hi 'so-steve'
a note on rebar/rerod, ect...the stuff is basically whatever steel is dumped together at the foundry. sometimes high carbon, other times low. you never know whats going into it. engine blocks, tin cans, even *(gasp) some old wrought iron.....the posibilities of what its made of are endless.....(ok, ive made my point there i think)
best bet, start scavenging if you cant find a scrapyard or fabrication shop to utilize for material. look in your own backyard, a neighbors junk pile, auto repair shop...anything that has to do with metal. somewhere, you will find something they call 'junk', but to you it is usable stock. ive made nice shepards hooks, s hooks, nails, and any manner of other items from old electric fence rods. they run about 5/8-1/2 inch round stock. check out auto salvage....some trunk torsion springs are about 3 feet long and about 1/4-5/8 or so. a tire iron may be short, but can be used for a number of things when heavier rod is needed.
i made a bottom fuller from a grade 8 nut and bolt for my anvil. screw the nut almost all the way down, find someone (or use your own) welder to secure the two articles together (this was a 1 inch diam bolt about 3 inches long). then i just got a good heat (orange or bright red) and started drawing it to a wedge shape. then heated the threaded portion and squared it to fit the hardyhole. the end of the wedge needed a little grinder and file work, but overall it was done. not to mention i had made a tool myself, in the forge and with hammer and anvil....as i was informed 'the mark of a blacksmith'.
try things, ask questions, watch and learn from others when you can.
good luck to ya!
*(my apologies if i have totally re-iterated someone elses post)*
drason