LibrariaNPC

Already joined, just waiting for the schedule of meetings for the NJ group and hoping the weather stays clear enough to attend next month's meeting in PA.

Supposedly the local Tractor Supply Store has them, so I'll be running out there in the AM to pick some up. If not, I'll try ACE since there is one nearby. Thanks!

Think the ones I posted might actually be worth looking into? And how big of a log do you think I'd need? I have my HF anchor on a 4x6 I've cut down to be at a decent height, so I'm curious if it can be mounted to that. I've actually been relying on my network a lot for that, but so far no luck. Closest I got was chatting with a guy that thought he had some railroad track but turned out he got rid of the last of it. I am working on networking with local blacksmithing groups. Sadly meeting locations aren't really close and are on days I'm working. Hopefully going to change that, but still looking at cheaper alternatives for the time being. Thank you both for the input!

Sorry for the sudden silence; my wife and I caught the plague and I've been rather limited in my ability to be online any longer than a few minutes (as is obvious by my last post being so short). Do you mean the notes in the newsletters, or something entirely different? If it's elsewhere online, care to share a direct link so I know I'm looking at the right thing? Thanks for that info, Nick! I'm still getting things settled with getting my forge set up, but once that's settled it'd be great to start working with others that are in the general area, even if it is just meeting up to compare ideas and get input on work. I think you are right about the store in DE. I'm adding the shop in Glassboro to my "Must Visit" places in the near future; I might have to convince my uncle to come with in his truck just in case. Heh. Thanks for that input as well! I'll keep it in mind whenever I am out in that direction, as I have been given a number of invititations to see the farm between my coworkers and the one smith out that. When it comes to tools, I'm really just looking at starting with the basics (tongs) and moving up the bigger things that will actually fit in my forge (a small forge, but still a forge!). I'll keep the welding notes in mind; space is at a premium, especially since my wife just started getting into making her own corsets, so I can't really invest into TOO many big tools without penalty of death (or cutting down my personal library even more; really hard for a librarian to do). Thanks again for making me feel welcome, everyone!

Taking the advice from a local smith, I went and bought a Harbor Freight anvil as my first anvil. After having some concerns regarding rebound and getting more information I didn't have before about that anvil, I'm considering moving up to something better. Essentially, what anvils would you suggest for a beginner to start without breaking the bank and won't take up a horrible amount of space (I store everything in my apartment and space is very limited)? What would you suggest as a better improvement to move up to over time as space and funding are available? I'm game for seeing gradual improvement options over time or major upgrades. Currently I've been contemplating a stake or stump anvil due to low cost and low space requirements, but I'm up for suggestions! Thanks in advance for any advice you can all offer!

I'm really enjoying the forge, honestly. It singed my table a bit when I fired it up yesterday, so I'm trying to find some hard fireplace brick. No luck this morning, so I'll be calling around tomorrow to try my luck. Hopefully if the weather holds, I can be out forging tomorrow. Currently, I have four lag screws with washers holding this anvil in place. I currently carry it outside by the anvil, and I can confidently say that it isn't going anywhere. If I go with a bigger anvil, I may have to go with a hand truck...and find a place to store it. Heh.

Now, for the rest of things! As noted previously, I didn't have the anvil mounted when I snapped this photo; this was taken after I built the stand, but didn't have the bolts to mount it at that time. It is mounted by this point. As for the scrapyards, I've been calling around the local yards asking if they sell as well as buy scrap, but they aren't returning my calls/e-mails, so I've been playing the waiting game there. That's part of the goal, honestly. A few friends have offered to help sell my work at the conventions they attend (one friend is a gemcutter and has offered to do stone hilts and sell for me), and I have some contacts with the local historic society that offered to help me reach an audience for sales. . .once I get to that point, of course. Craigslist has been a wasteland for me with anvils, as the nearest ones involve crossing state lines with $600+ in hand for a 110 lb anvil. A recent one is 150 lbs for $400, but it looks a bit beat. I was looking into railroad track to use, but I haven't had much luck there, either. I also don't have welding experience or tools, so I'm not sure how well that will go. One option that has come up as an alternative is to go with a stump or stake anvil and attach it to my stand as-is. I just don't know how well it will work in the end, but it is cheaper than the alternatives; a smith I know swears by Otto Frei anvils as being affordable and decent quality, but even that's a bit steep. I was tempted to start with the bean can forge, but after reading Goddard's $50 Knife Shop, I thought working with the brick forges might be better with my goals, which is why I went that route. Sadly, setting the forge outside is a Bad Idea (see my previous post). I've been trying to find a few local places like that, but haven't had any luck. Being in the middle of winter surely doesn't help, and I am on a bit of a timeline, so. . . I'll keep that in mind about the iron shops. I think there are a few around here, so I'll start calling around. Thanks!

