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Do you not agree that knowing at least what country you are in might make a difference in international shipping fees?  This is an international Forum with participants from all over the world!

It would also be a good idea to know what type of metal you need? (Cold Rolled, Hot Rolled, High Carbon, Low Carbon, Alloy, etc.)

If you are in the USA for instance; your local ABANA Affiliate might be able to help you out with local sources.

If you are near Central NM, USA  drop me a PM, we're having a forge-in Saturday and if you and a Parent can attend I'd be happy to load you up with steel to get started with and run you through the getting started class for free. (I'm expecting another rank beginner already.)

Most places that would ship would not be cost effective. To get started you generally want a variety of sizes/shapes of hot rolled mild steel.  I have found that I can buy a 20' long stick at a steel supply place for about the same price as buying a 4' long piece of the same stuff at a "big box store".

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Do you have a bicycle? If so, you can get around to where practice metals are. If your parents are encouraging your new venture , a day out putting around town can locate a lot of material.

Search other threads for where to find scrap, and what kind of scrap to look for.

It would also help to know what you want to make.

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It'd be helpful if you put your general location in the header, you never know how many members live within visiting distance. Lots of smiths are willing to help someone learn, especially in exchange for cleanup, lawns, etc. Lots of us old geezers appreciate a teen around to help out, say ride along to the salvage yard or steel supplier to help load, tiedown, unload stack. Good way to get rides to meetings, shop time and a share of the scrounge or purchased stock.

Frosty The Lucky.

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

Cheap and internet is truly a contradiction of terms. There is a supplier section in the Knife Making Classes forum.

https://www.iforgeiron.com/forum/151-knife-class-reference-material/

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Try places that do welding and fabrication, machining, mechanics, suspension shops, scrapyards, recycling drop offs. You have to get out and look. It's expensive to ship steel. It's heavy. If you can get it cut to fit in a flat rate USPS box you can get quite a bit of steel shipped to you but I think the largest flat rate box is 12x12 inches. I don't remember the depth off the top of my head but the drawback is that the pieces will only be a foot long. Good luck.

Pnut

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The closest place to my smithy that sells steel to the public is a windmill installation and repair place.  They get a deeper discount the large orders of steel they place and so they sell it on the side to get a better price for themselves. They will also "piggy back" special orders for you.

Call around; prices often vary a lot between steel dealers for the same item---and the cheapest can change from time to time.  I also ask about dirty/rusty/bent/odd sized steel as I can often get it cheaper and the forge doesn't care!  (I once got 90' of 1/4" sq stock this way for the price of 50'---cleaned out the dealers bin of all the drops and "damaged" stock.  Made them very happy and me too!)

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If I'm not mistaken the longest flat rate box in the medium , side loading box. It is11 7/8 x 3 3/8 x 13 5/8. I don't know if those are OD or ID measures. If buying and getting it shipped be aware many add a handling fee over and above the shipping cost and many will have a minimum order requirement. Your best bet is to visit a scrap yard unless you need to know exactly what the steel is.

Just drive your bike around the evening before trash day, you can find some good practice material picking thru the recycle bin. Ask the homeowner if you see something that might interest you. Explain that you are trying to learn blacksmithing. Get your parent's permission first.

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AND BEWARE OF PAINTED OR PLATED SCRAP!  Only takes one Hospital visit to pay for a lifetime supply of new metal!

Last night I noticed the Blacksmith Depot catalog had 2' long stock in round and square in a variety of sizes; but again it cost more than a tentstake I'd make from it would sell for...

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Do you know the owners or family members of any owners of farms. They usually have old machinery and equipment and just good ol junk somewhere on the property. Ask if you can take a look and find some usable steel. In rural areas there's also usually illegal dump sites in hollows or at the bottom of hills along the road. If you can find one you may hit the jackpot. Remember be careful though poking around rusty scrap. You can get cut or get nails through your shoe.

