tzonoqua

don't get caught up on 'name brands' just find a decent anvil, doesn't matter what name it's got on it, in fact, lots of good anvils have no names.  Can use a large lump of tool steel as an anvil. Find a blacksmith near you to help you. 

yes, I wanted cover for contents etc as well as for teaching... when I got a quote for courses from E&B it was silly money...  my current premium is for tools and stock you are correct.  

Ah, I have just done another quote that doesn't include tools/contents/stock and it came up as £151.99 which is so much better than E&B for teaching and Employers liability. Can't believe the difference!!! Doh! Clearly IW are not as competitive on tools/stock but win hands down for the other!!

I'm sure he'd be overjoyed to sell you a hammer! When I was there we made a set of tools, so I made a hammer, two pairs of tongs, some punches, some tinsnip type cutters.. they are my most cherished tools!!

yeah, Thomas, I wondered why forbidden??!!!

 they did use the railroad track until I gave them some money for the tuition and 'room and board' (charpoy bed and dahl) they bought a big lump of tool steel which they forged into a mushroom type anvil, will see if i can find the photos of them doing that!!!

I wouldn't worry too much if you're only smithing for an afternoon!! they gave me a little burlap covered cushion to sit on as they could see I was struggling with the squat, us westerners are rather spoiled to our physical detriment and are used to sitting in chairs whereas they squat down... 

yes, the granite slabs, case of using what is available, not a lot of timber in the desert, was just north of Barmer and less than 40km from the Pakistani border, one of the least populated areas in India. 

Also maybe have some stuff handy for the kids, pencils or those little sets of mini colouring pencils is a good one, they will hassle for Rupees or Chocolate lol 

I've not been to Kerala, but would love to go, Bangalore I've been, not so fussed about Indian cities, (or cities in general!!)

Shipping anything in India is an art form, there is always a man ready to sew up a package, the Indians are brilliant at overcoming adversity, they will figure it out,  for a price of course!

I spent some time in Rajasthan with a family of Gaduliya Lohar. Used to have a bit about it on my website but it was recently updated and I haven't got round to updating that section.  

Where in India will you be? Indian hospitality is amazing ahhh and the food. 

Yes, be prepared to forge sitting, or rather squatting down, with my short hamstrings I found it awkward!  You might well want to bring safety glasses for yourself and for them, often they don't have them but would like to have them. I didn't think to bring any as I was travelling for 3 months before I started working with them, when I explained about them they expressed that they would like to have them but either couldn't get them or afford them.   I found the Lohar Blacksmiths to be incredibly talented, they learn from childhood, they make mostly agricultural implements, stone chisels and domestic ironwork. Would be interesting to see how your trip goes. 

hmmm very strange!!! I was quoted £1041 from Ian Wallace, which I thought was rather a lot!!! I pay £360 odd from E&B...????  I seem to recall if I added Employers insurance it doubled from E&B Employers liability would be great at £50 something a year as I'm at the point where i could really use a hand now and again but i did include that in the quote from ian wallace so I assumed that was why it was so expensive???? hmmmmmm

I recently got a quote from them too (after our conversation Dave)  and surprisingly it was a lot more than what I pay through eastlake and beachell, I thought it was going to be much cheaper but I did include things in the quote that I don't have with E&B such as demos and teaching, which could be why it was so much, not sure really. 

I don't do my own installation, I have a builder who does it for me, for me it makes sense, I don't really have the experience or the tools for it, he does, plus he does that kind of stuff all day long and can do it quicker than me!! I am always there to "oversee"  how work is installed, but I am very happy to leave that headache to a specialist!

Hi Jph, I had a big cut in my hand from CT surgery, you say you want a scar but be careful to not let it build up scar tissue around the wound as it will impede the full range of movement of your hand. I had to have ultrasound treatment to reduce the scar tissue on my hand. crazy huh. I am just so greatful I am from and live in a country that has nationalized healthcare! 

Andy, they all look better than my attempts!! I'm a self confessed rubbish tongmaker! I can make nice log and coal tongs for fire sets but never seem to make good ones for working for myself. well done!

its the power hammer they're concerned about  but I said, don't worry it's a quiet one.. (it's a 60lb goliath type, so is relatively quiet as far as power hammers go!) 

Yeah, it is certainly better than what i've got now, or rather it will be once it's done up.  Looking forward to being somewhere with 3 phase and room to maneuver!!