To answer the questions: Types of Smithing: My first class was a bladesmithing class (knives), so I'm starting there. I'm also looking at making just about anything, really. For example, my aunt is really big into the colonial era, so she's asked for things like hooks, candle holders, etc, that are fitting for the era. Apartment Limits: I live in a "two bedroom" apartment that spans maybe 800 square feet (if you are generous) with my wife and cat. Thankfully it is a first floor apartment, so I can get outside easily, but there's nowhere to do metalwork inside (i.e. carpeted floors, no basement, etc). I have ZERO outside storage space (no garage, shed, etc), and leaving anything outside is bound to get stolen (we chain our charcoal grill to our steps; someone stole the cover and left the grill o_O). If you don't know about Camden, NJ, let's just say it is arguably the worst city in NJ, and it's right down the road from me. Where did the money go: I'm glad to know the sum got that kind of reaction; if my wife didn't see it all happen over time with her own eyes, she would have murdered me. It's not an exact figure, but it's pretty close right now. First, I started off by trying to build my own forge. $300+ and a month later, I still didn't have a proper, safely working forge (two fell apart, one is intact but too small, and one was a total failure). I did leave with a functional burner with regulator, two torches (useless for what I need), and some tools. The tools and trappings (screws, drill bits, etc) also added to this list. I honestly spent about $150 on JUST torches/burners, as I was trying to make builds based on what I've read about (like in Goddard's $50 knife shop). After the massive failures and nothing to show for it, I caved and bought a Diamondback 2 burner blacksmith forge. After shipping and choke plates, that was a good $500+, right there. I then went out and bought two refillable 20lb propane tanks and had them filled at the local BJs; that was about $85 that day. As you can see, almost half of what I spent went into getting a forge, and I'm STILL not quite done as I need to find some firebrick to keep my table from burning (again) Second, I had to start getting actual tools. I started with nothing except a ratchet set and a cheap claw hammer. A number of the tools I picked up cheap (Harbor Freight), but anything that needed power had to be cordless (nowhere to plug in outside). Getting a decent angle grinder that was cordless ended up setting me back over $200; this is thankfully acting as my cutter, sander and buffer, so it's well worth it! Instead of a drill press I went with a cordless drill. I also needed the other essentials, such as tongs, so I did an order for those. Third, I needed a workspace to mount the anvil, vice, etc and to generally hold things as I work. I went out with my uncle, bought some wood and built a small work table (24" x 16" if memory serves correctly) and the anvil stand I have pictured here. Finally, materials have only cost $120, as I did an order from the NJ Steel Baron for the same types of steel I used during my bladesmithing class and threw some cash to a friend who handed me a pile of railroad spikes. So that's how I dropped about 2k on blacksmithing, not including my classes >_>

Thanks for the input on this! I went with the HF due to cost (just getting started, and my day job doesn't make enough to buy everything outright) and a suggestion from a local smith I spoke to (which was: get a cheap anvil that you won't be upset if you chip). There's also the issue of space; I need to make sure I can haul everything in and out of my apartment myself and make it FIT into said apartment, so I can't really go for the bigger anvils just yet. If there's a suggested way of making this usable, or if there's a suggestion on a smaller, affordable anvil (I'm already 2k in the hole, not including class cost, with nothing to show for it), I'm all ears.

Here's an odd question, and I'm not certain if what I'm seeing is due to lack of skill/experience or my odd tool setup. My anvil is a cheap 55lb anvil from Harbor Freight mounted to a single 4x6, cut down and bolted together into a stand. It probably weighs closer to 100lbs, but it's hard to tell. While working with a bit of 1048 yesterday, I noticed I wasn't getting as much rebound with my 3lb cross pien hammer, but my 2lb ball pien was getting a really good bounce. Is there something within the physics of having a heavy hammer and lighter anvil not getting a good rebound, or is it my lack of experience showing? I've attached a photo of my anvil with stand (prior to bolting it) if that helps at all. Thanks for any input!

Would be great to see you there if it's possible on all sides!

If you're willing to drive and split the gas/tolls (so I don't feel like a freeloader), I'm game! I drive a small Veloster (3 door hatchback), so it's not great for many people, but I can get my entire shop (tools, gas, forge, table and anvil) and still have room for a passenger, so I'll take that as a win if I ever need to haul everything somewhere!

