[Glenn]

Justin, Think of how the tool will be used, it is a hook/scoop for dragging coal or coke to the fire. To that end, you would need a 3/4 to 1 inch flat section of metal in the form of a J or L (think of the alphabet JKL), or a blend of the two shapes. The amount of material you can or wish to drag to the fire would determine the size of the hook.

The material at the end of the hook is unusable as it is not moving material and is your opportunity to show some artistic ability. For instance split the bar in half, taper the split sections into points and make a small heart being sure it is no wider than the parent stock.

As to the rest of the tool, the handle should fit comfortable into the users hand and the orientation of the handle should make the tool easy to use. You will find that the tool can be made left or right handed, or made for use in either hand.

Your artistic ability can be used between the handle and the hook to decorate the tool, such as twists.

All of this is well within the ability of a beginner as a first project. DO NOT think that a first project is just one piece of metal that must be completed in one forge session. A first project is the assembly of parts, many practice tries at the hook to determine size and shape, many practice tries at splitting stock, practice at tapering that stock and then practice at forming the tapers into a heart. You then choose one style handle from several different style handles that you have tried to make, with many practice tries. When you choose the individual parts and processes and assemble them all into one piece of steel do you have a sample to go by. The sample is not the first project, it is just that, a sample to see that everything goes together as you wanted. Make the changes needed and then either make another sample or make your FIRST PROJECT.

My suggestion is to make two, one for you and one for the Guild meeting. You will need that tool at your forge just as much as the fellow that buys/bids on it. Oh yes, you did remember to put your touchmark on the tool, didn't you? (grin).