Hi,
So, I'm currently in the process of moving into a bigger place that will allow me to set up a forge of sorts. I've already got the anvil. Lifting it, I'd guess it at 140 lbs, which seems to be a good starting weight. Hell, it was free as long as I eventually make the contributor a spear with it.
I live in western North Carolina, Hendersonville area to be specific. I got into repro sword collecting a couple of years back, and have made some passable attempts with stock removal, but I feel like I could do so much more with heat. I make no illusions to myself tho. I'm not someone who thinks he can set up a forge and start rocking out greatswords left and right. I plan to start on a much smaller scale... like wall mounted coat hooks, and maybe a fancy woodstove poker.
I've been finding myself being able to put a forge to work very frequently. For instance, a friend has one of tho's old timey hand crank ice crushers that mounts to a brace on a table. Well, she lost the brace ages ago, but doesn't want to throw it away. The first thing through my head is "xxxx, if only I had a forge I could probably knock that out in 5 mins."
And I have a very McGyver disposition, which is to say creative, outside the box, problem solving thinker. And I suppose the majority of other members here share similar traits.
Well, if you've made it this far, good on ya.
I plan to spend the next few days searching through old forums. I'm not sure if I should buy a prefab starter forge or dive right in and try to make my own right away. Chile forges are a bit to pricey for what I'm looking for, and Diamondback fits my budget a little better. Hopefully I'll be heating and beating by the beginning of December. I really don't want to start new threads asking the same question that every beginner has asked before me, but it might happen.
Perhaps I could just start one thread and ask all my questions there... who knows.
Well, that's me. Long winded and tangential.
Thanks for reading,
Greg