RyanErnst Posted July 9, 2011 Share Posted July 9, 2011 Hello everyone, i been gatherthing things i need for the past year to start blacksmithing and it just started picking up. i have the bare essentials however they are the most thrown togeather things you can possibly think of but it works, i've only made a few wallhooks so far but other than that i have no clue what im doing, however i have learned alot from this site and hope to put it all to practice, i've tryd finding other blacksmiths but alas i am very limited to transportation and other sources so i am kinda on my own for now, but so far i love it and it's kinda a dream to actually start doing it, up untill a year ago i had no clue so many people even did this. so here i am getting sucked into the wonderful skill and soaking up as much information as i can and seeing as im only 16 i'm going to need it. i'm looking forward to learning this and any advise is welcome, BUT anyway to get on with this, thank you all for your guys' help these forums have made everything possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Einhorn Posted July 9, 2011 Share Posted July 9, 2011 Welcome to the forum and to blacksmithing. Tell everyone that you know that you are looking for an anvil and other blacksmithing equipment, because you never know who might have something that you can use. Decades ago I mentioned to a friend who I was helping fix his house that I was looking for an anvil, he then asked his brother-in-law who said he had one in the back of his van. In less than 30 minutes I had my first anvil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teenylittlemetalguy Posted July 9, 2011 Share Posted July 9, 2011 Welcome to the group! I like that you have made the efforts to get started. I think homemade tools and scrapped together shops are the best kind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyanErnst Posted July 9, 2011 Author Share Posted July 9, 2011 thanks i'll have to keep that in mind but actually i do have a anvil that and a cross peen is the only two things i have that wasent scraped or subtituted, i got it about 4 years ago, it's not exactly pritty it has welds all over it that need grinded down or something and its broke off from the hardy hole and the edges are horrible and half of the legs are missing but it works nonetheless and its probably better than some things, however im not sure what kind it is or how heavy it is but i plan on replaceing my anvil as soon as i get the other tools i need its slow going but thats all part of starting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Einhorn Posted July 9, 2011 Share Posted July 9, 2011 That sounds good, but still ask around. You never know if someone has a piece of blacksmithing equipment in their garage or van that they are dying to get rid of. ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marksnagel Posted July 9, 2011 Share Posted July 9, 2011 Hey Ryan, Welcome to IFI. Plenty of info here to be had. Mark <>< Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teenylittlemetalguy Posted July 9, 2011 Share Posted July 9, 2011 I know you are a bit isolated, but sometimes help can come from unexpected places. If I were in your shoes I would talk with farmerers or ranchers as well, they know how to get industial size things done on family budgets. it takes a lot of business connections to keep a farm running. They usually keep a scrap pile as well. You actually are in a real good situation, knowing that you like this while you are young give you a head start and many possibilities. it sucks not having good tools, but they will come, one at a time. and you can build most that you need. In no time at all you will have neat things you have learned to share with us. What fuel source are you using for a forge? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyanErnst Posted July 10, 2011 Author Share Posted July 10, 2011 there are a few ranches around here and a a farm or two i will have to check in someday, for a fuel source i made berrels and berrels of my own charcoal theres no stores anywhere around here where i can obtain anything other than berqquets but i can always get some orderd, however the stuff i made is working great and i can mass produce it in the winter. thanks for the advice also, greatly appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teenylittlemetalguy Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 happy to help. I am familiar with the county you live in, it is beautiful there, you are lucky. I am sure there are a few blacksmiths around. You might try starting with the spokane guys and see who they know closer to you. even if you have to go to all the way to spokane, a couple trips a year will be a big help. it's great you are using charcoal, I have not tried it, but I hear it is a very good fuel. the guys I know that have used it to weld seen to prefer it. Be careful storing it, as it can self ignite if it gets wet or damp. If there is any help i can give you feel free to let me know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyanErnst Posted July 10, 2011 Author Share Posted July 10, 2011 everywhere i go im looking out for blacksmithing related things i dont get to go to spokane to often however