Building a home blacksmith shop.

[Vice]

Hello, everyone, I am building blacksmith shop in my backyard. Do any of you have tips or suggestions on what to include or how to set it up?

I already have a small abut 50-65 pound anvil that belongs to my great-grandfather (it has seen its better days )

A portable forge with an attached blower.

good size leg vise.

And a few tongs and hammers. Is there anything else I should be on the lookout for when just starting up?

 

[jumbojak]

It sounds like you have just about everything you'd need for a start. One thing I might suggest is a pair of welding goggles if you think you might be working in low light. The forge can hurt your eyes very quickly in the dark.

As for setup, keep everything arranged to suit your work flow. A short, straight few steps between the forge and anvil, forge and vise, and vise and anvil is very helpful. Aside from a rigid vise mount the other tools are fairly easy to move.

And a fire extinguisher. You NEED a fire extinguisher!

 

[Stuart in MN]

Here's a discussion from some years ago started by a man who built a blacksmith shop, you can probably find some good information there: https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=163029

 

[u3b3rg33k]

It sounds like you have just about everything you'd need for a start. One thing I might suggest is a pair of welding goggles if you think you might be working in low light. The forge can hurt your eyes very quickly in the dark.

As for setup, keep everything arranged to suit your work flow. A short, straight few steps between the forge and anvil, forge and vise, and vise and anvil is very helpful. Aside from a rigid vise mount the other tools are fairly easy to move.

And a fire extinguisher. You NEED a fire extinguisher!

preferably a non-water extinguisher (CO2?) wouldn't want to get water under molten steel...

 

[Bretny]

A 60lb anvil isnt really much good. You may want a heavier one but it will be find to start.
What are you going to be making?

 

[James-W]

Not saying a blacksmith shop is a bad idea, so please don't get the wrong idea. You must admit though, a blacksmith shop is something from a bygone era and is something you don't see very many of these days.

When I was growing up we had a blacksmith shop not too far from the farm where I grew up. The blacksmith shop was a place where a lot of the local people would go and sit around and talk about all sorts of things. I miss those days and I miss the old blacksmith. I think of him often and I remember the good times of my youth.

 

[rcorkin]

Check out "essential craftsman" on you tube.
That dude is a no nonsense, well educated guy who does blacksmithing.
He is a pleasure to listen to. I'm sure he has videos that will get you more informed.

 

[Rbreddin]

Check out "essential craftsman" on you tube.
That dude is a no nonsense, well educated guy who does blacksmithing.
He is a pleasure to listen to. I'm sure he has videos that will get you more informed.

his is a great channel..

 

[Negen]

This is good idea seems to be a market for hand forged anything hammers , knives axes. The few places I know of seem to fetch a full purse.

Sent from my G8141 using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[burninghXcsoul]

Ventilation, whether you are using coal or gas, ventilation is key...

 

[matt_i]

I want a propane forge in the worst way...other projects preclude that right now.

A lot of money can be "burned thru" in oxyacet (my current only heat source) getting something warm enough to bend or form it hot. The propane can do the job, just needs the refractory chamber to concentrate the heat.

I would make mine portable and do it outside. The moisture output from propane combustion is quite high.

 

[Rbreddin]

Not saying a blacksmith shop is a bad idea, so please don't get the wrong idea. You must admit though, a blacksmith shop is something from a bygone era and is something you don't see very many of these days.

Even more reason to have the components needed on hand.

I live in the middle of a suburban thunderdome and it wouldn't shock me to see a neighbor wheel a forge and anvil out into his driveway one morning..
now, THAT is a conversation starter...

 

[Negen]

Around here forged knives sell for 100-200 each. Even if a power hammer is used.

Sent from my G8141 using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[TractorJeff]

You need low sulfur coal ordered from someplace like Centaur Forge in Burlington, Wi.
My brother started out as a Farrier and as age is approaching is making more Blacksmith stuff as the prices are ridiculously high for REAL forged items. Spoons, Forks, Lantern Hangers, Hinges and Door hardware are top sellers. There is a school in Charlestown, NC that actually teaches Blacksmithing. I know several of the schools around here 20 years ago sold all there supplies as they were dropping it from their curriculums.
I have no right shoulder left so I traded all my stuff to my brother to build a Shop instead of being on the road doing horses all the time.

