Armory Sponsor
Posted: 9/18/2011 12:47:27 PM EDT
|
So, I've been a machinist and/or inspector now for the last 21-ish years. Recently I've had a lot of time on my hands and have been casting about for a new direction...or maybe hobby/side work thing.
It occured to me the other day that I might have acquired an intetrest in Blacksmithing. Weird, I know but the idea does have an appeal to me though probably not as a job. I've done a little bit of google diving and it appears to not be the completely dead art I had initially thought. Theres a Blacksmith shop that gives classes up in PDX. Anyone done any blacksmithing? How does one begin, I have this feeling that I might want some other classes before the basic blacksmithing class. Welding class maybe to get the best bang for my blacksmithing class? Of course, I haven't made a real decision to even pursue this as yet. Here's your chance to educate me, talk me out of it or talk me into it. You can even just pass on by. If anyone has any input, I would appreciate hearing your opinions. |
|
Quoted:
So, I've been a machinist and/or inspector now for the last 21-ish years. Old saying in the trades, Those that can, do, while those that can't, teach (same for being a inspector). For a hobby (casting and beating metal to shape), go for it, but as a trade/living, may as well stay with what you know at this point in life. Truth be told, if you worked as a machinist, you have seen all the one off pieces and small project that have either been done in the shop, or turned away instead. As a start up machine shop, that is your bread and butter to start, and they you can gear up the shop largee as you take on production work. |
|
You're in the thick of blacksmithing country, although really, there are thousands of active blacksmiths all over the country.
Find an ABANA chapter close by. http://www.abana.org/ ABANA 2012 Conference Most blacksmiths I know are accomplished welders in addition to doing forge work. Many (most?) pros use power hammers in order to work huge parts or speed things along. After that, they have shops equipped all over the map. One near here uses EDM to make nested parts with which he forges down. I think blacksmithing is just cool, but I like all metal working. My blacksmithing experience is limited due to time and it's something I really enjoy. |
|
I did it as a business years ago, but haven't had a fire lit in years. Mostly colonial reproductions and things in that style. Some restoration work as well as the more artistic ornamental stuff.
As a hobby it is great, as a business it's a lot of work. My advise? Get a forge, an anvil, a few tongs, some suitable steel scrap; light a fire, heat some iron and beat on it. Read, study, ask questions and most of all work at it. It can be as simple or complex as you want it to be. Good Luck! |
|
It's something that has always interested myself as well . . . . then again , all forms of working with metal , artistic or otherwise , have always grabbed my attention . Not 100 yards across the street from my house is an old blacksmith museum . One of these days I need to walk over , shoot some pictures and start a thread . It would make for interesting discussion . |
|
Thanks for the replies so far.
There's something ironic in the draw this has to me lately. I've made my career in about as exact opposite I can think of and still be in the metal working trades. I've always set up and run at least contemporary CNC equipment if not the latest and greatest. Sure, I've run my share of old W&S Turret lathes and the like, but really I'm the CNC guy whereever I go. Or the guy that's able to teach himself the CMM that nobody knows how to use. I'm not the best guy that ever turned a chip, but I aint bad. I've always had this interest in the ancient metal working methods though hence the Blacksmithing (really more as a hobby than a job, I don't want to start ALL over again) Jones I have had recently. Getting steel or iron scraps to practice on won't be difficult...I know people 
How complicated would it be to build a (very) basic coal forge? I've never used coal for anything so I don't know what I should look for/plan for. I have a forging hammer that I wound up with out in the shop, and an anvil surface at first would really just need to be a hard place to beat on, wouldn't it? |
|
A heavy plate of steel serves as an anvil. Get one as heavy as you can stand, like a hundred pounds. Put a graduated radius along one edge for forming radii, worry about a horn later. Use a piece of scrap steel plate on the hammering surface for cutting.
Portable forges are easy to build with firebrick, but a coal forge with a real tuyere and large pan is better. You'll need a source of air and a way to regulate the flow. If you're trying blacksmithing out, get or build a two burner propane forge. Blacksmithing probably has the best presence on the internet of any craft and there is much to be learned by reading web sites. There are a couple of fairly recent books that I like. Look for "A Blacksmithing Primer: A Course in Basic and Intermediate Blacksmithing, by Randy McDaniel". You can find old out of print books for down load at www.archive.org; there's no need to pay the reseller's that are printing these books. The book by Lorilei Sims is pretty good for the art side, but she's just a wee bit granola liberal. A piece of modeling clay can be used for practice with your plate and hammer(s). Draw it out, upset it shorter, flatten, cut, bend, just about all the basic moves. |
|
Quoted:
A heavy plate of steel serves as an anvil. Get one as heavy as you can stand, like a hundred pounds. Put a graduated radius along one edge for forming radii, worry about a horn later. Use a piece of scrap steel plate on the hammering surface for cutting. Portable forges are easy to build with firebrick, but a coal forge with a real tuyere and large pan is better. You'll need a source of air and a way to regulate the flow. If you're trying blacksmithing out, get or build a two burner propane forge. Blacksmithing probably has the best presence on the internet of any craft and there is much to be learned by reading web sites. There are a couple of fairly recent books that I like. Look for "A Blacksmithing Primer: A Course in Basic and Intermediate Blacksmithing, by Randy McDaniel". You can find old out of print books for down load at www.archive.org; there's no need to pay the reseller's that are printing these books. The book by Lorilei Sims is pretty good for the art side, but she's just a wee bit granola liberal. A piece of modeling clay can be used for practice with your plate and hammer(s). Draw it out, upset it shorter, flatten, cut, bend, just about all the basic moves. Modeling clay is wonderful stuff. As a handy little tip: If you are cutting thin work on a mill and you are experiencing chatter problems, pack some modeling clayon/around the part. I've done this more than once and the chatter reduction is incredible. I'm as yet uncommitted to this project, but it's still calling me several times a day. |
|
There are drawings on the ABANA site for Reil type gas forge burners, and zillions of sites that show set ups with bricks using a piece of black iron pipe with holes to blow air from a shop vac if nothing else, or forges made from clay lined barbeques. So, it's easy to get started for very little money and be out almost nothing if you decide to part out the initial investment.
A really good anvil is the biggest barricade to entry, followed by swage blocks. Old beat up anvils aren't usable if the tops are too out of shape, the defects are telegraphed to the work. The Neo-Tribal movement takes blacksmithing to its primitive minimum and they're having fun, and even selling knives and tools. I'll try linking photos that show the wrong way to repair an old anvil: 
|
Armory Sponsor