Iron Fangs

Alright, here is my main question about Iron production: Is putting a bloomery in my backyard more realistic thsn a foundry for producing forgable iron? And to follow up, is it a more safe process for myself and anyone around me? What I am having in mind is red rust (from Iron so rusted it isn't recognizable) and magnitite (chunks or powder)

See I was saving it with the intention of making a foundry, melting it down, and pouring it into ingot molds for easier use, but after reading several threads on IFI warning against exactly that I decided against building the foundry altogether. May look into making a bloomery but I will be needing to do more research before tackling that beast

Is there any point to me saving stainless silverware? Is there any way for me to forge with this?

Well cheap and reliable is always a win-win where you can find it, function over flash is all the more true for a Newby like me am I right?

I'll definetly take a look at those salvage forums, and I'll keep off the rails to avoid trouble, thanks for the tip

So when I go to the scrap yard see of I can find a metal propane grill to make my box of dirt forge, I don't plan on using gas fuel any time soon as I prefer the idea of solid fuel forges.

Thanks for the tips, yeah I use to get light headed in the foundry cause it took them 2 weeks to tell me that zinc fumes were toxic when inhaled, which was fun, but I digress. Rust is good, Zinc is to be kept away from heat. And cadmium is to be avoided at all cost, scrap yard is a good place to start looks like... can I also forge steel pipe? Got those pictures of my dad's (now my mom's) fire pit.

Interesting, I'll probably start with a wooden one just due to availability and price of wood for now, but i may upgrade to a converted propane grill eventually, I'll experiment until it works properly. What about Material? Once I have my forge up and running, (and safe), where can I get steel and bronze? I have heard scrap yards and railroads after trains pass for Iron and steel, but is using rusted metal as is the standard or is there some sort of refining or grinding process I have to use to get the rust off of pieces I find before they are workable?

I probably have some ash in my charcoal grill, I usually throw it in my flower pots but I can throw it in a sand-clay mix, any special ratio?

I was thinking of an inch of sand and an inch of clay between the bottom of the pot and the plywood I already have the sand leftover from another project so I don't have to invest in that, most of PA's river valleys are clay so that's as simple as putting a shovel in the back yard

Pictures to come of the fire pit, but this would be my new idea for the dirt forge: I have 2 x 20 lb pags of paving sand from when I refinished my garden, I was thinking of putting clay from the creak outside my house for the well and upper level to help insulate the wooden box, but is a plywood sheet ok for the baseboard of the box? I will gladly work out a time to learn from Daswulf, he has been on every post I've looked at on this forum and always offers meaningful advice from what I have seen. Frosty and Glenn too!

Those improvised anvils gave me a lot of ideas. And I would greatly appreciate the help and 1 on 1 guidance, I am about 10 miles from the Pittsburgh IKEA to give a rough perspective of location, I'll have to get a picture submitted tomorrow of the fire pit. Forge worthy or not it is a real masterpiece of Masonry

And for a moment I forgot how a compas works and just realized I am southwest of Pittsburgh. Not southeast, still I would love to connect with a more experienced blacksmith close to my area. Shame about that fireplace, but I would rather build something suitable than ruin such a lovely momento. I'll look at that just a box of dirt thing Glenn mentioned

Thank you, I actually talked to someone at PAABA and they were the ones that sent me to that safety course, it was in Fort Allen Antoque Farming Repair, but I will see if PAABA had any other resources for me. I will also look into that JABOD you mentioned, but do you have any advice about the Anvil? Will any metal do or should I buy an actual one?

Just southeast of Pittsburgh New and just starting out with a longtime interest in both Iron and bronze age smithing, with a particular interest from Chinese, Japanese, and Renesaince Era pieces. I have about a years worth of experience working in an industrial foundry that alloyed Zinc and Aluminum. I have taken a safety course and an intro project course in blacksmithing with guidance from an experienced blacksmith but I would also like to do some work on my own. My father was a Mason and worked construction for almost 30 years before his passing and he made a hearth-style fireplace in the yard, it was made of fire bricks and refractory cement and lined with cobblestone around the rim, my main question is this: will I be able to use this hearth as a coal forge to shape iron and bronze? What is the best place for me to source materials? And what advice can anyone give me so that I do not buy the wrong tools, hurt myself or others, and simply be the best blacksmith I can?