LibrariaNPC

I wish I had something to add to this, but it's awesome seeing what others have made! I'm still at the level of making somewhat functional knives, but my goal is to get here soon!

I think the gas vs coal discussion is an age old debate and based on personal preference. My first two knives were made on a coal forge with a gas forge for heat treating, while my third (my first on my own) was done on a gas forge (waiting for the weather to clear to clean it up). I find them to be pretty comparable, but each has their advantages and disadvantages. In my case (setting up in a shared yard in an urban area), a coal forge was just a bad idea, but a small gas forge was a better, safer option. I'm not saying that's the route you need to take, but I find gas to be a bit better for urban living situations. Just make sure that regardless of your approach, you work in a well ventilated area. Carbon Monoxide is not something you want to have too much of.

Thanks for that tip. I'll keep that in mind after I make a better stump and have the materials on hand if I have to keep this up.

Did you mount the anvil to the stump, then, or did you have a different way to rig it so it didn't move but could be easily removed? Would you mind enlightening me, because if I can leave something outside or just have an easier time moving things, that'd be great. Currently, my "stump" has a tool belt attached to better hold a number of my frequently used tools at the forge/anvil (will need to attach another belt at this rate!), so I don't think I want to leave it outside, but as I'll need a new setup for the new anvil, I'm curious if there's a way to easily just mount/unmount it as needed.

Welcome to the forum! I would also like to see how you progress with turning that clip into a blade, as it looks like an interesting challenge. Good luck with that!

Welcome aboard! Frosty brings up a valid point for forges, especially with the idea of getting to know what you want to make. I had poor luck making my portable forge (the "Two Brick Forges") without it breaking too often, and instead just caved to buy one, but if you have the skill, tools, and the means, I'd highly recommend going that route! Good luck with finding what works best for what you need!

Welcome aboard! I can relate to the interest in blacksmithing due to interest in older fighting styles; I spent my college career fencing and a year abroad studying kendo, so I'm right there with you! Like Marcy, I'm still new here and new to the field, but it is really fun working with metal, and while the challenge can be daunting, it's one of my favorite parts; I don't think it'd be worth doing if it were too easy! I can also vouch for the really good people and great information here; as a librarian I love doing research, but the experiences from so many are REALLY helpful, so enjoy rummaging through the posts and asking questions!

Looks like it still has plenty of life left in it! Enjoy making wonderful things on it!

I'm actually following a lead on a different anvil this weekend (a 134# Hay Budden), but that colonial is still on the docket just in case. Do you have any good examples of turning the stump into the dolly? I'm not sure what's going to be effective in practice (as I get the theory and the pics help), so I'm up for suggestions!

I work in their library, which puts me at an odd line between "township" and "library" employee. I just know I get a lot of scrutiny of "you work for the township, you should know better," so I try not to toe the line more than I have to. I haven't had a chance to talk to the guys in our public works building too much beyond one of the office people, and I have a few contacts in the building department that have gone silent, or else I would have been hitting them up a bit more often. I'll keep it in mind if I can make those contacts again, so thank you!

Once I get through the classes I've signed up for and my wife finishes her conference this summer, I'll be back on the job market, so who knows where that will take me! Hopefully somewhere I can set up a proper smithy and start making things more often, without worrying about my anvil growing legs and walking off every night!

I wish I had more to add that would provide better information, but I don't have much beyond this: If you've taken a class or were really into making something, brush up on that and try to expand from there. For example, my first class was a bladesmithing class, so I'm making a pair of knives for practice out of different materials to get an idea how that metal moves and to learn how my tools work. This has also given me some insight as to how I can make a letter opener and, due to a mistake I was able to remedy, it gives me an idea as to how the metal moves for things like hooks. I've also considered how to make some odder designs because of that. As previously mentioned, there's a blueprints section here on IFI and the iForge section of anvilfire is really fun to look through (there's three plans there that are on my docket once the weather clears). It's amazing how looking at one of these plans makes you go "Hey, wait a tick. . ." Another thing that's come up has been brought about due to the people I talk to every day. Sometimes a neighbor, friend, or colleague will mention that they are looking for a replacement for something, and sometimes that's a nice challenge. My aunt always tells me about the colonial reenactment groups she runs into and the sort of things they make that she would love to have, so she's challenging me to make these things for her. A neighbor approached me while I was packing up my forge and was wondering what I was doing. Once I explained, she informed me she was looking for a welder, but will keep me in mind as she likes ornamental things (she has some semi-ornamental iron railings on her porch, for example). This may lead to other challenges to research before making. In fact, my friends have been sending me requests every since they learned I took that first class. It will be some time until I get to that needed level to even start filling those requests and challengers, and even longer until I can fill them! So if you're looking at getting more practice, you can either dabble around or you can get the hang of something and use that as your springboard into other ideas in the future. Regardless of how you do it, good luck and happy smithing!

I'm a bit wary asking the kids due to the amount of gang activity in our area, and since I work for the township, doing things like teaching kids how to make knives might not go over so well. . . Thankfully I remember to bring it up with a few of my regular patrons here at the library; just often enough to sow the information, but not so often as to make my home a target for anyone looking for things to steal.

