[TheForge] Advice for a beginner.

[Andrew Vida]

This may not sound very glamorous, but exercises to develop your hammer 
control would be a really good place to begin.  Take some of that rebar 
and square it up - all edges stick-straight, all corners 90*, and all 
faces flat and parallel.  Then taper make some octagonal stock from the 
square, and round from that.  Taper an end gently, square flat and 
straight.  Turn some of those tapers into cones by going octagonal and 
then conical.  Do a hundred or more of these, all the while paying 
strict attention to what you are doing with your hammer blows, 
endeavoring to correct your errors.  This could keep you busy awhile, 
but if you stick with it you may find yourself in possession of some 
skills many smiths lack precisely because they never did these exercises.

After that, start making accouterments for the forge like a poker, 
shovel, rake and so on.  You will need them in any case so the sooner 
you get them done the better off you will be.

On 8/26/2013 1:52 PM, Carrie Haag wrote:
> I'm planning on starting my coal forge up for the first time in about a
> month.  I think I have enough coal for a small project.  I've made an "s"
> hook and a rather ugly leaf with the over site of a much more experienced
> smith.  I have a piece of rail road track, a forge, a cross pein hammer, a
> pair of vice grips, and a ton of rebar (not ideal I know but better than
> nothing for a beginner).  As the RR track doesn't have a horn I don't think
> I can make an "s" hook.  What projects would be a good starting point for
> the experience and equipment I have?
>