[TheForge] YAK Dolars YAK OMEGA QUESTION

[GHS]

Every once in a while someone asks,
"What does it take to get started?".
"What will it cost?"

The answers invariably end up being some
variants of, " Grab the barbecue, a
hairdryer, a block of iron, hammer,
pliers and your significant others
permission." " With good scrounging,
maybe nothing."
 <G>

The first taste is free.

Nobody ever asks the other question.
When is enough enough.

So, for a hobby, non commercial smithy,
at what point have you folks decided
enough is enough? Not including the
separate outbuilding, memberships,
conferences, and the lawyer or
psychiatrist?

How much did it cost so far? What have
you included?

My answer first/

From my side I am feeling really well
equipped. In addition to the basic kit:
anvil, forges, tongs, vises of several
descriptions and hammers, there is the
two stage compressor, power hammer,
treadle hammer, welder, plasma cutter
layout table and jig table, screw press,
hand and bench grinders and wire wheels,
power hack saw and various odd bits that
are more interesting than useful.

Net cost over 4-5 years? Probably around
$12,000+. As this is the only thing I
splurge on for myself, I do not keep a
real accurate tally, nor do I spend a
lot of time bargain hunting. If
something falls into what I have judged
a reasonable range and I can afford it,
that is good enough.

I fully realize that my hobby shop has
more toys than a REAL blacksmith of 100
years ago would have, but this is the
land of opportunity <G>.


No longer using the barby and the hunk
of track,

Mike Graf