How did you make a buisness out of blacksmithing?

[FieryFurnace]

What got the ball rolling for you?

I love metal smithing and I intend to make it my main source of income.
I am 17, I have been forging for four years. No teacher, self taught, but will be taking some classes from John Campbell this fall.

Right now I do the craft fair rounds and make money fairly there, but that is only seasonal.

What I want to know is, what realy turned this from a backyard hobby into a full time family supporting business for you?
How do you advertise to gain larger jobs? When someone comes to you, as a first client that wants railing, how do you show that you can make good railing? All you have to show is drawings!
Here is my plan! I am applying to have my wares sold at the Berea Ky. artisan center. The committee seem very pleased with my items, but they can't work with anyone under the age of 18. I do believe they will accept my application after I turn 18. They will buy items directly from me for resale.

I am also trying to make some larger items - fireplace screens, pot racks, and a small railing for our porch - to use as photo props. After I complete several of these I intend to submit my work to several log home dealers here. Heritage, Lincoln, and a couple local based ones as well. I am hoping that these log home dealers will use me as a source for their local clients.

What I want to know is, what was your battle plan? How did you get the ball rolling? Is this a good strategy or should I go another route? What do you make the most of? What is your "cash crop," so to speak?

Thanks guys!
I'm at the point now where I am thinking a lot about saving money to have to purchase land, build a home, and provide for my own family in the future. (Well you see I met this re.....ehhhh forget it! Just kidding! Meating "someone" didn't spark these thoughts, and I don't have a girl friend!!!)
No offence to anyone, but flipping hamburgers at McDonalds is not the source of income that I had in mind. My goal is to have some form of steady income (even if small, just steady) aside from seasonal craft fairs, by the end of this year. What do I need to do to gain my goal?

Thoughts????

[cavala]

Id go to college if I had to do it over. You're young keep blacksmithing a hobby for now. You need experience. Get a job in a related field save money buy tools and learn.

[monstermetal]

Yep if I could I would go to art school, find a master to apprentice under.. do anything you can while you are young.. Once you buy that land and have that family your pretty have to make money.... And that need for Money is the enemy of learning...


Dont get in to big of hurry to take one all the responsibility of your own shop... I have my own shop and I would just about give anything to be able to go work for someone I admire for free...

[thecelticforge]

For me it was long hours and a lot of luck. Like Thomas Jefferson, I found that the harder I work, the more luck I have.

I started full time because I was in Northern WV and had Amish neighbors on either side of the state line. Things went well for several years then my main customers decided they were doing too much business with the Englishman.

So, I move and went back at it after I moved back to Georgia. Due to severe equipment loss due to a crackhead, I had to scrimp and save to get back on my feet. I began by making a few things from "S" hooks to garden gates and taking them to local merchants for sale. I then started customizing my product to each store. Fast and cheap at some places, and expensive pieces for others. I made candle holders for stores that sold candles, wine things for the vineyards, art for the tourist from the big city to the South.

I constantly exploit new markets no matter how small, even to the point of giving lessons from time to time.

One other thing I have started doing is outsourcing: If I can find components for less money than I can produce them, I use them and lower my retail price.

Work hard, stay flexible, and stay away from women!

[forgemaster]

"Yeh stay away from women, thats my motto. I can't though, thats my problem." (with thanks to Ralph the pianist, from the Muppet Movie).
Seriously, go to college, study some kind of small business course, you'll need to know marketing, accounting, planning, OHS etc etc.
No matter what you end up making I've found that you need some constant regular no brainer kind of job coming through the shop which pays the bills that alway arrive each month regardless, for us it has been brake shoe keys, and scaling bar tips. 1000s of them. But they pays them bills.
The other main attributes to success in any business is dedication, stubbornness, and resiliance. When you get knocked down get back up again, over and over and over again.

[FieryFurnace]

I have looked into some of the colledge options offered. The only one that is even an option is the Appalachian Center For Crafts at Tn. Tech. I researched this exstensively becuase I have friends who live near there and I could most likely board with them. I've even looked into regestration and financial options.
There are some reasons of a private nature, as to why I do not wish to go this route.

I am going to be attending some paid classes at John Campbell this fall. After that I hope to start the work/study program offered. The step above that is some sort of apprenticeship under the resident artist. (If I understand correctly.)

Ever since day one, I've wanted a professional smith to apprentice under. Unfortunately that has just not worked out! Perhaps when I begin to drive I will be able to find someone that I can apprentice under. I will then be able to expand my radius of possible professional smiths to apprentice under. Perhaps staying on site for several days a week, to learn.