Hi john, thanks yeah, of course, it's what i do now with my uneven concrete floor, suppose you just cope but i dream of a nice level smooth concrete floor where i can lay work out and not have to spend half hour fiddling to get it level  actually it's the cross beams and head room that are concerning me. My power hammer will fit in, it's 7 foot high.. so that's ok, but imagine getting a job for a 9 foot tree.. suppose it'd have to be done sideways..  . !!! anyway, John, going to ring you tomorrow, am going to bring some work down to devon show if that's ok. 

oh that's a bummer...  have just been to look at a place today that is pretty much the same state as in your photos. Nearest house is across a field and I'm in a working farmyard so they aren't worried about the noise thankfully. Originally I was going to have the option of 3 of the derelict barns but they only showed me this one as they ruled the others out as they were too close to residential properties that retired people live in, so are home in the daytime. I am a bit concerned as this place has 8foot high cross beams as well... so not sure if that will rule it out for me, but they'll do it up to my spec with double doors, 3 phase, office, wc etc. large part of floor was herringbone brick.. not sure how that would work for levelling stuff on, anyone else deal with 8 foot cross beams and a herringbone floor? 

Steven, do you want a side blast or bottom blast? From there you can narrow down your choices. I am in need of a new forge soon, have been using a bottom blast for the last 4 years but need to replace it soon. I am probably going to get a Greystone Forge next, as I can't be bothered to build my own and I'd like to have a side blast for a change. Unless I can find something else on ebay... nice forges do come up now and again. 

oh dear, the neighbour thing is quite worrying. You will at some point get a power hammer and i'm not sure they will be happy to hear bang bang bang when watering their dahlias.  I have a friend who is currently not allowed to use his power hammer by order of council because of a noise/subsidence dispute, so it can be quite serious.  Looks like it would be a great space when refurb'd though, if it all works out. My perfect space didn't work out, legal problems with the former tenant... tied up in court at the moment.   might have some other space soon though, am still on the lookout. Good luck with it. 

Makes me chuckle when this topic comes up as it does from time to time. Smithing is not a cardio vascular exercise and isn't a substitute for one. I know plenty of smiths with big bellies!! It is manual labour, and is fairly active compared to a desk job but if you're wanting to get fit best get on your bike or go for a brisk walk or jog and cut down on the naughty foods. Smithing is however incredibly great for your mental fitness, and absorbing to learn a new skill. Make you skinny, it does not. 

go with coal, you will struggle to keep the coke alight with a hand turned blower. 

ahhh thanks Alan, I managed to read page 2 by refreshing page.

Re power hammer, I was recently corrected by a friend when I referred to my power hammer 'hitty' things as dies, and told they were actually called pallets.  

for some reason I can only view page 1, nevertheless, a hammer is not a die, it's a hammer. We have a perfectly fine technical language in Blacksmithing to describe the functions of certain tools.  I suppose things can and will change... If we are starting to call hammers dies, what becomes of the poor, lowly hammer? And then, what of the top and bottom sets, swages, flatters, butchers, monkey tools et al??? Shall we just call all these the "hitty" things?? And What of the tongs?? We could call those the "grabby" things, then we could just sort out all this confusion once and for all, with " hitty and grabby" things.      

timely topic for me right now.. I've pretty much outgrown my little unit on a farm which is only about 42 m2, I'm having difficulties with space to lay work out etc. I pay £150 a month.  Am looking to get something bigger and better, and have found something absolutely amazing, 100 m2, with mezzanine office,  side store room of 13m2, huge ceiling height, double doors, outdoor space and 3phase.. the rent there is 274 a month plus electric and rates although i'm unsure whether I'll have to pay rates as i might be entitled to rate relief. It's a little off the beaten path down some dorset lanes but only 10 min from my house on a farm with other units (willow weaver, cabinet maker etc)  there is enough access for lorries. So I am umming and awwing whether to take it on..  or just continue to re-organize my little space and not have the extra overheads.. and the cost of moving is not cheap either, especially now I have a power hammer and I will have to install a flue to code (twin wall stainless is costly!)  But if I move I will finally have room to swing a cat!! I really want this new unit but am unsure whether to take on more overheads, even if they are relatively small.. some weeks I go without a cheque from a job.. suppose it makes you work harder though.. lol

£1k to connect to 3ph doesn't sound that bad... much much cheaper than the quote my landlady got!!  will be worth it in the long run. 

grundsau, if you have a power hammer, then I'd just start by learning it on that, save wear and tear on the body and speed up production, why learn it twice? Just make the tooling, then be done with it.. that's what i'd call the easy way!! :)

Wow, Blackleaf.. Sounds like your neighbours upstairs are going to be a right pain in the backside!!! I can imagine them complaining about the smoke coming from the stack if they are upstairs.. I'd keep looking for the right space if I were you! 

 With regards to the shed-  I can see an issue with condensation in a small metal shed, and security could be an issue as well.... size wise you could forge in it but not much else, not sure what you plan on making but if you need to lay anything out you've not got much space to work with-- or will this just be your forging 'station' ?   

Parkers does at least have a very handy website where you can see all the size options, and lengths, and weights- which is great if you are estimating how much a prospective project will weigh...or just need to see what sizes of profiles are available...  then you can laugh at the prices and go somewhere else!! 

Although I'm not in Devon I'm not far from the border, I've been using Avon steel lately, prices have been good and £10 delivery. Parkers has always been extortionately expensive everytime i've got a quote from them. I also hit up my local engineering firms when I need a small bit of this or that.