Blacksmithing..

I was wondering why there isn't anything about blacksmithing? I mean you can make your own gardening tools, home decor, ect. I think it would be a Interesting forum.i did some blacksmithing in.school and want to get onto it. Read alot of books on it. Very interesting..

>> I think it would be a Interesting forum.

Me too.  Blacksmithing is a lost art ... or skill.  I like looking at homemade garden tools & comparing them to tools at the hardware shop.

When they are made right, I belive hand forged would always be superior to store bought...it has been a while. But always watch forged in fire. And find it interesting...

My wife and I have a metal working side hustle. We have a pretty well-equipped shop with multiple forges, several anvils and a wide variety of hand and power tools. I am a journeyman smith with the American Bladesmith Society, so if anyone has any questions about the craft, especially making bladed tools, I am here and will do my best to help you out. I've been forging steel and iron since 2003.

A basic setup is not difficult to achieve. The hardest part is finding something to use as an anvil. The bigger, the better, as resistance translates into efficiency when forging steel. If you ever get an opportunity to acquire a hunk of steel that weighs 75 pounds or more (more is better), and has a smooth face, take it home with you. One of my anvil is a 200 pound block of Chrome-Moly about 30 inches long with a 3x9 inch cross section. It's rare, but sometimes in rural areas you can find an old anvil stashed away in someone's barn, or garage that they are willing to part with. A forge can be little more than a box full of dirt or clay. I have even seen folks build a forge in a hole in the ground. The most difficult part of the solid fuel (coal, charcoal, etc.) forge is rigging up a blower or bellows. A propane forge is pretty easy to build and so is a venturi type propane burner. These are self-aspirated burners that do not need any additional blower or air source and can be made from iron plumbing parts.

So bring on the discussion. Who likes, or wants to learn how to forge steel?

A side note about the "lost art".  ABANA is the national (now global) organization dedicated to the art of the blacksmith. You can find a local affiliate here: https://abana.org/affiliates/affiliate-map-list/#!directory/map

For those of you interested in Blacksmithing, you have come to the right place.

https://permies.com/f/410/pep-metalworking

My suggestion would be to pick a PEP BB (Badge Bit) from this forum, follow the instructions, take pictures of what is required and submit your BB.

If this sounds fun then I am looking forward to seeing these projects.

Thanks alot, that would be a help. It will be a while before a I start because I'm low income, and blacksmith equipment can be expensive.. I have a homemade anvil made from railroad rail, but not much
else...thanks, and I'll keep you info where I can get it..

Roy, you might learn what tools you need and even learn some about blacksmithing from the pictures on the threads in that forum.

That is what I like about the PEP threads ... all the pictures of what other people are doing even though I don't know how to do the.

I like the recipe threads in PEP just for the recipes and pretty pictures.

I know some about blacksmithing . I did it in school and read many books. Have been watching a forging show for probably a year.. I just need to get to know how hot to get the metal for the task I need to do at the time...I know what tools I need. I just need to get the stuff together and do it because actually doing it is alot diffrent then watching it on tv. Thanks alot for the info. I'll check that forum out..

Roy Pickett wrote:I know some about blacksmithing . I did it in school and read many books. Have been watching a forging show for probably a year.. I just need to get to know how hot to get the metal for the task I need to do at the time...I know what tools I need. I just need to get the stuff together and do it because actually doing it is alot diffrent then watching it on tv. Thanks alot for the info. I'll check that forum out..

Doing it is the only way to actually learn. Blacksmithing, like playing a musical instrument, or rock climbing, or any of a wide variety of activities, is a practiced skill.  It always helps to work with someone who already has acquired some skills as they can ease the learning curve. I've been thinking about this thread for a while and your post really pushed me to a decision. I have been thinking about a super-simple set up using no specialized equipment, just stuff that many folks may just have around the homestead. I have a plan and will post either a pictorial or a video of how to do a simple setup and get forging without the need to buy, or build, anything complex or expensive.  A pictorial will take very little time to put together, maybe a day to complete. A video will take much longer because the editing process can take me days to complete.

Would there be any interest in seeing a basic setup that can get you forging without buying a bunch of stuff? Would the group prefer a pictorial, a video, or both?

Which ever would be better for you...I have what I need to make a forge. And I'm going to use a small shop vacuum and a pedal from a sewing machine for a air supply..I'm hoping it works but am afraid it will supply too much air..guess could use a hair dryer I stead....

I put a pictorial post in the PEP Metalworking forum: https://permies.com/t/179207/pep-metalworking/Basic-backyard-forge

Roy Pickett wrote:Which ever would be better for you...I have what I need to make a forge. And I'm going to use a small shop vacuum and a pedal from a sewing machine for a air supply..I'm hoping it works but am afraid it will supply too much air..guess could use a hair dryer I stead....

This sounds more like a blacksmith billows to me.  

A forge is more like an oven or a BBQ grill.  On that TV show, one guy just used some firebricks.

Anne Miller wrote:

Roy Pickett wrote:Which ever would be better for you...I have what I need to make a forge. And I'm going to use a small shop vacuum and a pedal from a sewing machine for a air supply..I'm hoping it works but am afraid it will supply too much air..guess could use a hair dryer I stead....

This sounds more like a blacksmith billows to me.  

A forge is more like an oven or a BBQ grill.  On that TV show, one guy just used some firebricks.

Both the hair dryer and the shop vac will be too strong for a forge. These will need to be controlled and adjusted with a variable resistor, like a household dimmer switch. A BBQ grill will likely be too big for most work. One of the biggest mistakes people make when building a forge is making the fire pot too big. You can only work a small section at a time, so there is no need to make a big fire pot. The only time I really use a bigger area is for making Damascus billets or heat treating big blades (greater than 24 inches long)

The post I just put up in the PEP forum uses a few fire bricks and charcoal.