Temperwick

Your father left you a foundry that has been cold for four winters, and the great bell of the town has just cracked. Before the guild lets you near the bell, you work through sixteen orders from the townsfolk: horseshoes for the carter, a brass knocker for the guildhall, knife blades, plough shares, latch springs for the lockwright. In the Melt Pot you ladle carbon, manganese, zinc or tin into the charge and watch the liquidus move. The Temper Run asks for a soak temperature, a cooling curve and a bath of air, oil, water, brine or salt, with an optional draw-back afterwards. Then the Probe Table shows whether you were right. Hardness on the Pyramid Press, strength on the Draw Rig, a bend test, sparks on the wheel and the grain under etch glass. The numbers come from real metallurgy, so a water quench really does harden medium carbon steel and brass really does pour cleaner than bronze.…