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Prioritising acquisition help


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Hi all, 

I have done some searching but have not found much to help me, sorry if this has been covered.

I am trying to get an order sent over from the U.S, and am chasing some advice on what I'll need. 

I want to begin my forging activities by making tools, but as I have permission from she who must be obeyed to buy some to help me get started I am wondering your opinions on the matter.

I can't really get tongs as they are too long for the postage boxes, but I am thinking along the lines of a drift or two, a couple punches and perhaps a slitting tool?

My order of things to make will probably be along the lines of tongs until I can make usable pairs, then perhaps handled top tools.

Thanks in advance for any advice getting this newbie into the craft.

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Punches, slits, drifts and chisels are good high carbon steel projects for the beginner. Sort of like tongs, you're going to need a number of each anyway you might as well build skills making your own. I can't really think of tools that'd fit in a mailable package a person cant or heck should be making themselves. A special hammer maybe but even then.

I think I'd go with books. Some how to's and some reference books. One like "Machinery's handbook" is invaluable to have on the shelf. References about steel properties, heat treat, etc. are handy. I can't really bring ore to mind right now but that's my idea.

Frosty The Lucky.

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Charles you're absolutely right about sourcing and networking locally, I just haven't had much luck with Google-fu. I'm a fairly reclusive person, but I guess I should jump that hurdle and maybe pm an Aussie or two on here.

Frosty, I had completely forgotten about books! My Fiancé is having a package shipped over and I was just going to get my stuff shipped with hers. Machinery handbook I have access to localy as I'm a machinist by trade. Would you be able to recommend some more specifically smithing books? 

Thanks for your replies.

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Yeah, there are a lot of good blacksmithing books available for free download and many are listed here. For publications I like there's "The Complete Modern Blacksmith," by Alexander Wygers. It's a terrific how to and inspiration for boot strapping a blacksmith shop from whatever is at hand AND good instructions for making tools of many kinds. One of my hands down favorites. Jack Andrews, "The New Edge of The Anvil" is a classic top shelf book for learning the craft. There's one by I think Percy Blanchford but I can't recall the title. Oh DARN I can't think of any of the others. <sigh>

I believe there's a book list here somewhere, someone please link us.

Frosty The Lucky.

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alextynan

To find your local blacksmith .....

 

I know of at " least " 1 blacksmith in Townsville you could go see who would give you a hand makin' your starter kit

http://www.iforgeiron.com/forum/97-brisbane-blacksmith-group-abaqld/

http://www.iforgeiron.com/forum/80-peel-river-artist-blacksmiths-of-australia/

http://www.artistblacksmithnsw.com/

http://www.abavic.org.au/

http://www.artistblacksmithsa.org.au/Welcome.html

http://www.bawa.net.au/

Then you have ...

http://www.blacksmithing.com.au/

http://watersidemetalart.org/

those last 2 are in Victoria , I know both sell everything your looking for ( & more )

Then you ave people like MOONY , Forgemaster  here on the site ( forgive me for the countless other AUSSIE smiths I ain't named but i'd be here all day typin' youse name in )

Heck , if you offer me enough $ i'll deal with the wrath of the nexties & lite up my forge & make the stuff for you :)

Dale Russell

 

 

                                                  

  

 

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There are lots of good blacksmithing books but Frosty covered the 2 best all around beginers books; the Complete Modern Blacksmith and the New Edge of the Anvil ( or The Edge of the Anvil). Covers everything you need to get started in either one. 

The tools you mentioned are good projects in themselves and are covered in detail. 

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I would wholeheartedly suggest you get a copy of the books by Mark Aspery. They are available here: http://www.markaspery.com/School_of_Blacksmithing/Book_1.html

 

Not exactly cheap but they are worth every penny. I suggest you get books 1 and 2 for now.  - To me these are the best I've come across, they explain what you need to know in detail and in a way that anyone can grasp it. You could effectively work your way though each book and make every project as you go. 