Thanks for all of the input already, everyone! Glad to see that this is as welcoming of a community as I've heard! Thanks! I will be sending you a PM about NJBA as I've attempted to reach out but haven't heard anything back. I did hear about the open forge nights in Howell Township, and I had a chat with Mike, the blacksmith at Howell Living Farm about seeing how things are done at the farm when the weather is nicer. Any other suggestions of what to look into? I've heard REALLY good things about Peter's Valley, and I've decided to stay there overnight so I can use the facilities during studio time. Really looking forward to it! Thanks! I've been finding a lot of fun posts here even before I signed up, which is why I wanted to join up! By the by, my setup is changing a bit (my forge sort of exploded), but I'll be working on it all again soon enough. If you do even make it into the Philly area and are up for crossing over here, let me know! I can use any input you'd be willing to offer, as you already know that I'm always up for learning. I was tempted to get a small trailer setup (something like this), but it may not work well in my township (as they have ordinances for things like that, and they aren't pretty). I've learned this as my wife was considering a tiny house until she realized the ordinances (and how both of our crafts need a LOT of space for materials). Still, it's something I've been considering! Thanks for the input on the college! I'll add it to the list and see what my schedule is like. My current classes at Peter's Valley are taking a good chunk of my vacation time (12 days of classes, a number of which are vacation days), and cost is also an issue, but I'll keep it on the docket just in case. As for PABA, I took a suggestion of a blacksmith I spoke to and signed up. They have me on file (I assume so as they've cashed my check), but I haven't really seen or heard anything since. I am hoping that the weather is nice enough and finances balance out enough to take that hike out to Mount Joy. Care to give any input as to what to expect? Honestly, I'm up for just learning as much as possible and finding a niche. My first class was on blades (which I know I need more practice with), so more of the mundane things are on the list. I have some family nearby that are really big into the colonial era, so they've been asking me for things like hooks and candle holders, specifically a courting candle. Tool-wise, I need an idea of how to make some of these tools. The list you mentioned all sound great and are actually on my list, but I'm not sure how to make them (or know what top/bottom tools are). One thing I've been trying to do is turning a broken railroad spike I have into a hardy tool or two, one of them being a cutter and another being a swaging tool. The Guillotine tool looks like a good investment as well, but I do lack the means for welding, both in tools (which are out of the price range at the moment with the smithing tools) and skill. That reminds me: if you (or anyone else here) has a good suggestion for a stay, I'm all ears! Any tips on riveting? This is another skill I believe I lack, so. . . Thanks for the note about Fazzio's! That's not too far away and is new a few places my wife wants to visit, so it could be a good road trip! I have to ask: what do you mean by the "new" and "old" store? Are the in the same area? I'm always up for re-purposing things, so this should be fun! Finkels is a bit more of a hike, but it's a plausible road trip. Thanks again for that! I've actually been looking over the blueprints over at anvilfire due to being blocked here until my account was squared away. A few of the topics caught my eye as I know my family would be interested in them (and they have offered to pay for materials to practice with), but some of the tool instructions seem a bit off. I'll go digging again and see if I can find something useful. Thank you all for the input and the warm welcome!

Hello everyone! My name is Anthony, and I'm a beginner blacksmith setting up in Pennsauken, NJ (near Camden and across the bridge from Philadelphia). I started by taking a bladesmithing class with j.w.s. in November and have been working on getting my own gear set up for the basics. I am a librarian by profession and have found a lot of ideas to work on, but it never hurts to ask for input from people directly instead of what is written. Right now I'm looking for a few basic projects to get into the swing of things to learn how metal shapes and moves (working on a practice blade, tongs, hooks, and candle sticks are next), but I'd love suggestions for a beginner to work on, especially with making tools for the trade. My setup is rather small due to space limitations (I set up in the shared yard), so larger projects are out of the question at the moment. Currently, my goal is to get a bit more experience under my belt before this spring hits, as I have three classes I am attending at Peter's Valley School of Craft in order to increase my knowledge of blacksmithing. I look forward with working with you all here on the forums!

I'm in a similar boat due to being asthmatic, but I'm also in a small apartment in an urban area, but thankfully I have a small yard (which I share with my fellow apartment dwellers, but details!). After trying (and failing) to build an affordable gas forge, I decided to do some research and eventually went for the Diamondback two burner blacksmith forge. I had a chat with Dennis (the owner at Diamondback) regarding my projects, and he noted that as a novice bladesmith who plans on making blades and smaller tools/projects (not to mention the tight space), he suggested going for the two burner. Honestly, you may want a better idea what you expect to make before buying a forge, as the last thing you want to do is buy a second (or third) forge if the first isn't big enough. I ordered one right before my home made small brick forge majorly cracked this weekend, so when it arrives I'll be firing it up ASAP and, if you want the details, I'll be glad to share them!