Blog - Page 17 of 28 - Brown County Forge

Boat Paddle Hooks - Oar Hooks - Brown County Forge - Terran Marks the Blacksmith — Our original oar hooks.

How to Hang Oars On a Wall in 4 Steps

After hammering out hundreds of pairs of boat oar hooks, I have some tips and tricks for how to hang oars on a wall.

My name is Terran Marks and I’m the blacksmith at Brown County Forge. If you have an oar to hang, here’s how I would do it.

Step 1: Measure Your Oars to Find Your Hook Width

Oar Circumference - Brown County Forge — Measuring Circumference

Not all boat paddles are the same size so you’ll need hooks that will fit your particular oar.

The easiest way to measure your oars is to measure across the oar for a diameter measurement.

Using a ruler or tape measure, rest your measuring device on top of the oar.

Where the edges of the oar handle hit is your rough diameter.

That’s the measurement we’ll use to make the hook.

The most accurate way to measure your oars is to wrap a string one time around the oar handle to find the circumference.

Then, with a little math we can find the diameter and then the hook width.

Step 2: Research Hooks Online to Find Some that Will Fit

Now that you have your measurements, you’re ready to venture into the world of hooks and hangers online.

I’m consistently amazed at the variety of ways people have come up with to keep things off the ground.

Make sure your oar hangers come with screws and that they’re the correct size and length.

You don’t want to have to run around to five hardware stores trying to find the right screws. *We include traditional black, slotted screws with every order.
You want a little bit of space around the oar shaft so it doesn’t get scraped as you put it on the hooks. I recommend looking for sizes at 1.5 inches, 2 inches, and 2.5 inches. I offer all three sizes in my Etsy shop here.

Step 3: Your Hooks Have Arrived. Now Let’s Hang Them!

Hooks to Hang Oars on the Wall — Some of my original oar hooks with hammered texture.

For the most secure mount, you will want to screw your hooks into studs.

Depending on the construction of your home, your wall studs will be either 16 inches on-center or 20 inches on-center. That just means that every 16 inches (or 20), you will hit the center of a wooden stud.

Using a stud finder is a safe bet to be sure you’re mounting into solid wood.

That last thing you want is to mount your hooks in plain drywall and risk your heavy oar coming crashing down.

I recommend drilling pilot holes first to make it easier to place your screws when it’s time.

Before you drill ANY holes, make sure your two hole heights from the floor match! Unless you want your oar to tilt, it’s best to use a tape measure to measure from the floor up to your desired oar mount height.

Mark lightly with a pencil. Then drill your pilot holes.

Step 4: Mount Your Oar or Paddle on the Wall

And that’s how to hang oars on a wall in 4 simple steps!

Now you can enjoy your securely mounted oars for years to come.

Maybe your oar is from your college days of rowing crew.

Maybe it’s an antique store find.

Or maybe it’s an authentic gondola oar from Venice to remind you of your honeymoon!

No matter the size, weight, or length, there’s a custom pair of oar hooks waiting to be made for you.

Brown County Forge’s Oar Hooks

Throughout this post, you’ve seen examples of the oar hooks I make as well as more budget-friendly options.

Steel hooks are typically the most popular. Most oars will fit in 2 inches and below.

See our Oar Hooks and pricing on Etsy.

I’m Happy to Answer Any Questions

I’m always happy to answer questions about hardware and hooks.

Please email me directly at:

browncountyforge@gmail.com

Have you ever wondered about how to become a blacksmith?

In this post, we’ll talk about what it was like “back then” and compare it to what it’s like now.

How to Become a Blacksmith “Back Then”

If we were living 150 years ago, you could become a blacksmith’s apprentice before turning 10 years-old.

The blacksmith would likely be just down the street in your small town so you would know him or your parents would.

Your job as an apprentice would involve these daily tasks:

Keeping the shop organized and clean.
Starting the forge fire and operating the bellows.
Fetching water.
Shoveling coal.
Learning the trade through simple, repetitive projects like making nails.

Your decision to become a blacksmith wouldn’t necessarily have been yours to make and you wouldn’t necessarily love it.

But you would be in it for the long haul as most trades relied on the apprenticeship to journeyman to master path.

How to Become a Blacksmith Now

The process for becoming a blacksmith is quite a bit different in the 21st Century.

The demand for blacksmiths is drastically lower due to our advancements in machine technology.

What was once made by a blacksmith can more quickly and more precisely be made by a machine.

The one exception: Shoeing horses still requires a human blacksmith. There are no robot farriers. For this reason, becoming a farrier is one of your best bets for a steady income as a blacksmith.

Farrier Work

To become a farrier or horseshoer, it’s recommended that you do formal training.

There are multiple farrier schools across the country that specialize in getting people up to speed with horseshoeing.

Here’s a good resource for Farrier Schools:

U.S. Farrier Schools

Let’s look at one school to get an idea of time commitment and cost.

The Arkansas Horseshoeing School offers:

8-Week Course: $6,900
12-Week Course: $7,900
16-Week Course: $8,900
24-Week Course: $15,900

Comparing costs for a college degree from the University of Arkansas, you’re looking at $35,280 (in-state) $92,672 (out of state).

The benefits of going to horseshoeing school are spending a lot less money and walking away with the training you need to start earning money after a few weeks versus a few years.

Maybe you’re not interested in doing farrier work, though.

If you’re looking at traditional blacksmithing, knife making, etc. we’ll talk about those next.

Traditional Blacksmith Work

Becoming a successful, professional blacksmith in the traditional sense is much harder than farrier work.

Since these skills aren’t in demand, you need to spend a lot of time networking, marketing, and finding a specialty within blacksmithing to focus on.

To get a broad base of blacksmithing skills, there are classes and blacksmith schools in almost every U.S. state.

The Blacksmith School Map is a good resource for finding what classes are available near you.

Personal Story:

I learned how to forge at a school in western North Carolina called The John C. Campbell Folk School.

I was fortunate to be accepted into one of their 9-week Work/Study programs that allowed me to:

Enroll in three weeks of blacksmithing classes at no charge.
Live on their campus for free.

In exchange, I worked with other work/study students to keep the grounds and garden in good shape and welcome regular students each week.

My only expenses while I was there involved class materials costs. Thankfully, steel is relatively cheap and they have a large scrap bin that can be used for experimenting.

I was taught by extremely talented professional blacksmiths in each of my three classes and came away with a great foundation to get started on my own.

How to Become a Blacksmith in 3 Steps

Find a school or classes near you that teach the skills you want to learn.
If you can’t afford the tuition, they often offer financial assistance.
Absorb as much information as you can while you’re there. Ask questions. Most blacksmiths are happy to share their knowledge.

After taking the time to learn from people with experience, you’ll be in a better position to get started.

At that point, you might begin your research into where to buy forges, anvils, hammers, and tongs.

If you’re already there, you might find these articles helpful:

Where to Buy Anvils

Where to Buy Forges

Buying Hammers

I’m Here to Help!

If you have any questions, please feel free to send me an email.

browncountyforge@gmail.com