https://workingtheflame.com/
https://www.iforgeiron.com/
https://abana.org/
https://www.habairon.club/
^good resources, even if you're not an American or SE Texas anon.
Get acquainted with your local historical societies, history museums, and reenactment clubs. Somebody knows somebody.
For stock and tools, get to know the guys that operate scrap/salvage yards, welding shops, and machine shops. Craigslist is okay, but estate sales are where it's at.
I finished a four year apprenticeship under a third generation master smith about 10 years ago, so I'm reasonably qualified to answer specific questions here, I guess.
I work full-time as a draftsman. Most of the profit I've made from blacksmithing has been from teaching classes. Smaller trinkets, items for historical reenactments, and outdoor cooking stuff sell okay, but if I did it full-time, It wouldn't pay the bills.
I inherited two blowers, two leg vises, a couple of post drills, and some odds and ends.
I built gas and coal forges, mostly from scrap. $800 for my anvil I imported from Austria around 2006. Think I spent $200-300 on the tuyer and firepot I'm using in the coal forge.
Some clubs/organizations offer hands-on training programs. I know there's a few colleges that offer courses. I got lucky finding the guy I worked under. Same advise above still applies; just talk to people in those tangential circles.
bang hot metal with hammer until ???? profit.
blacksmithing as a hobby is useless though for profiting off of, unless you manage to get people to buy ornate fence/stairway rail decor.
You should invest in some hearing protection instead. At least morons like you who drop out of the game early from self-inflicted injuries make buying equipment cheap.
Besides what anons already said, you should also look into making a bloomery for making your own wrought iron.
Gold panners will have a leg up in this regard since they will have more purer iron-sand from the panning process; but any magnetic sand will do with enough work.
If you're a poorgay like myself, you can use a simple hair-blower or air-mattress pump for your oxygen supply for a charcoal forge, with the air-outlets / tweer drilled into a copper pipe.
best first timer's anvil is really just sucking it up and dropping a couple hundred bucks on a cheap cast steel one, the price went down massively in the last few years when some factory in china or somewhere started making them. They're 80% as good as a forged anvil but 20% the price.
If you really cant then it depends what you can find. A sledgehammer head set in a stump works for small projects and is probably as ubiquitous and cheap as you'll get, but there's always the possibility of getting lucky at a scrap yard or something.
I concur with this. Just suck it up and get something proper. However, if you're determined to find an anvil-like-object so you can do it on the cheap, you want mass, surface area, and stability. I picked up picrel at a local scrap yard at $0.35 per pound as a secondary workspace for my kid and it works better than any dressed up rail track meme anvil.
Bros, as a new backyard blacksmith should I make a propane forge or build one that uses coal?
I prefer solid fuel, but I'm probably biased from working in an 1890's historical shop.
If you're just starting, propane is probably cheaper and more accessible. Also, controlling your heat isn't so touchy compared to coal and charcoal, particularly if you go at it trial and error.
No one I know bothers signing their work.
https://www.anvilfire.com/registry/registry.htm
Don't know how up-to-date this one is. Regardless, it's not regulated like a cattlebrand registery or something, so if you're worried about it, you'll still want to file a trademark.
forge metal at yellow color to slightly yellow/orange. >if red it's too cold, more work, may crack as it cools, >many on youtube are whacking away at red
I also am interested in learning blacksmithing. Please post links and infographs for me. thx.
https://workingtheflame.com/
https://www.iforgeiron.com/
https://abana.org/
https://www.habairon.club/
^good resources, even if you're not an American or SE Texas anon.
Get acquainted with your local historical societies, history museums, and reenactment clubs. Somebody knows somebody.
For stock and tools, get to know the guys that operate scrap/salvage yards, welding shops, and machine shops. Craigslist is okay, but estate sales are where it's at.
I finished a four year apprenticeship under a third generation master smith about 10 years ago, so I'm reasonably qualified to answer specific questions here, I guess.