 

[Lelandwelds]

Hello, everyone, I am building blacksmith shop in my backyard. Do any of you have tips or suggestions on what to include or how to set it up?

I already have a small abut 50-65 pound anvil that belongs to my great-grandfather (it has seen its better days )

A portable forge with an attached blower.

good size leg vise.

And a few tongs and hammers. Is there anything else I should be on the lookout for when just starting up?

I guess that's a coal forge? You need a small sprinkler can to shape the fire so you don't burn so much coal. I am used to propane,

You need a water and an oil container to quench with. A big piece of 1" or thicker mild steel plate can take the place of an anvil. A square hole drifted is helpful. A hunk of steel with contours ground in it is nice. A treadle, power, or tire hammer will save your shoulder. More tools are always nice.

 

[cheechi]

There is a school in Charlestown, NC that actually teaches Blacksmithing.

Charleston, SC
https://americancollegeofthebuildingarts.com/Blacksmithing.php

 

[Charlie51]

I took a few pictures of a nice homemade portable forge set-up at a U.P. Celtic fest. It worked nicely. 'Made out of an old truck brake drum, a steel plate, pipe and pipe fittings.

 

[Augus7us]

I have a blacksmith shop (bladesmith actually but I do both). You have the basics covered and there will always be more things you need.

You could use a bigger anvil, 60lbs is a baby. You will always want more tongs, tongs are specialty items that you will want a variety of for different stock sizes.

What you want to do will determine the type of forge you should by or make. Coal is good for general purpose stuff but it isn't best for things like heat treating or forge welding. Also consider your power source, if you can't buy coal locally propane may be best for you. Coal on the internet is about 5 times what I pay locally. And you cant use any type of coal, you need bituminous coal.

Other tools people don't think about are hardy tools, hold downs, top and bottom dies for fullering, etc.

There is a great book called the backyard blacksmith written by a women whos name escapes me. There are also a plethora of websites and videos out there. Brian Breazel and Alec Steel come to mind for youtube.

Finally the best advice I can give you is find a local blacksmith club. There is one in just about every state.

Hope that helps.

-Clint

 

[Vice]

Thank you all for the comments and support. Blacksmithing has been a hobby of mine for about five years now, but I have only been able to do it on the weekends due to the local forge just being open then.

I plan on getting a larger anvil later on cause I hope to work my way up to detective gates and such eventually, but for the moment I will only be making small decorative stuff like roses and crosses. In addition to the knives and other blades, I make from time to time.

 

[cheechi]

you cant use any type of coal, you need bituminous coal.

Do you mind if I ask, is it only bituminous coal that can be used, or is it just that anthracite isn't cost effective?

 

[TractorJeff]

Anthracite is harder to keep going, plus it doesn't "coke" up like bituminous does which gives a hotter fire that subjects the steel to less oxygen. Oxygen in a fire is bad for steel.
My brother has a propane oven that he uses for his horseshoeing business that he does all his work in. Its nice to be able to turn it off, put your stuff away, then go home!

 

[cheechi]

I've heard propane fire referred to as a 'wet' fire and either 'pulls' water from the air or 'puts' water into the air, depending on the vernacular of the person. So the propane oven is going to have some (more than either coal?) H2O produced by combustion anyway.

I understand it's not ideal to have Oxygen interstitial in steel. Obviously you are going to have Oxygen in a fire, is the distinction that the Oxygen isn't O2, or is H2O also problematic? The bonds in CO are obviously much stronger than either, but are the bonds in CO2 stronger enough to not cause problems? Or is it all just incomplete combustion anyway with bituminous and that's the benefit? Or is there some other thing that I'm not understanding?

I'm neither a chemist nor a chem E but I learned a thing in school that one time. Always interested to learn more practical knowledge about the subject.