YAY! Progression! PICS!

[Work-In-Progress]

Ok This is my progression so far on tools, forge, and teaching. Yes, I found a local blacksmith exited to teach me!

This be my forge. It isn't pritty but it surely looks like it will work!
Forge 1 Frontal view.
Forge 2 A top view of the fire pot. Its a disk break drum. Not sure thats what its called. I got if from the dump.
Forge 3 A bottom view. The Tyure is going in the large hole there. The smaller bolt holes are gonna be filled with a bolt and welded shut.
Blower This is the blower im using. Its an old electrolux vacumb I found at the dump. Its way to powerful and I have to put a light dimmer switch on it so not the blow hot coals all over myself.

Yeah, I'm strap for cash. The local dump is the BOMB! I use a abrasive disk on a skillsaw to cut stuff to size.
METAL! This is a pile of metal from the dump. The white slabs over against the wall are old cellar storm doors I cut for the forge top. Cutting them wore my saw down to nearly nothing!

I got a welder, it's small, but it's powerful! I was able to weld 3 pickaxe heads together along with some junk from the rail road across the road. It was 100 bucks at walmart, came with face shield, gloves, 200 rods, and a wire brush.

My welder with the face mask and gloved at the lower right corner.
My work of art I should try to sell it on ebay. Some Yahoo will by it for a few hundred bucks.
Mmmm, lye! Why? I tryed to extract sodium from it. It failed like I expected. But who doesn't want a strong xxx bace LYE-ing around? (sorry for the terrible puns!)

I met with a blacksmith a few weeks ago. He was all up for teaching me. I even made an S hook! I could do it hundreds of times it was so easy! This one is a bit messy, but it was my first forging.

This is the S hook Pritty nice huh?

I found the dealer of dealers for blacksmithing tools in Vermont! He had everything a blacksmith could ever want! I cant even explane it! I got 2 hammer, 3 tongs, a heardy hole hot cut, and an anvil! The anvil is an ASO, it was 75 bucks and perfect for me. All in all I spent only 160 dollars on my tools, a very fair and reasonable price! The dealer will even let me trade in my anvil for full price towards another anvil! Thats unherd of in any sale! It's because he is happy to see someone of my age interested in the art.

The box of tools The two tanks are oxygen and MAPP gas. It's a torch kit i got for 60 bux. Its alright but not enough for what I need it for.
My anvil! Its about 55 pounds of cast iron. The little one is one I got for my birth day, i'd say its about 2.5 for 3 pounds. And a RR spike.
This is the chip in the side. Its big but I say it add character!
This is the face. Yeah, it aint pritty.

There it is! We just got a foot of snow here so progression is slowed.

[hdwarner]

what are you planing on making once you get all these pieces put together?
whats your plans for an anvil stand ?

[sdalcher]

Looks like a good start! I see your artistic abilities already shining:) that anvil is very old judging from lack of prichtel hole and no step as you approach the horn. It has seen better days, but is probably near to 200 years old so plenty of character! It will serve you well as you learn, when you finally upgrade anvils be sure to set that back in a place of honor. I have a Very old Mousehole anvil, that I rescued. Whenever I take a few minutes of rest, I look to look over at it and wonder about it's history.

Steve

[Mende]

Great work dude!. .Now all you need to do is put everything together under a roof somewhere. .away from flammable materials. . and start experimenting until you see what works well for ya.
After you see what works and what doesn't . .you can rebuild your shop exactly the way you like it.

The best way to mount your anvil would be a huge stump ..that would get the face to knuckle height ..second best would be to laminate timber with glue and long bolts and screws.. ..third would be a metal tripod with a laminated wood top . .fourth best would be an all metal . . chair thingie. .

Try to make it bigger in case you get a bigger newer steel anvil in the future ( you WILL want something bigger. . even if just for the heck of it. ..)
You are on the right track:D ..like the hook.

[Ferrous Beuler]

With a bucketful of enthousiasm and a capable teacher you should be famous in no time! Cool, its good to see you are enjoying it all so much.
Might I recomend a good book? "The backyard blacksmith" by Lorelei Sims. (ISBN 1-59253-251-9) Check out the book reviews section on this forum.
I ordered mine through a local bookstore and had it in a couple of days. It can be had directly from the author at her website Lorelei Sims
It is well written with good photography and you will learn a lot from it.
RESIST the urge to take that new welder in hand and fix that anvil of yours, refer to your blacksmith friend for advice on that.
Have fun. Dan:)