Project ideas for the novice blacksmith?

[RobtheSmith]

With little or no experience what projects would be a great starting point to learn how to control hot metal?

[Charles R. Stevens]

Every one loves "S"hooks.

[aquamanlr]

There is a number of bottle openers shown on the site. You can find some with the search button at the top of the page.

 

LeeRoy

[Ridgewayforge]

J hooks, S hooks, forks, spoons, dinner bells, gate pulls, flower basket hangers, skewers, bottle openers, chisels, punches, tongs.

 

Those are good beginner projects. As you advance, challenge yourself. Then start making hardies, knives, welded pieces, decorative grates etc etc.

[RobtheSmith]

Awesome thanks for the reply's!

[ThomasPowers]

Take a look at the iforge section over at anvilfire

[Borntoolate]

I did a good bit of just squaring up re-bar for later use.  Some of them turned into S-Hooks or other desirable things.  

 

BUt some evenings it was nothing more than a little OJT squaring up.   You can focus on technigue and gain experience without being concerned about a specific project.     THe projects can come later from your work of squaring up.  

 

I also wanted to see if I could burn metal.   And yes you can.    This is good practice too.    Bring a piece just begining to burn (Sparking).   Strike it soft and watch the sparks fly.   You  get a feel for how soft you can make the metal with a good heat vs a lesser heat.  

[Nobody Special]

Hooks, triangles, hooks, cheese slicers, hooks, door knockers, hooks, bottle openers, hooks, drawer handles, hooks, tools like punches and tongs, hooks, feathers, hooks, nails, hooks, split crosses. Oh yeah, and hooks.

 

I like hooks.

 

Seriously though, depending on the style of hook (say anywhere from simple j hook, to s hook to fancy coat hangers) it can be used to focus on drawing, tapering, twists, rounding square stock, squaring round stock, bends, straightening, using the edge of the anvil, flattening, and peening. All depends on what you want to make.

 

A lot of the time if I'm stuck on something, I'll crank out a hook or something simple and fast I know I've got down to keep my hands moving while my brain is catching up or until my frustration's drained off.

[Itzdomhere]

To be honest something I found is that when you want to get forging just find a technique and just practice on scrap metal.

[VaughnT]

The easiest way to learn also happens to be the most productive way.  Start by making tong blanks, chisels and punches that you can use for later projects.  Doesn't matter what their size or shape, they'll come in handy sooner or later.  And, you learn hammer control, fuel conservation and a bunch of other stuff while doing it.

 

If you make a hundred s-hooks or dinner triangles, you end up with a bunch of stuff that you don't need.  I did the same thing while I was learning, and I quickly ran out of uses for all those extra hooks I had made.  Triangles might be nice as gifts, and you might be able to sell a few.  But, again, you're burning up resources to make a finished product that doesn't do anything for you.

 

Punches, drifts and chisels, however, can be used countless times to make projects that teach you things without getting overly repetitive.

[Chinobi]

plus if you start by making tooling you can pretend that the inconsistencies in size and shape are intentional and call them 'big chisel' 'small chisel' 'curved chisel' etc :) they can usually be adjusted into something a little different if they get screwed up.  and when you get a little more hammer control you can always go back and tune them up a little more and make something completely different.

[Glenn]

Click on IForgeIron.com > pages > blueprints.

Find one you like and take it to the forge.

[Joel OF]

Hi Rob, I'm a beginner too and realistically only a little further down the line than you. My 2 cents worth is: make a few of whatever it is you're trying to forge and try to make them exactly the same. I've found that I've learnt the most about how metal moves, where to hit, how hard to hit and all the rest when you're trying to make things identical. For me that's been especially true of scrolling, and more to the point, undoing a scroll that isn't quite right.

 

I couldn't agree more with what Nobody Special said about hooks because there's endless design variations, and if you end up swimming in hooks as Vaughn said, get a chunk of wood, tap a few in and take them down to a local ironmongers and see if they'll sell them "sale or return", that's what I did. Even these aren't perfect but at least they're outta the house haha!

[Dan C]

Nice hooks Kurgan!  I'm going to make a bunch of those and take them to the next car show I go to as the truck I've been restoring is now on the road, those would sell very well I think including everything else I peddle.

 

If you're using a solid fuel forge you're gonna need tools for working the fire, ie. a firerake, poker, shovel for coal.  If you can find a copy of The Backyard Blacksmith in the library there's a lot of ideas there as well.  I had borrowed a copy, but found one at half price books.

[Joel OF]

Cheers. Well they are what they are, but like I say they're good things to try variations on...round stock vs square stock, fish tails or finnials, twists, reverse twists etc...

Rob, if this is literally the first time you're picking up the hammer and giving some metal a whack I wouldn't worry too much about having a project in mind, I'd just get a lenth of 10mm+ round stock and learn tapering! When you've learnt tapering, learn how to put a finnial scroll on it. That's what I did anyway, and when I'd done it I just cut it off and did it again.

Sometimes I find it can be kinda demoralising taking on a project as a beginner because you'll inevitably hit a problem, (and sods law it'll be near the end), and the whole thing is ruined and you've got to start again...whereas if you practice the little elements like tapering and scrolling seperately, when it comes to forging a hook or whatever, you've got the practice at it to just put it all together like a jigsaw. I should probably follow my own advice there because I fail miserably every time I try tongs, I always end up throwing my toys out of my pram and storming off swearing.

[John Wilson]

I read of people making so many of this and that they become overwhelmed.

Here is a thought.   Practice on one of the projects to take it back to the beginning.

You will learn folding welding and forming.  I know it seems a waste of time but it is a way to learn control and how to underdo work.

Just a thought.

I would not dare to call myself a blacksmith but I have had a lifetime of engineering, including shaping materials in the fire and out of curiosity I like to try what you might call reverse engineering.  You will be surprised at what you learn and understand about metal.  I don't consider it a wasted effort.  Cheers.

I might add sometimes my curiosity get me into trouble:)

 

[arftist]

Tools

Specifically blacksmith tools

[Jspool]

On 7/29/2013 at 1:37 PM, Glenn said:

Click on IForgeIron.com > pages > blueprints.

Find one you like and take it to the forge.

Thanks for this Glenn. I’ve been a member here for a while and only now have seen this section. Wonderful and amazing reference and process material from Hofi! I am grateful.

[David Einhorn]

I have all three of Mr. Darnell's books, “Forging Colonial Ironwork” books I, II, and III. His books are “comb bound”, and hand drawn and hand written. Each book contains step-by-step instructions for making a fairly large number of Colonial Period blacksmith projects. If you are looking for a library of Colonial projects, then I recommend purchasing his books...... I also recommend purchasing the book “Early American Wrought Iron by Sonn”.