 

Andy

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If you're a machinist by trade, machine the tongs you need.  It's not blacksmithing, but it's a good way to start your collection without breaking the bank on shipping charges.  Most new smiths only use a very small selection of tongs, so it's not like you need 100 pairs.  Just mill out the jaw and rivet area from some 1" square stock, and then weld on some reins.

A pair of v-bit bolt tongs that will hold 3/8" stock will also securely hold 1/4" stock.  So that's two pairs of tongs for the price of one.  Same goes for every size, really.  I do a lot of work in 3/8" and 1/2", so my 1/2" v-bit bolt tongs get a lot of use and I don't have a lot of clutter in the tong rack.

Other than that, make all of the tooling that you can.  A drift doesn't need to be bought when you can easily make one of your own.  Same for punches, chisels and slitters.  The big problem a lot of new people have, and old ones too, is getting tunnel vision and thinking that there's only one way to make something.

Chisels, punches and slitters don't need to have an eye punched through the head for a handle, and a lot of working smiths have the metal part held securely by the split end of a tree branch.  It works wonderfully and saves them on metal and manufacturing time.

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Fullering around the top tool and raping it 1/4" rod works to. i have some that are raped in slightly larger stock that a chiping hammer spring fits on. 

TJ uses a cnc torch table to cut out tong blanks then forges them to finished shape

​Oh Charles! Sometimes your spelling makes for straight lines I find almost impossible to resist! I'm PRETTY sure you WRAPPED your top tools not the . . . other. :blink:

Frosty The Lucky.

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Frosty, if he meant it that way , he probably would have mentioned the 'bottom tool' not the top!:P

To the OP just 'hanging around' another smiths shop is an education in itself, I remember going to Grant Sarver's shop seeing things and saying to myself " hey I never thought about using a .... like that" and often the repurposed stuff works best. Grant might well have been the 'blacksmith tool guru' but he was a master adapter and repurposer .

Edited by ianinsa
'fixing' autocorect
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 I must have missed your post stating what work you wish to do,  making black powder rifles you will need a long furnace for heat treating the barrels, Making boilers fro steam engines requires a different set of tooling than the person making hammers. 

I have seen many people offering advise here, but personally I find it hard to make a tool list with out knowing the work needing to be done.....

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Wow! An overwhelming response! I didn't have notifications checked for the thread. Thanks so much to all, especially Dale for that great list of contacts. I'll be hopefully firing my forge for the first time this afternoon to set my satanite.

I didn't know Mark Aspery had books, thanks for that one! He's one of my favourite you tubers, along with Brian Brazeal and Tobjörn Åhman. I think I will get new edge of the anvil, modern blacksmith as well as Aspery's books. The tools I'll see what I can source local from that great list, or better yet find the blacksmith from Townsville and try sort something out.

Steve, I know it can be frustrating to be asked such a broad and vague question with such little knowledge, but Unfortunately for now I really don't know what I'm doing yet.

Again, massive thanks to all who have replied.

Edited by alextynan
Clumsy fingers posted as quote
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LTrue, Steve, but we all need tongs, so the basic tools to make tongs seems a place to start, a forge, an anvil, a hammer, a file, a hacksaw, a punch, a drift, a chisel, a rivit header (made with the punch and drift) all seem to be pretty standard places to start. Sure you can by all the tools to make gunbarrels and boiler tubes, but you still need to learn the basic skils of drawing, tapering, upseting, punching, drifting and cutting. Why not start with the tools you need? Then you know how to rivit, heat treat and maybe even forge weld before you move on to hand forming a victorian era steem ship. 

Then again, I forgot you bite off chuncks of steel and juggle glowing steel in your bare hands, lol 

less I forget, thanks for the "thankless" volentiring you do keeping IFI afloat. Most of us apretiate it.

 

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That sir is serus heartburn! Do you get a premium for heat treating blades that way?!

​That, or the most serious need for Listerine I've ever . . . SEEN! :wacko:

Seriously, if people can SEE you need a breath mint you're a weapon of mass destruction! :o

Frosty The Lucky.

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