Shadetreemonkey Posted January 31, 2018 Share Posted January 31, 2018 Hello, all. I am new here and have been wanting to get into blacksmithing for a few years now. I'm more interested in being a bladesmith, but I'd like to make other things on occasion. I have made a couple of knives, but nothing fancy. Just wanted to ask if there are any tips you guys have for a beginner? I guess dos and don't for someone who is just starting out. Believe it or not, I was using a 5lb barbell weight as an "anvil"... It's xxxx hard to work with. I just set up a what I hope is a better anvil. It's an actual steel anvil that weighs 20lbs that I affixed inside a 5 gallon bucket of quikrete and a few rocks. The whole thing weighs about 105lbs. As for a forge... Well I have one of those hollowed out white firebricks and a coffee can forge that I use with two bernzomatic ts8000 torches. Maybe I should upgrade that as well... I have a 4lb driver hammer, a 2.5 lb cross pein hammer and I use an assortment of pliers. I also have some borax. What do you guys think is the best way to utilize those? What can I realistically expect with my set up? Do I need more tools, or something better? I am a mechanic, so I know my way around tools and have pretty hearty hands and arms, so I hope that will help me some. Any tips are appreciated. Thanks guys. Here is my anvil. It's still curing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 31, 2018 Share Posted January 31, 2018 Well you could read the hundreds if not thousands of posts already here about getting started...the stickies, etc. I will say the fastest and easiest way to get to making good blades is to learn to forge first and once you have hammer control and heat control down pat; then go on to making blades. Knife grade steels are harder to work and much more fussy in their working. Mild steel is much more forgiving and so you can often make a mistake but still end up with a usable item rather than just another piece of useless scrap metal. Learning the basics will also teach you if your hammers are dressed right or if your anvil is a right height. I am the average height for an american male and I can say that one would be just about right in height if I was kneeling---an uncomfortable position to forge in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted January 31, 2018 Share Posted January 31, 2018 Pack a lunch and a cold drink and read the sections of the site that are of interest to you. Then read the rest of the site. Take the information to the forge and try it out. Hammer time and practice are the key to learning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadetreemonkey Posted January 31, 2018 Author Share Posted January 31, 2018 Trust me, I'm reading as much as I can. I'm sorry for the lack of context that points out that this was more of an introduction. I'll continue with making knick-knacks to get a good feel for it. That was good advice, thanks. I never knew about hammer dressing, I'll have to search for that too. Thank you, sir. Okay, I'm reading quite a bit of posts right now. Plenty of information here. Great forum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 31, 2018 Share Posted January 31, 2018 Have you looked up the local ABANA affiliate? Seeing folks who know what they are doing demonstrating at meetings is like lighting the afterburner as you drive into the learning curve! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadetreemonkey Posted January 31, 2018 Author Share Posted January 31, 2018 No I have not. I'll have to look that up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfeile Posted January 31, 2018 Share Posted January 31, 2018 I'm pretty new to this myself, but to go along with your reading, I actually learned quite a bit from making myself a few pairs of tongs. You get a lot of hammering and drawing out practice, and end up with something that will be a useful addition to your shop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadetreemonkey Posted February 1, 2018 Author Share Posted February 1, 2018 I've thought about doing that. I should give it a try. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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