"Stay away from women" ehhh? LOL! Don't worry! I only have "lady" friends, two in number, and both my elders! They are unfrequent correspondants.

My motto along those lines is, "Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing."
In time!

First things first, before a lady, the income, business, land, etc, has to be established.

My goal is to stay self-employed! My dad and I do some odd job work and I work on the farm here as well. Between all that I am kept quite busy. By the time I am driving, my next brother will be old enough to take my place work wise, so hopefully I'll have a bit more time to devote to some sort of education in smith work!

[ThomasPowers]

I didn't think JC offered courses in small business administration and accounting----probably more important to learn than the craft side if you actually want to make a living from your craft!

Also diversify your skills! Lots of smiths combine welding with smithing

Beware---I married an older lady, by 10 years, we've been married 25.8 years so far; our kids are graduating from college and having kids!

[FieryFurnace]

No John Campbell doesn't offer courses in business or anything....just the craft.

My dad ran his own business for a while and right now we live off what income we can get from craft shows and odd jobs in town. Point is my parrents know how to manage money pretty well, and I learn from them.

Right now I am regestered for sever JC classes. "Iron Work for the Home" by Greg Price, will allow me to design home type items to make there. I'm then taking forge welding and a wizard, horse, etc. head class.
If my funding source is able to pay for some more I hope to take some extra ones late in the year. I'm trying to focus on techniques that I don't know or can only do with luck.

[FieryFurnace]

PS

I also am combining welding with smithing. A large part of my fire screen was welded. I've designed a second screen and hope to build it soon, and, though it will have more forge work, it will also have a significan portion of welded componants.
I love welding too and so combining the two is a great pleasure to me. When I get my shop put in the welder will stay in my shop, and I am going to build a 4' square metal fab table for welding/assembling larger items.

[nuge]

FWIW- I would put way more emphasis on learning, traveling, living for experience and almost none on making a buck. Don't get caught in the trap too soon.

[dablacksmith]

well you have got a good start ... i started off doing things the same way and for years the winter months were slow.. tried Christmas shows and various things .. finally got my shop in the museum. It was a perfect fit for me ... i have a place to sell for as many months as i can stand the heat(ime in Apache junction az it will get into triple digits soon)I can build stock and sell and i have a steady supply of tourists (at least when the temprature is reasonable) that is what it took to get my business to the state it is now (barely eeking out a liveing) i agree with the posts that say learn buisness practices as that will help (probably more than learning blacksmithing) ive been outsold many times by someone selling junk good luck

[Gobae]

If you want a career in blacksmithing take BUSINESS classes in college! While it may seem like a good idea to know how to blacksmith the bulk of a SUCCESSFUL blacksmithing business has NOTHING to do with blacksmithing. In fact it has so little to do with blacksmithing that I quit the smithing business I had to go back working full time with computers. Instead I enjoying blacksmithing as a hobby instead of dealing with it as part of the xxxx of running a business.

IMO it's far better to work for ANYBODY ELSE and let your extra cash support smithing as a hobby rather than to prostituting yourself out at craft shows and Renaissance Faires hoping to support yourself (and/or a family).

[Spears]

Here is a link to a very good article and signing up as a member is free just like this forum.

http://www.artistblacksmith.com/members-area/articles/Artisan%20Blacksmith%20as%20a%20Career.html

I too am only doing my metal arts as a hobby and I side with what Gobae said about it. Not because it can't be done for money. There are places one can make a living being an Artist Blacksmith but from what I've seen some of them live extremely budget conscious lives and it isn't their only income. A lot of people who inquire about purchasing my art are looking for things that can be easier bought from King Metals.com and welded together to construct gates, railings, archways, furniture, etc. That means taking a lot of the artwork right out of it. Certain fab shops do this all the time and the mig welder and paint booth more or less leave the anvil collecting rust. Railings and gates built from King Metals can look awesome but I like when people spend more for the hand work better. Just food for thought. Spears.

[FTG]

Lots of good down to earth advice given above.


You also mentioned keeping a record of your work - take photos and either keep them on a computer or print them off.

All the best with your journey, whatever path(s) it may take you down!

Michael.

[nonjic]

I know lots of guys (and gals) that make their full time living from the anvil (well, very often the mig, with some anvil thrown in). The recuring theme is that they can make a living doing what they love by having low overheads.

Many have low overheads because they made their money elsewhere. Many have low overheads because they rent small workshops, often on a farm, where business rates arent charged by (our UK) government. (its the farms maintenance shop). I dont know many that have made enough money at the anvil from a standing start to buy a a house, land and a workshop.

