Blacksmithing and forging

[Guardian]

I wonder; This is something I have followed for a long time. Was going to take a few classes in distant locations but then the whole C19 bs came into play and there were none available. I am wondering if this will change this year.

Wanting an anvil but they are far too expensive at this point. Will it be a year to learn or not? I can build a furnace if needed but would like and educators direction and teaching for the basics.

[Lis2323]

I wonder; This is something I have followed for a long time. Was going to take a few classes in distant locations but then the whole C19 bs came into play and there were none available. I am wondering if this will change this year.

Wanting an anvil but they are far too expensive at this point. Will it be a year to learn or not? I can build a furnace if needed but would like and educators direction and teaching for the basics.

The present is ALWAYS the right time to learn or do something new.


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[SweetMK]

Of course, everyone knows that Easter eggs are laid by rabbits, silly......

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm,,,

NOT anymore,,,,,,,,,, Oh, yea,, "Looks like the Easter Bunny won't be making it this year."

[VaughnT]

I wonder; This is something I have followed for a long time. Was going to take a few classes in distant locations but then the whole C19 bs came into play and there were none available. I am wondering if this will change this year.

Wanting an anvil but they are far too expensive at this point. Will it be a year to learn or not? I can build a furnace if needed but would like and educators direction and teaching for the basics.

To become a blacksmith, you must first learn that you need to strike while the iron's hot. As Lis2323 notes, if you wait for some far-off future to begin your journey, you will likely be waiting for a long time.

Anvils aren't too expensive. You don't need a big anvil, and even something like a 12# sledge hammer head will get you started. Remember, the greatest works of the "Dark Ages" were forged with the most pitiful tooling you could imagine. Vikings regularly used granite blocks for anvils, yet produced some of the finest weapons and armor of the period.

The Sutton Hoo Hoard is legendary, and every bit of it was made with naught more than you could find at your local Lowe's or Ace Hardware.




The Mastermyr Tool Chest gives you a very good example of what tooling from those days looked like, and none of it is particularly impressive. That didn't stop them from making ships that could cross the Great Oceans of the World!



If you want a good anvil that will get you started down the path, but don't want to break the bank, I highly recommend the Block Anvil. Akin to what the Vikings and other cultures used, these types of anvils offer you a ton of mass under the hammer, exactly where you need it to be, yet are light enough to move and easy on the wallet.

With one of these, you can forge the greatest weapons and armor imaginable, or all the tools you could ask for. You can build a castle, a sailing ship, or naught more than a hook to hang your hat on.



If you look around your area, you might be surprised at just how many wonderful anvils are out there.

Here, for example, is the worn down bit from a very large jackhammer/excavator type machine. You see these used in quarries to break up rocks and eventually they have to be replaced. It's such an incredibly tough alloy and ready-made to be your anvil. I've been hunting for one of these for years and would give my eye teeth to have one in the shop. One day I'll get lucky!



Here's what one looks like when all cleaned up and welded to a flange for stability.



As for training courses, do a search for "blacksmithing guild" in your state and you'll likely find plenty of places that are offering classes. If there isn't a school, there'll be individual smiths still plying their trade.

Amazingly, we're an obstinate bunch and some will likely not be at all worried about the Chicom Contagion.

[Shootr]

Have I mentioned how tickled I am to have a work space now? After nearly a year of collecting this and that with no real idea at the time how I would use it all, it's become a comfortable collection of portable, useful stuff.



Been getting a lot of inspiration from Pat's works as of late. I had an idea for this scrap piece I picked up a long time ago, and decided to see how it would come out.



Used every inch of the new forge, and then some:



I think it kind of looks like a swan. It's just sitting on that post - not sure how I want to finish it. I can weld a rebar to it to stick in the ground, or it can hang from the eye, or even leave it alone as it sits nice and level on it's own.



I like the gazing ball - I think it needs it. I also have a solid steel grinding ball but I think it's too monotone with that.

[Shootr]

I wonder; This is something I have followed for a long time. Was going to take a few classes in distant locations but then the whole C19 bs came into play and there were none available. I am wondering if this will change this year.

Wanting an anvil but they are far too expensive at this point. Will it be a year to learn or not? I can build a furnace if needed but would like and educators direction and teaching for the basics.

As as rank an amateur that there can possibly be, I wholeheartedly agree with the others. Everything I've picked up, learned, and done in the past couple months was from nothing more than reading a lot, watching youtube videos, and participating in these forums. Anvil=homemade from scrap. Forge=Homemade from pics online and a $15 burner from Etsy. Tongs=Bought a 6 pack of DIY for $60 and made them myself for practice.

Every project is practice and a lesson. I don't kid myself that I'll ever figure this out but I do know it's the most fun hobby I've ever had. I hope it works out for you this year.

