Brokkr

Nothing too extravagant. I have no illusions about cornering the market for bearded Viking war axes, etc. My focus is more to the "survivalist" forge - square nails, bodkins for crossbows, Philippine style choppers (Parangs) and "mouse hawks" from the pile of old horseshoeing  rasps I have laying around. 

Thanks for the input, Frosty. I've "lurked" around the forum for a while. My sister's grandchildren's regular farrier broke a collar bone recently and they lured me out of "retirement" to try to keep six horses shod. Hammering a few nails has re-fired my desire set up a shop.

Thanks for the reply Charles. It's my understanding that anthracite, charcoal, and coke, in particular, are somewhat difficult to keep "fired." It's my intent to add a 12 v blower, something like a Dayton, and eventually a 115 v. "speed controlled" blower, "down the road.". 

Any commercial "side blasts" on the market?

This is my first post so be gentle. ;-) I'm a recently retired old man looking for something to get into. I'm looking to build my first forge and hammer some iron since the late 70's, early 80's. I did a lot of "flat" shoeing in those days and pulled a few clips and hammered out a few heels on my mentor's portable forge and anvil back then.
I still have my 150# Trenton that I bought off an old fellow 40 years ago. I have since added a 30 kg double horn Peddinghaus that we take along on trail rides and to horse shows, easier to load, at my age, than the Trenton, a 70# near mint Fisher with a mold date of 1889 that I put up for the kids and a 25# Vulcan that I bought xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Supposedly the Champion 400 blower that I purchased off of "Flea bay" was shipped today. So that that leaves, as a major issue, putting together, and firing, a forge.
I'm leaning toward a heavy duty firepot fron Centaur Forge, probably "overkill" for my level of experience, but 'what the hey." I want to use home brewed charcoal, eventually, since that fits with my other interests of using traditional English and European arborist practices of coppicing/pollarding of trees to fill heating and structural needs.
I haven't been able to source, locally, any bitumenous coal so far, but I can get 40 # bagged anthracite "nut" coal for about $275.00 per "short ton" with a 40 mi. turnaround. "Coke" is about 90 miles away but I haven't been able to establish a price yet.
Any critique, comments, or suggestions for this "newbie" are welcome.