1:35 Blacksmith Equipment

A smithy as the backdrop of a scene

A blacksmith's workshop belonged to the equipment of every larger village and of every field repair unit well into the twentieth century. Horseshoes, iron wheel tires, gate hinges, tool repairs and the bending of forged parts were all done on an anvil, and none of it could be managed without tongs and a hammer. That is exactly why a blacksmith's corner fits dioramas so well: a viewer recognizes it at once, and it tells him straight away where the scene is set.

The parts list

The package holds two anvils, three pairs of tongs, three hammers and one punch. Two anvils let you build either two separate work stations, or one in use and one set aside against the wall. Having the tools in threes lets you hang some on the wall, lay some on a block and leave one piece half-finished in a figure's hand.

Where to use it

The set holds up at a field workshop, in the yard of a farm occupied by a unit, in the backdrop of a small town and in civilian scenes with no military equipment at all. It goes extremely well with forges, bellows, water barrels for quenching and heaps of scrap iron.

Recommendations for finishing

An anvil suits a dark base, over which the polished face is brought out with silver or graphite; the picture then builds itself out of the contrast between the battered body and the shiny working face. Bring the tool handles out in a warm wood tone, and the hammer heads, by contrast, in cold metal. A little rust in the corners and soot around the forge will give the scene a lived-in feel. Try leaning the punch against the wall or sticking it into the block, so that the equipment does not look lined up as if in a shop window.