.
88 of 91 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
THE COMPLETE MODERN BLACKSMITH is an excellent book! This book covers everything from tools to techniques, forge design to making your own custom anvil. I have personally read and re-read this book, and would reccomend it to anyone interested in blacksmithing or other types of metalwork, and wood/stone carvers who would like to make their own tools. This book is most assuredly a valuable resource.
42 of 42 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
Whether you have been blacksmithing for years or are just starting out, this book is a must read and/or have. Mr. Weygers technique for passing on this skill and art through a printed text is one of the best. I like his emphasis on scrounging and recycling raw material, and making as much of your own tooling as possible, even an anvil.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Complete Modern Blacksmith
This is a good book, with a lot of information.
I have gone through it many times and found it valuable.
I have gone through it many times and found it valuable.
Published 29 days ago by Scott Kretschmer
3.0 out of 5 stars
Poor illustration
Very good quality ,lots of illustration hard to understand not in color looks like sketched drawings to describe what is being done.
Published 1 month ago by Pen Name
5.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent book for someone like me who is interested in metalwork...
Good explanations from a good blacksmith that will help the beginner to understand what basic metalworking is about
and how to accomplish it.
and how to accomplish it.
Published 2 months ago by Bluepine38
3.0 out of 5 stars
Great variety of information
This a reference that I enjoyed getting early on in my learning of the blacksmith craft. Lots of "machinery orriented" knowledge, so I have not looked at it for a... Read more
Published 2 months ago by C. Ray Pearre Jr.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great book
Great information, wish it had less on using and making makeshift lathes. The drawings are well done and rather easy to understand, color on the some of them would be nice. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Brett
5.0 out of 5 stars
Gift for Blacksmithin Boyfriend
Bought this as a gift for someone who built his own forge and is just getting into blacksmithing and he loves it. He has found it incredibly helpful and a great reference. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Kayla
5.0 out of 5 stars
great book
Its a really neat book for the anybody that is trying to get into blacksmithing. It has a lot of good tips
Published 4 months ago by Juan Mayorga
5.0 out of 5 stars
blacksmith book
an interesting view of the craft.z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z
Published 5 months ago by dan thomas
5.0 out of 5 stars
The complete modern blacksmith.
Was very good. Can't wait to put some the booking a practice. It arrived very quickly and was in good shape. I would do business with these people again.
Published 5 months ago by Dale
4.0 out of 5 stars
Husband Approved
My husband wanted to start blacksmithing as a hobby. For Christmas he was doing a lot of research on the subject and asked for this book because it was recommended by all the... Read more
Published 17 months ago by M. Vanco
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 1
book:
5
books
cite this book:
- Before You Build: A Preconstruction Guide by Robert A. Roskind in Back Matter
- The Sculpture Reference: Contemporary Techniques, Terms, Tools, Materials And Sculpture by Arthur Williams in Back Matter
- Sculpture, Form and Philosophy: The Notebooks of Alexander G. Weygers by Alexander G. Weygers in Front Matter
- The Practical Woodworker by Bernard E. Jones in Back Matter
- The Blacksmith's Craft: A Primer of Tools & Methods by Charles McRaven in Back Matter
- The Artist Blacksmith: Design and Techniques by Peter Parkinson in Back Matter
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