[TheForge] Newbie

[CGRAF]

Tools spring up allover the place once ones head is properly adjusted.

Start with a few basics and let what you are making guide further 
acquisitions.
Something to make metal hot.
Something to hold the hot metal securely.
Something to strike the metal with.
Something with mass to strike the hot metal upon.

The other stuff will suggest itself as you go along quickly at first 
then it will slow down.
Vise, files, brushes, grinders all come from "It sure would be handy if 
I had..." Follow that thought quickly with action. Do not waste a bunch 
of time trying for the "best" whatever it is, as you have no clue as to 
what "best" entails for this purpose.

  Cheap and expendable is often the best.
Someone once pointed out to me that it was handy to have an angle 
grinder for each purpose that such a tool might be used, just to avoid 
reconfiguring the grinder each time. I , of course, objected that such 
tools ran $100 or more. His answer was that every time I place an order 
from someplace and was a few shekels short of "free shipping"that I look 
to see if they had any $20 grinders on sale. Now these grinders are, for 
sure, not a match for the pricey ones, however each one saved me 
shipping charges in excess of $20 so they are essentially free. When 
they burn out I scavenge any useful components, toss the rest and open 
up the box of the next one waiting in line.


  A blacksmiths shop is a forge.
A collection of hammers and things which either are tongs or act as one. 
A collection of flat and contoured metal surfaces surfaces at least one 
large enough to act as an anvil and a vise.(Preferably a leg vise, but I 
find my huge machinist vise a most used tool. It must weigh 50 lbs and 
set me back all of $5.when I pulled it from the scrap pile at the junkyard)

Bearing races and other larger circles are good for dishing.Short stubs 
Old shafts from old belt driven blowers either are or can easily be made 
into tooling, an old drive shaft of two are handy items . Swage blocks 
are nice, but the equivalent can be had from odd scraps  with 
interesting shapes.

  Many tools not specifically intended for blacksmithing can be easily 
and cheaply attained and modified to suit your needs.

Square and round faced hammers to suit are garage sale items.
Old LARGE ballpeins with or without handles  can be purchased by the box 
for scrap prices and turned into all manner of struck tooling.


Mike Graf