Hello everyone thank you for reading. Its been years since I first started aspiring to one day become a blacksmith, over these years I have been slowly (as funds and availability allowed) adding to my collection of tools and materials needed to get started. As of posting this is have.

300lb anvil 

Complete solid fuel forge 

100kg of anthrecite beans

Ball peen hammer

Hot set

Rasp

Lots of files 

Tongs

And a few more smaller tools that evade my memory.

The thing that inspired me to get these tools was a book called "The Modern Blacksmith - Alexander Waygers" I had intended to work my way through the book and make every tool in it but I was soon met with a extensive list of equipment that needed to be acquired before starting. This led to my next task. Getting it all! It is now nearly a year since I started collecting, and I am still far from complete but I can't wait any longer. I'm dieing to hit some metal.

So my question is "with the tools I have and a small collection of rebar and bits of scrap metal (also pretty unlimited supply of aluminium due to my job) is there anything I an make with little experience behind the hammer?

Any recommendations as to tools that I should start looking into getting would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance.

Michael

 

 

You were ready as soon as you had a hot fire, some metal to hit, a hammer to hit it with, and something solid under the hot metal.  You have more than a starter kit and fairly soon you should be able to make any hand tools you lack.

Start with fire management tools and learn the basics, then take on whatever your needs and desires dictate.  Between that book (and others out there), this site, and especially if you can get some face time with a practicing smith you will progress rapidly.

a poker and rake for the fire

They have been kind to you as the guys will be along soon to inform you that you need a hole in the ground into which to pour some solid fuel and a big rock and a stone. Gather up some free scrounged steel and hit it.

I started by making stuff from rebar. S hooks, leaves, fire pokers, roasting forks, spoons and all sorts of stuff. A lot of it was squaring it out, drawing, tapering, upsetting.  Your best off getting the proper stock closest to the dimensions you need but i had fun learning with free stuff. just get hammering and keep researching. 

Whether you are ready to forge or not is entirely dependent on how hot you are. Give your helper a sledge hammer and . . . nevermind, that was too much of a stretch and I have no intention of mocking you Michael.

Do you feel like building a fire heating some stock and beating it into submission?

Frosty The Lucky.

You've managed to aquifer more than I did before I started. I started with a small ballpien hammer and a northern tool 'anvil' and a make shift 'forge.' Looking back I would be ashamed to admit I used it but it worked until I could improve it. I slowly added tools as I found them at the right price or as I could make them.

A poker and a rake! thanks for the idea ID. My greatest drawback until very recently has been location. I had been living in a very residential area and did not have room to set anything up. This has since changed and i'm ready to go. Might try making a few hooks and rams head pokers as I've already made them on courses in attended on the past, any other idea welcome! 

You know I have that book and I really enjoyed it and I've made quite a few projects out of it from the Hinges and hasp to the rail road anvil and I found it inspiring to be honest, He sure was smart, Only grip I would have is the table chop saw that he shows in his book seems kind of dangerous with no guards, I sure as heck wouldn't make it out of wood!

No, you're not. 

Start anyway.