Metallurgy Fundamentals

Authors: Daniel A. Brandt and Jarius C. Warner
Publisher The Goodheart-Wilcox Co., Inc
4 edition, 2005
ISBN 1-59070-345-6
301 pages with a glossary and good index

This book is a textbook geared at the high school or community college level. It does not have a lot of math or physics, therefore, is quite readable for the average blacksmith. As the title says, it covers the fundamentals of metallurgy for both ferrous (that's iron and steel) and non-ferrous metals.

The book covers: Properties of metals; Manufacture of iron and steel; Crystal structures; Heat treating; and chapters on aluminum, copper/bronze/brass, and magnesium/zinc/tin.

There is a detailed discussion on hardness and how it is measured, the machines that are used, and how to compare the different values that are used: Rockwell, Brinell, Vickers, etc.

One of the interesting things I learned in reading this book, is that the scientific principle for work hardening is not fully understood. They can only make some assumptions about what is happening.

If you want to get a good understanding of the material we commonly use, this book will provide a sound foundation.

-- AlbinDrzewianowski - 30 May 2009