Vampire Archer Posted August 26, 2013 Share Posted August 26, 2013 Hello everyone. Im am Gareth my friends call me Vamp. I live just north west of London Uk. Im am just a hobbyist starting out, I have always loved blacksmithing and since i was young always ended up around a blacksmiths stand at any craft/outdoor shows we went to. I have had a little play and made the usual gypsy irons and fire forks in mild steel with the help of a bush craft friend smith on his old water cooled forge and as expected got truly bitten by the bug. I have just spent the day helping out in a forge owned by Dave the Iron Dwarf and had a great day learning how to create fire and starting to learn to control it and making a few basic points and turns and really enjoyed the experience (thanks for passing on a tiny bit his knowledge). I came home having brought one of his solid fuel Iron Dwarf forges (i will ask in the correct place if anyone else has had any experience with these) and have just got to get myself a blower and im set to have a try. There is soooo much good information on here for me to play with and experiment. I have and old anvil I have not identified yet (again will post in correct part later {i have spent a few days already reading through the forums before i joined}), it has been well used and the edges are a little rounded but im sure that and my piece of rail sleeper will see me fine for now. I have some new car springs so am set to try and make some basic bits (well a rake/poker for the forge). As a profession i earn my living patching animals back together, for fun i am an archer and am quiet crafty by nature making my own leather gear for archery and i have been making wooden knife handles for a few years,with various leather sheaths and mounting other peoples blades in them and i hope in a few year to maybe be mounting my own blades too. Well sorry that was a bit of a large intro!!!!! Im sure i have much reading to do before i am ready to ask anything but you never know. Of course thanks you guys/girls for passing on your knowledge to us eager to learn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted August 26, 2013 Share Posted August 26, 2013 Welcome aboard Gareth, glad to have you. I'm in my 60's been smithing I don't know how many of those and am still drawn to the sound of an anvil like a moth to flame. Spring steel is good stock but not really suitable for most projects like fire rakes, pokers, etc. It is good for tongs though, you can make them thin and light while still being plenty strong. What kind of items would you like to make? Going to do it for fun or profit? Both? <grin> Do you plan on setting up a smithy or working from a traveling kit? Welcome to the addiction. And about a long intro, if you've read any or my posts you know I can spend pages saying good morning. <wink> Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John B Posted August 26, 2013 Share Posted August 26, 2013 Welcome to the site Gareth, check out the Uk Blacksmiths Guild on the Groups forum, and at www.blacksmithsguild.com and see if we can be of further assistance. Good luck on your new path. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the iron dwarf Posted August 26, 2013 Share Posted August 26, 2013 hi Vampire Archer and welcome, yes it is me here and thank you for all the hard work you did. you will also find Dave Budd on here sometimes. have a read and see what you can learn here, ask questions and maybe you will get a sensible answer and learn a lot more. look out for events in your area and meet a few more people from here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basher Posted August 26, 2013 Share Posted August 26, 2013 Hi Gareth , lots of good info here. It sounds like you will be bitten by the bug .good luck , Im 20 years in and still enjoying the craft and learning new stuff all the time. If you find yourself in SE london... drop in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vampire Archer Posted August 26, 2013 Author Share Posted August 26, 2013 Thanks everyone, Basher sure will if i get the chance, Iron Dwarf -thanks I enjoyed it and thanks for your pointers i will come back! John B i will check out the guild i have been on here all evening but am still working through it all. hehe Thanks Frosty in that case I will use the spring st for my tongs as i will be making a pair and will check out for posts to see what to go for for my other tools.At the moment my making is for fun but depends on how good and what i come up with ( I know a lot of people say it at the start but i would like to make my own blades when im ready as i do a bit of bushcrafting). My forge at the moment will be in my garden, I have just brought a nice solid fuel forge and have my anvil, looking at a cheap blower just to get me started and am looking at hammer shapes to pick a few hammers too. So lots for me to read (I have read MANY post on blowers and tools but plenty more to go. Happy hammering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted August 27, 2013 Share Posted August 27, 2013 Welcome to IForgeIron. We suggest you pack a lunch and a cold drink before you visit the site. By now you already know why. (grin) There are a bunch of folks from UK on the site as well as a couple of ladies. I am sure they would be willing to point you in the right direction if you have any problems. Nothing like going for a visit as you learn both the answers to your questions, and can see many different ideas for your own smithy. Just remember to thank them for their time and information. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vampire Archer Posted August 28, 2013 Author Share Posted August 28, 2013 Thanks Glenn, Packed lunch on standby! I will be sure to seek out uk contacts (if i can tear myself away from reading).Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EtownAndrew Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 Can you post a picture of your forge. It has an interesting name and I am wondering if I would recognize it by another name. By the way I use a common hair dryer for my coal forge blower. However, you may want to be more "old time" and make a bellows to go with your forge or find a hand crank blower. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vampire Archer Posted August 30, 2013 Author Share Posted August 30, 2013 Hi Andrew, will post a picture as soon as i can, looks like he is selling one on ebay,have a look and see if it looks familiar ( item number 151105334400). The Guy Dave makes them i have been round to his and had a play for the day, the one i was using was the same but bigger and seemed to work really well and i only seemed to get few a few handfuls of fuel, but obviously im just starting out so have only use 2 other forges to compair it to. I wasnt sure if a hairdryer would be enough or not but was going to try it but i am also watching a bouncy castle inflater too and if it stays cheap may try that too. Thanks for your thoughts. Gareth (let me know if you have seen the forge before thanks) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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