[TheForge] 2004 Resolution, Intro & Advice Needed

[Phlip]

Ene bichizh ogsen baina shuu...

> My question to TheForgeList is.....if you were building a shop & wanted to
have good basic equipment for artistic metal working, what would you
recommend in terms of size, equipment requirements, etc.  Sorry to say,
money will be an issue, so I'd like to separate "must haves" from "nice to
haves".  I'm looking for any advice including size of building, electrical &
plumbing needs, hand tools, power tools, etc.
>
> Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
>
> Thanks.  Bettina Wehner

Well, bringing it down to basics, all you need to start is a hammer, tongs,
a forge, and an anvil, and you can make the first 3 easily enough, using an
anyold hammer, vice grips, and maybe a pipe wrench. The fourth, you can use
a big rock, if you can figure out how to put it where you want it.

One of the things about smithing is that you tend to set yourself up for
what you want to do. There's no point, for example, insuggesting you get a
complete set of knifemaking tools, if all you're doing is making copper
roses. and you don't necessarily want a 300 lb Peter Wright anvil, if all
you're using it for is half inch bar stock.

I'd suggest buying a few books before you start buying tools. Complete
Modern Blacksmith, by Weygers, for general stuff,. Bealer's Art of
Blacksmithing is OK, but he's obviously a hobbyist- he tends to take you
long wat 'round the barn. McCreight's Complete Metalsmith will give you an
idea of the usages of different materials, and if you're into bladesmithing,
I'd highly recommend Hrisoulas' Complete Bladesmith.

As far as your shop, if he's building himself a garage, he can build you
one, too ;-) Something roughly 10 by 20 would work fine- if you can get a 20
by 20, that's even better. Make sure you have both 110 and 220 electric,
water and a sink is great, and set things up so you can heat and cool your
shop at need, without blowing your monthly utility budget. Suggestion, in
Virginia, you might align the doors so prevailing breezes can cool your shop
off in hot weather, and a wood stove would do a fine job of heating things
in cold spells.

But first, think about what you know you'll be doing, and then think about
what you might be wanting to do. Then, buy the essentials for what you know
you'll be doing, and leave plenty of room for future projects- if you don't
buy it before you're likely to need it, it won't go to waste.

Saint Phlip,
CoDoLDS

"When in doubt, heat it up and hit it with a hammer."
 Blacksmith's credo.

 If it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it is probably not a
cat.

Never a horse that cain't be rode,
And never a rider who cain't be throwed....