I’m new to blacksmithing . I’ve been reading for awhile . I have a good idea of what I need to get . I have a couple crappy welders and have a 3 g cert in welding but would really like to venture into smithing . I have $500 to get started . I need a forge and an anvil . I have a 4” piece of rail road track but haven’t mounted it  to anything . I’ve done a lot of wood working and have all this e tools . I am a union electrician by trade . I need all the advice and help I can get as to go about starting . Please give me any feed back . I’m dumb or crazy or whatever . Help is what I need . Super excited to start . 

Start here.

 

Find a fuel in your area that is readily available and cheap. Build a forge to use that fuel. For solid fuels read the posts on the 55 Forge and JABOD just a box of dirt, and Solid Fuel Forges  For gas fuels read Gas Forges.  Then move on to A collection of improvised anvils.

A 2 pound hammer is a good place to start. Ball peins work and can be found at the flea markets for a couple of bucks.

 

Thanks guys ! I’ll be reading in the coal forges . That’s where I’m interested in starting as it’s the cheapest and gets the best heat . I have a hammer but will be getting some more soon. Along with some tongs . Am I missing anything else ?

Coal is cheaper than free charcoal?  Where are you at?!

Can you explain "The Best Heat" Charcoal has been used to forge with for about 3000 years, coal for under 1000 and gas around 100 years. (and induction forges are the new kids on the block) I have melted steel in my propane forge accidently and most of the professionals use propane forges for doing fancy pattern welding.  Only been smithing for 37 years so I probably don't know what the best heat is...

Chuck, Glenn has given you a good pointer. Start with finding what is readily available fuel in your area. Coal, Coke or Charcoal, and their prices. Unfortunately it is no longer the case that you can go to the local general store and have a choice. Not in most places anyway. 

My observation for what it is worth is ... don't think in terms of "what is the best xxx". Besides the fact that there is no such thing as "the best", the pursuit of excellence is a sure way to lose interest or momentum.  

Rather think in term of ... how can I get started with what I have at hand or can be easily obtained locally. Every beginning produces errors before it makes anything worth mentioning. Get going cheap and you will make cheap mistakes. 

Sure green coal is hot and easy to keep alight, it also makes a nasty smoke. Charcoal is just as hot but burns more volume of fuel yet it is usually cheaper and can even be made if you have the inclination, yet the forge needs to be a bit different for charcoal than for coal. Plenty of info here.

Don't fall in the "what is the best" trap. it will take you nowhere fast.  

I like nut size Anthracite coal ... when I can find it. 

The above advice is very good. I will just add one detail: invest in good tongs. You can heat the metal in any number of ways, you can hit it with just about any kind of hammer, you can hit it on just about anything sufficiently heavy and solid, but if you can't hold it firmly, you ain't forgin' nuttin'. If the flea markets and garage sales in your area (and what is your area, by the way?) don't turn up anything useful, a couple of pairs of basic tongs from a commercial supplier are well worth the investment.

Wise advice, JHCC. Good secure tongs are a necessity, and not all that expensive. If you can't hold it don't hit it!

As for charcoal … well, as Thomas points out, it has been used successfully since the beginning of time. It's every bit as good as coal (and cleaner). You don't say where you are from, but chances are you have a wilderness area where you can gather free charcoal.

Good luck with your first efforts!

One thing I have noticed is that may people  build a forge based on coal designs and then complain about it not working well when using charcoal.  I must assume that they put diesel in their gas engine cars and don't complain that it doesn't work well. You need to design your forge for the fuel it will use!  (Of course tweaking a coal forge for charcoal is pretty simple: I usually use a bunch of firebrick to make a narrower slot over the tuyere to get the most utility out of the least fuel burnt.)

You should see how well a diesel engine works on petrol

Hi Chuckbuckeye ,

Best advice I can give you is look up your local smithing group , 30 seconds down the google rabbit hole & I came up with this .

 

http://www.indianablacksmithing.org/

 

Dale Russell

Thank you everyone .  I see I must choose my words wisely . Please forgive me as I am just starting out and literally know nothing . I see many of your points . Charcol could work as well as propane or any other source of heat . I’ve just read that coal gets the hottest . Which in my case is probably a bad thing . Lol. But I will try and do my best to not blow anything or myself up . I am amazed at the responses I get and how insightful everyone is . I truly feel that I am in a field that I can make progress. I’m from northern Indiana . And most of the people I know have no idea what blacksmithing intails . And to be honest neither do I . I have never done anything like this . I am very excited to start ! I am driven to do well knowing it will take a lot of time and mistakes . As a journeymen once told me “ If your not f****** up you ain’t learning “ with that said  I will be asking a lot of dumb questions and seeming like an idiot . Thank all of you for your patience and absolutely great advice . 

Coal and charcoal run about the same BTU per *pound*; the density is different though.  I have melted steel accidentally in my propane forge and most of the top knife pro's use propane forges for forge welding billets.  I have burnt steel many a time using charcoal. (I've seen  piece of 1/2" sq stock melted/burnt in 2 with an induction forge.)---How much hotter do you need a forge to be?  (Would you cook with a welding torch because it's hotter than the stove?)  I suggest you work on getting some experience to make value judgements from.

Contact the IBA and see if they can suggest someone closer to you.  I get folks referred to me all the time from the ABANA affiliate about 4 hours north of where I'm at.

On 10/21/2018 at 9:33 PM, ThomasPowers said:

(Would you cook with a welding torch because it's hotter than the stove?)

You might be on to something.  My stove can't get my wok hot enough to attain wok hei.  But a welding torch might be overkill.  A box of dirt forge with a very low air blast might just do the trick.  Now I have two reasons to build a box of dirt forge.  :-)