i would love some general Info and advice!

[postleg]

I also use a  propane forge for me the fuel is easy to get and start up time on it is quite short to get to forging temps.  I use a 3 burner Diamondback forge and like it very much.  There are plans here to build gas forges on this sight.  Propane burns cleaner than coal and will create less of a ventilation problem.  But you should always be aware of carbon dioxide levels by using a detector.

[Borntoolate]

Short of some sort of one on one experience...

 

I have learned a lot from numerous youtube videos.

Books.  Try the local library.

Google books.  Free.   Lots of old stuff.

Videos.  Try the local library again.

Practice.   Do it.

Various sites have numerous links to all sorts of info.

[DSW]

Smartflix rents a bunch of blacksmithing videos.

 

https://smartflix.com/store/category/34/Blacksmithing

 

 

You can also check with your local ABANA affiliated club. Many clubs have a library of books and videos that members can check out.

[JimsShip]

When I took my first smithing class, I learned on a coal forge so that's what I built for myself (and later upgraded to an old champion forge from a barn sale)
I'd like to get a gas forge someday for quick lighting and ease, but I do like the old time feel of the smoke and cinder, and for me the cranking of the blower is strangely relaxing

.
I work from my garage so my forge, anvil, and my 5 gal bucket/quench tub all get carted out into the open and put back when i'm finished. The equipment takes about 5 feet square of space when stored.
The bench with my post vise and other tools is permanant but I use that for everything anyway so i'm not counting that.
There's also the inevitable can of salvaged scrap metal and tossed projects that seems to be growing more and more. (I have a habit of working and reworking a project to death until I get ticked and toss it in the can until a later time when I can go back for a fresh look!)

 

It's very easy to get carried away looking for all the things you think you need, but really when you're starting out stick to the basics. An anvil is nice, but you only use as much of it as the hammer hits on the other side at one time, so use what you can find and keep an eye out. When i started, I wanted a bellows blower and a brick forge like the one i saw, but all i had were pliers for tongs, and a brake drum for my forge. Little by little i got better and eventually lucked out and started collecting things I felt i needed for my forge. (Most here will tell you it's a never ending quest!)

Most of all have fun. 
 

[bigred]

Hi Dan,

 

Folks here have adequetly covered most of your questions or pointed you in the direction of where to track down the info on IFI.

 

I can offer you some perspective on your last question (how much money etc...on a self-employed basis) because I live in the UK and earn my living from the metalworking trade.

 

First, and most importantly, you will have to cover more than simply Blacksmithing to work in the metalworking industry in the UK. Most traditional smithing is now done by 'fabricators', using mostly machine manufactured components, especially in the areas of railings, gates, security screen etc, etc. It is pointless to try to compete in this area without also developing a wider range of welding and Fabrication skills. The high end of this market where ironwork is still produced or important historical ironwork repaired in the traditional style, is inhabited exclusively by formally trained and experienced specialists who have served a formal apprenticeship (English Heritage and Historic Scotland amongst many others will only commission work from formally trained pro's).

 

HOWEVER, there are a couple of areas where 'pure' blacksmithing is still practised and can be quite lucrative, AND is within the reach of self-taught, informally trained enthusiasts. Some of the best 'artistic'  work I have ever seen (and which is beyond my meagre capabilities) has been produced by talented, self-taught individuals, who simply have a god-given talent for beating hot metal into beautiful things - are you perhaps a potential blacksmith artist? The other area is one you mention yourself in your post - that of knife and sword making. This is an area where some quite stunning (and equally lucrative) work is being done by self-taught bladesmiths.

 

I can make 35k in my bread and butter weld/fab/smithing day job and around another 10-12 in the craft/art market. You can put together a basic pro set-up S/H for arond 6k and there is enough work (even in these straightened times) to begin earning straight away.

 

Hope this helps.

[bigred]

P.S. That 35k is Pounds Sterling NOT Dollars ;)

[Charles R. Stevens]

John, with taxes, fuel and cost of living is there really much diferance in buying power?

[GNJC]

Hello,

 

I've been smithing for about six years. I started with a knackered old anvil and a hairdryer-powered (?) forge and taught myself for a while. I then did a three-day course which was a very good thing, it corrected some fundamental mistakes I was making and made me more aware of safety matters. Following that I've been teaching myself for the most part by practising a lot, with a few tutorials about things I was finding hard from the likes of John B.

 

IFI has proven invaluable; as some of the more senior members write, if you do your homework and research here, there is probably an answer to every question a learner will ask.

 

I have a fairly esoteric interest in smithing, almost entirely producing replicas of old cooking equipment, but I have a fair number of commissions from the public due to doing demo's at shows with the Blacksmiths' Guild (take a look at the Guild's section on IFI). The Guild is fairly collegiate in nature and worth joining since it will allow you to attend shows for free and get a discount on tuition.

 

Whatever you decide to do, when you start out don't spend a fortune on kit. Other than an anvil and your first hammer, you can make pretty much everything you need for yourself, certainly hand tools, but a small hearth is not too hard. If you do buy tools, buy them second-hand, ebay is good.

 

You can get ideas of how to make tools from many sources, not least IFI. You can download 'Basic Blacksmithing' by Harries in a PDF form from the web, it shows how to make the basic stuff.

 

Good luck.

[bigred]

John, with taxes, fuel and cost of living is there really much diferance in buying power?

I think that 35k Dollars will buy one more in the US than 35k pounds would buy you in the UK. Given the vast majority of the membership here hails from the US I just wanted to avoid confusion - hence the 'P.S.' distinction.