The anvil is the blacksmith's basic workspace, forming curved and flat surfaces and providing a stable base for accessories. (Image by MIT OpenCourseWare.)
Instructor(s)
Michael Tarkanian
MIT Course Number
3.A04
As Taught In
Fall 2008
Level
Undergraduate
Course Description
Course Features
Course Description
Physical metallurgy encompasses the relationships between the composition, structure, processing history and properties of metallic materials. In this seminar you'll be introduced to metallurgy in a particularly "physical" way. We will do blacksmithing, metal casting, machining, and welding, using both traditional and modern methods. The seminar meets once per week for an evening laboratory session, and once per week for discussion of issues in materials science and engineering that tie in to the laboratory work. Students will begin by completing some specified projects and progress to designing and fabricating one forged and one cast piece.