STEEL Talk presents to you interesting stories of Science, Technology, Energy, Environment, Life — and of course STEEL!

Today’s question is about the English saying, “Strike while the iron is hot.” The child who sent this question wants to know why we should strike iron. Let’s explore the science behind this saying with POSCO Newsroom.

First of all, let’s take a look at the process of how a blacksmith works to explain the reason why we should strike the iron while it’s hot. Have you seen blacksmiths on TV before? A blacksmith is a craftsman who makes tools and equipment by heating and hammering metals such as iron, copper, and tin. Sickles used for farming, as well as horse hooves and knives, were all born thanks to blacksmiths.

| Why Do Blacksmiths Heat the Iron?

Blacksmiths put solid hard iron into a forge and heat it at a temperature high enough to soften it. After the heated iron turns red, It is then pulled out with tongs and hammered to form a shape. The most important thing here is the timing.

If you miss the timing and the iron cools down, shaping it becomes hard — no matter how hard you strike it. This hints the meaning hidden behind the saying, “Strike while the iron is hot.” To shape iron, you should work on it soon after it’s molten. Because if you don’t, the iron will turn solid hard as before, and changing its shape then would be impossible. Putting that into consideration, the message of the saying would be this. “There is a timing for everything, so you shouldn’t put off things that need to be done now, for later.”

| Even In POSCO Steelworks Today, “Strike It While It’s Hot!”

The method of blacksmiths in the past is also applied to the steelworks of today. Molten iron from the furnace is first molded into a cube-shaped half-finished product (slab) and left to cool down. This slab goes into a reheating furnace when making a product. It’s just like how blacksmiths worked with their forge. Next, the reheated slab passes through the rolling mill and is winded into thin rolls, resulting in the end-product — a hot-rolled coil. The manufacturing process below will help you understand better.

The blacksmiths’ way of working in the past is re-enacted in the steelworks of today, through state-of-the-art technology and fully automatic facility. POSCO’s steelworks have evolved even further with AI technology. Through AI, knowing exactly when the iron should be heated or cooled off, and when it should be hammered or compressed, became possible. This enables the manufacture of high-quality and high-performance products that meet the needs of clients.

There are various sayings of different cultures that refer to iron and steel — like the Korean saying, “Iron gets stronger, the more it is struck on”, the American saying, “The Finest steel has to go through the hottest fire”, and the Chinese saying, “Out of the hottest fire comes the strongest steel”. As can be seen here, most of the sayings that are related to iron imply that harsh, extreme conditions and hardships enable growth. Perhaps this is why steelmaker POSCO has such a fierce and strong image.

Now you know the story behind the use of ‘iron’ and ‘steel’ in sayings. Isn’t it quite interesting? POSCO Newsroom hopes everyone who is going through a difficult time would not lose hope but go on, overcome, and become stronger — just like the sayings we saw today! Please feel free to ask POSCO Newsroom if you have any other questions!

Over the years, Game of Thrones has become more than just a show, but also a cultural movement, as fans have fallen in love with everything Game of Thrones related. As a result, HBO has partnered with numerous breweries to create special-edition beers, and the show’s jewelry designers even opened up their own online store. Another surprising consequence of the show’s popularity is the increasing number of people taking up an interest in blacksmithing to make replicas of their favorite swords and weapons from the show.

The Blacksmiths of Today

Although blacksmiths are rare to come by today, in the 18th and 19th centuries, they were a vital pillar of society. Blacksmiths hand-produced everything made of iron and steel, from pots and farming tools to swords and shields. They forged life’s necessities out of the hot metals, right up to the industrial revolution.

Traditionally, only young men were eligible to become blacksmiths once they completed a 7-year paid apprenticeship. Apprentices worked for established blacksmiths who would in turn house, feed and train them. Today, women can also become blacksmiths and there are various training and education programs available for aspiring blacksmiths.

Today, women are also eligible to become blacksmiths. (Source: Vietbao)

Modern blacksmiths do not hammer away to produce tools and weapons out of necessity, as machines are far more capable and efficient. Instead, they turn out beautiful pieces of art such as sculptures and unique knobs and bolts. And, the growing popularity of Game of Thrones has more young people pursuing the art as a hobby and a profession.

The Artist Blacksmiths Association of South Australia has reported a growing number of young adults who want to take up the art as a result of the show’s growing popularity. Most of the props in movies for war scenes and superheroes are crafted by hand, and fans want to replicate their favorite characters’ swords, shield and armor.

Blacksmithing for Dummies

So, for all you Game of Thrones lovers, or just plain ol’ steel junkies, here are the basics to get started in the craft. Get a piece of iron or steel, heat it, pound it into shape and cool it down. It sounds simple, but it takes a whole lot of sweat, patience and know-how to do it right.

Heating

Having a good source of heat is vital for blacksmiths, and most opt for a coke or propane forge (or oven). Steel is heated repeatedly to make a single object, so blacksmiths have a forge that is always hot and ready. Blacksmiths also commonly use an acetylene torch to apply heat to isolated areas to achieve specific designs.

A traditional coke forge. (Source: The Rookies)

Holding

An anvil looks like a big block of steel, and its the bedrock on which blacksmiths create their masterpieces. The quality of the anvil will affect not only the quality of the final product, but also the amount of physical labor required by the blacksmith. Tool steel is one of the best kinds of anvils available as it is extremely hard. Instead of absorbing energy from the blow of a hammer, it forces the energy back up the piece of metal being worked.

An anvil serves many different functions. (Source: The Consumer Dabbler)

Besides providing a flat surface, or face, for blacksmiths to pound away on, an anvil has many different features and functions. Blacksmiths also use the anvil to cut, shape and hold the piece of steel being worked along with tongs and clamps.

Hitting

The actual “work” entails a lot of hitting, but in a very calculated and practiced way. Blacksmiths use different types of hammers to pound the metal into various shapes. The 3 most basic techniques are drawing out, upsetting and peining. Drawing out a piece of hot steel means to make it longer by hammering the sides. Upsetting refers to adding force to one end of a hot piece of metal to add volume. Piening means to hammer the piece of steel to move it in a particular direction or to spread it out thin. Blacksmiths use tongs or other specialized tools to hold down the hot steel on the anvil while hammering and working the steel into shape.

Blacksmith hammers come in all different shapes, sizes and weights. (Source: Etsy Studio)

Quenching

After countless cycles of heating and hitting, the blacksmith will end up with the desired shape. The final step is to dip the work into a bucket of cold water to cool and harden the steel.   

Dipping the hot steel in cold water to cool and harden the steel is the final step. (Source: Horse Journals)

With the above basics, and all the accompanying safety gear, anyone can pick up the craft as a hobby to create unique pieces of steel art, or replicas of the greatest swords of Westeros.

Cover photo courtesy of Time Magazine.