MaxRV

Yeah, it is very scary stuff. I see a lot of experienced blacksmiths (at least on the dreaded YouTube) using forges without ridgidizer or a refractory coating and no respirator. I am fortunate that I found iforgeiron.com before I got started and received a ton of guidance from a bunch of the members. It is nice to have a great resource of information and members who are helpful and interested in advancing the skill. It is valuable to me since I do not have any schools nearby and have been unable to find any other smiths to learn from.

rhitee93, My forge is lined with a single 1" layer of kaowool. I then coated it with ridgidizer and the sealed it with ITC 100-HT. I also added a cheaper refractory to the outside of the can but I am not sure it actually adds any value. Thank you for the kind remarks. Max.

Frosty, Thanksfor the comments. As for the forge, should I just make an opening on the back to feed the metal through, so I can heat longer pieces like tongs? Thanks!

Thank you, I will do some more work on it and research decorative filing. I really enjoy the ornamental kind of stuff but figured I would give a knife a try. Once I can build a longer forge, I plan to build some tools like tongs. Attached is what I have making to learn and practice. Take care. Max

Hello Frosty, Thank you for taking the time to look at my knife. You will notice notches in the top and bottom of the tang, these were originally for a paracord wrap, but since this was my fist knife, I decided to try doing a handle and pins as well. I also noticed I scratched the hell out of the spine when sharpening....guess I have to polish again. Take Care, Max

Hello, I am brand new to blacksmithing and knife making (about two months). To this point I have primarily been practicing making leaf keychains, bottle openers, and making punches and drifts to develop basic skills. I am currently working from a Coffee Can forge and a makeshift Viking anvil (20lb sledgehammer) cemented in a five gallon bucket with a 30 lb. weight to have a couple of angles to work from. I build everything myself with guidance from several folks here at iforgeiron.com (you know who you are, thank you!). Attached is my first attempt at a knife. The blade is all hand forged from a piece of 1/8 X 1 4062 hot rolled steel (didn't want to use tool steel on a trial run. I did not use a design and basically just hammered it out based on the style of knives I am familiar with. I beveled the blade with my hammer and then finished the blade with a full grind. Thank you in advance for your comments.

Thank you for the input and I will certainly check those things out. I did go with a half inch by half inch t just based on someone else's recommendation who used to use a half inch T burner. The length of the Mig tip was just an estimate based on some photos I saw. As far as my insulation I'm using wool, rigidizer, and ITC 100 HT. I'm just starting out in making very small projects I'm hoping that I'll be able to reach a suitable temperature to learn.

Well, with everyones guidance and recommendations I started with a small Bean Can Forge as a learning platform. Since then I've built a 1/2 Frosty T Burner and started a Coffee Can Forge (Pics attached). I hope to have it ready to fire up by Sunday. Thank you everyone for your help!

Thank you for all the great advice. I used to be a machinist, so I do love metal work; however I do plan to start out small with a coffee can. I figure I will take some time to learn some basic skills (like making bottle openers and stuff) before deciding how how far to take this. Being retired military, I need to start a new life....or at least something to create a small business tax break. If I like this, maybe it will eventually get me there.

Thank you for all the great advice. I have found a wealth of design info doing a browser search and think I have enough to put one together. I'll post pics or a video once It's complete so yall can tell me everything I did wrong. Thanks again.

Yes, I am a brand new hobbyist. I have decided to build a small propane gas forge but have become very confused on what type of fire bricks to use. I have read dozens of posts and watched numerous videos but no one really explains the types of bricks required. I have heard of soft bricks, hard bricks, refractory bricks, ceramic bricks, etc., yet have no idea what I need to get started. What I am looking to build is something where I can start out with a simple torch and a propane canister like you would buy at the hardware store. Starting out, I just want to make simple tools (punches and stuff) and little things like bottle openers, just to develop some basic skills. Is there a certain typeof brick I should purchase that would work best with the type of torch I am looking to use and the small size of the forge? If I am totally off-base, I won't get offended. Feel free to tell me the direction to go. Thanks.

Hello all, My name is Max and i am from Woodbridge, Virginia. I am very interested in learning blacksmithing as a hobby. Like many others i am just getting started,,,,I actually don't even have a forge or a hammer yet (LOL), so I am open to any and all advice and guidance. I am interested to meeting any other metal workers in the are of Woodbridge, Va.