New in Layton, Utah

[Glen K]

Hi, I'm Glen and slowly gearing up to do a bit of blacksmithing/metalworking.

I currently have a decent array of woodworking tools(planer, jointer, tablesaw, bandsaw, drill press etc) and have recently started acquiring some tools for metalworking/blacksmithing.

I got a great deal on a 1x42 belt sander/grinder and just purchased a two burner propane forge.  I have a couple pieces of railroad track which I know isn't the best to use, but figured it can get me started while I try to work out acquiring a used anvil.  

I'm a bit afraid to do any forging in my barn where I do all my woodworking since I always have plenty of sawdust and junk around, and I'll probably be doing most of my work outside but the snow is preventing that for the time being, so trying to see what I can get ready over the next few months.

Appreciate all the good info here and I know there is some people/groups further south in Salt Lake, would love to find a group north of SLC if there is any.

[TWISTEDWILLOW]

Howdy from eastern Oklahoma and welcome to the forum!

[George N. M.]

Welcome aboard from 7500' in SE Wyoming.  Glad to have you.

I recommend that you join the Grest Basin Blacksmiths Guild (http://www.gbsmiths.com/).  They are the Utah blacksmithing group.  Learning from experienced blacksmiths is much faster and easier than doing it yourself.  It is easier now with good videos on You Tube (and there are some VERY bad and dangerous ones out there too).  I like the ones from Black Bear Forge, JPL Services (our own Jennifer), Torbjorn Ahman from Sweden, and Christ Centered Ironworks.  Some folk like Alec Steele but I find his presentation style somewhat annoying but that may just be me.

Your piece of RR track will be more useful if you mount it vertically and work on the end rather than horizontally and work on the top of the rail.  It puts more steel under your hammer.

You don't need that much space that is semi fire resistant inside.  Keep things clean and have a fire extinguisher nearby and the risk is low.  And pay attention to where hot bits (like a hot waste end from cutting) land you should be good.  I have never had a problem in over 44 years and others can say if they have had issues or not.  Be alert and cautious.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

[Frosty]

Welcome aboard Glen, glad to have you. What kind of propane forge did you get? 

If you keep the floor swept and don't light the forge when there's dust in the air it shouldn't be too hazardous. Be aware though that pinch offs tend to travel and hide in little nooks and crannies. Pinch offs are little bits you trim off projects but they will cause smoke before flammables can flare up. I do a walk through about half an hour after my after session walk throughs. You can become used to the smell of smoke if you're in it since it started but give your nose half an hour break in fresh air and a little smolder will scream at your nose. I double check all my tank valves, make sure everything is turned off, oil is closed and put away, etc. I do all that at the end of a session anyway but double checking doesn't hurt and might help.

I've done demos in the past where sparks and pinch offs were a hazard and leaned a couple sheets of plywood up on sawhorses to prevent anything getting out of my immediate area. Wetting everything down with a hose isn't a good option for you but it's something to keep in mind in the summer. A solution of 20 mule team borax in water makes a good flame retardant. Spray it with a hand pump garden sprayer and let it dry. It'll rinse out of the sprayer clean, is non toxic. non irritating, etc. Provided you aren't allergic of course!

Stick with us and we'll have you making stuff out of iron and steel in no time. 

Frosty The Lucky.

[Glen K]

3 minutes ago, Frosty said:

Welcome aboard Glen, glad to have you. What kind of propane forge did you get? 

Got the two burner hells forge off amazon for Christmas, so nothing too crazy, but figured would be fine to see how things go.

Thanks Frosty, George, and TwistedWillow for the warm welcome.

I'm probably just being a bit paranoid, but I'd never hear the end of it if I started the barn on fire .  I already have an up to date fire extinguisher and long term I'm sure I'll get things setup inside.  Luckily, I do have a decent size property with a good sized concrete patio off the barn in my backyard, so it will be easy to wheel it outside for now.  

[Frosty]

That's a decent forge but check the forges 101 section about rigidizing and applying a good flame face refractory to the liner. It will not only last much longer but will mitigate the breathing hazard un-coated ceramic blanket refractory presents.

Believe me brother there are much sillier things to be paranoid about than fire. Keep the extinguisher near the exit, NOT what might catch fire. Fire fighters would rather arrive to find you standing near a raging conflagration with an unused fire extinguisher in your hands than recover your burned to a crisp corpse holding a discharged one in the ruins. Always fight a fire with your back to the exit!

Frosty The Lucky.

[BillyBones]

Glen, welcome, you do not have to be crazy here but it does help. 

Can not help much with the fire hazard, i burn coal and my shop is covered in soot and ash so my wood working is done in the barn or the tail gate of my truck. It bites when you get a nice piece of light wood done only to discover a big black smudge under the poly. I will say though that i have set myself on fire many more times than something else. I do kind of like Frosty says though. When i am done forging and i let my fire go out i wait 1/2 hour or so before going in and turning off my lights and stuff. In the summer it will be several hours becuase i usually sit on my porch, have a couple adult beverages, piddle around the yard a little, or what ever in the evening and my radio is in the shop. 

Anywho, we love pictures. especially mixed media projects. Wood and steel, glass and steel, brass and steel, etc. So do not be afraid to show off your work. Also do not be afraid to "steal" someones idea. That is why we are all here. To give inspiration and to encourage others to step outside their comfort zones and to try and think out of the box. I can not speak for others but if i do something that makes another person want to copy it or put their own twist on it i feel kind of honored. And everything we try and succeed at is just one more tool in our bag of tricks. 

Well if you are ever in the Dayton area, holler at me, we will light a fire. Hope to see you at Quadstate sometime. Have fun and stay safe. 

[Glen K]

2 hours ago, BillyBones said:

 Well if you are ever in the Dayton area, holler at me, we will light a fire. Hope to see you at Quadstate sometime. Have fun and stay safe. 

Might actually have to take you up on that sometime!  Brother lives in Dayton and visited last year.  Probably be a few more years though until I drive through again.

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

Welcome from the Ozark mountains. When browsing the forum's the pined threads usually have a lot of good info. I usually bookmark threads that interest me.

[ThomasPowers]

Cross schedule your trip with Quad-State just up the road from Dayton---we had 4 smiths drive out from Central New Mexico this year.