Its not for me to say how to live your life, but there would be some mileage in putting away any spare cash you earn for the next few years, gaining experience in work and travel, and worry about a cast iron business plan and settling down in a decade or so!

[Norseman C.B.]

A wise, well off old man said to my brother who relayed it to me;
If you do the best work you can every day the money will come....
Made perfect sense to me.. B)

[youngdylan]

And that need for Money is the enemy of learning...

While it may seem like a good idea to know how to blacksmith the bulk of a SUCCESSFUL blacksmithing business has NOTHING to do with blacksmithing.

I know lots of guys (and gals) that make their full time living from the anvil (well, very often the mig, with some anvil thrown in). The recuring theme is that they can make a living doing what they love by having low overheads.

Interesting thread with some noteworthy pearls of wisdom above. My tuppence is, you really have to understand how to market yor business, people ain't gonna come to you unless they know you're there. In my case my website changed EVERYTHING, I went from really struggling and more or less cut and welding gates to doing quite ok , this was only a few months after putting up my site.

Some other business advice from experience is:

KEEP YOUR OVERHEADS LOW was one of the best bit of business advice I was ever given. Makes it much easier to survive down times. I get by in 400 sq ft and am managing to take one some reasonbly sized architectural commissions. I've overun the space now but many years of getting by there has allowed to use the money saved to buy PLENTY of kit. A 1500 sq ft workshop would have probably stood me another £10,000 pounds UK a year. That's money a year that I've been able to buy new toys with

When you're doing well ALWAYS keep your eye on what's going to be happening to you in few months or so, ALWAYS be looking for more work in the future even when you're overrun with ongoing work ..... ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS

Have "backup" work. I used to more or less concentrate on just on piece of work but nearly got very badly burnt when one bit of work ground to to a halt because of nothing to do with me (dithering client and incompetent architect) I took me a few weeks to pull in some replacement work. Good job I wasn't drowning in overheads then

[Dragons lair]

Just my 3 cents worth. In this economy there is no rhyme or reason. My employer crashed in 01 Opened my own shop in 02. About 08 there was no work to be had. Went back to working for someone else. Now am #2 in the Co on salery
and able to still work at smithing in my shop or the other. My advise is if you are a creator ya can do well. If ya are a builder I hope ya got a client list.( I average about $100.00 a week in the shop. welding smithing and CNC cutting) Did a $100 repair today(couldnt buy a replacment part)The mech broke the part. Repalcement is out of his pocket. Lesson I learned long time ago. If ya do some one wrong they tell everyone they know. If ya do right they tell a few friends.
Ken.

[Ian]

Some very good things to listen to here. I'm also on the first steps of making a living from Blacksmithing, but I've already found that it's vital to educate your potential clients as much as possible before you give them a price tag for something. I've got three jobs on at the moment and each of them are going to make a profit. Not a huge profit but a profit none the less. If I hadn't educated the clients as to why their 'lamp', 'custom hanging brackets', 'rose arbour arch with built in benches and planters' etc were going to cost 'x' amount when IKEA sells something similar for less than half the price then I'd have really struggled to turn any sort of profit at all.
All my clients have actually seen me at work, two have even had a bit of a go at forging themselves, net result they can see that what we do is ruddy difficult and is worth the money we ask for because not everyone can do it. I place a large emphasis on the traditional skills we use over mass production, the artistic and unique nature of our products and the pride and attention to quality we place on every item that comes out of the Forge doors.
I also have more than one avenue to generate income, in fact right now I'm part way through applying for an adult education teachers course and also a job at a local adult education centre. One will give me recognisable qualifications to teach, the other will pay me a decent rate for doing so.
Best thing is, I'll be teaching Blacksmithing there if it works out.

[ZIG]

One option is to get in a apprenticeship in the metal trades. I did. I've been a Boilermaker for 25 Years. You will learn alot about welding and metallurgy.

Plus the benefits of insurance and pension. Its a rough life and at times there is No work. But I do what my grandfather did. He was a Boilermaker And blacksmith. While laid off. We could make ornamental iron projects on bids. That way we weren't out much To start. But I would have rather gone to college. But. There are plenty of trade corusr that parrell your hobby.
Good luck at whatever you do. But you gotta have insurance and pension. No matter What. You Never know on Your health or families situation. So consider a safety net of some type. As in having a degree or trade.

[Don A]

Dave,

I have an 18 year-old son, and I have advised him to take a sort of three-tiered approach to job training, however he seems at present to be led in a different direction. But in this day and time, versitility is going to be a huge factor. Here's what I would recomend:

1. The business college stuff would be good to have under your belt, whether you remain self employed or enter the market. A legitimate degree is always a leg-up. Plus, you can do your own taxes

2. Get some CAD training. This can open up some opportunities as well (I do CAD based GIS mapping for an electric utility... started out in print graphics). CAD is a very marketable skill, but it is great for design work. A 3-D rendering of a project saved out as a .pdf and sent directly to the customer lends a touch of professional class.

