New at this

[Sug]

Hey everyone, I am new to blacksmithing. I am only about a week into it and two failed attempts behind me. I am making a trip to a scrap yard tomorrow and just would like some suggestions on what to keep an eye out for.

My set up is extremely simple, homemade coal forge, gonna burn thru sooner or later. I have 1 hammer and a pair of pliers for tongs. My "anvil" is a 1/4 inch hot roll plate on top of a stack of timbers, hoping to replace in a month or so. 

If anyone has any kind of suggestions I am always open to listening. I will be posting pics of everything now that I found this place.

[Cedar Crest Forge]

Cool. Why wait a month? Maybe you can find a heavy ASO at the scrap yard.

[Daswulf]

Coil springs are great for tooling like punches and chisels. Try to get ones that are already free from the strut as separating them is a dangerous job. 

Look for some thick, bigger steel to make a better anvil.

Tortion bars are also great steel for hotcuts and drifts.

Look for workable sized steel for stock material. Rust is good and be very cautious about coated material as it can be a pain to remove and potentially toxic. 

Look for Tools! Never know what you can find. Hammer heads, chisels, axes, who knows. Maybe even an anvil or something. 

Take good gloves, wear good boots and safety glasses atleast. 

Be practical, if something is burried under a pile, the juice might not be worth the squeeze and it might be better left for safety reasons or ask assistance. 

[Sug]

Thank you guys for the advice. I am excited to dive further into this!

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

Welcome to IFI Sug, have you read this yet? READ THIS FIRST  It will help you get the best out of the forum.

[pnut]

Sug, welcome to IFI .    If you can't find a piece of heavy steel for an improvised anvil a sledgehammer head would be better than a quarter inch plate. If you can find a four inch round that's a foot long or a forklift tine it's going to be much better. Look through the improvised anvil post in the anvils and swageblock section. An anvil only need be a bit wider than your hammer. The more mass under your hammer the better. A three inch plate ten inches long would work better stood on edge because there's more mass under the hammer. Make sense? Good luck and happy hunting at the scrapyard.

Pnut (Mike)