[TheForge] Equipment for a newbie

[Matt Gallagher]

Im in Charlotte, NC, as I saw one of you ask. Ill be doing my work outside,
and i have some long pieces to work with (im making a
replica Gladius [non-bladed] for a competition in Latin club) so i
was considering an open trough style forge. I think a vacuum motor would
work, if i could find a used vacuum somewhere, which im sure with a little
digging i can do. Ill be using a 1" diameter mild steel rod (i tested the
steel using the spark test) that is about 3 feel long, and i will be
reducing it to 25 inches long and about a half inch thick along the spine
(or flat, although it isnt flat) of the blade. I also would like
to know where i can get a cheap angle grinder or how i can rig something, i
need to fix a ding in my anvil thats been annoying me, and it would be nice
to have. I plan to make some more charcoal soon, whenever my dad allows me
too. I will soon have my scanner up and running to send out my designs of
forges for review, i have several.
~Matt Gallagher, your friendly teenage smith