I finally got everything I needed to get a forge up and running. What are some good projects that a beginner like my self can get started on? And also what was your first project? Pictures are welcome so I know what I can expect my first to look like. Thank all of you for your help.

A hook is always a good place to start. Depending on how you want to do it you can cover pretty much all the basics. Tapering  square, turning to round, planishing, scrolling the tip, maybe even a decorative twist in the middle.

If you are felling adventurous....you could even punch and drift a few holes in the end to attach it to something with some bolts.

You can pretty much take it as far as your skills will allow without too much pounding involved.

Plus that.....the shop can almost always use another hook.

This was my first attempt in the forge.

Edited March 20, 201511 yr by lawman

Coat hooks are good beginner projects for all the reasons above. Recently I've had a couple youngsters who've never used hand tools at all so I had to give them projects to build basic hammering skills. Nails are good for this though it drove them both crazy when I made them make the header first. <evil grin>

Nails can be small and don't take much time, some folk here do them in one heat, I don't. First draw a uniform taper to a point, then cut and head. It's pretty much as simple as it sounds but simple in principle is often complex or just difficult in practice. Heading can be a wooly bugger to get an even straight head. I call it good training.

You'll want to do a little forging to shape your header so it'll lay flat over the prichel hole. A little dome facing up helps shape the head and don't forget punching the hole, it needs to come through from the underside so the hole tapers wider as the nail narrows. This keeps the nail from jamming in the hole and becoming a fixture.

Another champion beginner project is tongs. You'll always need tongs, it's really hard to have too many pairs and they're just good training.

Keep an eye open at yard/garage/rummage/etc. sales for things like punches and chisels if for nothing else good stock. Allen wrenches are also very good stock. Ball pein hammers make all kinds of good smithing tools.

You need to make some tools, to make the tools you'll use to make . . . stuff. The blacksmith makes the tools all other trades require, it's what makes it the King of Trades.

Frosty The Lucky.

Thank you guys for your help. I hope to be forging very soon. And I will be sharing my work with all of you guys.