Mavrick116 Posted May 15, 2016 Share Posted May 15, 2016 I'm extremely new to smithing, I'm probably the greenest person on this site right now, and I'm hoping some of you could give me a little advice on how to get into the hobby, before I get myself carried away. I'm looking to get into it as a hobby, more to appreciate the art of it than to make any money from it. The idea has always been awesome to me, using fire and a few tools to bend metal to your will and make it into something, I bet everyone at some point in their lives wishes they could. I really just need some help getting set up, and finding a starting point. When I try looking for an anvil, I see people talking about the different weights, if it has enough rebound, and other stuff like that, which doesn't mean much to me. Same with making a forge, what fuel to use, and what kinds of tools to start with. I don't wanna get too carried away with visions of a grand brick forge and the classic horned anvil, before I really know what I'm doing. Generally any advice on how to get started as a hobbyist would be greatly appreciated. I guess I'm mostly looking for, where to get an anvil or what to use as one, how to make a forge(or find one) and what fuel to use, metals to start with, and beginner projects to start at. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted May 15, 2016 Share Posted May 15, 2016 Start by packing a lunch and a cold drink and read the site cover to cover. Begin with the stickies on each section, then the sections of interest to you. You will find your questions have been ask before and answered in great detail. GO BUY a block of modeling clay. You can play and practice with clay and find out how the clay and later metal moves. DO NOT be afraid of making mistakes. You learn what does and does not work by trying. Find a blacksmithing group near you and go to the meetings. They have the knowledge and tools you seek. You can learn more in one day that you can ever imagine. Being in Kentucky, coal should be available to you. Search for the 55 Forge and Side Blast 55 Forge (which is quicker and easier to build). If you want to go cheap, dig a hole in the ground, yes really. It has been used as a forge for hundreds of years. Look for any heavy piece of solid metal as an anvil (cheap is a large rock), a sledge hammer head, solid hydraulic cylinder 3-4 inches in diameter, fork lift fork or even a piece of rail road track standing on end as a anvil. ANY solid metal can be used, the heavier the better of course. You will need a 2 pound hammer to hit the metal with, and a pair of vise grips to hold the metal. Use long metal and you will not need the vise grips (cheap way to go). Go to where metal is being use in order to get the scraps for you to work with, fabricators, machine shops, car repair places (springs, sway bars, steering linkages, etc. Metal is everywhere in Kentucky, usually rusting in a field or hidden in the woods, or even thrown in the alleys for the trash man. Do a site search for TPAAAT in order to find tools and equipment. Depending on your scrounging ability, you can get set up for $20 to $50 or you can invest truck loads of money, your choice. An avatar on the site said, It is not the tools that make a blacksmith, but the blacksmith that makes the tools. Given a fire, a rock and a hammer, you can make everything you need. Start with a block of modeling clay (less than $5), pack a lunch and a cold drink and get started reading the site. Welcome to IForgeIron. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forging-fool Posted May 15, 2016 Share Posted May 15, 2016 My advise would be to go take at least one course with an established smith. Learning the basics from someone accelerates everything ells. You also get to see how people set up their forges, which is a big help when starting out. Also don't buy to much gear to begin with. Anvil, hammer, forge, leg-vice and a couple of pairs of tongs. From there learn to make tools, start simple with punches, as Glenn pointed out there's plenty of info on this site which will be of great help. One last thing. I'd recommend Mark Aspery's books. They are the best I've seen and will take you through the basics into more advanced work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turbo7 Posted May 15, 2016 Share Posted May 15, 2016 Welcome to IFI mate, read this site. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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