Articulous Posted December 18, 2021 Share Posted December 18, 2021 Hey everyone! I stumbled across this forum while just looking around the internet for how to build a home forge because I've had this yearning to create things since I was a kid. I tried my hand at blacksmithing when I was 16ish, and loved it. For a variety of reasons, I couldn't pursue it nearly as much as I wanted. Now, here I am, a 27 year old man looking for yet another hobby! I don't plan on having a big shop, but I know how that saying ends! So I'm here to learn, to do a lot of reading, and maybe even post a topic or two after I've caught up on some of the threads here. Thanks for making and maintaining this forum and offering such a wealth of knowledge, even the newbies! -Steven Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWISTEDWILLOW Posted December 18, 2021 Share Posted December 18, 2021 Howdy from eastern Oklahoma! And welcome to IFI! there’s a wealth of information here and lots of great and helpful folks form all around the world, what kinda forge are you interested in building? Gas or solid fuel? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George N. M. Posted December 19, 2021 Share Posted December 19, 2021 Dear Art, Welcome aboard from 7500 feet above sea level in SE Wyoming. Glad to have you. A forge is just one way of heating metal up so that it is soft enough to deform when you hit it,. You may find it easier to make a basic solid fuel forge rather than a gasser. Look up JABOD (Just A Box Of Dirt) forges for a very simple and cheap solid fuel forge. The craft can be anything from a casual hobby up to an including a full time career. It has been a valuable (in several senses of the word) part of my life for 43 years. BTW, where in Michigan? Yours, George Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted December 19, 2021 Share Posted December 19, 2021 Welcome from the Ozark mountains. I have been using a coal forge that I built 30 years ago. My wife became interested in blacksmithing and we built a propane forge for her. Both forges will get the job done but I still like coal better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted December 19, 2021 Share Posted December 19, 2021 What you want to do and what skills and tools you have will help chose what forge you want to build. Also find the local ABANA affiliate as meeting smiths local to you can help bigtime! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Articulous Posted December 19, 2021 Author Share Posted December 19, 2021 Thanks for the warm welcome, all! I'm still researching and trying to find what I want to make. It's a pretty general I treat at the moment, so I'm gathering a lot of information. I think to get started I'm just planning on making small trinkets, hat racks, coat racks, etc. That said, I'm thinking about starting with a solid fuel forge, likely using charcoal to start and graduate as I learn and gain some experience. And to George N. M., I live near Traverse City in the Lower Peninsula! I've lived in the region my whole life, and absolutely love it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George N. M. Posted December 19, 2021 Share Posted December 19, 2021 Articulous, Traverse City is a nice area. I grew up further down the lake in Chicago. I have been in your area a few times but not for many years. I have lived my entire adult life (except for some time on a MacNamara/Nixon Post Graduate Fellowship in SE Asia) in the Rocky Mountains but I still miss the big lakes. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Articulous Posted December 19, 2021 Author Share Posted December 19, 2021 I really wish I could travel more, but with all the craziness going on right now, I might as well do everything I can to make home fun and comfortable, right? So here I am! I'll probably be lurking on the forum for a while because I haven't been able to read all the standard posts and I don't want to be redundant or waste anyone's time; that said, I'm incredibly excited to learn more! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted December 20, 2021 Share Posted December 20, 2021 Have you learned how to do searches on this site? Don't use the built in search function as it pulls a vacuum; use your browser to search on the terms and add site:iforgeiron.com to winnow out all the trash the browsers are paid to allow to overwhelm the real answers to a search. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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