Hi all,
I've been a member of the site for a few months now, and am enjoying all of the resources and discussions. I just thought I'd introduce myself. I've been a woodworker for many years, but just recently started smithing. I'm in New Cumberland, in central Pennsylvania (still waiting for my pin to pop up on the member map for the site), and am a high school and college history teacher.
I've attached a few pix of my humble shop. It was originally a smoke house, so the dirty bricks on the inside lend a nice atmosphere I think.
My forge is constructed out of a heavy old child's wagon with a layer of firebrick mortared in with fireplace mortar, a cast iron basement drain from Home Depot as a firepot (with a little removable cast iron grate), a few 1-1/2" pipe fittings for a tuyere, a paint roller handle with a hunk of steel riveted on as a clinker breaker, a wood stove blower housing refitted with the motor from an old kitchen juicer, and a standard Sears shop stand. The hood, as you can probably see, is an old wheelbarrow. Most of my other tools I've made myself (like the spring swages hanging up) or bought on eBay or at antique shops. I'm still in the market for a new anvil, as the one I have in the picture is one of the old cast steel harbor freight specials.
Thanks, any comments, suggestions, etc. would be appreciated.