OCALA, Fla. – It’s a celebration at a national historic landmark right in Central Florida’s backyard.
If you haven’t visited Fort King in Marion County within the last year, you’ll notice a new building has popped up. It’s a reconstruction of a Blacksmith’s shop from the 1800s. Blacksmiths from across the state are visiting the shop to celebrate the trade and share some history.
“It’s probably an addiction. Do I need 10 hammers? Probably not, but some of them have their own uses,” Justin Miller said.
Miller is a blacksmith and has been forging for four years at his own workshop in Fort McCoy called Florida Man Forge.
“Forging means using heat to make it easier to manipulate steel with a hammer or power hammer. You’re moving the steel in a fashion that you want it to move. You don’t always need heat though, there’s also cold forging,” Miller said.
Typically, blacksmiths start with raw or scrap iron and steel, using a forge - like an enclosed fireplace - to get the metal hot enough to manipulate. The trade dates back to 1500 B.C. Blacksmiths continuously hammer the metal piece with force to create tools and objects.
“It’s a lot of work. You’re hot. Your arms get tired. I rely heavily on my tools, but swinging a hammer all day long will wear you out,” Miller said.
Miller has created tools, knives and other things like steak turners. He said he’s fallen in love with the hobby.
“My favorite thing about blacksmithing is really hammer and steel. Spending time in the shop, isolating my attention on one thing and trying not to ruin it. I have a successful failure pile. It’s a lot of time and work,” Miller said.
Miller’s a member of the Florida Artist Blacksmith Association. The group will be a part of Fort King’s first “Hammer In” event showcasing the trade and forging historical hardware and artifacts to go along with the new blacksmith shop on site.
“It’s real neat to have a historically accurate building of a real traditional blacksmith’s shop of the era. Everything that I forge in now is just garages and shops,” Miller said.
While it may look like he’s just beating up steel, Miller said it’s important to keep the history of blacksmithing alive.
“There’s a lot of people still bringing new things to the table. They’re rehashing old things and bringing it to the forefront for other people to learn. If it dies, it dies and it could never come back again and it’s something a lot of people enjoy. You’re making a handmade product, art or tool and there’s not a lot of that these days,” Miller said.
The City of Ocala Recreation and Parks Department is hosting the “Hammer In” at Fort King on Saturday, Feb. 24, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Fort King National Historic Landmark, 3925 E. Fort King St. The event is free and open to the public.
Blacksmiths belonging to the Florida Artist Blacksmith Association (FABA) will be showcasing their talents and skills during Fort King’s first “Hammer In.” May marks the first anniversary of the blacksmith shop opening. Members from the Gainesville and Central Florida region of FABA will celebrate the occasion by designing and forging historically accurate hardware and functional tools to accentuate the Blacksmith Shop, blockhouses and gate doors of the fort. The project will be ongoing until completed.
The public is invited to this free event to see the blacksmith shop in action and learn from masters of the trade as they work around the shop on 15+ portable forges. Forged in the Fire champion and construction site lead, Keith Hill, will be in attendance to share how he continues to educate the community about 1800s history and techniques.
Parking for this event will be held at the Duke Energy Lot. Signs will be in place directing traffic to the parking area and a shuttle will be available for transportation to the fort.
For more information, visit www.fortkingocala.com or call the City of Ocala Recreation and Parks Department at 352-368-5517.
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