Pnut

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Good advice pnut. Asking is a very good idea in rural country for two reasons. One, yes, lots of folks have rusty treasure laying around and two, you don't want to be perceived as trespassing in the country! That can be a bad deal. So just be careful where you go. If you know someone as pnut said, you may be loaded up with more than you can handle if you tell them you're wanting to smith. My husband mentioned to one of his coworkers that I smith and he said he's got some old farriers rasps and files he's going send my way. I'll have to make him something as a thank you. Enjoy your journey into the world of blacksmithing. It's more fun than you can even imagne:)

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2 hours ago, CrazyGoatLady said:

you don't want to be perceived as trespassing in the country! That can be a bad deal.

I thought about including a warning about trespassing. I'm glad you said it. I'm not sure where the op is located but it's deer hunting season in KY and that too could have some regrettable consequences if you're moving through the trees and brush and the land owner doesn't know you're on their property.

Pnut

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Also many places consider you just being in the area of an illegal dump site as evidence that you were illegally dumping.  I used to park my truck a distance away and haul stuff to it when I was cleaning up an illegal dumpsite on city property. (Found equivalent interior window moldings for my 100+ year old house that the previous owner had "modernized".  Also wooden columns for the front porch instead of the decaying '60's wrought iron ones.  MUCH cheaper than the architectural salvage place---AND helping to clean up the city!)

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Rust and poky things are a hazard, watch out for snakes. Me and my uncle were clearing a trash heap one day. I was using a hoe to flip over some old sheet metal while my uncle stood with a shot gun. After blowing off the head end with a 12 gauge we ended up with with over 60" of copperhead left. One of the biggest ever killed in KY. 

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Phoenix I imagine that you are not too far from Wild West city on  RT 206. They are in the Netcong-Stanhope area, they used to have a blacksmith there, also Watertloo Village. They should be able to point you in the right direction for steel suppliers both new and used.

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Have you done an internet search? Steel supplier near Sussex New Jersey or New Jersey Steel Baron. New Jersey Steel Baron does online sales. I have a steel supplier 15 minutes away from my house. If there's a steel supplier near you maybe doing some extra work around the house might get you a ride from a parent. I don't think anyone's Mom likes doing dishes. I'm sure you could figure out some kind of deal to get a ride if there's a supplier not too far from you. Just a thought. 

Pnut

 

 

 

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Have you looked through the jabod threads in the solid fuel forge section? You could probably build a jabod today out of scrap wood and use a hair dryer for a blower or make a ground forge. 

How do you light your wood fire? You can light charcoal the same way. Charcoal is easier to light than wood or just throw some charcoal on the wood fire.

Pnut

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By charcoal we aren't talking about briquettes, plain old lumps from a camp fire. Break it up into fairly small pieces walnut size is pretty good. Large lumps allow too much room for air to pass without the oxygen being consumed and oxygen on your HOT steel is a BAD thing. 

Yard sale used blow driers are cheap, a couple dollars is max I'd give. I've been buying mattress inflater blowers at yard, garage, etc. sales when they're cheap, sometimes under $1, sometimes as a take it all or leave it deal. The mattress blowers are typically 12v DC and have cigarette lighter plugs or alligator clips, I have one 120v AC. Or you can buy them new at Walmart, etc. for around $12 - $14 depending on the store. Right now being fall they're probably going at close out sale prices. 

A non-blacksmithing tip that'll serve you well. Don't spend a lot of time searching online, especially if you're not sure what you need. Open the phone book and  use the telephone. Be polite and you'll be amazed how much more the head receptionist knows about what's in stock or where to find it than the owner of a company. Emailing or using the contact us button on a web site tends to be ignored more than replied to. I have very poor luck finding many kinds of stuff online.

Oh sure I was able to find (THAT stuff) online but not locally. Kastolite 30 refractory was one of the more recent examples and the web site had a locator. pffft, nothing useful. The first place I called said, "nope we don't carry anything like that, try such and such supply." Bingo! two phone calls. 

Just remember perfect doesn't exist, don't be afraid to tweak things that aren't working for you. Of course asking us is an option too.;)

Frosty The Lucky.

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