mabye once a year or so but if i ever go again im sure i can find something if whoever takes me is willing to help me on that. i know there are blacksmiths around here, theres lots of equipment to be had for it at some junk stores and other places around here, loads of anvils, blowers things like that its just all so expensive ;o but i still have yet to find anyone else doing it but im gonna keep an eye out cause i would really prefer getting help and or advice from someone in person, im beginning to get quite a eye for things normal people wouldent take a second look at hah the other day i was with my freind and i told him to stop the car all excited as i was, then i pull a big rod of rebar out and im looking at it like gold "i hate rebar" and hes just sighing and shakeing his head like i was nuts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teenylittlemetalguy Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 yeah, that eye for metal is a sign you are hooked. Spring steel is great to get a hold of. maybe you know a mechanic or a truckerfor coil and flat springs. Garage door springs are nice to have. it is small stock that is usually free from an overhead door company and you can harden it. You should search through the member listing on this site and see if anyone in spokane comes up. them send them a personal message through the system and just ask if they know anyone out your way. Anvils and such can be pretty steep pricewise, once you get in a group you should have a better chance at trading. I imagine a load of homemade charcoal would go a long way in trade with a smith. and who knows what else you could barter with. it will all work out. and remember there are world class bladesmiths that use a chunk of railroad for an anvil. As far as vices go, you can use a regular vice, just dont hammer down on it, they can be used for bending and holding hot stuff. Blowers dont need to be the fancy old hand cranked ones. You can make a bellow at the least. also a old hair dryer with the heating coils removed will work, or a 12v air matress inflator running on a car battery could work as well. Once you get that running and have some scrap you have the ability to make most of your own tools. Punches, drifts, swages, mandrels, hammers are all right there by trading a little sweat. There are two camps on the use of rebar. One says don't bother because thier is no quality control with rebar, sometimes there are voids and inclusions. I am in the camp that says it has it's place,as long as you know what you are using it for. It would make a really poor crowbar, but I have seen excellent candle holders and tent stakes out of it. One thing that cannot be stressed enough is safety. You really want to use eye protection all the time. I have had 1500 deg hot chunks bounce of my glasses before, I was really glad that day I had glasses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyanErnst Posted July 11, 2011 Author Share Posted July 11, 2011 thanks for the info, i know a mechanic actually hes got loads of jumk laying around, getting my hands on it however...who knows and a couple days ago i found my small mechanists vise i just now put it on a big ol stump next to my poor wrecked anvil it's not something i want to use to much though it weighs probably around 5-6 lbs give or take and thanks im kinda a safety freak when i do things that could....hurt.. i am missing a apron however that and a new air source is the first on my list, and its gonna get too dry out pritty soon so im pritty much done for the summer but that just gives me more time to gather/save/make supplies and read up some more now that i know i like it, and wether i havent made much i have messed with rebar alot, it has its uses but i dont like working with it most the time, making tongs with some was a nightmare or mabye it was just my tools or way of doing it or both, and as far as finding other blacksmiths in my area thanks i never thought of doing that i'll have to try picking up a coal trail and try to find one i know for a fact theres some around here theyre just sneaky, and actually my freind knows a bladesmith, hes somewhat new to it aswell but im gonna try to get ahold of him eventually anythings better than nothing and he surely knows more than i do, and i need to learn alittle bit about metal some more, i ended up hacksawing for 3 hours then i realised it was cast iron so that was dissapointing :3, and sorry for my poor grammar if you havent noticed it isn't the greatest, and thanks for another thing i never thought of doing trades with my charcoal, i'll have to be sure to make alot this upcomeing winter once i find a place to put it, im runing out of metal buckets and berrels and i dont really want to dump it somewhere on the ground, specialy if you said it can self-ignite ;o, but theres no easy at-hand fuel around here so im sure they will pounce on my offers :3 that guy my freind knows uses berqquets so this is almost a score if we ever have a chat, the hardest part for me will be to obtain the stuff for a forge, i have one right now but its made with thin scraps and a old toyota disk break it was only a temporary build to see if i like this and its not totally worthless it wont last long but that little fan