luken

The forge itself is a complete work of art. At least from the maker's point of view. I pulled down a simple outline off the internet somewhere before finding this forum and took it down to a friend of mine that had more scrap than me. We, together, improved it by mounting to an old tire with cement by welding it. Then we added the pipe sections and t-joint. Then we got the idea to put on a gas valve just for kicks. That has turned out to be quite a nice feature. The motor is from a furnace. To say the truth, I think it is a little too powerful, but with the valve... We decided to wire it up with a nice switch, then welded a mount to the main structure of the forge. With aluminum dryer tubing, it was pretty much finished. The fire pot is a plow disc that we took and welded a flange to screw onto the pipe. And then we welded a grate over the air hole. You might also notice a nice swivel catch at the bottom with a spring on it. Everything was designed to be controlled from one position while standing in front of the forge. It is very nice. Maybe not as nice as some, but definitely beautiful to many... at least I think so. ;)

Ok, here is an attempt to attach pictures... I have just started out with really basic stuff. I got the anvil from my grandfather (It is pretty old. He got it from a friend when he was young). I built the forge with a friend. I am using a ball pein hammer for right now. I don't have many other tools yet, except for a pair of tongs I converted from a set of horse shoeing tongs. That was quite a task for a newb. And that is it. I know that the craftsmanship isn't that great, but I am working on it. Oh, I forgot the other two objects are two bracelets I made for my wife. She likes the scaled look. Says it looks antique. :cool:

Oh, and I forgot to mention that I started with a forge I built out of a brake drum. My brother then gave me a plow disk. That works much better. I just replaced the flange and drum with the disk and a flange welded to it. Then, my grandfather heard I was doing this and pulled out a very old anvil he had and gave it to me. Very lucky me. My setup is awesome for a beginner. If I can get pictures, I will post those too.

Sorry, no picture... Since building my forge, I have been reading and reading all the lessons and forums. I have also been working on the suggested hammering technique, forge fire management, and metal temperatures, and the differences in how they handle at the different temperatures. To actually work towards something, I used a piece of rebar (crappy, but all I had available at the time) and tried using the techniques. I finished up making a "letter opener." It really looks rough. I still need to manage scale better, and keep working on my hammer control. But I am quite pleased with myself. I just wanted to post and let everyone know. Not too many people here really interested in what I have to say about it. And especially don't get excited like I do.

Lochness, I live in Utah too, and am just starting to be interested in this fascinating trade. I would love to know where you get your coal from, as I am just beginning and building my forge.

Hi! I am not really sure I belong here. But, I have an interest in amateur to possible professional (later) blacksmithing. I live in the US and am in the service for a few more years. I am only 34 yrs old. If I don't belong here, just let me know and I will move on. Great to see a site like this online. Thanks!