Hey all,

So I guess this will be just me ranting or seeking advice, either or it's just something I need to get off my chest so bear with me. I've lived in an apartment for about the last 10+ years of my life and if you have as well you know most places don't allow open flame BBQers let alone a forge. Then again I've never lived on a ground floor but even so I'm sure having 50+ neighbors at least one would complain about the sound of a hammer making sweet music to an anvil.

I just recently got into this world of smithing(mostly bladesmithing but I'd like to make candle holders and other odd & ends so what do you call someone who does both blade and blacksmithing?) and like a kid in a candy store I want it now! This isn't just an everyday hobby I want to pursue. It's in the back of my head this is something I want to do until the day I die. However I don't make a lot so moving into a home isn't in the cards for me because lets face it, apartment life is far cheaper. I don't know what to do, it's like having a car but no license to drive it. If I can't have a forge I can't pursue this dream and it's very frustrating.

So here is a question, have any of you been in this situation? If so what did you do to feed your smithing needs.

hi i too live in an apt and with no chance of a forge here i joined the njba new jersey blacksmiths association we do lots of event all over nj and there is even an open forge day ever monday . if your in wa i think http://blacksmith.org/forums/content/ might help you out the nwba night be a good group to join you may also want to check out the http://www.abana.org/ i hope this helps

As Jose said, there should be a local blacksmith chapter somewhere near you that can help. A lot of people like to ride horses and they live in an apartment. You need to go to where the forge is. You will probably get responses from members that live near you that can help you out.
Hang in there buddy, help WILL arrive.
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Get one of grants induction forges and a flypress and you have no smoke of flame and a quiet way to work metal. Not a substitute for an anvil but not very loud. Just an expensive suggestion. I also second the above suggestions to join local group.
Good luck
Rob

Thanks for the help guys, I never thought about clubs or chapters in my city.

Or "friends"? I've parked a powerhammer with a friend before who had the space and was outside of the city.

I also run an open forge on a regular basis for the college kids why can't work in the dorms.

And what do you call a person who does a wide range of smithing? You call him a blacksmith!

Or "friends"? I've parked a powerhammer with a friend before who had the space and was outside of the city.

I also run an open forge on a regular basis for the college kids why can't work in the dorms.

And what do you call a person who does a wide range of smithing? You call him a blacksmith!

Funny you should mention friends because I found out a friend of mine who I use to do civil war reenactments with opened up his own shop. I was gonna offer him $30-50 a month to work in his shop, the only problem is I haven't been able to get a hold of him yet. Also I'm fortunate that my best friend also wants to get started in blacksmithing but has more of an eye for leather working so he'll be making all my sheaths and a few hand grips.

Not trying to pry or anything, but what about renting a house? With the slump in the economy, there are lots of houses sitting empty that are comparable to an apartment in terms of price even with utilities factored in (at least in my neck of the woods)... Just something to think about - can't hurt to look in the paper to see what's available.

For sure, though, find a club and start getting to know some folks.

because lets face it, apartment life is far cheaper.

I suggest you do the math again, making sure to compare dwellings of similar square foot size. You might also look into renting a duplex..

How well can you drive a skid-steer? Seriously, take a drive just outside of town and talk to some farmers.
There is always work that needs to get done on a farm and only so many hours in the farmer's day. Also with money being always tight on a farm they are often agreeable to work for trade, etc.
Perhaps you could put in some time doing odd jobs/ farm chores to earn a little hammer time and a corner to keep a small gas forge and an anvil.
I did this for years when I lived in town to earn deer hunting privileges, worked out just fine. Good luck.

just a thought, that might eliminate the open fire problem and the hammer singing on an anvil, however it might cost a bit more to set up.

***a press and induction forge***

heat with electrical induction forge no flame and no noise, and work the steel with a press. If you get a small one maybe a 20ton bottle jack press.

Not trying to pry or anything, but what about renting a house? With the slump in the economy, there are lots of houses sitting empty that are comparable to an apartment in terms of price even with utilities factored in

I live in Washington State, the highest taxed state in the whole country.

Renting a 1 bed if you could find one that small would be ruffly $700
On top of that is trash $100 every 3 months, heat is normally $100 a month and add on car insurance, food and other things I'm looking at about 900-1,000 a month.

Right now I'm living in a 2 bedroom 2 bath apartment with washer-dryer and 1 car garage for only $550 a month with trash and water paid for. So leaving that for a crappy house in a bad part of town for me wouldn't be worth it.

just a thought, that might eliminate the open fire problem and the hammer singing on an anvil, however it might cost a bit more to set up.

***a press and induction forge***

heat with electrical induction forge no flame and no noise, and work the steel with a press. If you get a small one maybe a 20ton bottle jack press.

Wouldn't sparks still shoot from the metal I'm working with? I'd be scared of setting something on fire like my wood deck, carpet. Also my garage is out of the question, we aren't aloud anything inside other then our vehicles.

Ouch. Yeah, that'd be a hefty jump in expenses.

Wouldn't sparks still shoot from the metal I'm working with? I'd be scared of setting something on fire like my wood deck, carpet. Also my garage is out of the question, we aren't aloud anything inside other then our vehicles.

While I'm not familiar with an induction forge enough to say for sure the ones I've seen one have the sparking issue at welding heat. an induction forge heats the metal with an electric coil not flames, so it might be a safer more apartment friendly option

check around in iforgeiron there is probably someone who is more familiar with induction forges than I am. It might be an option for you

as for a fire, if you make the proper precautions then it might be safe on an outside deck. perhaps a welding blanket just incase to cover the deck around your working area. get creative, just be safe about it

Dustin,

There's a whole bunch of us here in the PacNW.
Check out the NWBA's website (www.blacksmith.org) - register and put out the question - "who's near me - and what's going on locally?"
We've got a conference coming up in October in Stevenson Wa - it's be a great place to hook up with folk and see if you can find people/events that might provide you the forge time you're looking for.

What about volunteer opportunities? Are there any historical organizations local to you who would like to have a smith as part of their gig? If so, rounding up a portable smithing set up might work for you.

Stick with it - there's always a way to hit on some hot iron!!

I have a friend that builds small wood items, bird houses, toys and such. He rents a storage unit in a place that lets people work out of it.

Check some out in you area to see if any would be willing to allow you to have a propane forge and anvil set-up.


LeeRoy

There was a young fellow on here, awhile back, that rented a small storage unit. He'd ride his bike down to the unit and pull out the forge. He posted a video about it. Don't remember his name or where it was posted, though. Anybody else remember that? B)