blowin on it gets it to a brighter orange, so far i've made 7 different forges and all have worked the same so im just gonna save up some money and try to get a good pot welded up and some sort of stand for it, im hopeing i'll have everything i need within this summer but it wont be a walk in the park, while my location has its advantages it has alot of disadvantages, but i intend on doing whatever it takes, no i know is very supportive about it, but im not about to give up something i been wanting to do all my short life and dreamed about for years when i finally have the chance of doing so, so far theres not a single thing i dislike about it i love the history, the impact it had, the beating the heat the fun the scroungeing and making its just wonderful and relaxing and such a change, being in the middle of nowhere theres not a whole lot i can do bymyself anymore that gives me any interest, but i suppose i said enough now i could go on and on about things all day, thanks for everything with the short few things you said and advise im more open and on the lookout for things and just that much more commited . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 Tell your parents that next time you're in town you want to go to the public library. (make sure there isn't anything hard, sharp or dangerous around for them to hit when they faint!) Then when you are there see about using ILL Inter Library Loan to get a copy of Alexander Weygers "The Complete Modern Blacksmith" which is a great book for your situation as he has very much a scrounge it and make it meme. Ask around, I live near a small town in rural NM---it's about a 100 mile trip each way to see my Dr and when I mentioned I was looking for an anvil for a friend during the social after church a retired rancher gave me an almost mint Swedish cast steel one he had sitting in a storage shed. Also you don "replace" and anvil you augment it! That battered old anvil will go on being your rough job and student anvil when your nice anvil arrives---I have one of my earliest anvils, a 93# A&H, sitting right next to my 515# Fisher as each one is best at different things. I also have an anvil with the heel broken off that I love as my hard job anvil that is also out in the unsecured shop area. I did build it a prosthetic hardy hole---piece of structural sq tubing clamped to the back end of the anvil with a shop forged clamp. I make the hardies for it so they project to the side and rest on the face of the anvil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyanErnst Posted July 11, 2011 Author Share Posted July 11, 2011 i'll have to do that then and see if i can get a copy, and i dont know to many people nor do i talk to a whole lot but i throw that out there every chance i get, and i just realised that anvil would probably work better if i flipped it upsidedown and used the feet, thats how bad it is, but im not a anvil pro so im probably wrong :3 i'll get a picture of it one day, its one of the smallest anvils i ever seen that was a actual anvil, but anyway thanks for the info i'll try to put it to good use Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teenylittlemetalguy Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 Thomas, good idea, that is a good book. Ryan I am sure the rebar was the problem, not you.Sometime you get a decent batch, but usually it is junk. i use it as handles on akward items instead of tongs by just arc welding it on. The guy that is making blades with commercial charcoal is in for a suprise when he uses yours. Some say commercial isn't even good enough for cooking steaks with...8-) I saw you posted a request for help with forge design, I am sure you got good tips. Where you lived 100 years ago there where blacksmiths and they used what was at hand, people that are not on an extreme budget forget that sometimes because they can buy what they want. Washington state is famous for clay, which may work for lining your new forge you are designing. one of the clays is Kaolin, high temp stuff. http://www.clays.org/journal/archive/volume%207/7-1-285.pdf maybe you can find some and give it a try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyanErnst Posted July 12, 2011 Author Share Posted July 12, 2011 yes i'm kinda staying away from rebar now, however i can get it just about everywhere for free, its a readily available metal and i'll use it if i got nothing left but i'm not one of those few rebar fans that are hangin around :3 and yes im looking into forges and designs a bit, and looking out for anything i can use as a table instead of the wood one i made that ended up charing from lack of a good surface hah just more fuel i guess after i repair it again and come up with other random pointless things to keep it working again for another good week, within the next couple weeks im gonna be seeing where my 30$ can get me i dont know what im looking for exactly i just know i gotta find something that's better than what i have and can use with my lack of tooling and thanks for the pdf. "once it's done loading, dial up is just awesome" i'll probably need some sort of liner i cant exactly go get thick sheets of metal and make a proffesional forge like its just another day, the only problem im haveing troubles