[psacustomcreations]

Have I mentioned how tickled I am to have a work space now? After nearly a year of collecting this and that with no real idea at the time how I would use it all, it's become a comfortable collection of portable, useful stuff.

I like the gazing ball - I think it needs it. I also have a solid steel grinding ball but I think it's too monotone with that.

One option for a tool is to clean up or grind on one of the solid balls to give you a strong surface to work with for curves. You could get a piece of pipe that the ball sits in and basically have that piece on the ground Vaughn mentioned that is like a large demo tooth.

In regards to the piece you showed, I think it needs something in there to fill the void. I do not think a rusty grinding ball is the answer though.

[VaughnT]

I absolutely love coming across large/long tapers like that! Sure, we can cut them out ourselves, but it's always better to find some that have already been cut for you!!


Love the swan.


If you are half a mind to, you could replace the ball with a tall candle and change the whole thing up by the head/eye. I've seen that done before and it always looks nice. A bit of glass flue and a decorative drip tray would help fill some of the void in the body while making it "practical" instead of "art".

[arcflash]

Have I mentioned how tickled I am to have a work space now? After nearly a year of collecting this and that with no real idea at the time how I would use it all, it's become a comfortable collection of portable, useful stuff.



Been getting a lot of inspiration from Pat's works as of late. I had an idea for this scrap piece I picked up a long time ago, and decided to see how it would come out.



Used every inch of the new forge, and then some:



I think it kind of looks like a swan. It's just sitting on that post - not sure how I want to finish it. I can weld a rebar to it to stick in the ground, or it can hang from the eye, or even leave it alone as it sits nice and level on it's own.



I like the gazing ball - I think it needs it. I also have a solid steel grinding ball but I think it's too monotone with that.

I love your quenching tank in the first picture.

[Shootr]

I love your quenching tank in the first picture.

The idea may or may not have crossed my mind - briefly..

[VaughnT]

The nice thing about the Trade is that no matter what the native tongue, we all speak blacksmithing.



While new to the youtube universe, this fellow is doing some nice work. This vid does a great job of showcasing just how much you can change the topography of the steel, the very thing that makes smithing so wonderful, imo.

[VaughnT]

Sometimes, it's the simplest thing in the world.

It's really easy to get caught up on having fancy tools and blind yourself to a solution that's genius in its simplicity.

I've always enjoyed Tall Ships and all their rigging so it was nice to see how they wrap an iron around a dead-eye - something that's bothered me for ages. I knew it had to be similar to putting a hoop on a barrel or getting the iron tire on a wagon's wheel, but that's as far as I ever got in my cogitating on the issue.

[whtbaron]

I know this wasn't forged, but I thought some of you guys into the artsy stuff might like the design. And besides, this thread has been too quiet lately...

[Lis2323]

I know this wasn't forged, but I thought some of you guys into the artsy stuff might like the design. And besides, this thread has been too quiet lately...

This was most likely forged....




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[VaughnT]

Never one to disappoint, the folks over at Cloverdale Forge in Canada have knocked out another genius design that I'd love to borrow from.

Several times here on WW, I've pointed out how the machine-made scrolls are very easy to tell apart from forged scrolls by their distinctive flat ends. Well, the folks at Cloverdale decided to take that one step further, and created something that shows just how huge a difference there is between what machines can do and what can be done by a competent blacksmith!



You just don't get much better than that!

I have no idea what their educational background is, but the folks at Cloverdale sure do knock out some fantastic designs.

This is why I constantly say we need to do our best. And, it just might be why I don't post more of my work.

[whtbaron]

lol... nice ACME anvil.... and that swage block hiding under the bench is interesting too...

[Lis2323]

lol... nice ACME anvil.... and that swage block hiding under the bench is interesting too...

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[VaughnT]

If you're not watching Max Randolph's work, you're missing out. The guy's a genius.

[Bruce]

Hey Vaughn, His work is on You-Tube?

[VaughnT]

His work is on You-Tube?

Nope, sadly. He's the most unassuming guy and not at all interested in doing how-to videos. He hardly puts up any social media content at all, really, and nothing tutorial. The best you can hope for is the occasional post on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, etc.

Of course, on the level he's working at... it's no wonder that he's not worried about building his brand or the like.

[VaughnT]

A great video to show folks what can be done with not much. And, yes, I know there are a few dirty jokes in there somewhere!!

[VaughnT]

Up to 6 members on my Locals page. Still not entirely sure what I'm doing with it, but it's fun and will only get bigger as time goes by.

https://threeriversforge.locals.com

I really need to get to tinkering with that video editing stuff. It'd be a lot easier if I didn't hate computers so much!

[Lis2323]

* up to SEVEN members


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[VaughnT]

[cwby]

Should be 8 now...