Starting Blacksmithing

[Anonymous No.1430501]

Sup /diy/ I have been feeling an interest in learning the art of blacksmithing. I have a basic idea of the types of things I would need but I was wondering if I could get ideas on tools and such that are considered essential for at the least a novice level.

[Anonymous No.1430508]

>>1430501

I think you need a big hammer

[Anonymous No.1430532]

>>1430501
You can build a simple forge pretty cheap if you have, at minimum, a welding kit. If you don't already have this it will be your biggest expenditure. You'll also need some wood to construct a stand for it, some gravel and sand to fill it, and a hand pump or just a hairdryer or shopvac set to blow.

Oh, and some fuel.

Next biggest expense will be an Anvil. You'll need a hammer, something to affix the anvil to, and safety equipment (Minimum, some heatproof gloves).

These are the bare minimums. You can make some Tongs from rebar as your first project.

[Anonymous No.1430535]

>>1430532
Oh shit, and a metal pipe you can drill holes along

[Anonymous No.1430544]

>>1430508
This
I don’t know much about being a blacksmith
But I do know you need a hammer and then you hit shit with the hammer
I remember another thread were anon said blacksmiths often make their own set of thongs
Not sure why, maybe seamstress skills help them hit shit with a hammer.
Or helps them stay cool when it’s hot.

[Anonymous No.1430548]

>>1430501
Theres ways to do it for less than $20
They arent very good ways, but itll be a decent test to see if you are actually interested, especially if there arent any classes near you
If they are available take a class first before you invest anything, it could save your wallet
If there arent any classes, get a box of cheap firebricks, a low end hair dryer, a small bag of charcoal, some heat resistant gloves, a hammer(doesn't even have to be a smithing hammer my first was a HF ball pein), and a flat sturdy piece of metal(anvil), oh and maybe a pair of vice grips to work as a clamp if you are feeling fancy
You can get rebar for crazy cheap, just dig a small hole, stack your bricks around it, fill it with charcoal, light it and use the hair dryer as a bellows, I'm not gonna lie it's going to take much longer to heat your metal to a working temp, but itll do the job just fine for your first couple of test runs

[Anonymous No.1430711]

To start yourself off to see if youre into it before spending hundreds on real gear, a section of railroad track or proper steel I-beam will work in a pinch as an anvil substitute. Just nail it down to a stump with a million nails til there is NO wobble or movement at all.

Also not all steel is equal and you won't make anything actually strong like a blade unless you know what to use; but this is fine, you should start with random scrap which will probably be mild steel and is really easy to shape, it's a lot of fun, but everything you make will be decorative.

You can use whtever hammer you can get your hands on, the important thing is the face being smooth and flat. Everyone has said gloves, but I've never used them lol protip: don't grab the metal close other part that was in the fire and it'll be fine. Touch before you grip to be sure.

[Anonymous No.1430765]

>>1430501
For hammers I'd recommend a ball pein, cross pein, and a flater. If possible get the cross pein with a chisel type face. These will cover nearly any type of hit you need to make. Further down the road pick up more of these types in different sizes, and grind down a few to get a specific size or shape. Yard sales are the cheapest option and have a great variety. An angle grinder and drill press are also great investments if you don't already have them. Are you looking to do general blacksmithing, armoring, or bladesmithing?

[Anonymous No.1430907]

>>1430765
>>1430711
>>1430548
>>1430532
That's a lot of great ideas. Are you all smiths? How long have you been doing it if so?
>>1430508
>>1430544
That's what wikihow says

[Anonymous No.1431048]

A section of railroad rail makes a great anvil for free or very cheap. I found mine by just driving along a section of old tracks. They used to leave the pieces they replaced when fixing tracks.

[Anonymous No.1431518]

If I where starting out I would get a hammer of any kind, some nails, a pair of pliers, and a vice with a small anvil on the side. Start by flattening the nails out and sharpen them into knifes.

[Anonymous No.1431556]

>>1430501
polish the face of your hammers.

[Anonymous No.1432112]

>>1430508
You've got it all wrong. You need to be a big guy with a small hammer.

