Newb Setup for Wood Tool Making

[George N. M.]

Kookie,

A couple suggestions if you are thinking of starting a blacksmithing business, particularly as your primary source of income:

1) spend a couple of hours reading the "Business Side of Blacksmithng" threads on IFI.

2) If you do not have a business background start taking some business courses.  If you don't know what is meant by "a business plan" you need to learn.  Running a business is a whole different tool box of skills than any craft or profession.  Just because you are a skilled blacksmith, doctor, attorney, mechanic, plumber, etc. does NOT mean you are qualified to run a business providing those skills.  Very often folk who hang out their own shingle are back working for a salary or hourly wage within a couple of years because they suck at running a business and do not like having to do the business stuff.

I've done both and been successful as both an employer and an employee but I never really liked the administrative stuff.

And I've supported myself with my hammer and anvil when I was between careers.  It didn't pay much more than unemployment insurance but it felt better not to be on the dole.

If yur local communityt college or university is offering any courses on enterpreneurship think very hard about taking them.

There is a lot more in the Business Side of Blacksmithing threads.

A lot depends on your personal situation.  Being married and having a family is a very different paradigm than being single and living with your folks.  As Thomas says, have a day job and transition into a full time craft business.  Have as much information on board as possible so that you make informed decisions.  And chase your dreams but be realistic.  That is a fine balance but is the best approach.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

[JHCC]

Also, check out your local Small Business Administration. Ours here in Ohio has given my wife at TON of free information and training, helping her register the business, put together a business plan, apply for financing, etc. 

[Latticino]

On 6/23/2022 at 2:01 PM, JHCC said:

enduring tradition of smithing: the embrace of innovation!

Well said John. 

[JHCC]

On 6/23/2022 at 6:43 PM, Kooky said:

I stop at every log I see on the road, none of them are suitable, it's usually palm tree 

Now I'm wondering if one could make charcoal from palm tree trunks. Might be a good way to produce one's own forge fuel.

On 6/23/2022 at 8:21 PM, Kooky said:

Crossed Heart Forge, I notice he uses what looks to be a pretty simplistic forge (as far as I can tell). The bellows seem tricky to build,

FYI, a double-acting air mattress pumps work on exactly the same principle.

These are pretty easy to find; I've picked one up for five bucks at a yard sale and got another one for free that one of my neighbors was throwing away.

[anvil]

Just another internet troll. I think he is gone. 

[JHCC]

Maybe, maybe not. We shall see.

I tend to be somewhat forgiving of beginners' missteps, especially when I remember my own.

[ThomasPowers]

The Asian box bellows is great if you are very tight on space or travel a lot; however I prefer the European double lunged bellows as it gives a continuous air flow and can have the top chamber pumped up to push air while you switch tongs or hammers. The box bellows stops air flow the moment you stop pumping.  I've used both and so can state a preference.

[anvil]

Good point.  Hope I'm wrong. Perhaps I'm overly sensitive, but I thought there was a bit too much subtle personal politics in too many of his posts, thus my remark.

[Charles R. Stevens]

Don’t sweat it, Anvil. I have been biting my tong and biding my time (don’t want a repeat of the “crawl back under your bridge” insolent). I figure he, like many others has had a bad year. Besides is thinking the world is going to “Hell in a hand basket” really politics, lol. 
besides hot steel will thicken his hide fast enough, as will some rough and ready blacksmith humor. 
 

[JHCC]

A lot of people who get involved in craft (especially woodworking and blacksmithing, in my experience) can get really romantic about the "mystique of the handmade", especially if they're feeling particularly burned out by technological society and generic mass-produced consumer goods. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that -- we all have different motivations for getting involved in this stuff -- but it can be a pretty tough row to hoe if you want to make a living at it.

As I noted before, I'm more inclined to be sympathetic than judgmental with this kind of thing, especially when I remember my own initial "No Power Tools EVER" foray into woodworking. That's why I generally find it better for everyone to take an "If you really want to go down that path, these are the potential pitfalls" approach rather than a "You're an idiot for wanting to do that" one. One of my woodworking teachers was particularly good at that approach, and I lost count of how many times I said, "Okay, you were right. Can you show me how to [insert unromantic technique here]?"

[TWISTEDWILLOW]

Only reason I got into blacksmithing was just so I could stand next to a forge an keep warm in the winter time 

well that an all this rusty junk keeps appearing in my truck bed every time I go somewhere  an I had to do something with it all

[Glenn]

Demagnetize the truck.

[TWISTEDWILLOW]

 You might be on to something there Glenn! Lol

[ThomasPowers]

TW That's a *feature*  not a bug!

[Charles R. Stevens]

My old shop teacher would be proud, I reach for hand tools more and more these days, I have always shod with hand tools, as it keeps my truck much lighter. That and the ability to forge specialty shoes limits the amount of shoes I carry. I instead carry showing stock. 

 

[TWISTEDWILLOW]

27 minutes ago, ThomasPowers said:

TW That's a *feature*  not a bug

I didn’t know magnetic truck beds was a optional feature?

I’ll make sure never to drive it near a mine field!

[ThomasPowers]

The fields around mines often have large amounts of scrap steel; I see some of it show up at the scrapyard here!

[TWISTEDWILLOW]

It’s a pickup truck Thomas not a tractor trailer! 

sheesh how Big a magnetic truck bed you think I got?

[ThomasPowers]

Bigger than mine...

[TWISTEDWILLOW]

I’ll swap ya!

You can drive that 2500hd with a 6.0 an I’ll drive your little four banger! 

we can trade back if fuel prices ever go back under $3 bucks a gallon!

[Charles R. Stevens]

Suzuki samurai or an Isuzu NPR here. I drag way to much home with the cabover! 

[anvil]

Lol, I'm about the last person to come down on NO POWER TOOLS!  It never crossed my mind.  

Speaking of truck beds, I'm having a guy build me a new bed for my '47 Willys PU. I'm pretty sure the old bed is wrought iron. I wonder how long it will take me to turn a '47 willys bed into bar stock.  

[JHCC]

What makes you think it's wrought iron, anvil? Given how mass production of both raw material and finished goods was ramped up during WWII and especially considering how much WI ended up getting remelted during the scrap metal drives, I'd have expected it to be steel.

[anvil]

Actually it was more of a question than a definitive statement. If its wrought, which I havent checked, I may keep some of it for "bragging rights" just to go along with my willys axle hammer. If not, it goes to the scrapman. Maybe a willys axle/ truck bed truly ancient damascus.     

[Frosty]

The body was stamped and required a deep draw steel. WI sheet would've required too much hand work to be marketable for vehicle bodies. I think frame rails were rolled sheet and roll formed or stamped. 

The body might be really low carbon mild though, I don't think they were making what we'd call deep draw steel for the last 25- 30 or so years. If really low C it could lend good contrast in pattern welded pieces. 

Frosty The Lucky.