South African Highveld

Welcome to the IForgeiron. This is your forum to show the world who you are and what you do. Please post your events. news, etc, to keep others informed about your group.

Ouens (Guys) Dis altyd lekker om met mekaar in gewoon lekker Afrikaans te kuier. Daar is niks mee verkeerd nie, ons is 'n hele klomp Boere, en meeste Smede in Suid Afrika is maar Afrikaanssprekend. Onthou net, ons het baie belangstelling van die oorseese ouens, wat baie oulik is. Sit onder jou Afrikaanse insit 'n kort Engelse samevatting van wat jy min of meer gese het, sodat hulle darem die inhoud van ons forum 'n bietjie kan volg. En onthou ons is 'n familievriendelike site, dus geen growwe taal, asb. Ek sal ongerymdhede aan die Webmaster raporteer. Baie dankie vir die moeite, lekker kuier! Wim. English: It is nice to be able to hang loose and speak our own langu…

Good day everyone My name is Peter and just this week, my wife and I moved to Somerset West in the Western Cape, from Adelaide in South Australia. I was privileged to have been provided with the basic skills of blacksmithing by John F, Rob K, Chris C and Geoff B of the Artist Blacksmiths Association of South Australia (ABASA) some five years back. Whilst I was a member there for a short while, business and other matters distracted me and I just messed around with my small Soderfors anvil and 9kg gas bottle forge that I made on a one day course at Fergie's springworks in Gawler. I spoke with Fergs a short while ago and expressed to him my hope to start up ag…

Hi South African Blacksmiths you're still here?? Seems there's not that much interest which is a little bit sad as there is no forum in SA (as I know). OK, we are not that many in SA but at least quite a few... Let's start a discussion :), maybe we can organise a hammer in or create something different to promote blacksmithing in SA. Difficult times, thinking about leaving the country but who knows? Any ideas? Come on, guys

Hi, I'm new here, I would like to know where can I find detailed plans in metric for a forge press( I'm a budding knife maker)

Hey Guys I am fairly new to the site and to blacksmithing and still learning a lot but I have found that the hardest part for me is finding decent blacksmithing coal. Does any one know where I can find some bituminous coal up near johannesburg or Polokwane? Cheers

Dear everyone, Since our becoming a distinct group of Blacksmiths at Wheel at the Vaal 2006, and our starting a Forum for South African Blacksmiths on www.iforgeiron.com we haven’t only grown as a group, but we have also made contact with Blacksmiths in the far corners of South Africa. I have at this moment 44 Blacksmiths in six of the nine provinces of our country on record. Some we know from iforgeiron.com, others from the Ystervegter forge in at Coenraad’s place and the forge in at Paul’s place, and the ever growing “Wheels at the Vaal” event. This not even close to everybody that is involved in Blacksmithing. There are numerous lone smiths out there, that we …

Hello to all , I am in Benoni in Gauteng and need help finding the components to build a propane forge. Can anyone advise where to get the things like, fire bricks, refracting cement, clay etc etc etc ...... I have surfed the internet looking but have more chance falling pregnant. Any advice or help would be appreciated. Kind Regards Claude (Newbie)

Hi There, Do any of your gentlemen have any suggestions in relation to the products which are "available" on the market. I see that Black Dragon Forge imports pre-built machines from Ireland by the looks of things. Do you gentlemen use gas? Have you built your own forges..? Any feedback would be appreciated. I am unfortunately a beginner! Regards Alex

Good day I am Marius from Stellenbosch, Western Cape. Although mostly a bladesmith, I am also passionate about the craft of the blacksmith thanks to my teachers. Ek vind dit verblydend om te sien dat hierdie kuns weer begin opvlam in die land.

