Smith — Metallurgical Guide & Resources

A comprehensive guide to metallurgy and bladesmithing, from finding ore in the mountains to forging Damascus steel. Ships as a cross-platform Electron desktop app (macOS / Windows / Linux) and as an installable Progressive Web App.

Live demo: guildmasterdev.github.io/Smith

Features

The Guide

Eight chapters covering the full arc of the craft:

1. Finding Ore — geological indicators, mountain formations, ore identification
2. Building Kilns — clay kilns, stone furnaces, bellows, fuel, temperature
3. Smelting Basics — ore prep, flux, slag, refining, environmental responsibility
4. Forging Fundamentals — forge setup, heat colors, drawing / upsetting / bending / welding, heat treatment
5. Blade Making — steel selection, forging, grinding, heat treatment, handles, sharpening
6. Tool Creation — hammers, tongs, chisels, hardy tools, files, measuring tools
7. Advanced Techniques — Damascus / pattern welding, Japanese sword methods, Mokume Gane, inlay, finishes
8. Safety & First Aid — PPE, fire, burns, fume fever, chemical hazards, emergency procedures

Modern Resources Directory

Curated contemporary resources: material and tool suppliers, educational institutions and workshops, essential books, online communities, equipment manufacturers, and safety information.

Application features

• Dark, forge-themed interface with serif prose and a focused reading column
• Sidebar navigation with chapter icons and numbering
• Full-text client-side search with highlighted snippets
• localStorage bookmarks
• Prev / next chapter navigation and deep-linkable hash routes
• Keyboard shortcuts (/ search, g home, b bookmark, ← / → chapter nav)
• Print and PDF export (desktop), print-optimized CSS (web)

Web Demo

The web version lives in web/ as a single self-contained index.html with all content embedded inline — no fetch, no build step. It runs identically on any static host.

• Live: guildmasterdev.github.io/Smith
• Serve locally: python3 -m http.server --directory web 8000 then open http://localhost:8000

PWA

Smith is installable as a Progressive Web App:

• web/manifest.json — standalone display, #1a1a2e theme, maskable icons at 192 and 512
• web/sw.js — cache-first service worker (smith-v1) with stale-while-revalidate
• Works fully offline once the first visit has cached the shell

Install from the browser's "Install app" / "Add to Home Screen" action.

Desktop App

Prerequisites

• Node.js 20+
• npm

Setup

git clone https://github.com/GuildMasterDev/Smith.git
cd Smith
npm install
npm start

Building for Distribution

npm run make                      # current platform
npm run make -- --platform=darwin # macOS
npm run make -- --platform=win32  # Windows
npm run make -- --platform=linux  # Linux

Project Structure

Smith/
├── src/
│   ├── main/        # Electron main process
│   ├── renderer/    # Desktop UI (HTML/CSS/JS)
│   └── data/        # Shared guide and resources content
├── web/             # Self-contained web/PWA build
│   ├── index.html
│   ├── manifest.json
│   ├── sw.js
│   └── icons/
├── scripts/         # Build and utility scripts
├── .github/workflows/
│   ├── ci.yml
│   └── deploy-web.yml
├── forge.config.js  # Electron Forge configuration
└── package.json

Technology

• Electron 41 — cross-platform desktop runtime
• Electron Forge 7 — packaging toolchain
• Vanilla JavaScript — no framework, no build step required for the web demo
• GitHub Pages + GitHub Actions — web deployment pipeline

Contributing

Pull requests welcome for additional content, resource recommendations, UI improvements, and bug fixes.

License

MIT — see LICENSE.

Acknowledgments

Built as a comprehensive resource for metallurgy and bladesmithing — whether for practical skill, historical interest, or emergency preparedness. Combines traditional techniques with modern best practices and safety standards.

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Preserving ancient crafts for future generations.