samw1 Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 Hi, i hate to ask questions like this but is there anyone out there who is willing to help some one who is 15, and just got fired from prety much the only place in town who will hire 15 year olds. what im neediing is tools, mainly hammers and tongs, but punchs and chisels, and anvil would be great, prety much anything that will help me out, ive been forgeing for a year and have 5 hammers and 2 tongs, and nothing for punches, my anvil is a ASO from Harbbor freight. my shop is in my garage and to my standerds i think it is nice. i dont mean to offend any body by asking this and if i do please dont post to tell me off, cause here in iowa knowone nows jack about anything and most people throw antique on an item and jack up the price, 160 dollers for an "antique blacksmith hammer". and i cant buy new because i well i have no money for shiping or item. so if ANYONE can help me out it would be much appritieated. By the way, i live in iowa. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabre Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 you are 15! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samw1 Posted December 10, 2008 Author Share Posted December 10, 2008 yha you never knew that we were talking about it the other night when you were on? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabre Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 lol i tune out alot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ten Hammers Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 Samw1, where in Iowa are you located ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt in NY Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 Sounds like you have the stuff to go ahead and make some nails. I bet if a fella started cranking them out for a few hours a day they would get pretty fast and have a pretty consistent product. I hear a buck a nail isn't unheard of. I also read that apprentices of old have been known to be expected to make a thousand a day. I'm not too good with math, but that seems like a lot of money even if you take Sundays off. I'm not against giving to those in need, just the opposite. One of the main themes that I pick up on in this forum is developing your mind to find ways to get done what needs to get done. Also, check the wish list. A common wish is for more time: you have that in spades my young friend. Use that gift wisely. Good Luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adirondacker Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 Samw1, Am wondering why a 15 year old boy isn't in school? Adirondacker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samw1 Posted December 10, 2008 Author Share Posted December 10, 2008 Adirondacker, i am in school. just abought straight As. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lysdexik Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 Hey. I couldn't find good nails for my projects, that's what got me back in to this whole mess in the first place. Nails that are factory made "cut" nails are hardened, and you can't clench them. I don't know about a buck a nail but if you have any restoration carpenters around, they would love to hear from you. Paul. It's not over... Untill we Win!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dablacksmith Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 hooks and hangars are good sellers and they dont take a lot of tooling ...a few coat hooks and plant hangars and stop off at your local antique and collectables shop and see if they will take um on consignment ... its how i started . while your there check out theyre antique ironwork for stuff you could reproduce. as far as tongs go you can make them.. hammers are a bit tougher but i do 90% of my work with one hammer ..chizels and punches are fairly simple to make find some coil springs off a car straighten um cut to leingth and forge um to shape .. you dont nessarily need to harden um if you are going to use um on hot steel.you have the tools to start now start hammering!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabre Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 dude, im 13 and i have never had a job......i worked by the hour for my dad somethimes at his work, but i kostly get money from chores, i have been forging since may this year and within the first month i had an anvil and a completely functional forge, i found 1000 pounds free smithin coal that a smith thought was givin him lung probs and took that, i had a full setuf with pundes and hammers but never tongs...... I am saying that you should ask you parents to give you some jobs round the house, work for friends parents i dunno stuff like that..... try looking on craigslist for tools and coal... When i moved to california (2 months ago) my dad had not been able to bring al my smithin stuff down so i had to wait, and i am still waiting, i have a HF 55# aso with 2 ball pein hammers, 2 pairs of plyers for tongs 2 store bought punches and one hand made one, Make your own punch i made mine from 1/2 inch or bigger round. works great do some lookin, make some money, forge some tools. you have lots of tools! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adirondacker Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 Samw1, Good for you, keep at it. Don't know if they have a craigs list out you way, real good source for all kinds of things, Jobs, tools, material, ect. ck it out when you can. Adirondacker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 (edited) First: when looking for tools: GET OFF THE NET! Next: go door to door in your location explaining what you are trying to do and asking if they have any old junked tools. (Don't forget folks at church if you attend, teachers, etc) Third, figure out where to store the ton or two of stuff you get given for free no shipping! Why folks assume that the net is a good place to buy smithing tools I will never know; *buy* *local*! (which is how I averaged getting a name brand anvil in great condition for under a US$1 a pound every year when I lived in the inner city of Columbus OH) Fleamarkets can be good too---look for piles of rust and don't buy anything that cost more than a dollar (unless its a great pair of tongs then go up to $5). Tell them what you are willing to pay and have no fear or embarassment at dropping over priced stuff like it was *hot*! (note if it looks like barn junk ask them about any anvils they *didn't* bring because they were too heavy...) Tell folks you would help them clean out basements, garages or barns for old tools and you may end up going into business selling the extras to other smiths! (Again church is a good place to circulate your willingness to help in exchange for stuff) Think about it: where will you get the best deals---from people who use and treasure the tools or from folks that just think they are just rusty junk in the way all the time. Edited December 10, 2008 by ThomasPowers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamisarrius Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 I'm going to have to agree with the get on the street on the tools front, just last week I walked into university and one of the technitians said "you're the guy wanting to do the amrour..." from that I quickly got offered as many 25L drums as I could want, all the scrap steel from the department and 2 furnaces that they were throwing out. If they'd known me 2 weeks earlier I would have got an anvil however that was scrapped I keep kicking myself over that but when word gets out there are a lot of people who are willing to help people with ambition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammerkid Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 Make your own punchs, chisels out of coil spring. Very easy to get for free most of time. You CAN use the ASO until you get a better anvil. Learn to make tongs from Bps. PRACTICE makes Perfect, I aint perfect but do like to practice so u miss up u can almost always use the scrap for something else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Salvati Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 Adirondacker, i am in school. just abought straight As. Straight As with grammer and spelling like that?:rolleyes: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammerkid Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 Straight As with grammer and spelling like that? Just About Straight As , sam LOL! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironrosefarms Posted December 11, 2008 Share Posted December 11, 2008 (edited) Sam, I've been smithing for 15 years or so and I only have about 10 hammers that are for smithing and 4 pairs of tongs. Your half way to where I am at in those numbers? I worked off a ASO for the first 3 years, found a nice anvil and had the chance to sell the ASO for the same price I paid... it takes time but always seems to eventually work out. Good advice in getting off the net and start looking around, if you can't do a barn or basement clean up due to transportation (perfectly understandable at 15) then start talking to the guys who advertise in your area that do this type of work... Tell them what you are looking for and why, don't hesitate making something to give to them to show them your seriously interested. I have a guy who runs a trash route and does clean outs, next time I see him he says he has a 5 gallon bucket about 1/2 full of hammer heads... price? Well he said either $1 per head or I could just make him a hanger to put a bird feeder on... great deal in my opinion (the bird feeder hanger that is). Most of these guys will want enough to cover the price they would have gotten from scrapping the item, not what you see in antique stores or on ebay... Don't let your current tools stop you and we look forward to seeing your future projects! James Edited December 11, 2008 by ironrosefarms Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samw1 Posted December 11, 2008 Author Share Posted December 11, 2008 Thanks James, and to all the other comments about my straight As. lol the only class i have a b in is english. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.