Carl Greywolf Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 Hello there (or as they say around here "Now then!") I once hit hot metal back in high school... that was way too many years ago to contemplate...Actually I made a gardening trowel, it fell apart. :lol: It my have taken me *muffled mumbling" years to get back to it but I want to have a go at beating the sh... shaping iron and steel to make useful or decorative objects. So you "lucky" folk have got me looking at your projects, tools and methods and drooling/scratching my head trying to work out how I can achieve that too. Expect me to be quiet at first as I read, read and read, but be assured I will have questions and hopefully some solutions in the future. Thanks for taking on a complete numpty novice. CG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njanvilman Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 Welcome to IFI. Hammer away when you can, relax in the evenings and read as much as you can here. I am sure some of the smiths "across the pond" will give you a fine welcome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the iron dwarf Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 im a bit south of you near the junction of the M1 and M6 but you would be welcome to come round for a bash sometime Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 Welcome aboard Carl, glad to have you. Now then back at ya. Admiring all the results and stories of our addiction eh? Cool, there's always room for more. What do you have for kit so far? Whatever you do, don't think you have to have all the "real" tools, the tools aren't what do the work, it's the minds and hands of humans. Anything hard and heavy can be the anvil, though I suppose wanting a London pattern anvil is a natural for Brits. You'll need a (more than A of course) hammer, it'll need a smooth face or faces and around 2lbs. is a good place to start. Something to hold short pieces of HOT metal are good things so till you find, make of buy tongs work with long pieces of steel. Something to cut steel with is good, hack saws are good before it goes into the fire and hand held chisels work just fine on hot steel. I think that's about it to start. Oh, fire, you'll need a fire, a good HOT fire is best but a camp fire works fine to a point. coal, coke, charcoal, propane, etc. IFI has sections for solid or gas fuel forges that contains more info than a boy could want. A little reading and you'll get a handle on the jargon; what it means, how it's used, etc. That way you can ask good questions and understand the answers. On the bottom of the IFI home page you'll find the regional organizations section and amongst all those grimy sooty organizations you'll find the ones on the Isle. It'll give you a start finding other addicts in your area. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norrin_radd Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 Welcome from another novice. There is alot of info here and a great place to learn. Have fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John B Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 Ay up Carl, welcome to the site, you need to do a bit of lakin abaht and then have a go. As mentioned previously you can find us in the groups section Blacksmiths Guild UK, If we can be of assistance either bring it up her or cantact me through the website link for courses. Good luck wi' t' new addiction, and have fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carl Greywolf Posted February 17, 2015 Author Share Posted February 17, 2015 "What do you have for kit so far?" I have a 55 gal oil drum, some 2" stainless pipe and jumble of ideas for making a coal/coke forge :D No anvil as yet but looking at finding a H beam offcut for a temporary solution. As for a hammer, I'll have to find one as I go. So far my head is stuffed full of possibilities without anything to make them with, but given enough time... they say necessity is a Mother... or something like that ;) Thanks to all for the warm welcome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 Do a quick search here for the "55 forge". It's a forge based on a 55gl. drum designed by Glenn, the site owner. It's simple and effective. Forget H/I beam, etc. for an anvil. Even on end they don't have the mass beneath the hammer to be much but LOUD. An old truck axle buried flange up makes a fine field expedient anvil. Here in the states RR rail is popular but I don't know if it's available or legal your side of the pond. What you need for an effective anvil is a depth of steel under the hammer face so shafting on end is far more effective than laying it on its side. The pipe will be good to fab stands and such if you are equipped to weld it. You can cut it with a hack saw, nothing special needed. You'll want to keep your eyes open for a leg vise but till then a bench vise will work fine so long as you don't hammer on it harder than you need to straighten a nail. Just keep your eyes open for any smooth face hammer, Ball Peins are old timey blacksmith's hammers. A head full of ideas is handy for blacksmithing, the craft is failure analysis heavy. Don't worry about things not working, you'd be amazed at how often an utter failure to make X is the perfect technique for producing sloped Zomos. Boot sales! Take some cash, bargaining is always more effective if you have cash in hand. WE call them yard sales, garage sales, moving sales, etc. Same thing, folk cleaning out the garage, basement, shed, etc. and getting someone to save them a trip to the dump. I think hunting the basic tools was a LOT of fun but improvising till I got some proper tools was even more fun. Nobody criticizes too harshly if you're work isn't too nice if you're using an axle and garden tools to forge with. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carl Greywolf Posted February 17, 2015 Author Share Posted February 17, 2015 Thanks Frosty, I'd have been annoying the neighbours with the noise for little reward with the I beam. Time will give me the best anvil, until then time to hit the car boot sales and scour for other odd and ends. Time for work... catch you all later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basher Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 Hi Carl, you are lucky to be in gods own country as far as anvils are concerned . A decent 200 or 300 weight anvil especially a double bick'd anvil (sometimes known as yorkshire pattern) should be have-able and local to you and not too expensive. smaller anvils are getting ridiculous in the UK. I look forward to seeing what you get up to posted here. all the best Owen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carl Greywolf Posted February 19, 2015 Author Share Posted February 19, 2015 Thanks Owen, Yep God's own country and not just for anvils A proper anvil will have to wait until fund are a little better, I'm a minimum-wage slave but thankful I have a job. That is a rare thing around here. I can honestly say I actually enjoy my work. I am a carer in a care home and look after adults with challenging behaviour, every day is a new experience and a learning one too.I'm looking at Smithing as a way of switching off, letting the metal be my total focus... meditation if you will... loud, hot meditation In the mean time I shall keep an eye open for a lump of steel to use as an anvil and heat it with a charcoal fire in an oildrum (I looked up the 55 forge, Thanks Frosty) and hit it with my children if I have to until I get a decent hammer. I really look forward to learning from the group's experiences and I'll find a way of forging that suits me perfectly.ATBCarl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 Hi Carl,And welcomeWhich part East Yorkshire, any where near Donny? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carl Greywolf Posted February 20, 2015 Author Share Posted February 20, 2015 I'm a stones throw away from Hull... City of Culture 2017 , actually I can see the Humber Bridge from my window upstairs. A magnificent structure it is too.If a throw a stone hard enough I might reach you in Lincs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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