February 18, 201214 yr I hate to throw a bucket of water on this thread, but she will need a bucket of water! (slack tub) Seriously though - I think it is great that you are that involved. I hope this goes beyond the homework exercise and you help her get these things. If you two get into this together, since she is already taking classes, maybe she will have a chance to teach you! Sounds like a great and different way to bond with her - I envy you. Bill
February 23, 201214 yr You will find it very helpful to find a nearby smith that will let you visit their operation and talk with them about what they have and why. Most of what you "need" can be put into a 5 gallon bucket, including a 20# block of steel - depending on what she decides to "do" with metal will help narrow the basic tool list. Most of the possibles have been listed above, but most important I believe is the where-with-all to see in her mind how she wants a piece of metal to look when she is finished. Someone else can show us how to write our name, but until we get that image set in our mind it is just some lines. Practice after being taught makes us get better and perfect practice makes our results more perfect. I envy you in your new adventure with your child. :D Tim
February 23, 201214 yr 1. hammer 2. forge 3. Anvil 4. tongs 5. vice 6. hardy tools 7. saw 8. grinder Here on out is just "nice" and not needed 9. drill press 10. work table. 11. bench grinder 12. Power buffer 13. welder of some type I've been hobby smithing for 3 years.
February 27, 201214 yr I think this is what I would put down. Hobby smith for 5 years. Hearing protection Eye protection Gloves Workshop Cross pein Hammer Gas forge Anvil Anvil stand Chisels tongs Steel Bucket medium size bolt cutters tool stand smithing magician post leg vice grinder drill press treadle hammer more hammers more tongs more chisels Variety of stock to work from angle grinder welder cut off saw or horizontal band saw Steel work table Geoff
August 10, 201213 yr To bolster the interest you should attend a blacksmith class. I went to Turley Forge Blacksmithing School for his 3 week class back in 2010 and It's a life changing experiance. Frank is a phenomenel person and teacher. Blacksmithing is more than a trade that just makes stuff, it reaches in to the human need to create, to evolve from one's own thought or imagination, as a work of art or an invention.
August 11, 201213 yr The most obvious to me is "classes". Not just at a high school or university, but those given by local guilds as well as some of the traditional arts schools, like J C Campbell in North Carolina.
August 12, 201213 yr 1. Membership in ABANA. 2. Membership in your local smithing group. 3 thru 20. Buy every book on blacksmithing you can find. 21 thru 25... Start buying tools. Start with anvil, forge, hammer, tongs, vise. You can make everything else you want once you have the above.
August 12, 201213 yr Slow down, attend the meetings, attend conferences, come to Quad State, come by my horse trailer/canopy visit with me and others, learn a lot before buying what you think is what you need. Again my best advise is slow down... I started blacksmithing about 13 years ago and thought that I had to buy all those tool, then realized that I had spent a bunch of money on tools that I did not need. The great thing about this blacksmithing community is that we want to help others learn and get started. Come to Quad State the 4th weekend in September and plan to learn a lot and have a good time,,, as well as find good deals on those tools that you think that you need.
October 17, 201213 yr To touch on Mr. David Einhorn's list, aloe is a must. I wish I had that the first time I tried my hand at it
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