3. Get certified in welding. I've seen your work, and you have a natural tallent for metal work. Again, that piece of paper can carry a lot of weight if the self employed thing doesn't work out.

A man with buisness smarts, CAD training, and a welding certification is going to make for a versitile worker, whether for himself or as an employee.

My $.02

Don

[maddog]

Fiery, you are lucky that you have found out at a young age what kind of work you want to do. It's pretty clear from the work you have shown here, that you have a talent for metal work. For one thing, you have few responsibilities and plenty of time to prepare.

The world is changing fast and you have to be adaptable and versatile. In the last hundred years, blacksmithing went from being a common occupation to something unusual and exotic. The pace is accelerating and things may change more in the next 20 years than they did over the last 100. I was born in '50 and the world today is profoundly different. These days I make my living as a software devloper, a profession that was unknown in my youth. There will be far more change in your lifetime.

This is the time to invest in an education. You will never have another period in your life when you are so free of responsibility, have so much energy and robust health and be able to learn as quickly as you do now. Education is probably the best preparation for a changing world.

I say, at the very least develop a strong foundation in all steel working skills, welding, machining, sheet metal etc and know something about working with other metals too. Not only will this knowledge be valuable to your main interest but when demand for forge work is slack, you can do some welding, repair farm equipment etc. Welding certs is an excellent idea.

Now is your chance to do a real apprenticeship in your craft. I would travel, even to Europe to do this. In addition to the training you will find out whether you really do want to do this stuff day in and day out.

Seriously consider getting a degree in any subject you can manage. Fair or not, wise or not, having a degree counts for a lot in today's world. If you apply for a business loan, your chances are significantly better with a degree. If you have some business classes even better.

Also consider, as others have pointed out, going pro can be a way of turning something you love into something you hate. As an amateur you can do what you want when you feel like it. As a pro you will have to take jobs you detest just to pay the bills. Is it your dream to fill orders for flamingoes plasma cut out of 1/4" plate and powder coated hot pink?

Finally, through all of this, take care of the old man that you will eventualy become. Young people don't like to think about this and when you are 18, 40 seems a lifetime away. 50 & 60 are unimaginable. Look after your ears, your eyes, your lungs and your joints. There are too many smiths who can no longer swing a hammer because of RPM injuries, no longer enjoy music or talk to their grandchildren because they could not be bothered to wear ear plugs or simply lost their vigor because they didn't watch their diet and keep up with their exercise.

[David E.]

Finally, through all of this, take care of the old man that you will eventualy become. Young people don't like to think about this and when you are 18, 40 seems a lifetime away. 50 & 60 are unimaginable. Look after your ears, your eyes, your lungs and your joints. There are too many smiths who can no longer swing a hammer because of RPM injuries, no longer enjoy music or talk to their grandchildren because they could not be bothered to wear ear plugs or simply lost their vigor because they didn't watch their diet and keep up with their exercise.

I too was born in '50,Have we met? because you know a lot about my current state of health especially the vigour bit.

[ianinsa]

Dave,
All I can say is maddog is a total kill-joy! Sadly an intelegent truthful one to boot!

I would also strongly recomend some form of buisness admin qualification.

I would also recomend that you think about some qualification in some related field, not only to broaden your scope but also to give you the oportunity in later years to 'escape' from blacksmithing, I know from personal experience that it helps if you can say to yourself that I could be doing xxxx yet I choose to do this, It helps you over the ocasional(read lots) of hurdles that self employed people face.

Further to the above please understand that you have shown an aptitude and considerable skill(and seem quite likable) on this site and therefore maybe you should considder asking if anyone(preferably in a european location) has a short term place for you like a working holliday. This too would help in broadinging your school of life qualifications and may also pan out to be a great lifetime experience. Our buisness is very quiet right now but if things improve later in the year we would hopefully be able to offer you a short(2 months)trip with acomodation and some meagre wage. Ours is a holliday destination but in truth Europe and Britain are much better.

Good luck Ian

[maddog]

Dave,
All I can say is maddog is a total kill-joy! Sadly an intelegent truthful one to boot!

Gosh. I didn't mean to rain on FoF's parade. I strongly believe one should follow one's passion. Especially if you discover it so young. I say, go for your dreams but don't do it in your sleep. Face the hard facts but don't let them discourage you.