Blacksmithing as a college student

[Frosty]

I don't usually indulge in life type advice but sometimes I just can't resist. While there are real differences in how different types of forges work, gas vs. solid fuel being the current subject, they're not very important to the craft. If you want to become proficient as a blacksmith you need to learn how to use what you have, what you WANT is rarely what you get. The decision to use solid fuel or gas  is mostly philosophical and doesn't really have much to do with functionality. "Traditional" is a philosophical desire that is a self imposed limit to time period and tech level. It's up to you as is bearing the costs involved. Every decision has a cost:benefit ratio.

 

Legit arguments for gas vs. solid fuel: It's economical. I can keep 350-400 cu/in of forge at welding heat for 8-10 hours on about $20-25, that's at last summer's $4.27/gl. Alaska price for propane. The forge can be really small and light, see "bean can forge."

You can turn it off and walk away from it with only a few safety precautions. it just takes time to cool off. Coal or charcoal fires sometimes take a couple days to go cold.

 

Legit arguments the other way, for solid fuel vs. gas: Solid fuel allows localized heat where a gas forge will eat anything in or close to it. Solid fuel fires can be darned small or giant blazes, that's a BIG plus.  solid fuel can be reasonably fast, with practice you can have a green coal fire ready to forge in 15-20 minutes. Any gasser with a hard liner will take longer to come to a working temp. Ceramic blanked lined and it's ready to forge in maybe 2 minutes. Noise, solid fuel forges are quiet, a little whisper of air blowing through the fire but a gasser is like working next to a running jet engine. Unless you have a place you can dig a hole and safely let a fire go out construction cost isn't a plus.

 

I really don't care what forge I use, I use a gasser because good metallurgical coal is a long distance shipping issue so it's ridiculously expensive here. and NO, charcoal isn't worth my time to make and NO, buying lump charcoal is WAY too silly expensive.

 

How can you expect us to tell you how much one fuel over another is going to cost . . .you? Do I know the price/gl. at your local LPG supplier? What a bag of coal costs? do you know how to manage a fire? I'm not taking a shot, I understand, it's common for folk new to a craft to want to have the "PERFECT" set up, know just how much it'll cost, etc. Life long professional blacksmiths are learning more about that every day.

 

Forget perfection, ain't gonna happen. What you want will have to take a back seat to what you can get and keep. Seriously, do you even know how to use a forge? How in the world can a person decide which works best if they don't know how they work? Asking us is only going to get you opinions.

 

Go garage saling, find an old hibatchi or BBQ or. . .? Sure, a bucket will work, read up on the Lively forge. Find a hair drier or learn to make a bellows. Seriously, a piece of water pipe, paper bag, add a little duct tape for fancy. You might NEED a little tape for a cardboard box bellows. How about a short section of carpet tube and a feather duster? Fine bellows one and all and only a very short off the top of my head list.

 

Nothing you're asking about is an issue IF you know how to blacksmith. For now, forget your ideal setup and just learn to blacksmith. Once you know what's what, the decisions will come easily.

 

Frosty The Lucky.

[MouaChan]

Thanks Frosty, I didn't know how general I was being but yes I think I have an idea of where to go from here now.