RyeBear Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 Hello everyone, I just signed up and wanted to say hi and introduce myself. I've been blacksmithing as a hobby for about 3 years or so now, though havent really had an even decent setup until about a year ago. I make small things and sell them through antique stores and flea markets. I mostly sell fancy S hooks, drive hooks, pot hangers, fancy chains, and triangle dinner bells. my blacksmithing started with a friend and I cutting a beer keg we found and the dump in half longwise, starting a woodfire in it, blowing on it with a bicycle pump with a piece of conduit taped to the end, and banging on barely red conduit with carpentery hammers against a big rock. Not long after that we got about a 6 foot length of worn down pockmarked rail and put it up on some scaffolding and that was our anvil, as well as getting various sizes of ball peen hammers. The next step was getting 'real' firebox. It was about 2 or 3 square feet of flat quarter inch plate steel we cut slots into with an angle grinder. We stuck it up on scaffold too and put a box fan under it and thought we were hot to trot! Now we have a much better firebox, still homemade out of plate steel, but its much larger and actually has a dropped down box with drilled holes rather than crudely cut slots. We have a *real* anvil, 110 lbs, an argumentative old post vice, a few tools, a nice big work table, a squirrel cage blower, a few tongs we've made, and a steady supply of free low impurity hot burning coal. We still look back and laugh at the image of one of us red faced going to town on that bicycle pump while the other one tends a beer keg with a woodfire and some conduit in it. The main reason I joined was of course to further my learning of the craft. I've been trying to find some good projects to try but not having too much luck. I sorta feel like I'm at 'A' and all the projects I find are at 'W', 'X', and 'Y'; I need to find some 'B's if you follow. Something challenging for my skill level, but that I could get the hang of with a little practice. At any rate, thats my story, hello everone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Dean Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 Howdy from East TEXAS!! and welcome to IFI! There is a buch of members of IFI that are from TN. I suggest that you find a group in your area and attend one of their meetings. Also, if you would click on "User CP" in the green bar at the top of the page you may find that someone is just up the street from you! This will help us help you locate new toys, (some folks call them tools, HA, whatever) that may be close to you also. Sounds as tho you have the 'bug' pretty good! Once again, welcome. BTW, I have an older brother in Hall, TN., about 75mi. north of Memphis. He is just getting started in this addiction also. Building a brakedrum forge last I talked to him. If the nut will ever get down here I have some tongs, leg vise, anvil?, and other stuff for him. Almost forgot, if you can get the book "The Backyard Blacksmith" by Lorilei Sims it has several projects like you are wanting. A, B, C, and soforth. Great book for newbies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 Welcome aboard Ryebear, glad to have ya. Your start sounds like mine! Check out the "Getting started and Lessons" sections of IFI, you'll find a number of basic lessons and different pieces of equipment and tooling you can improvise. The "Blueprints" section has drawings and descriptions of tools, equipment and projects used by blacksmiths on a regular basis. Then you can ask us questions so we can make up answers to the things we don't know. If you'll click "User CP" at the top of the page and edit your profile to show your location it can make a big difference. IFI is represented by members from more than 50 countries and a lot of info is location specific. Also if local folk know where you are they can invite you to gatherings, tip you to tool deals and offer hands on help. Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Lumpkins Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 Welcome to the site Neighbor.. I live in Woodlawn, Tn.. just outside of Clarksville. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammerkid Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 Howdy! Welcome to IFI! I am over in east tn. In Wartburg, Morgan Co. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don A Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 Hello from the Eastern fringe (Blount Co.). I like your story of how you started out and where you're at now... says a lot about where you'll be going. Welcome to Iforge. Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyeBear Posted June 30, 2009 Author Share Posted June 30, 2009 (edited) Thank you for the warm welcomes and the advice. I've been looking through the projects like you said. I updated my ac thing like yall said. I live about an hour straight south of Nashville. I dunno if anyone might know him, but I live just down the road from Steve Williamson, He's a great blacksmith. I believe he is pretty active in ABANA, I think he does demos and stuff. My partner knows him better than I do because I'm always at work, and dont get to visit him much, but he's been very encouraging and more than kind to us, always giving advice and help, he gave us some coal when we were out and couldnt make it to East TN for awhile to get more. He lets us watch him him work and stuff in his shop. He is going to make some tools for us, or let us make them in his shop and look over our shoulders. He's always really busy and a true master, so we try not to take up too much of his time with our questions and stuff. Edited June 30, 2009 by RyeBear Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don A Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 If you don't mind me asking, where are you getting your coal in E. Tennessee? Columbia is where they have Mule Day... right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyeBear Posted June 30, 2009 Author Share Posted June 30, 2009 Yes it sure is where they have mule day. We get it from east TN because my partner's parents live there. His dad is a retired coal miner and part of his retirement is that he gets unlimited coal to burn in his home heating stove, our families go camping in east tn together sometimes, and also whenever he goes to visit with his parents, we get a big truckload of coal for free. The coal is called blue diamond I dont know what that means exactly. It doesnt make much if any ash, barely smokes, and doesnt make clinkers. Before we used some of that older coal Mr. Williamson gave us, we were wondering 'what are these 'clinkers' we keep reading about?' we thought we were missing them or something ha ha, now we know we just get really good coal. The only bad part is that it mostly comes in big rocks ranging from about the size of a person's head, to the size of a trash can and have to bust it up with a rock hammer. His dad has a homemade coal smasher deal, we need to make one up but havent gotten around to scrounging up parts and doing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 Sounds like you're living the dream. When you get your coal breaker made would you post pics or drawings, both would be better so others can make one. Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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