Theophilus

3 hours ago, JeremyMcG said:

Theophilus,

I'm a neophyte at this, but I built my own forge in my garage and have made two very terrible knives so far.  I live here in Vegas (upper north-west - near Centennial Hills) and you are more than welcome to come by and check out my VERY rudimentary and less-than-effective setup.  

Yeah,  we should definitely meet up sometime. 

7 hours ago, BIGGUNDOCTOR said:

What part of the valley are you in?

I live near boulder and Sahara,  on the east side

4 hours ago, Steven511 said:

Nice to have you join, Theophilus. I'm taking a class too(I assume you are talking about the Old Mormon Fort classes?) maybe we'll see each other there! In the mean time, to quiet noise I would recommend securing whatever you will use as your anvil tightly, and bedding it in a thick layer of sand. Those precautions took my hammering noise down from literally busting my eardrums every hit to being only slightly louder than a bouncy house blower. Good luck!

Yes,  I am talking about the Mormon fort classes,  which one are you going to? 

14 hours ago, Daswulf said:

Reading around here will find info on reducing noise as well. There is always some. There was a lot brought up on a thread not too long ago. 

Yes,  and hopefully I can pick up some tips from my class as well. The great thing about having a site like this is that I can get great tips from those who have knowledge and experience. 

19 hours ago, Daswulf said:

You can build a charcoal forge out of an old bbq grill to be less out of the ordinary. Or a gas forge. 

I've thought about that,  the biggest propblem isn't actually space, but noise.  My neighbors are very sensitive to that sort of thing,  and my landlord is very strict. UntI can get the funds to move somewhere else, I'll just have to find places away from where i live. 

Howdy everyone!

I'm a Las Vegas local who has always been interested in blacksmithing.  Besides reading tons of books on the art and watching a blacksmith work in Asheville for a day,  I haven't really had any exposure to it. 

I'm reaching middle age though (and perhaps a midlife crisis as will),  and I've decided i NEED to pursue this before it's too late. 

I live in a trailer park,  so my geography may be ultimately prohibitive,  but I am determined to find some way to try this.  I have signed up for a class this winter which will give me a chance to at least experience it once.  

Hopefully I will be able to glean knowledge and receive inspiration from this community!