Question for you smithies out there

[Woods Dweller]

How would a greenhorn like me get started in a little blacksmithing?

Now mind you I aint no millionaire yet! So! what should I start out getting?

 

[blacksmithman64]

you can make a forge that will get you by out of a brake drum and a hair dryer and a little flexible exhaust pipe.Try auctions, farm sales and flea markets for an anvil or a hammer-in if ones close by. Thats gonna be your most hard to find piece of equipment. Don't scrimp, get a good one...trust me on that! check out anvilfire dot com :thumbsup:
oops, just seen yer from Florida, you might be sol!

Welcome to the MLF!

 

[Model19]

Yeah, a brake drum forge and a piece of railroad rail, a 3lb hammer, some blacksmiths coal, and you can dabble in blacksmithing. You will not turn out any prize winners, but you can get a feel for it. I started doing just that this summer. :grin:

 

[Woods Dweller]

Thanks guys!
The anvilfire has everything for beginners!
anvilfire http://www.anvilfire.com/
:thumbsup:

 

[paulvallandigham]

There are schools to teach you blacksmithing around the country. Check with Centaur Forge, in Wassau, Wis. for more information. The guidance and training you get from taking a class will save you hours of trial and error( emphasis on error) and give you a much better idea about whether you really want to put in the time to learn to do the work well. A well-equipped blacksmith shop was the original tool maker, and fix-it shop in town.

There is also a site- Toad Hall-- where lessons are given to aspiring blacksmiths and barrel makers. http://www.iowatelecom.net/~toadhall/

Have fun. :thumbsup:

 

[J.D.]

There are quite a few blackmithing sites on the net with articles and instructions on building your own forge.


A search on "building a forge" or "primitive forge" should turn up several hits. There are also some decent vids on youtube, and some that shouldn't be posted, so take some of the content with a grain of salt. Some of those vids are of home made forges, BTW, so you may get some ideas there.

Tim Lively has a forge "kit" available, but IMHO, you can make a decent starter forge for a lot less than the price of the Kit.

My first forge was made from a truck brake drum and flex pipe. The hair dryer blower was picked up for a dime at a flea market, so it's easy to improvise a forge and anvil.

God bless

 

[DBox]

Books and the internet are great. Demos at living history exhibits are good. If you can find a smith and watch him you'll get a lot. Have fun and don't over-complicate it. I've been doing it for almost 40 years and I learned a lot from a friend's dad that could do everything and I've picked up more along the way. Experience is a great teacher.

 

[Brasilikilt]

Hey there

In my opinion this book is among the best for anyone starting out who has little or nothing in the way of tools.

http://ftpforge.chez-alice.fr/Blacksmithing.pdf

Read this book, do the projects and you will be well on your way.

hope this helps

Iain

 

[fitter]

V-man is a blacksmith now! :bull:

 

[zampilot]

The Lively Knives dvd is well worth the $30, two hours, step by step. I couldnt find their stuff for sale on the net, but 'aprayinbear' made a similar forge with Harbor Freight parts.
Today I'm on my way to 'Sconi to look at two Champion 400 blowers, a forge, tools and scrap iron for a price that can't be beat. The onlt bummer is that this time of year my charcoal pile is frozen, and will be for another four months or so........ :thumbsup:

 

[paulvallandigham]

You are beginning to sound like a braying MULE, if you get my meaning. SURPRISE! I can chew gum and walk at the same time, too! :cursing:

I began learning to make my own knives when I was barely a teenager. I studied blacksmithing everywhere I could go and observe. I bought my own anvil shortly after finishing law school. I still have a farrier's forge in my garage. I make no claim to being a BLACKSMITH, because I have done only such work as I wanted to do for myself- not others. But, that doesn't mean I don't know something about blacksmithing, or knifemaking. I just have not done that kind of work for a number of years, now. I have several knifemakers as friends, or clients. And I know a couple of active blacksmiths, including a retired U of I Anthropology Professor.

When I pass something on here to help someone, Its something I know first hand, or that I have been able to learn by consulting my many, varied interests friends. If I am not sure of the answer, I give those friends a call to check my facts before writing a post, here.

Sorry if that shakes your tree. :idunno: :thumbsup:

 

[Troy Allen Christianson]

You can download Tim Lively's DVD for $9. Check out his site. livelyknives.com

 

[BillinOregon]

I have Tim's DVD and have watched it at least 20 times. Cannot recommend it highly enough. I made his charcoal forge, and have really enjoyed using it. Biggest chore is finding an affordable hand-cranked blower, but they are out there. Tim's "anvil" is cheap, too. My first one was a cast STEEL (not iron) anvil from Russia that I got at Harbor Freight several years ago. Don't know if they still have them. Avoid all cast iron anvils.

 

[blacksmithman64]

I was at harbor freight the other day, yep they still have the anvils and yep they're still ugly :grin: P.S. they have Norton disc sandpaper for cheap thats the only reason I go there! :rotf:

 

[Soractus]

Everyone's already given you most of the advice I would (This place is great) - I'll just add that any very heavy piece of scrap-steel with a nice flat area on it will work passably well as an anvil. Replace it as soon as possible, but it's a place to start.

If I might clarify a bit of terminology, a "smithie" is the building, not the man who beats the iron. He's the Smith.

"Under a spreading chestnut tree,
the village Smithy stands.
The Smith, a mighty man is he,
with large and sinewy hands" :thumbsup:

 

[blacksmithman64]

:hmm: what if the smith is skinny and has bony hands... :haha:

 

[Dan Goad]

With apologies to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

Under the spindly mimosa tree
the village smithy stands
The Smith, a scrawny man is he
with small and bony hands
and the muscles of his skinny arms
are weak like rubber bands.

:rotf: Sorry guys, I just couldn't help myselt.
:rotf: :rotf:

 

[rdillion]

Gotta love that Southern sense of humor. :rotf: :rotf: :thumbsup:

 

[THOM]

You should start out getting informed .
Wayne Goddard's $50 knife shop is pure gold..
I read it over and over .Well worth the money.
Also Tim Lively and Tai Goo have videos that explain it very well.Invest a few bucks in them .
The one brick forge is a good way to start on small projects.
Get on knife forums - and these guys here are a goldmine for help and info.. :thumbsup:

Hope this helps---
Winter Well
Thom " Limpin'frog :idunno:

 

[BillinOregon]

Woodsy: Here is s clip of my little old Tim Lively forge and No. 40 Champion blower in action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRrimSk6LzA