I'm getting desperate. I set myself up for mission impossible: I'm starting cooperage this summer, and I need to make some of my tools, and at this juncture I only have a forge (no anvil, no clamp, no tongs, no good hammer) and a shoestring budget. All this on a deadline because I need to be at least partially coopering by May.

Any leads would be greatly, profoundly, and thoroughly appreciated.

And if anyone has a spare croze sitting around... never mind. :rolleyes:

Map quest does not recognize Willamette Valley, Oregon

There is a 420# in Medford, Or, a farriers anvil over 100# in Bend Or, a 124# anvil in Duvall Wa, and a 178# in Graham, Wa. That is two in your state and two more close-ish by. They are out there, but they are not free, and you may have to drive a ways, but that is a part of the process.

You may want to read the following IForgeIron.com > Lessons in metalworking > Blacksmithing for ideas on equipment and how to get started. Depending on your determination and drive, you could make your own tools by May, clamps, tongs, etc. Making your own hammer is doable by May, but I would not suggest it as a starter project.

Locate the North West Blacksmiths Association - NWBA and attend their meetings. You may find tools available on the tailgate of a pick up outside the meeting place.

You may want to attend the NWBA SPRING CONFERENCE May 1-3, 2009, in Ponderosa Forge, Sisters, Oregon
Jeff & Heather Wester, Hosts, Dick Naven, Lead Coordinator 503-245-3659

A croze cutter is made of wood. You'll still need to form a couple of cutters for it, but that is mostly work done in a vice followed by heat treating it. Set screws can can be fashioned in the vice, too. Buy hardware off the shelf and adapt to what you need.

Tongs? pliers or vice grips can be used.
Hammer? If nobody is looking or critiquing your work, a carpenters claw hammer will work in a pinch.

Maple or beech would be appropriate woods to use unless you have access to ironwood.

Here are some Blacksmith Items on Craigslist in different parts of Oregon.
They list forge/blower, tools, anvils, post vice. tongs.
you may have to take a road trip but they are out there in Oregon.
Once you make the connection with some of these guys they may have other stuff to help you get started even on a shoestring budget. Its amazing what guys have squirrled away and if you ask nice they are glad to help get you started.
Good Luck

Blacksmith post vice

Anvil, 420 pound Sawmakers Hornless

Anvil

Anvil for sale horseshoeing horse shoeing Farrier

Old Blacksmith's Post Mounted Vise

Diamond Farrier / Blacksmith Tools

100lb w/stand DURACAST STEEL ANVIL

Edited January 28, 200917 yr by cheftjcook

@Glenn

Yeah Willamette Valley is the name of the valley, not a particular place. I'm not far from Salem (the State Capitol). I'm definitely in a make-do mode right now. I did pick up some dull cutting tongs that can serve as tongs. Eventually I'll want a nice historically accurate set, but that can wait since I don't have to have that stuff on-site.

I have contacts with the NWBA but I haven't pursued that avenue yet. That get-together looks tempting.

@nett

Yeah, you're right about a croze. I thought about modifying a few HF chisels into the configuration needed. I'm desperately short on wood tools too, but I think I can hack it. When I can I'll buy at least one, but that probably won't happen before May. I have several carpenters hammers of different sorts, and one ball-peen, so I guess I could make do with those.

Yeah I need to dig up some good hardwood, but at least I don't need a lot of it. I also found it's a myth that casks must be made of oak, or any hardwood, depending on what the cask is to be suited for. So I can start with Lowes until I get my own rolling bandsaw.

@cheftjcook

You know, even though I use Craigslist, it never occurred to me to look for Blacksmithing stuff on there. Duh me.

@everyone

I know its going to cost, but I just have to deal with reality and work with it.

Hey, I was wondering if the big bench vise on HF would even do in a pinch. It has a flat area on it. Not an anvil by a stretch, but would it temporarily kill two birds with one stone? What think ye? Harbor Freight

well that vie is cast and it may just break, i dunno about this one either but i have seen people use em for an anvil before......
Harbor Freight

dont forget they also sell cast iron anvils to, a little soft bit will work fine......

Just because it says anvil and points to a flat spot, does not mean it is a "anvil" that can be used for blacksmithing. Get a piece of metal (steel) with a mass of 50 to 100 pounds. It will be much better for blacksmithing work.

There is another vise/anvil combination that you may find. Read about it here

That's why I put it to you as a question.

I called on that $100 vise. Its not far from my location at all. Looks worthwhile if I can scrounge up $100.

A length of RR rail, a couple ball peins of different size and a couple pair of vise grips will get you going. Stock can be had for the scrounging. Leaf or coil spring will make most if not all your cutting tools. An old axle will make your hammers though you'll want a sledge hammer to work stock that size.

