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Digital guides

Learn the trade from the man who wrote the book.

Every guide is rebuilt from Martin’s own teaching material — the same content used to train apprentices, reformatted to learn from at home. Instant PDF download after checkout.

Churchill Fellow TAFE Queensland’s last blacksmith teacher Author of the national standards 30+ years teaching

Build-your-own-everything

Learn to make the tools, not just buy them.

Martin’s pedagogy is start-from-nothing: these guides teach you to forge your own tongs and fire tools — the same way apprentices learn at the anvil. No forge? No tools? Good.

Free

Blacksmith’s Starter Kit

The safest possible start — what to wear, what to buy first, and how not to get hurt.

  • Full PPE checklist for hot work
  • Your first six tools, and why
  • Lighting & shutting down a forge safely
  • The one rule that matters most: if you’re unsure, stop
$0
Tier 1

Hand Forging Guide

Hand tools, heat and the core techniques, the way they’re taught at the forge.

  • Measuring, cutting & workholding — calipers, punches, tongs, hammers
  • Hand forming tools — swages, fullers, setts, flatters
  • Core techniques — drawing, punching & drifting, twisting, upsetting, scarfing & fire welding, hot cutting
  • Anvil & floor tools; reading heat by colour
$39 AUD
Flagship Tier 2

Apprentice Handbook — Year 1

The full first-year grounding. A ground-up rewrite with learning outcomes and knowledge checks throughout.

  • Eight chapters: Hand Tools · Hand Forming Tools · Techniques · Anvil Tools · Floor Tools · Calculations · Heat Control · Heating Equipment
  • Learning outcomes and knowledge checks in every chapter
  • Safety callouts and a full safety summary
  • Glossary and revision log
$129 AUD
Tier 3 · Best value

The Complete Apprentice Bundle

Everything Martin teaches in year one, at the best price — with a class discount to boot.

  • The Apprentice Handbook and the Hand Forging Guide
  • The 30-question Trade Assessment
  • Hot Punching & Slitting operating instructions, warranty & ACL
  • A discount code toward your first class at Cooneana
$199 AUD

Good to know

Questions, answered.

What format are the guides?

PDFs, delivered by instant download the moment your payment clears — and emailed to you as well.

Are they for complete beginners?

Yes. They’re written for first-year apprentices and home learners. Plain words first, technical terms second.

Do prices include GST?

Prices are in Australian dollars and GST-free. Overseas buyers see their own currency at checkout.

Can I get a refund?

Digital goods come with the guarantees you’re entitled to under Australian Consumer Law. See our refunds page.

Who actually wrote these?

Martin Geddes — Churchill Fellow, TAFE Queensland’s last blacksmith teacher, and the author of Australia’s national blacksmithing standards.

Not sure where to start?

Start free.

Get the Blacksmith’s Starter Kit and see the teaching style before you spend a cent.

Email sign-up goes live at launch. No spam — just the trade.