[Anonymous No.1432115]

>>1430501
http://www.rotblattsculpture.com/Articles/buildingabronzec.html

A forge I built while trying to do homemade AR lowers. It will melt down Bronze easily

[Anonymous No.1432207]

>>1432115
How did it go making the lowers?

[Anonymous No.1432226]

>>1431518
>Start by flattening the nails out and sharpen them into knifes.

meanwhile, for those of us not in prison making shivs, the low-carbon mild steel used in nails is an atrocious choice for knifemaking, down there with railroad spikes, lawnmower blades, and old saw blades as the worst possible choices.

its 2018, not 1820. you can buy good stocks of 1095, 1084, O1, or similar high-carbon steels which are extremely well suited to knife-making (1084 in particular excels as a eutectic steel which can be heat-treated with minimal equipment.) online without difficulty. Most importantly, they can be bought for just a few dollars.

Using mystery metal and scrap is the worst course of action any beginner can make.

[The HotWing Man No.1432259]

>>1432226
>Using mystery metal and scrap is the worst course of action any beginner can make.

Stop

[The HotWing Man No.1432260]

>>1432226
>Using mystery metal and scrap is the worst course of action any beginner can make.

[Anonymous No.1432273]

>>1430532
tell me about the welder, why does he wear the mask?

[Anonymous No.1432403]

>Every instructional video on making a forge involves welding
Can't a poorfag with no knowledge on welding make a good forge without digging a hole and shoving charcoal into it?

[Anonymous No.1432404]

>>1432403
>make a good forge
>digging a hole and shoving charcoal into it

[Anonymous No.1432406]

>>1432403
>a structure which can hold up to 3000 degree temperatures
>not made of metal
>not made of dirt
Pick two

[Anonymous No.1432410]

>>1432403
Use bricks

[Anonymous No.1432718]

>>1430501
Just do what I did. Get your great grandpa's old 400# anvil from your dad's friend who's holding on to it, along with a forge and you're set. Just need ~$50 for fire bricks, some cement, and some metal.

[Anonymous No.1432960]

>>1432273
Because the plasma burns your retina

[Anonymous No.1432987]

>>1432960
if I pull it off, will he die?

[Anonymous No.1433011]

>>1432987

Yes.

[Anonymous No.1433016]

>>1430907
Smith is a relative term for what I do
I've been DIY hobbying for about 8 months now, mostly making shitty rings and knives

[Anonymous No.1433116]

Hey buddy, I would suggest looking up the video on YouTube called soup can forge. I built one when I was a senior at my highschool in the art room, again it'll take a minute, and if you don't already have a torch you'll need to buy one, they're 40 bucks at Lowe's but harbor freight probably has them cheaper, and the good news is if you like it the torch will definitely come in handy if you keep up with forging

[Anonymous No.1433130]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8nadeg8FEs
Can't find the one i leaned from the only difference is this one uses bellows not a shopvac.

[Anonymous No.1433155]

>>1433116

is this actually able to get up the temps needed for, say, bladesmithing? everyone else in this thread is saying you need a welder and coal and shit, could I really do this and make small knives (assuming I have an i-beam to use as an anvil and tools)?

[Anonymous No.1433184]

>>1433155
Nope, their thermal efficiency is fairly ordinary, depending on the steel you're working most are around the 900-1100C range and you're going to start getting all kinds of stress fractures under 800C. Plus you still have to factor in thermocycling.
They do work fine for heat treating small knives, but its really not ideal- forging is the art side of knife making, heat treatment is the science and requires a bit of precision.

[Anonymous No.1433630]

>>1433116
I feel like that's too small for the kind of work I'm considering doing

[Anonymous No.1433931]

>>1430501
I want to use this method with a japanese box:
https://hooktube.com/watch?v=v94aAEMZMIQ
Any advice?
I want to make armours in the future

[Anonymous No.1434762]

>>1430501
>hammer
Local big box should have them up to 3LBs at least.
>tongs
You could start with vice grips or even kitchen tongs and build your own from there.
>fire
vids related
>surface
Anything that works. Sheet metal on a stump if you have to.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yzIA-ROuOs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-R6iY-mY-Y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_f3hQqNM6Q

[Anonymous No.1434982]

>>1433931
Bump for interest