Owen McConnell is hot. With heatproof gloves and protective goggles, he stands over a piece of red glowing steel and proceeds to beat the living daylights out it.

McConnell doesn’t have anger issues, he’s honing the medieval craft of blacksmithing.

“It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, even as a kid,” said McConnell, a Marion native and manager of a cell phone store in Swansea. “It always seemed interesting. There’s something about it that is mysterious.”

For McConnell, part of the mystery comes from the simplicity and uniqueness of the “arcane” trade.

“It’s a craft that nobody does, and the tools that you use are unusual. You wouldn’t use them for anything else.”

With an anvil that would make Wile E. Coyote drool, a good hammer, a small forge and coal, McConnell can fashion steel into pieces that are both practical and artistic.

While the tools are fairly simple, becoming a blacksmith means working with metal heated to 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit and higher.

“As much as it seems like it’s just you hitting the metal as hard as you can, there is a lot more subtlety to it, a lot more planning that goes along when you’re doing a project,” said McConnell.

After waking up one morning with a realization that he really wanted to learn, McConnell tracked down Slim Bernier, a blacksmith based in Rochester, and began taking lessons to learn the basics of the craft.

“Once I started taking lessons, I was pretty much hooked. When I’m out there and I’m working on something, it seems like hours go by so quickly. That’s how I can tell I’m really enjoying it.”

For the past six months, McConnell has had his own setup in his backyard where he continues to hone his skills while also taking on small projects.

“It would be nice if I could do it full-time,” he said. “It takes a lot of time and practice to be able to do it efficiently.”

For now, he fires up the forge on weekends, and when he has free time.

To date, McConnell's oeuvre includes tools, knives from railroad spikes and most recently a fireplace screen, but he says he’s willing to try almost anything.

“Recently, I got a call from someone in New Bedford asking if I could make a phonograph handle. I’ll give it a shot,” said McConnell.

The fledgling forger said he gets satisfaction from turning a rod of steel into something new.

“Not a whole lot of people know how to create things from raw materials,” he said. “I like that idea of being able to make what I want without going to a store and buying it.”

There’s also something to be said about hammering out aggression after a day in customer service.

“It’s stressful dealing with people’s expectations. It’s a lot of work and a lot coming at you, so blacksmithing is a nice break. It’s a good stress reliever.”

To contact Owen McConnell, call 508-863-0070.