What is the bare minimum for a amateur forge in regards to tools and equipment?

Hammer, tongs, ASO (anvile shaped object) fire. A friend of mine has seen people in africa beating out iron with two rocks. You don't have to have very much to get started, but once you get better at blacksmithing, you will want different hammers and tongs and punches etc. for different jobs. With a little creativity you can get into blacksmithing without spending a ton of money.


Dave

A forge, a hammer, and something to pound on, oh and your workpiece.

Or, a forge/fire, and a pair of adjustable pliers, if you're working with thin rod.

All depends on what you want to make. Tell us where you're from, and I'm sure we can find a group in your area! :)

I'm currently in central NJ, but at the end of the summer I'll be moving up to Worcester, MA. I'm mostly interested in making decorative home pieces- candlestick holders, coat hangers, hat hooks, etc- and knives.

A good pair of vice-grips makes a decent set of tongs for smaller work. I found them useful when making knives.
Joseff

The bare minimum is hammer, tongs, anvil shaped object, bucket for quenching, and a simple forge.

But I will submit a more practical minimum as also including a hacksaw to cut material to length and a file to clean burs or for shaping.

It all depends on your definition of "bare minimum". I've bent up metal around a campfire using nothing more than a length of pipe.

For "useful" smithing, I would say something to pound on, something to pound with, fire and metal. If you're using a long enough piece of metal, you can hang on to the cool end rather than use tongs.

My minimum setup when I first started was a lump of homemade refractory from garden clay, a concrete block, a ball pien hammer, vice grips, and a propane torch held between my legs. Believe it or not, this worked for making custom bike tools. Now, I do not cycle, but I still do blacksmithing.

And, I have replaced all these tools, sometimes with more than one iteration. Anyway, Thomas Powers (my hero) once said that it was the more serious beginners who held on to his loaner anvil for the least time. ;)

I once built a "beginner's kit" for under $25 using a 1/4" drill as the most esoteric piece of equipment in it's construction:

Forge: scrounged brakedrum; set into a metal frame from a barstool: pipe fittings from fleamarket for tuyere $3

Blower: old small handyvac like thing $3 fleamarket---it had no bag but the round pipe was there to fasten to a chunk of radiator hose ( $1 fleamarket) going to the forge: speed control was a ceiling fan control for $3 at the fleamarket.

Anvil: broken knuckle off a RR car coupler found in a ditch alongside an abandoned RR track it weighed about 50# and had a flatside and a curved side and was free.

Hammers: $3, $5 at fleamarket for a ballpein and crosspein hammer
Tongs: pliers and visegrips $1, $2 at the fleamarket.

No welder was used; just the drill and some misc bolts from fleamarket for $2 (other tools included a screwdriver and a hacksaw.

I made a sheetmetal fence to sit inside the brakedrum with a gap on one side and a mousehole on the other side to stick long pieces through---used this forge to weld up billets for knives for a while.

Your first project can be a set of tongs so you could get by without the pliers and visegrips and bring the price down to about $20

Another minimum set up is to build a one firebrick forge and use a cheap propane torch to run it. Cost 1 soft firebrick, cheap propane torch.

This is best for small stuff and so a chunk of RR rail will work for an anvil and a pair of pliers for tongs.

Another is a BBQ grill and a blowdrier.

I just realized something that seems to have been overlooked: eye and ear protection!

I haven't seen some way to put out the fire if need be. That may be a fire extinguisher or a hose (turned on with nozzel)

ron

Hey Rusty, I'm in Northern New Jersey and there is a great blacksmith organization that covers NJ/NY. You can see there site at www.njba.abana-chapter.com
A great bunch of fun people and always willing to help or teach you something. The meetings a bit scattered over the area they cover but it is worth making it if you can.
There is also Peters Valley in Northern New Jersey where you can take a variety of blacksmithing classes. They also have a Blacksmithing Pig roast comming up on September 1st. There is always a few guys selling assorted stuff plus an auction of tools and wares at the end of the day. You can check them out at Blacksmithing2007_WorkshopSchedule
index
Have a good one
Tim

Enthusiasm, an openness to suggestions and a preparedness to pass on the skills you learn.

Is your move to worcester permanant? if so, check into the New England Blacksmiths. I'm 30 mins from worcester down 146 in Woonsocket RI myself. The NEB is a great group, has a lot of members all around new england, and has great get togethers.

The New England Blacksmiths' Spring Meet, Lincoln RI June 1-3 2007

Those are my pictures from the NEB Spring Meet 2 weeks ago in Lincoln RI (also a straight trip down 146 from worcester, 45 mins to an hour, and there are classes taught at the Hannaway shop there every weekend)

As for getting started, if youv'e got a scrap yard near you in NJ try to find a 50-75lb chunk of 4140 cutoff or something and that will make a great starter anvil. As for tools and material, there are plenty of thigns available even if you're not good at scrounging. If you cant find a crosspien at a flea market or the like, sears sells them new for 15$ for a 2.5lb one, and I use a craftsman 2.5lb cross pien for the vast majority of my work. If you cant find any scrap steel to use for stock to make your first pair of tongs or such, pick up a 4 foot section of 1/2" rebar at lowes or home depot for a $1.75 and that will forge into a pair of tongs easy enough, and leave enough steel for a few hooks and other projects.

It's not permanent, it's for five years or so only, and I'll probably not have my own property (renting an apartment or something)- one of my reasons for getting on this board is to find a place around or outside Worcester where I can rent a space to set up a shop. That NEB event looks pretty great, I'll have to get in touch with you after I get myself moved.

http://hometown.aol.com/nicknaylo/images/forge2.jpg

Here's all I started with, 1 hammer, 75 # chunk of I beam for an anvil, brake drum forge, blower, water bucket, some coal.

Just to point out an anvil shaped object doesnt need to be anvil shaped at all.

http://www.tharkis.com/images/4140anvil1.jpg
http://www.tharkis.com/images/4140anvil2.jpg

That was a cutoff of 4140 which got some feet welded to it, and makes a great anvil, very very good rebound, and rings louder than my peter wright. Only 75lbs, but still great