Essentials of Blacksmithing | Construction and DIY projects | Forums

Shall we make this the official blacksmithing thread?

I've been mulling over the idea of getting a welding certificate from the local CC, and I've always been fascinated by blacksmithing.  My favorite part of visiting pioneer or craft shows were the blacksmiths.  Maybe it was the hammer pounding or playing with fire, it always piqued my interest.

I've been looking for another skill to learn, and was trying to decide between metal working and small engine repair.  I've already taken the welding safety class, and the beginning gas welding class. My wife's uncle has given me pointers and allowed me to mess around in his shop, but blacksmithing just fascinates me more. 

kvr, I totally missed the part of the workshop thread where you were interested in blacksmithing also.

Virux, your brake drum forge thread is WAY cool http://thehomesteadi.....ake-forge/

So...do you guys mind making this thread the central place we post blacksmithing videos, articles, pics, and stories? Maybe this thread branches off later into specific topics like knifemaking (sweet knife, btw, virux) toolmaking, or artistic smithing.

I'm excited.  I have a week off work coming up and I'll be building my forge.  I'll start out using charcoal.  I don't know how the neighborhood would react to a coal fire.  I have a gas grill i haven't used in about 4 years. I'm going to line it with firebricks, leaving a trough down the middle for a tuyere.  There's a couple of mods I'll have to do to the grill like getting rid of the gas burner at one end, drilling a hole for the tuyere and cutting down one end for feeding long stock.  I think one of the first things I'll make are replacements for the plastic pieces on the grill and tool hooks for the front.  I don't have a blower yet, but we'll see in the next few days.

I mentioned blacksmithing, and needing an anvil and tools to a guy I work with who also farms.  He tried his hand at blacksmithing and gave it up, so he's selling me a 200# anvil for $50. He said he'll throw in the stump it's attached to for free. He also has a bunch of tools, I'll probably make him an offer. Hopefully he has a blower he wants to get rid of.  

I was also talking to my father in law about starting blacksmithing and he gave me a 5 gallon bucket full of hammers, clamps, a pair of tongs, and a steel piece that's used in bridge construction for holding sections of decking together.  It's about 2 ft long, I-shaped, and weighs about 30# and will be useful if I ever need a portable or smaller anvil.

I'll be working outside, next to our garage.  I'll cement 2 4x4's into the ground and try and get ahold of some scrap metal roofing.  My only concern is that the siding on the garage is vinyl and if a cinder or piece of slag burns through the siding, there's 90 year old clapboard underneath.

We have a steel supply store here in town that I've shopped at before.  They have a tons of scraps for cheap so I'll be shopping there more frequently.

Hessian said
My forge is in the same country as me now finally. I'm down for some projects.

Ash a lot of the welding I have had to do with blacksmith stuff has been making billets. 

Anyone ever made a power-hammer?  For us folks getting older it would be a nice treat for the tennis elbow.

http://ftpforge.chez.....krusty.pdf

https://youtu.be/1tw-Bh1pEV0

I've had problems with my right elbow from not tapping soon enough from a few armbars.  I hope it holds up to the pounding.  I really want to do this.