Your Smithy Set-up

[Wim]

Tell us about your blacksmith shop, what you use for heating the steel, What you use to pound on, where did you get your tools etc. South Africa is a big place, and most of us work in isolation. Let's use this forum, to give tips on what to use, where to get coal, what material is OK for smithing, for making tools etc.
Wim.

[Blackbeard]

Hi.
Ok lets see- my workshop is at home, my forge I built myself, I use anthracite for fuel. Dont use a proper anvil at the moment. I use a peice of shaft as an anvil, ill see if i can post a pic. I have some tools- most ive found in shops that sell antiques, pawn shops and auctions.Here is a pic of some of them.My material i mostly get at scrapyards.
Bb

[gerald]

I use a coal forge that I built from other stuff around the place. It has an electric blower with a rheostat (not the light dimmer variety but a true fan speed controller) to manage airflow. I burn bituminous coal from a mine here in Oklahoma (USA). I also use a small, shop built gas (propane) forge for those quick heats that I need to do. I don't use the gas forge very often, but it comes in handy at times.

Anvils: 250 lb (~110 kg) Czech style double horn and a 105 lb (~ 50 kg) Colonial Period reproduction from Jymm Hoffman in PA.

Hammers/tongs/etc: Most hammers are Flea Market finds that have been re-worked. Tongs are a mixture of shop built and commercial varieties.

Vises: About 4-5 mounted around the shop at strategic places. They are of the "post vise" type for the most part but there is one larger machinest type, too.

Punches, chisels, etc are mainly hand forged from various tool steels.

[jayco]

Under a spreading box elder tree ,Jayco's smithy leans........
This summer the clutter has spilled out in front of the shop. upsetting blocks, buckets of coal and charcoal, and lots of scrap iron (I mean 'stock' ) all around. I didn't realize how big the tree was getting until I took the picture!
There are lots of tools hanging on the walls......lots more you can't see. An old bench grinder sits in the back...not used much but handy when I need it.
The last pic is of the inside of the garage-shop near the blacksmith shop. There I keep more modern tools; arc welder,oxy/acetelene torch, air compressor,angle grinders and more.

The blacksmith shop is (of course) too small.....8ft. X 16ft.

the garage shop is 24ft. X36ft. Much more room for work.
James

[jayco]

Wim.....after carefully reading your first post in this thread,I now realize that you probably meant this for South African smiths.
OOPS! Sorry about that. I didn't mean to hijack your thread!

But, it's an interesting thread.........and I had these pictures......

James

[gerald]

Wim- I neglected to say what materials I use for forging/tools. I use "store bought" mild steel (A-36) for many projects but I also use scrap from the local junkyards for general forging.

For tools I use H-13 or S-7, picked up as "drops" from machine shops for edged tools when I can get it (my stash is getting low). I also use truck spring (coil and leaf) for edged tools. The truck spring is usually 5160 and drops can be found at spring shops that build custom springs. I have made many punches/chisels, etc from coil springs picked up at the scrap yard. There is about 10 feet of good steel in one large coil spring. Enough to last for a while.

[Wim]

Jaco, thanks for your input. No, I like it when everybody visits the SA forum, and participates. It brings mutual understanding to the other smith's circumstances and conditions, that he has to work under. Besides, I really like your pic's. It has given me some ideas.
You'r welcome to post here, Jaco.

Thanks, Gerald for your input, as well.
Wim

[Wim]

It's very nice working out in the open, as you work you enjoy the sunshine, the garden, the kids playing around me. I just want to train my dog to handle the sledge, but he keeps running, when I approach him. Wonder why.

Blackbeard, you see the small anvil, that's your to be.

Wim.

[Blackbeard]

Hi Wim
Thank you for finding me a decent anvil, Ill be collecting it tommorow and meeting you at the Wheels at the Vaal! Looking foreward to it!
Bb

[kevan]

Wim,
Where are you situated?
I operate from a shop near Henley on klip. Would have downloaded a pic , but can`t get it to work. I have a few pics on iforgeiron in the members gallery under kevan.
Kind regards,
Kevan