Hello gentlemen,
Names justin, age 26 from santa rosa CA
I am very excited about getting into smithing so I'm sorry but I'm gonna go on a little rant here.
I am an arborist by day and vintage motorcycle builder and restorer by night. I got the smithing bug a few months back while looking at photos of a 1905 flying Merkel. I spent hours pondering how I could recreate such a beautiful machine, and decided that I really need to learn how to mold metal to fit my dreams. I started thinking about and researching blacksmithing and I was hooked. Big time. Honestly I didn't think anyone smithed anymore, I thought it was a dead art. Boy was I happy to be wrong. I have since spent countless hours reading threads on this site and watching YouTube videos and burying myself in a couple blacksmithing books that I picked up. What you guys do is absolutely amazing in my mind. To take earth, fire, air and water and create something beautiful from nothing is an amazing skill. It has inspired and driven me with a will to create like Ive never felt in my life. So thank all of you out there for sharing your wisdom, and being an inspiration. That being said:
From reading threads here and other places I decided that finding an anvil or ASO would be the best and possibly most expensive starting point. After spending weeks on Craig's list and not wanting to for go my rent for 2 moths on a new anvil, I called every man I know that is envolved in metal work lookin for something, anything, just give me a chunk of steel to create on. And I am happy to say that today, I brought home my very first anvil. Its a 150 pound southern crescent. Very beat up and cast iron with steel faces but for a hundred bucks I would have carried it home on my back. I have access to plenty of wood through my job so a nice big hunk of oak to chain it to will be next. Fabbing up a brake drum forge tomorrow and hopefully next weekend I'll be able to dump doe on tongs and a hammer or two. I have a mini 1 1/2 pound sledge and a few pairs of vise grips for now.
I am very excited to be here and learn from everyone that has wisdom to share. Thank all of you again and cheers gents.
Recommend a good rounding hammer?