Find yourself a hack saw and some cold chisels to do your metal cutting. Any vise is better than no vise though don't use the flat as an anvil, they won't hold up. You can do light work on them like straightening nails, peining copper and brass rivets, etc.

Bootstrapping a smithy isn't terribly difficult if you don't count elbow grease and sweat. Lots of us think it's fun. Then again lots of us are a bit demented.

Frosty

Yeah I'm not so concerned about raw materials. I can scrounge them up, despite the run on scrap by the local potheads.

I do have a spare axe head and a good sledge.

I think if I can just nail down a post vise and anvil, or something anvil-esque (I'd rather just have an anvil, but who wouldn't?), and got some coal, I would be in business. I have that old rivet forge (which y'all have seen) waiting to be put to use.

I need to make some setting hoops (would be cake with a power hammer), and a cold-work arrangement for riveting cask hoops. (where do you buy steel by the strip for hoops?). Then I need to buy or make a coopers adze. And pick up some drawknives to be curved for convex and concave shaving.

Then when I finish my shave horse and those things above I can at least be staving and shaping casks. The croze, curved-plane and some other things can come in round two.

Good Luck Cooper, I hope that the anvil works out for you.
An other great place to make friends and hunt for good stuff is your local scrap/junk yards

Cooper, I'm in Portland, all the advice above is good. I've found tools on craigslist and through the NWBA to which I belong. I also volunteer at Ft. Vancouver, a cooper would be welcome there and you would be making more contacts. Antique Powerland in Brooks has a blacksmith shop and many of us smith there in the summer. Feel free to PM me if you have questions. There are more than several smiths in your area.

Im in Beaverton and I think I know where a piece of rail is..
Might be able to find you a few other things as well.
Also got some peices of fork lift fork I could spare...

Cooper, I'm in Portland, all the advice above is good. I've found tools on craigslist and through the NWBA to which I belong. I also volunteer at Ft. Vancouver, a cooper would be welcome there and you would be making more contacts. Antique Powerland in Brooks has a blacksmith shop and many of us smith there in the summer. Feel free to PM me if you have questions. There are more than several smiths in your area.

I think I've met you at Antique Powerland, maybe? I'm an old acquaintance of Robert Race. He's been the closest thing to a blacksmithing mentor I've had.

Coopering at Ft. Vancouver sounds like a lot of fun! I actually haven't been there... call me crazy. Part of my mission is to supply casks to Civil War and any other period groups that need general and varied casks.

Any of you can track my persuits.

I really want that post vice there in Newberg... if I can scrounge up the $. I talked to the guy, he needs the cash so he's not going to be dickered down.

Also, ideally if I got an anvil, I'd like a smaller one, maybe 55+lbs, because if I'm hauling that thing around and my main thing isn't blacksmithing, a 200 pounder would be a drag. But at this point I'll take anything.

Piece of rail might be good, as long as the land lady doesn't think I'm becoming a junk collector.

Check Out Cherry City Metals in Salem Or.They have a post vise there at their usable steel section. Needs a little TLC but it is very servicable. They also have a large selection of heavy stock that can be made into a post anvil or the like.

Ooh... That's a good lead!

Went there yesterday. Took me a while to find it, only for the guy to tell me $100. "It's an antique". I about gagged. It had a lot of problems, and pretty much looked like xxxx, and more likely to rust into powder than be a mantlepiece for anyone. I told him I could get a perfectly functional one for $100, rather than this one that has several problems.

He said he can't negotiate... I'd have to talk to the regular weekday guy. But if they want $100 now I can't see them coming down enough to make it worthwhile to me.

The steel yard is kinda cool, but I already have a bad taste in my mouth.

Well that is probably why it has been there for a while. They can be a bit high on some of their materials (antiques) but it is still cheaper than new. I found a really nice one there for $150. Did you find the box of 52100??

You can always go with the NWBA, Here is one in Portland, POST VISE

Hey Cooper if you find a good deal on a heavy anvil pick it up it should be easy to trade for a lighter one of the same quality.:D

I live in the salem area and Ive found the best place for blacksmiths equipment is antique stores. Theres a place on portland road and pine ,antique store by DMV, that has about ten anvils of various sizes, and a shelf in the way back under old tools that has about 30 various tongs none two alike. The owner will negotiate on most occasions and its not too pricey. Its called HollyWood Collectibles.

Gee: I was thinking about showing you my genuine antique coopers anvil until you griped about us potheads!Pictures of it somewhere on NWBA site......

Also an antique tool place in Lafeyette on Hwy 47. Great for top tools. Anvils are over-priced there, though.