Blacksmith Jim

I have a friend that forges professionally. He originally got an arbor press when he was starting out, to see if he could fuller or butcher hot steel. He doesn't use it for forging now, so I'm guessing it didn't work too well.

Great feed back guys. I really appreciate it. It gives me a lot to think about. Hollis, your site is great, and the suggestion for the name is definitely in the running!

The web site appeals to me because I am computer savvy. My day job is as a programmer. It seems like with the web site I could set it up easy enough, and post pictures of inventory as I have it. Then I don't have to do much work, if people find the site and want something they can purchase it or contact me, etc.. I guess the work I would end up doing for that would be to promote the website. I'll definitely put together a good card, but it still leaves me looking for a name. I guess with a card though I could just use my name, and not have a business name...

I've got the beard and mustache already.. I'm half way there! :)

Thanks for the feed back guys. Its exactly what I'm looking for. Thanks! Thomas, I'll have to brainstorm and come up with a business / forge / website name. RegionalChaos doesn't really work, and Chaos Forging isn't as professional sounding as I'd like, Eugene Ironworks is available as a domain name, but I'm planning on moving in a few years... I'll have to work on that one... I've thought about putting cards together but didn't want to until I was really ready to market stuff..

I got started blacksmithing after working on a project I decided I wanted to do. I had been to Burning Man a few times, and saw how well the large geodesic domes work out in the desert. So I decided I would build one. I bought a about 200$ of thin wall conduit and started cutting it to length. However I wasn't sure the best way to flatten the ends, and I didn't have a drill press to drill the holes. I know a friend of mine worked as a professional blacksmith, so I called him up. He said he hosts an open shop every week for his friends / acquiescences / etc., so just bring my project on by. He and some of the other regulars really helped me out. They got me set up smashing the ends of my conduit in an arbor press, and helped me weld up a jig for getting the holes aligned right under the drill press. It was great. I spent about a winter working on it. In the end I ended up with a 16' tall geodesic dome. It worked great. While I was working on the project, everyone else was forging. He has about 3 or 4 anvils and several forges, so there was usually a crowd working. When I finished my dome, I just kept showing up Now its been over a year (maybe going on two years now?) and I'm surely hooked...

Howdy all, I was recently pondering how to help augment the cost of tools I have been acquiring. I started smithing a little more then a year ago. Since that time I have been slowly gathering tools and building my shop space. I haven't really gone nuts or anything buying tools (though it is easy too if you want!), instead I generally wait until I have a reason to buy (or make) a tool before acquiring it. But boy do some things add up quickly. Picking up a few sets of tongs, a box of rivets, some new band saw blades (oh yea, a band saw too!), that 25$ railroad monkey wrench from the flea market I just couldn't pass up, 20$ in scrap steel every few weeks or so, etc., etc., sure adds up. I think I have done a pretty good job only getting what I think I can immediately put to use, but I still know I have sunk a lot of money into it. And there is so much more I would like to be able to do or get. So my question is this. What is a good way to start making a little bit of money back from smithing? I'm wondering what other people have done, and what kind of success they have had. I know that I can make certain basic items well enough that I imagine they would sell (if there is a market for it to tap into). Things like S-hooks, pot rack hooks, plant hangers, etc. And I am working on getting the drill down for other items, like trivets and sign brackets, etc.. I haven't made nails, but imagine I could make them fine with a little practice. I know I am not that far away from these items being decent quality. But I also have a day job, and a family. I'm not trying to be a full time blacksmith. In the future I would like to be able to sell sign brackets to businesses at 250-300$ a pop. (I am just guestimating a price there..) But I'm not quite there yet, and won't be for a little while. What I'd like, is to be able to sell some simple items as I have them available to sell. I don't want to feel rushed to make 20 hooks by such and such a date, when I know I have a new baby, a wife and 3 other kids that may demand my time, indefinitely and without notice. So... Should I set up a website and post my inventory when I have it? How successful have others been doing this? Should I try to sell them on ebay? or etsy? What about approaching local hardware stores with some of the items? Flea markets? Saturday markets? Farmer's markets? Ren Faire? Have people had any luck with these? Personally, I was thinking about stockpiling my inventory all year, then getting a booth at a holiday market. Only I hear our local holiday market charges several hundred dollars for a booth, which would likely eat any money I might actually make... We have a Saturday market, but aside from the time commitment, I would have to start out as a wandering street vendor. You work your way up to getting a booth. It seems like custom forged work might be a little heavy to carry around with me. I have a friend that does this, but he only brings in 20-30$ a day, and it runs until 3 or 4 pm. I don't really want to sacrifice most of my Saturday for 20 or 30 bucks... Anyway, I'm open to any and all ideas. I've been kicking this around in my head for a few weeks now...