How do profitable smiths make money year round? What's your income from smithing and how much have you invested in your shop?
I work full-time as a draftsman. Most of the profit I've made from blacksmithing has been from teaching classes. Smaller trinkets, items for historical reenactments, and outdoor cooking stuff sell okay, but if I did it full-time, It wouldn't pay the bills.
I inherited two blowers, two leg vises, a couple of post drills, and some odds and ends.
I built gas and coal forges, mostly from scrap. $800 for my anvil I imported from Austria around 2006. Think I spent $200-300 on the tuyer and firepot I'm using in the coal forge.
Sounds like a sweet hobby setup. My reenactor bro sold many a BBQ fork and other utensils he could produce quickly and easily.
Any advice on getting an apprenticeship?
Some clubs/organizations offer hands-on training programs. I know there's a few colleges that offer courses. I got lucky finding the guy I worked under. Same advise above still applies; just talk to people in those tangential circles.
bang hot metal with hammer until ???? profit.
blacksmithing as a hobby is useless though for profiting off of, unless you manage to get people to buy ornate fence/stairway rail decor.
I want to do it but first I'd need a house :,(
Step #1 - A big workshop with a dirt floor you won't burn down.
How you gonna burn down a dirt floor?
How you gonna burn down a dirt floor?
>you won't burn down.
It sucks that I have tinnitus and the banging only makes it worse. Maybe one day I can afford a nice forging press.
You should invest in some hearing protection instead. At least morons like you who drop out of the game early from self-inflicted injuries make buying equipment cheap.
How much does an enclume cost?
What's gonna happen to that bigass spring through successive heating and cooling cycles?
Nothing since it's purpose is to accommodate those cycles. It doesn't get heated beyond critical temp or even close.
Nice stump, homosexual.
Don't worry bros I coated the wool and replaced the garden bricks
Current heating setup
Besides what anons already said, you should also look into making a bloomery for making your own wrought iron.
Gold panners will have a leg up in this regard since they will have more purer iron-sand from the panning process; but any magnetic sand will do with enough work.
If you're a poorgay like myself, you can use a simple hair-blower or air-mattress pump for your oxygen supply for a charcoal forge, with the air-outlets / tweer drilled into a copper pipe.
Is the best solution to a first timers anvil to just get lucky and find a rail road track for cheap?
best first timer's anvil is really just sucking it up and dropping a couple hundred bucks on a cheap cast steel one, the price went down massively in the last few years when some factory in china or somewhere started making them. They're 80% as good as a forged anvil but 20% the price.
If you really cant then it depends what you can find. A sledgehammer head set in a stump works for small projects and is probably as ubiquitous and cheap as you'll get, but there's always the possibility of getting lucky at a scrap yard or something.
I concur with this. Just suck it up and get something proper. However, if you're determined to find an anvil-like-object so you can do it on the cheap, you want mass, surface area, and stability. I picked up picrel at a local scrap yard at $0.35 per pound as a secondary workspace for my kid and it works better than any dressed up rail track meme anvil.
I prefer solid fuel, but I'm probably biased from working in an 1890's historical shop.
If you're just starting, propane is probably cheaper and more accessible. Also, controlling your heat isn't so touchy compared to coal and charcoal, particularly if you go at it trial and error.
Bros, as a new backyard blacksmith should I make a propane forge or build one that uses coal?
Anyone here use a touchmark? Trying to find inspiration for a design and I find using my initials kind of dull
Are you good enough to warrant a touchmark?
No one I know bothers signing their work.
https://www.anvilfire.com/registry/registry.htm
Don't know how up-to-date this one is. Regardless, it's not regulated like a cattlebrand registery or something, so if you're worried about it, you'll still want to file a trademark.
forge metal at yellow color to slightly yellow/orange.
>if red it's too cold, more work, may crack as it cools,
>many on youtube are whacking away at red
Basic blacksmithing by david harries is a good book to begin with