blacksmith skills

[k15n1]

First class yesterday. It was really good. The teacher was ideal and everyone in the class was excited to be there. Very enjoyable.

There were some who did better than others. Everyone turned out a decent-looking poker but it took some people longer than others. Probably everyone could do basic blacksmith work in a SHTF type situation.

For the next few classes, I'm going to make a header for making nails. It'll have a forge-welded piece of high-carbon steel on top. Besides the forge welding, I'll have to learn how to punch a square hole. Then there's the trouble of making the nails... From what I've read, it's not as easy as it looks.

 

[Joel_BC]

First class yesterday. It was really good. The teacher was ideal and everyone in the class was excited to be there. Very enjoyable.

There were some who did better than others. Everyone turned out a decent-looking poker but it took some people longer than others. Probably everyone could do basic blacksmith work in a SHTF type situation.

What are your going to use to fire your own forge - propane, coal? I've got a friend who uses both, propane and low-sulphur coal, in two different forges.

Remember, it would be nice to see some pictures of your pieces. I'm sure someone here could help you to get past the struggles with the pic uploads.

 

[k15n1]

I'm thinking of a coal forge because it's easy to make.

I should post a picture of the poker I made during the first class.

 

[k15n1]

Got a gas forge the other day. Just 150 $ for the forge and a 100-lb propane tank. Had to drive almost 8 hours round trip to get it but it was still a deal. Looks like this:

http://www.johnsongas.com/industrial/frn-forge.asp

I got the 122. It's surprisingly small. I'll put it on a little table-saw dolly or something so I can use it near my garage.

It's not as traditional as a coal-powered forge. I understand that getting blacksmith-quality coal is getting harder these days. And there's the smoke. This forge has such nice safety features I just couldn't resist. DW is even fairly positive about it, after I showed her the safety circuits.