Brandoncw

Hi guys. I'm still fairly new to this hobby. i was wondering if anyone on here is around the New Bloomfield Missouri area. i would like someone with experience to help me learn the skills and some good tips.

I've also been using small chunks of oak that turn to charcoal and burn pretty hot so I think I'll just use my charcoal to get the forge going then use wood

I just was looking through that page, turns out they we're the supplier I found in a Google search. Dawn is a little to far for me right now due to low on money and bad tires. I'm finding this hobby and these sites very interesting and can't wait to do some more smithing. I imagine actual coal will burn much longer than charcoal and cleaner too. Thanks for helping out with info guys. I really appreciate it

Thanks for that piece of info slag, depending on the distance I might just go to that I also found a coal supplier in Mexico Missouri selling bituminous coal for 20 bucks for a 50 pound bag, is that a decent deal

I I live in mid Missouri USA pretty close to Jefferson city. so far I've enjoyed just practicing the most basic skills, flattening, upsetting, drawing out, twisting etc. on scrap rebar laying around the house. I found it made my drum brake forge much much more efficient if I put a stainless steel bucket upside down over the top with a 2x4 inch hole near the bottom, I also cut the bottom of the bucket off and used a sheet of steel I had left from a welding project to make a cover so I could put some more charcoal or wood in. It was so much more efficient that on my first trial I accidentally melted the end of the rebar off

This may be a stupid question but my buddies land is littered with oil shale near an opening to a mine shaft. supposedly it was a coal mine but there sure is alot of shale around it. i was wondering since that stuff burns would it burn hot enough to forge with it??

So I just finished putting together my makeshift forge. Its a brake drum fueled by lump charcoal and a hair dryer. I want to practice this skill buy first making general tools ie tongs. Eventually I want to work up to making blades from o1 or 1095. Tips and advise is greatly appreciated