Just a heads up: I did fire up the Diamondback this weekend and it works like a champ. Took a bit to get used to, but once I got a feel for the burners and the need to let it warm up (used to soft brick), it worked wonderfully. It was a breeze to put together and I got it to my door a week after I ordered it. I was also warned that the metalsmith is great for working with odd pieces, but isn't as useful for welding in the long run, so if that's a primary goal, you may want to reconsider.

I didn't get that far back; I'll start reading through it now. Thanks Glenn!

Makes sense to me. I'll have to give it a whirl when I am practicing after the weather breaks!

The two approaches to stumps are still on my docket if only due to size (i.e. I can build a small stand or keep my eyes peeled for anyone chopping down trees) and portability. Thanks for that input so I didn't waste my time seeing this odd-looking thing in person! Speaking of curves without a horn: can you describe how that process is done? I know it's a bit of a topic derail, but now I'm curious.

I'll keep it in mind! I don't think they have much of a library; they store things at the library I work for from time to time, so I doubt they'll be game, but it's worth looking into! And my thoughts were similar to yours; if they have the space to store things and let me "play" from time to time, I'd be just fine with that :-D

Gotcha. It looked amusing, which is why I even had to ask if such as thing is valid or is just an Anvil Shaped Object.

Thanks for that input. I'll keep it on my radar for now (as well as this oddity that made me chuckle) and see if I can't see it in person. Might be a bit large to easily store in the apartment and may need to invest into a hand truck, but it's an option at the very least. Duly noted, but space to keep it inside (as it will "walk off" if left outside) as well as the space for the coal is a bit of a challenge. Moving to a coal forge is an option in the future, just not ideal with my living situation, sadly. I'll still keep it in mind, especially since the historical society president informed me that they just found a blower/bellows recently that they are trying to fix, and may need a smith that can demonstrate how to make things at their facility. Better get cracking, apparently!

I was reminded to check Craigslist again and saw this, and I'm curious: how would something like this work as an anvil? If it is viable, I'm curious how one would even mount it.

I assume you mean the anvil I posted from Craigslist? If so, I would totally make that offer to her if I had more knowledge on how to make Colonial things. I can't tell from the photos, but it does seem a bit beat; any input there? Thankfully I'm not trying to be exact to period if I get an invite somewhere, or else I'd need to invest into a coal forge that I just don't have the space for. *laughs*

It's funny that you mention this; I was at Tractor Supply today picking up a few bricks and mentioned to the assistant manager that I'm a beginner blacksmith. Apparently she's a former (retired) racetrack coordinator, and knows a few people who are still in the field that may know of some local farriers I can network with. I'll be making that phone call tomorrow as per her suggestion to give her time to make the introduction. Funny how that works, ne? So far, I have the editor of our local newspaper, a few of my regular patrons at the library I work for, my coworkers, the president of our historic society, and my gaming group (including a LARPer) on the prowl for me, and that doesn't include my old contacts before I moved (granted, out of state, but still). It's wonderful when people suddenly realize that they met someone who could use the tools they've had sitting around; a friend of mine just informed me that a friend of his who suffered from a stroke has an old railroad anvil I can borrow for an extended period/upgrade to if I can get over there to get it. Still looking around just in case a solid, more permanent option crops up, but it is amusing how things pan out!

The enthusiasm isn't hard at all, and you are right: I do a good bit of reading, but experience has been trumping my research lately. My issue with working "outside the box" is simply I don't understand what the box is and the limitations of various things, so I'm going with whatever I have on hand; for example, I have an uncle with a truck, circular saw and a number of woodworking tools, living a mile down the road from Home Depot, so we went with a wooden table and anvil stand. My experience with making things is severely lacking, my job consists of "soft skills," and I'm the guy that nearly failed woodshop, so ideas involving hacks to make things work are always a good thing! I'll keep the metal carts in mind, but for now, I'm just trying to make what I have work so I don't take over the entire living room with tools...and not get murdered by my wife for doing so! Thanks for the input!

Thanks for that tip! I'm still exploring the site in between things, so I'll be sure to check there today. So far I've had zero luck regarding scrap as the scrapyards have been pretty useless (not returning calls/e-mails when I ask for hours, purchases, etc). The PABA meeting is a hopeful option for me as long as the weather holds, but I'm really just weighing my options. Funny you should say that. One of my coworkers and his father used to work on the rails, which is how I had a potential track. They're still looking for me, but it's coming up nil. I'm working on networking with blacksmiths, it's just waiting for the next meeting at this point! I just read the TPAAAT approach, and I'll try to apply it the next time the weather is nice enough to hit a flea market. I've been leaving my name and number at antique shops and similar places for the past month just to get started, but no dice there. There's a market not far from me I'll try to hit this weekend (as long as it doesn't snow again), but I think the best flea market is a good distance away. Might just have to bite the bullet and take the hike up there. Thanks for the offer! Let's see how things pan out first and play it by ear. Sound good?