Hello,
I'm a baby blacksmith, just starting out and hoping you guys can help me out a little. I am building a brake drum forge, mostly for knife making. I was thinking about using some cut refractory bricks around the inner edge to create a fire pit in the center, and hopefully bring the temp up. I'm thinking coal for fuel, and from what I've heard and read it's not really that important what you use as long as you can figure how to make it work, right?
I don't have much room at my house I'm trying to keep everything small (and very, very cheap). What should I use as a small anvil? I live in the country near a lot of mining scrap, so would a railroad track be okay for blade smithing, and is an old sledge hammer head okay?
Also, I'm terrified of killing myself with galvanized metal, so how can I tell if something is galvanized? Like any scrap or piping I get from my local junk yard?
Any advice you would give to help a COMPLETE newbie?