4 hours ago, JHCC said:

However, Denis Frechette has about the simplest version I've ever seen, that should help you get started:

Mod Note: Link removed due to advertising and request for money.

Sorry; my bad. If you go to the "DF - In The Shop" channel on YouTube and look for "Blacksmithing For Beginners - Forging Tongs in a Basic Shop", you'll find what I'm talking about.

If your interested in a quick and easy pair of tongs to make, I have just posted an article originally done by Whitesmith in 2001 or 2002.

Easy to make tongs  One rivet, one twist, and your done.

On ‎10‎/‎20‎/‎2017 at 8:44 AM, JHCC said:

I think it was @Dillion Brian Grant who was having the hand/arm problems, but I could be wrong

yeah it was me lol @JHCC

On 10/21/2017 at 2:56 AM, Glenn said:

If your interested in a quick and easy pair of tongs to make, I have just posted an article originally done by Whitesmith in 2001 or 2002.

Easy to make tongs  One rivet, one twist, and your done.

Ted Tucker's Practical Projects for the Blacksmith (1980) shows the same method on pp. 24-6 -- it's actually the second project in the book, after a simple punch to make the rivet hole.

hey guys i need to know if ya'll know anyone on here that i can talk to about portable forges? if so please give me a link to their chat page because i have a sos problem that they can help out with. or if you know some info of portable forges then you can give some info on what type of square steel or iron rods i can use for making a trailer. for like an example pulling around a ride able lawn mower. that's what kind of trailer i'm needing and i might make if i can't find a cheep one so i'm just planning a head for my portable forge. and i might be moving to another house after i graduate from high school that's why i'm in need of info. so please hear me when i say i'm all ears to hear what ya'll have to say no joke.

You are aware that IFI has the information you seek, as well as the experts to help you? 

What do you need to know?

First of all: is this a coal, charcoal, (peat, lignite), propane, natural gas, (hydrogen, polypropylene, etc), induction, forge?

Secondly: how big does it need to be? 

Thirdly: Your constraints: money, tooling, skills

You have an idea about what you want---to get good answers you need to tell us! (My mind reading powers have been on the fritz since the concussions...I mean who is this St#orb$^fl*&tz fellow and why does he want to invade Earth?)

Finally is your proposed trailer for on the road use?  If so look into your liability insurance!  Personally I don't weld on lifting stuff or towed stuff.

Well it's just I need to know what type of square steel or iron rod is strong enough to be able to hold a brick forge that's about 2x2 ft. with and length... hight is still unknown to me but I will find a decent hight for it. This is what I can give you in info on my forge for the moment.... Also it needs to be strong enough to hold my tools and anvil. So can you guys help me?  And I will check out that one guy you told me about Charles.

Still we don't know what sort of fuel and why you need that size and what type of brick you intend to use. (and why brick?)

BTW ALL steel is strong enough to hold those weights---some just needs to be in large cross sections than others!

Have you been to any of the IBA meetings yet?

No I haven't been to one IBA meeting keep getting held up at school and work....YES I have not graduated (high school) yet... sorry Thomas!  and thank you for all the info that you guys can give me because this will come in handy for when I do have to make my trailer.  BTW when are the spring and summer meetings are  held at?  Because I could possibly go to one of those.

Why not go to the source?...... Indiana Blacksmith Association has a website - just contact them to get info on the meetings etc.

Sorry sometimes I can be a clumsy fool 

You want trailer? @jlpservicesinc got trailer!

Check out this thread.

Thx Jhcc

OSB: Can your forge be moved without taking it apart? If you built a brick forge without designing it as a portable from the start, making it portable will be nothing but a PITA. Heck, I think a brick forge is a PITA anyway but they CAN be made reasonably easy to move so long as you build it that way and don't get carried away.

How far do you want to move it with the ATV? 

You've asked a pretty specific question without giving us the parameters. You can't get to how without telling us what and why. 

Think about your questions before you make us quiz you to find out what you're asking. It's like me asking, "I'm going to California what should I take?" There are too many conditions for anybody to be able to answer such an open question. Seriously, should I take a suitcase or the RV?

Think about what you need to know and narrow it down for us. Break problems down into pieces and solve them one at a time makes it MUCH easier.

