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We hope to see you soon at Openluchtmuseum.nl!
The Forge
Be sure to step into the Forge at the Open Air Museum, as you may get to see the blacksmith at work.
Using the anvil he manipulates the metal to make various items, including some for the Boatyard, which is located a little further along on Zaan Square. You will also find objects that have been made in the Forge elsewhere in the museum park: the sign hanging at the Indonesian Yard is one example.
Hooping fires
The lighting of ‘hooping fires’ forms part of the process involved in fitting iron hoop tyres around the wooden cartwheels made by the museum’s wheelwright. The iron hoops are heated on an open fire and then cooled with water to shrink them onto the wooden cartwheel. This combination of fire and steam often produces some spectacular scenes! Hooping fires are lit in the museum park a few times a year.
Explosion-proof windows
Under the floor of the Forge is a cellar where carbide was once stored. This was used for welding. In the event of an explosion the Forge’s special ‘explosion-proof’ windows would fly open automatically.