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I Forge Iron

Thinking about taking on another hobby.


JWCarlson

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New here, got to thinking about something that would be fun as a hobby in addition to things I already don't have the time to do. :)

Going to be poking around reading up and possibly looking to get some cheap cheap equipment to start pounding away at some things.

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Welcome aboard!

Cheap equipment is that, it may be better and more cost effective to make new equipment out of scrap materials. Making also educates on how to perform tasks and use skills that work for many many other projects.

OTOH I am using some $7 hammers and a broken anvil and having a blast!
Phil

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Can you explain what you mean? Where do you find broken anvils? I'm all for $7 hammers and broken anvils! :) That's what I meant by cheap, not necesarily new cheap.

I just bought a couple books off Amazon so hopefully they are a good resource.
Obviously the internet is a wealth of information but are there any concentrated areas that lay things out pretty easily for beginners?

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Start in the "getting started in metalworking" section, there are links to many many books that are out of print and fully reproduced. Go to the scrapyard wearing the right gear, work boots etc. and find a chunk of steel more than 50# and as heavy as you can get(over 100# is nice). Tall with a 3 or 4 inch by 10 to 12 inch top face is nice, that is about 12 to 18 inches tall. Don't think about what it was think about what you can use the existing shapes in the metal to do. You really need a flat area a little larger than your largest hammer head as well, and at least one clean straight edge.

Call that an "anvil" because it is exactly what has been used for centuries. At scrap rates that will be less than $50 and better than my broken anvil.

http://www.iforgeiron.com/forum/f7/thomas-powers-applied-anvil-acquisition-technique-3661/
If you find need to have a "London pattern" anvil, this is tops! You will need cash in hand for best results, but there are people who will give equipment to someone who will use it.

My $7 hammers were bought new at a big box store. Truper brand. I bought a 2# and a 3#, and use the 3# almost exclusively. I also have a 3# drilling hammer for tooling, and altered another 3# cross peen hammer to be a diagonal peen. There are better hammers than these, but they are what I am learning with. They needed to have the wood handle reshaped to my hand and the head needed a lot of dressing to make a rounding face and nice cross peen. The face was somewhat angular and the peen somewhat chisel-like. They will be replaced...eventually.

Getting hammer onto hot metal is always a treat.

Phil

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I hate to do a plug for Mark Aspery's books because he is regular here and a heck of a nice guy but they are well worth the money and have good step by step instruction on usable projects and tools for beginners and more advanced smiths too.

Start with book one and go on to from there.

Good Luck, Have fun and Welcome!

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