Nick O

I've been forging a year on September 1st any tips on simple projects, ways to improve my self, tools I need and don't need. I've spent countless hours on youtube but it doesn't really help me as much as actually talking to people dose I've also looked every were on the internet for simple projects but I think most of these projects are to advanced for me. I have a break drum forge, plenty of hammers, but I am starting to collect tongs, and I have 2 anvils. Have any ideas on simple projects, tips/tricks, and tools I need to get started please let me know.

Nick O

thanks that's some advice ill have to live with

my bad I shouldn't have said sheet I meant plate

yes its in very good shape but it shows its wear

that's a great idea thanks for sharing and I also wrap my anvils waist with chain for pictures I took them off  

yes I put it there when I use my hardy hole and I took a chain with a window weight and hang it on the horn  

oh I searched smithn magician ill have to search for guillotine tool and I was talking to a blacksmith that told me I could use some leaf spring as a dye and I would have to make a frame and thanks for the advice  

this is my 187lb forged Peter Wright anvil that I paid $775 I got it from a farm action I talked to the farmers son and he said that the anvil came from a blacksmith that lived up the road and got to old to do anymore smithn so he sold it to this farmer and he pounded on it for years and now I own it. It also came with 2 hardy tools a cut off hardy that doesn't fit, a hardy horn made from a old chuck wagon axel as well as a heavy magnet that dose not quiet the anvil so I wrapped the anvil with a chain it also has great rebound and the face shows some wear such as dents torch marks one the back and its got a divot in the center but dose not affect my work  

I am trying to make a smith'n magician so far I have a general idea on how I am going to make it. I am going to use leaf spring as the dyes and some sheet steel as a base 2 pieces of angle iron and some round stock will be welded to the angle iron to act as a brace also I have a shank for the hardy hole. I want to make some thing that will get me by until I can afford a factory made one. If some one knows of a better way of doing this please let me know.

Nick O    

cool my friend has the same vice its just missing more parts

I use coal and I store it in my shop but I use it outside

ok but so far I hear people say it don't matter and it dose I don't really know what to think anymore  

is it ok if I took some dirt from my garden which has a high amount of clay in it and made it wet broke all the clumped dirt and mixed it and put it in my forge I just got done doing half the forge just to see how it would look now I am just letting it dry in the sun?

Nick O  

I have a champion forge and I need to figure out what I can use as a clay because it says clay forge before using. Any information on what I can use as a clay would be a big help.

Nick O