I’m not sure if this is in the right section of not. Please let me know so I can put it where it needs to be.

 

I am brand new to this. I’m trying to figure out where I should start, and what I should make first. I have an anvil, a forge, a vise, and hammers. What tools should I start first? I have no tongs, or chisels, or anything else for that matter. 

Greetings Finn.

        Just start with a simple hook.. If you use a chunk of round stock 1/4 .. 5/16 .. 3/8 ,, you won’t need tongs.. If you have a cut off hardy tool it’s good practice.. Keep trying keep trying.  No such thing as failure... After 40 plus years  at smithing I still have my first forge weld.. 

 

 Forge on and make beautiful things 

Jim

The first tool I made some 30+ years ago was a hot cut hardy for the anvil. I needed it to cut some sucker rod. I still use that hardy to this day. Next came some tongs but I have found that tongs are easy to come by in junk shops and are easy to modify to suit the job.

My little Sister probably has the first thing I forged, I gave it to my Father and the folks kept everything we made them. My first real tool was a screw driver, #2 was a chisel. I'd recommend a chisel or several: Hot, cold, butcher and in various sizes. Sometimes you need something large other times it has to fit somewhere small. Butchers are chisels with a single bevel similar to a wood chisel but often with a radiused edge and used to define shoulders ad isolate material. I use a sharp one when I want a nice straight cut on a piece of stock. It only pinches in one direction.

A hold fast is a good thing to have too and a good beginner's tool project.

Frosty The Lucky.

Good thinking Jerry ...  I start many students with my hold fast design.. It’s offset and will hold round and flat stock.. 

Forge on and make beautiful things 

Jim

Thanks for all the ideas guys. I’ll get some steel to work with for the tools soon. I just found a steel yard close to me. All I have is a few pieces of hot rolled steel from Home Depot right now.

Ask at the steel yard if they sell "drops", which are the cut-off scraps from custom orders. Most yards will sell these at a substantially reduced price, as will many fabrication shops.

However, most of those drops will be A36 structural steel or the like, which really isn't suitable for tools that have to be hardened and tempered. Talk to your mechanic to see if they can give you some coil springs, which make great punches and chisels. 

My scrapyard has shopping carts full of coil springs. I’ll probably go by there Since it’s .50¢/lb for steel.

Good. Remember that used springs may harbor microscopic stress cracks that could fail later. If you can get unused springs that came off a new vehicle getting a suspension lift, so much the better.

Two more good tools to start with are a center punch and a small cold chisel. Coil spring works well and they are both "daily drivers.

I put a slight radius on my cold chisels so I can mark long cuts and easily rock the edge thru the cuts. This makes a much cleaner cut

A good stout cold chisel is a great way to remove frozen nuts or bolt heads at the scrapyard when you don't want to bring the entire item home with you!

Well it’s not pretty. But I did practice a little bit. I practiced tapering and of course bending over the horn. I’m going to cut my stock a little smaller tomorrow. I’ll use some vise grips and a glove since I don’t have tongs yet.

Why cut the stock smaller? Use the length instead of tongs. Make the end and then cut the stock.

 

To make some S hooks.

Come back a known distance and mark the stock. Make the end and reference to your mark. You now know how much stock is needed to make that end.  Measure that distance plus the length of the middle section you want and cut the stock. Make the second end piece and you should be close to your target length.