Frosty The Lucky.

OSB: look up Harbor Freight, they have a fold up 4X8 trailer that would fit your purpose and cost less than trying to build your own. It includes the axle, tires & wheels, hitch, all you would have to do is add the deck which could be as simple as a sheet of plywood.

******never mind***** I just went to their wed site and they are no longer listed. However they do have a 4 wheel garden cart that would work only smaller.

If your building a trailer, why not build a steel forge pan?

a steel pan, hood etc. can be lighter and more durable than brick. 

A forge pan?? Can you please show me a picture of what it looks like so I have a better idea of what you are talking about.

I raided these images from other IFI posts

The first is a steel hearth pan for a bottom blast forge with a fire pot and the second is a steel hearth for a sideblast forge. 

As brick, you can as well make a pan to line with brick. Charcoal still requires you to contain the fire in a small efencent shape, wile coal is more self limiting and the coal itself can act as the fire bowl. One can also weld up a trench like the ones we are digging out of dirt in the dirt box forge . A fire pot can be built side blast. Steel, being fire resistant makes for a more portable forge than either dirt or brick, that's why we see rivit forges with stamped steel pans or cast iron ones. Traveling and mountain howitser pack forges were using sheet iron pans as well. Being that they didn't have flamible materials making up the bottom, they were about 6' deep insted of 8"

 

 

 

Wow I just might use that in my plans for my forge, thanks Charles for showing me that. A guys I need some advice on how I can show my ma how dedicated to blacksmithing? She found a guy who does blacksmithing but I keep telling her that I want to be self taught in the art because she has not did any research on the topic herself. So how can I show her that I'm dedicated and wanting to do blacksmithing? Also she is stubborn as a donkey. This is the toughest thing I have to do before I can do anything to get started on my forge! So what should I do to show her? 

Are you saying she found a blacksmith that you can go learn things from but you don't want to learn from another blacksmith and want to just learn on your own?  

GET OFF THE INTERNET IF YOU DON'T WANT TO LEARN FROM OTHER PEOPLE----*NOW*

 

So you are telling me that your mother wants you to learn the fastest, cheapest and least frustrating way there is and you are saying "*NO*!"

Which is the stubborn one?  In the several thousand year history of the craft, the transmission has almost always been person to person.

22 minutes ago, Daswulf said:

Are you saying she found a blacksmith that you can go learn things from but you don't want to learn from another blacksmith and want to just learn on your own?  

Yes, please clarify. 

40 minutes ago, old school blacksmith said:

A guys I need some advice on how I can show my ma how dedicated to blacksmithing? She found a guy who does blacksmithing but I keep telling her that I want to be self taught in the art because she has not did any research on the topic herself. So how can I show her that I'm dedicated and wanting to do blacksmithing? Also she is stubborn as a donkey

It would appear she's not the only one in the family who has a stubborn streak.   If you want to show your dedication, then take her up on the offer.  Even if you think it's a mistake (and it's not), you will show her that you are willing to do whatever it takes to reach your goal.  That's what dedication is. 

While there is something to be said for figuring everything out for yourself, it is ultimately just about where you draw the line in the sand.  You are here getting advice after all.  If you wanted to do it all by yourself then you should be doing everything by trial and error without advice from anyone in any form.  Since you are willing to talk to strangers on the internet to help you in your quest, what's the harm in standing next to a person who, for all you know, may be a member on this forum?  Would it be better to read what he writes on here rather than listen to what he has to say and watch how he does things?  If you've read many posts on here then you should know that experienced smiths are constantly advising the newcomers to find someone who can instruct them at the anvil in person.

In short, you should jump at the chance.  Swallow your pride.  Do you want to be able to brag about being self taught or do you want to produce good work in a short amount of time?

Just now, ThomasPowers said:

GET OFF THE INTERNET IF YOU DON'T WANT TO LEARN FROM OTHER PEOPLE----*NOW*

 

So you are telling me that your mother wants you to learn the fastest, cheapest and least frustrating way there is and you are saying "*NO*!"

Which is the stubborn one?  In the several thousand year history of the craft, the transmission has almost always been person to person.

Exactly.