cma68 Posted May 20, 2017 Share Posted May 20, 2017 I am new to blacksmithing. Well to be more specific, I have yet to swing a hammer. I will begin my training with Mr. Bud Harvey of Hot Iron Blacksmith in Chillicothe, IL on June 3. He offers classes consisting of nine levels of training. Each successive class building on the skills learned in the previous level. In my excitement and anticipation, I have been scouring the internet looking for the basics to set up my own forge on the cheap, without much luck. It seems that the market has been cornered. I found a listing on craigslist with an astonishing amount of blacksmith related tools. I thought I would pass it on in case someone was looking for something specific. I hope to get there myself eventually, but since it is rather far from my home I will wait until I have a better understanding and some training. Link remove due to not following IFI's ToS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cma68 Posted May 20, 2017 Author Share Posted May 20, 2017 Thanks Scrambler82. Yea, that is a lot of stuff. All I want is an anvil, a couple hammers, a couple of tongs and a forge with blower. Fair warning, Powerball is up to 228 million and if I win I'm buying it all! I may have a touch of OCD. Seriously though, I can't wait to begin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judson Yaggy Posted May 20, 2017 Share Posted May 20, 2017 Cool stuff. I think it's great to see piles of blacksmithing gear like that, but watch out because it's against the rules on IFI to post off site commercial links. Be prepared for moderators to remove your link. Might try posting in the knife maker's supplies section, commercial website links seem to be ok there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cma68 Posted May 20, 2017 Author Share Posted May 20, 2017 Thanks for information. I wasn't aware of that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted May 20, 2017 Share Posted May 20, 2017 Another thing that could help you is if you put your location in your profile you may be surprised how many IFI members are close to you and could help you out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cma68 Posted May 20, 2017 Author Share Posted May 20, 2017 Thanks, will do. I am surprised at how difficult it has been to locate blacksmith related information and resources in my area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will W. Posted May 20, 2017 Share Posted May 20, 2017 11 hours ago, cma68 said: Fair warning, Powerball is up to 228 million and if I win I'm buying it all! You should try throwing a feather through a 1" thick steel plate. Your odds of success are better than winning the Powerball. Seriously though, don't get so caught up in the hype that you break the bank. You can do a lot of work and learn a LOT using a section of rail track, a pair of channel locks, a hammer, and a JABOD (just a box of dirt) forge. Check out the overwhelming amount of information on this site, and you'll see that you don't need a 500 pound anvil and a $1000 dollar forge to make beautiful things. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 20, 2017 Share Posted May 20, 2017 "I have been scouring the internet looking for the basics to set up my own forge on the cheap" Yup you are basically looking for cheap jewelry at Tiffany's on 5th avenue in NYC and you are surprised you are not finding anything cheap????? You need to find the stuff that people are NOT trying to make the most money off of selling it. I suggest looking up the TPAAAT, and if that doesn't work for you by Fall go to Quad-State, which is not as cheap as TPAAAT can be; but usually better priced than the internet! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bryson489 Posted May 23, 2017 Share Posted May 23, 2017 On 5/19/2017 at 9:12 PM, cma68 said: Thanks, will do. I am surprised at how difficult it has been to locate blacksmith related information and resources in my area. I feel your frustration. Dont rush, things will turn up. I was lucky enough to score a nice chunk of train rail in the beginning. Made a decent burner after reading Ron Reils website over and over. I wish i would've found IFI at the beginning, so you're already off to a good start. Be careful what you bite into, this trade will consume you. Btw, there's the IBA conference June 2nd-4th coming up. Little closer and sooner than the quad state Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted May 23, 2017 Share Posted May 23, 2017 On 5/19/2017 at 10:12 PM, cma68 said: I am surprised at how difficult it has been to locate blacksmith related information and resources in my area. That's why there's IFI! As for supplies getting started, remember that you only need a fairly limited number of tools at the very beginning. Something to Heat your workpiece, something to Hold it, something to Hit it On, and something to Hit it With. With a modified 55 gal. drum or a JABOD (or even a hole in the ground) as a forge, a chunk of scrap steel as an anvil, a pair of pliers, and a flea market hammer, you can get started making simple pieces, and then build up from there. The advantage to starting small is that you learn much better what you really need, rather than splurging on stuff that you end up rarely using. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 23, 2017 Share Posted May 23, 2017 How are you going about looking for info/stuff? If you've only used the internet I wouldn't be surprised. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aaamax Posted May 26, 2017 Share Posted May 26, 2017 Worthy of a repeat. That is some sage advice right there. Hell, My forge would still qualify as a Box of dirt that has an old pipe with holes drilled in it. As Will W. said: Seriously though, don't get so caught up in the hype that you break the bank. You can do a lot of work and learn a LOT using a section of rail track, a pair of channel locks, a hammer, and a JABOD (just a box of dirt) forge. Check out the overwhelming amount of information on this site, and you'll see that you don't need a 500 pound anvil and a $1000 dollar forge to make beautiful things. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.