Good day fellow Blacksmiths I might be able to offer you a solution that will not only burn better but safes you money by doing so. I would appreciate it if you took the time to answer the following few questions in order for me to determine if it will be worth while pursuing. If you are currently using a coal forge what coal do you use and how is that working for you? What do you need/want from your coal? Where are you currently getting your coal and at what price? How do you feel about a briquette type coal that has better burning results than anthracite but at a fraction of the price? Thanks allot for your participation. All of the b…

Hey guys, I have been searching for an anvil for months now, and have come across a grand total of 3. Only one of which was in even a fairly decent state and the bloke wanted way more than was reasonable. I am in the process of starting up my own forge/workshop in Plettenberg Bay, but the one thing holding me back is the lack of an anvil. If you have, or know of anyone who has, a decent anvil that they would like to sell. Please would you post a comment :) Oh and also, if anyone happens to know where I would get coal from in this part of the world. That would be a great help! James Engelke

Goeie dag aan die al die lede wat met vuur speel. Dit is lekker om Suid Afrikaners as `n groep op `n internasionale forum te sien. Soos wat ons geskiedenis getuig van gewere wat deel van ons alle daagse bestaan was ,is ek seker smee werk saam met ons ossewa geskiedenis was net so `n deel van ons bestaan. Johan Greyling ( JS Gunsmithing) organiseer die Geloftefees hier op Witbank vanaf die 9 de tot 16 Desember..hierdie jaar gaan ons groot..daar gaan nege ossewaens wees , vier voorlaaier kanonne , swart kruit gewere om mee te skiet. Ons gaan wa -wiele se bande kort, smeewerk op die terrein self doen, osse inspan en `n ossewa trek..seep kook , rieme brei..ens. Smeewerk gaan …

Where in South Africa would i be able to get a belt grinder, ive been through the whole town, and no one can help me get one, i dont want to use a bench grinder to give my blades a finish. Luc

Hi everyone My name is Adrien. I live actually in South Africa until July 2016. I am French. I am 20 years old. I actually working with a artist blacksmith in Cape Town during 3 months again, but I want to visit more workshops and discover more technics. It's why I a chose to contact all of you. My plan it's to do a trip of several blacksmith workshops in South Africa during 3 or 4 months. I don't do that for money, for me it's juste a great expérience for learn this beatiful and varied job. About my expérience : It's been 5 years since I started playing the Hammer in France a cross différent workshop…

Is there anyone in North Cape that blacksmiths, if there is can you please contact me at [email protected]. Greetings Luc

Hi Everyone, Joined the IFI community recently, looking for information on treating a knife steel. Managed to complete the first blade's hardening this afternoon, and glad to report that all went pretty well Wel,ek wou maar net dag se... Hopefully I will be back with lots of questions... Hennie

Hi. Winter Craft School will again be hosting a 1 week craft program in Johannesburg for children and adults from 30 June to 4 July 2014. Vuka Design will be facilitating the blacksmith workshops. Please visit www.craftschoolsa.com. for more info and for bookings. It is an incredible opportunity for participants, as they are exposed to a host of traditional crafts taught by passionate crafters and get to make a special item in two of the crafts they choose for the week. See you there, Paola

Howsit, I didnt see an introduce yourself thread so, howsit chaps, I'm new.

Are there any active Durbanites around?

Good Afternoon, I joined this forum and promtly found myself browsing briefly through each forum section, and was inspired by the first sticky on the copper page. I realised that I should get stuck in with what I have and to stop waiting when I can afford the right tools and have 'this' or 'that'. So I started pulling out things which I have been lugging around with me for years, looked for some scrap copper pipe from the geyser we put in and just got stuck in, and here is the result.

Hi I see the South African Highveld group forum has gone quiet while I was away having a baby :) If anyone is still active on the forum and can help, I am wanting to buy 2 lengths of 40 mm x 8mm flat bar. Anyone have some in stock that I could buy, or know of a supplier that has some in stock in JHB? Thanks, Paola

I've been to Middelburg yesterday, and visited Tools and Things. There is seven anvils in the shop. Two big ones in good condition outside. Three smaller ones inside, the very small one in reasonoble condition, the medium size bit battered and the big one,(approx 75kg ) good except for some welding on top.

Hello, Fellow Smiths form South Africa, The Waterside Metal Artworkers Group in Melbourne Australia are hosting a International Blacksmith Festival in March 2013 In Melbourne. I am helping out by volunteering to promote the festival. I've attached the promotional material. If you feel like coming along and having some fun, please do. You'll be made most welcome. It will be nice to see an International Blacksmithing Festival in the Southern Hemisphere. The details are in the dropbox file below. https://www.dropbox.com/sh/90sjgfr8uw3mtoq/DsfX3FjqTk Cheers, Bruce Beamish.

Wheels at the Vaal, 1 and 2 September 2012 The project for the two days was making a sign for the Blacksmiths shop at the Sylviavale Heritage Museum.