Theophilus Posted September 14, 2018 Share Posted September 14, 2018 Howdy everyone! I'm a Las Vegas local who has always been interested in blacksmithing. Besides reading tons of books on the art and watching a blacksmith work in Asheville for a day, I haven't really had any exposure to it. I'm reaching middle age though (and perhaps a midlife crisis as will), and I've decided i NEED to pursue this before it's too late. I live in a trailer park, so my geography may be ultimately prohibitive, but I am determined to find some way to try this. I have signed up for a class this winter which will give me a chance to at least experience it once. Hopefully I will be able to glean knowledge and receive inspiration from this community! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted September 14, 2018 Share Posted September 14, 2018 Welcome aboard. Just a thought that has been mentioned here before. You can build a charcoal forge out of an old bbq grill to be less out of the ordinary. Or a gas forge. Anyway enjoy your class, thats a good way to start. There's a Lot of info here so dig into the subjects that interest you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MotoMike Posted September 14, 2018 Share Posted September 14, 2018 Welcome. Keep us posted Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theophilus Posted September 15, 2018 Author Share Posted September 15, 2018 19 hours ago, Daswulf said: You can build a charcoal forge out of an old bbq grill to be less out of the ordinary. Or a gas forge. I've thought about that, the biggest propblem isn't actually space, but noise. My neighbors are very sensitive to that sort of thing, and my landlord is very strict. UntI can get the funds to move somewhere else, I'll just have to find places away from where i live. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted September 15, 2018 Share Posted September 15, 2018 Reading around here will find info on reducing noise as well. There is always some. There was a lot brought up on a thread not too long ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MotoMike Posted September 15, 2018 Share Posted September 15, 2018 I've seen somewhere where people have set up their forge in a storage shed where there are no neighbors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted September 16, 2018 Share Posted September 16, 2018 What part of the valley are you in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theophilus Posted September 16, 2018 Author Share Posted September 16, 2018 14 hours ago, Daswulf said: Reading around here will find info on reducing noise as well. There is always some. There was a lot brought up on a thread not too long ago. Yes, and hopefully I can pick up some tips from my class as well. The great thing about having a site like this is that I can get great tips from those who have knowledge and experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven511 Posted September 16, 2018 Share Posted September 16, 2018 Nice to have you join, Theophilus. I'm taking a class too(I assume you are talking about the Old Mormon Fort classes?) maybe we'll see each other there! In the mean time, to quiet noise I would recommend securing whatever you will use as your anvil tightly, and bedding it in a thick layer of sand. Those precautions took my hammering noise down from literally busting my eardrums every hit to being only slightly louder than a bouncy house blower. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theophilus Posted September 16, 2018 Author Share Posted September 16, 2018 7 hours ago, BIGGUNDOCTOR said: What part of the valley are you in? I live near boulder and Sahara, on the east side 4 hours ago, Steven511 said: Nice to have you join, Theophilus. I'm taking a class too(I assume you are talking about the Old Mormon Fort classes?) maybe we'll see each other there! In the mean time, to quiet noise I would recommend securing whatever you will use as your anvil tightly, and bedding it in a thick layer of sand. Those precautions took my hammering noise down from literally busting my eardrums every hit to being only slightly louder than a bouncy house blower. Good luck! Yes, I am talking about the Mormon fort classes, which one are you going to? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeremyMcG Posted September 17, 2018 Share Posted September 17, 2018 Theophilus, I'm a neophyte at this, but I built my own forge in my garage and have made two very terrible knives so far. I live here in Vegas (upper north-west - near Centennial Hills) and you are more than welcome to come by and check out my VERY rudimentary and less-than-effective setup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theophilus Posted September 17, 2018 Author Share Posted September 17, 2018 3 hours ago, JeremyMcG said: Theophilus, I'm a neophyte at this, but I built my own forge in my garage and have made two very terrible knives so far. I live here in Vegas (upper north-west - near Centennial Hills) and you are more than welcome to come by and check out my VERY rudimentary and less-than-effective setup. Yeah, we should definitely meet up sometime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted September 18, 2018 Share Posted September 18, 2018 I used to have to move my gear in and out of a shed and smith in the yard between mobile homes, my yard . . . it was about 30' to the neighbor's mobile home. I was careful not to work at bad hours and sharpened: knives, axes, mower blades, etc. gratis and if I didn't have to buy something did light repairs. I fixed LOTS of kitchen stools and side tables with a few spots of wire weld. Later I discovered the neighbors actually talked about the blacksmith neighbor with some pride, not everybody has SHARP kitchen knives and such. PR goes a long ways with neighbors in your pockets. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven511 Posted September 18, 2018 Share Posted September 18, 2018 On 9/16/2018 at 12:39 AM, Theophilus said: I live near boulder and Sahara, on the east side Yes, I am talking about the Mormon fort classes, which one are you going to? Sorry for the slow reply, busy school work kept me away from the computer for a while. Due to procrastination, the earliest class I could get was on Dec 8. Which are you going to? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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