The small thermite ignitions I have seen looked a lot like a decent sized pile of smokeless powder was being burned. Flame and smoke trailed up rather high. The difference, was that molten iron came pouring out from underneath it. I do not think it would be at all easy to weld a new face onto an anvil this way. My understanding of how they weld with it, is they dam up an area for the liquid iron to pour into, and the two (or more) ends of the metal to be welded meet in this reservoir. Thermite is ignited above it, and the result is allowed to flow into the the reservoir. It does burn hot, as noted above, and once started can not be stopped. The demo was put on for us as a warning to be careful about grinding aluminum in a steel shop. I can't imagine they could ever treat thermite as a controlled substance (like nitrogen based fertilizer), there is just too much steel and aluminum out there.. Security is really only a state of mind.

2 conferences ago, someone in the NWBA demo'd it. Heck of a fun show! :)

The sleeve sounds like a good idea.

He's young, he doesn't have valuable time, he has time to kill, and he is choosing to spend it learning about blacksmithing.. Wish I had time to kill...

When scoring cold stock with your hardy, be sure you know what the stock is. Cold coil spring can mar a hot cut pretty quick...

I found this picture recently while looking at Dennis's website. I thought you guys might get a kick out of it. The only blacksmith friendly presidential candidate I'm aware of! :P

I've seen them straightened cold, over a stump, with a good sized sledge..

I don't have pics (camera is a little flaky) but this weekend I picked up a 4x7 inch horizontal band saw. It was a craigslist find. It was about 10 years old and in great shape. The owner had added shelves, casters, and a fresh coat of paint. Paid sixty bucks, and when I went to pick it up a friend of mine was hanging out with the guy, so we got to sit around in his shop and bs a bit. The sad part was when I went to unload it with a friend.. I opened the back door of the rig (suv) and the whole thing fell out on top of me. Seems it had shifted during the drive, and the whole top heavy bit didn't help... Anyway, it banged up the belt guard pretty good. Not to mention my foot..

You'll want a pair of tongs to hold any random piece of stock, so far I've purchased 2 pair and made 3 pair. There is still a lot of stock I can't hold well yet, but its getting better. You'll want a hot cut and cold chisel, a center punch, and a good hot punch. Beyond that, I think it just depends what you want to make. Bending forks are very useful.. Eye punches are helpful if you want to punch eyes, etc.. Have fun :)

Jared, I have a 5 week old son, so I know that tired feeling! Welcome aboard. Sounds like you have a good back ground for getting setup, and a good attitude. The folks around here are very knowledgeable. I think you will enjoy your stay Be sure to post fun pictures of your progress!

If it still has the hardy hole then it would make a good tool holder..

Anvils in America is a great book! I checked it out via inter-library loan. Quite the page turner :)

I haven't looked for tool steels too much at the yard, I've just used old leaf and coil spring when I needed something with more carbon. But.. I know one of steel yards had a good selection of tool steels. One young employee was having fun showing my friend and I around, and he pointed out a huge pile of short tool steel sections. I filed it away as a source for when I want to make a hammer..

He probably worked at a company that made tools and did the finish work to get them ready to be sold. Put edges on them, etc..

We have two steel scrap yards in town. I go there. I can get new steel from them if I want, or scrap at around 35-45 cents a pound.

No, definitely not.

I gave myself blisters in the pattern of rebar across the palm and fingers of one of my hands from grabbing a piece of black-hot metal when I was more of a novice. Thats probably the most painful burn I received..

Last year I did a candle holder and a few pot rack hooks. My gal just asked if I could make something for her two brothers for this year, but so far I have no clue what to make for them..