with "in my stockpile of plans" is how to attache a tuyre effectivly but i still got alot of research to do and gathering of resources. and yes i know how berqquets work and i'm sure if i ever meet him he'll like it wayyyy better, and seeing as my budget is extreamly the opposite of extreme im hopeing i can mabye do something with that, as there is no hope for going out and getting anything i need that is "perfect" right then and there with no effort at all anyway im draging this post on far longer than it needs to be yet again, thanks and good luck with all your...uhmm blacksmithing stuff :3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 Ryan: I have a cousin building a place in Kettle Falls and you're not too far from Twisp. There is or was a pretty good sized place in Twisp that sold forged goods from smiths all around the area. They were good folks and more than happy to help out. Just bear in mind the last time I was there was about 13-14 years ago driving from SeaTac to visit my folks in E. Wenatche. (sp) My first successful forge was made from an old topp loader washing machine. I flipped the lid over and axed a hole in it a brake drum would slip into and rest on the rim so it wouldn't fall through. Then I packed the washer lid with damp adobe clay till it came flush with the top of the brake drum. My air blast was plumbed in from the bottom with plumbing pipe and air was fed by an old style hair dryer. For the air grate I just laid short lengths of rod stock in the bottom of the drum with gaps. I burned wood till it was charcoal and forged with that. It was a LONG way from fancy but I was maybe 10-11 yrs and happy as a clam to be able to beat the snot out of hot steel. Frosty the Lucky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyanErnst Posted July 13, 2011 Author Share Posted July 13, 2011 the famous frosty and his wisdom posts in my thread i am honourd :3, and what/where is twisp? ;o and i pass through kettle falls every few days that would be amazing if i can get someone that close to help and your forge sounds kinda like mine except atm im useing a fan and a coffe can to direct air into it however today i just got a old hair dryer so im gonna try to find out how to attache that tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyanErnst Posted July 13, 2011 Author Share Posted July 13, 2011 out of the months i have been useing this forum i have never seen a introduction thread get hot posted, i feel special now haha, i also have a question idk if i should put it here, i mightaswell but im in need of some hot cut hardys and mabye a few other mounted tools but the problem is i dont have a hardy hole i was wondering if some of you guys had a few substitutions to share with me and i dont really have room to use normal chisels so i need to grow a extra arm or come up with a solution that i can do myself, thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyanErnst Posted July 16, 2011 Author Share Posted July 16, 2011 so i told someone today about my blacksmithing and he thought that was just awesome and he knows someone who would make anything for him welding/metal wise and said if i got him some plans for a forge he could get one for me and lots of scraps aswell, barely starting and already getting such things "if it happens" well im just very excited and cant believe it :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teenylittlemetalguy Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 Awesome news! Congratulations! That will get the ball started for you. Now comes the fun part- one little project at a time learning every step of the way. Just like the rest of us. Be sure to show us forge pix when you get it going and lots of project pix as well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyanErnst Posted July 17, 2011 Author Share Posted July 17, 2011 thank you! i cant wait to start rolling that ball , i'll get as many pictures as i can, it might be a couple weeks till i get it but i just cant wait, the only thing i'll need now is a leg vise, but i can easily get one of those from making things, if i can ever find anyone that would buy them, i think i'm getting quite lucky with this, a anvil i bought years ago i just happen to have when i start, a small vise i got years ago i just happen to have when i start, ability to mass-produce charcoal right off the bat, now this. it has been quite a expirience for me in many ways and thanks to all your guyses help and posts on these forums i'll get to keep getting them i aprciate it very much this is a life long dream and it's actually comeing true, i had no idea it would actually go this way, anyway thanks again and good luck all . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyanErnst Posted July 17, 2011 Author Share Posted July 17, 2011 haha so i talked to my freind today aswell and he said in 2 months on my birthday we can go to some places and i can pick out a anvil and he'll get it for me, this is amazing its all happening so fast! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teenylittlemetalguy Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 Some things just gel. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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