I was born and raised just outside of Pittsburgh, PA. Many of my relatives have been or are currently employed in a steel related industry. I haven't followed that line of work but metalworking has always been an interest of mine.
My first experience with forging was at 10 years old. I made a decent fire, threw charcoal on top and ran a pipe underneath it all so I could use an old hand held bellows to get up to temperature as much as possible. I threw on an old aluminum truck from a skateboard and made a mess of things as soon as it turned orange. I ended up with a large, broken rock and bits of deformed aluminum but I was so proud to have even brought it up to heat.
Since then I've largely stuck away from looking to build my own forge, mostly because I wasn't able due to location. Now as I've gotten older I've decided to finally pursue my dream hobby.
I have a 1.5ft piece of rail on the way and an angle grinder. Aflyer a weekend I should have a decent RR Anvil. I plan on using a brake drum and piping to create a forge. I have an almost unlimited supply of rr spikes that I will begin with. I am NOT planning on making knives for a long while. I plan on starting by thinning out the spikes and working on tapering. Once I've got S hooks down I'll probably make some candle sconces if I can. I'd love to make knives but I have a lot to learn before then.
I also have an antique belt grinder that I will post about in another thread. Most of my posts on this forum will largely be detailed questions. I am a complete noob but I have a decent idea of what I can realisticly accomplish and start to work with. Thanks for reading, if you made it all this way! I look forward to absorbing as much metal wisdom as possible.
Tl;Dr: Complete beginner looking to make a forge, anvil and start with the basics. Many beginner questions and threads to follow!