[TheForge] Crowdsourcing Question

[Jerry Frost]

Lloyd: I needed to figure out what you meant by "crowdsourcing" from 
context. I agree with Paul, putting a basic blacksmithing kit together 
doesn't require special knowledge, skills, tools or money, just some 
basic problem solving and PR skills. An anvil is any heavy object you 
can use to forge on, I've used smooth boulders when I couldn't find 
something made of steel to use. Hammer are cheap and easy if you look 
but you HAVE TO LOOK, I get most of mine at yard/garage sales for a buck 
or less, especially if they need a handle. Ball pein hammers ARE 
blacksmith hammers.

A forge is so simple it's hard to imagine having to buy one to get 
started. A hole in the ground short piece of iron pipe and a hair dryer 
is all a *blacksmith *needs for solid fuel.

If you want to use gas because of neighbors, EPA, etc. those are as 
simple as it gets. A coffee or large bean can, a wrap of Kaowool, 
Insowool, or any suitable refractory ceramic wool and a Bernzomatic 
torch. It's not a big forge but will serve for basic small projects. A 
fellow used to post here and other fora who lived on the 8th floor of a 
retirement condo in Florida who forged knives with a bean can forge on 
the little balcony deck. He kept his entire knife shop in his closet and 
forged, ground and did his woodwork on the deck.

I make a naturally aspirated propane burner that will bring 350 cu/in 
insulated forge chamber to fire brick melting temp, they cost about 
$10.00 each. Propane rated hoses are the expensive part, regulator and 
valve run maybe $20-35 and propane is a regional expense.

As to crowdsourcing, get a job. If you don't want to learn the craft 
badly enough to go out and do it I don't have much more time to spend on 
you, even here. I hear lots of kids say they want to learn to make a 
sword but won't even show up for lesson one. I look forward to teaching 
students but I only show them the knowledge, if they can't "SELFSOURCE" 
they ain't going anywhere. It's just talk talk.


Frosty



On 6/24/2013 7:01 AM, Paul Sperbeck wrote:
> On one hand, part of me always feels you are free  to ask anything, the
> other part wonders why...
>
> I don't ever remember someone asking to have others fund the
> construction of a shop before.
>
> If there are extenuating circumstances contributions might be in order,
> and perhaps the 'crowd-sourcing folks at kickstarter might help out, but
> I have watched many pay to play kickstarter requests go down in flames.
>
> So personally, I could care less if you ask, it doesn't look like
> anything I would be inclined to fund. Have you asked your instructor or
> other students about this subject?
>
> Please don't look at this as a flame so much as a complete inability to
> connect with your mindset...
>
> paul
>
>
> On 06/24/2013 09:31 AM, mazrim at comcast.net wrote:
>> I am located in Haverhill, MA. I am trying not to build my own forge at this time because of a safety aspect since I live in a city.
>>
>>
>> Lloyd W. Giddinge
>> mazrim at comcast.net
>> <snip>
>>
>>> Hello,
>>> I do not know who to ask this question of so figured I would ask here. I
>>> am trying to use crowdsourcing to fund my first backyard smithy, and would
>>> like to know if it would be alright to post a link to it on here? I have
>>> been taking classes and doing vast amounts of reading, and would like to
>>> be able to continue learning more often than an open forge in a studio
>>> would allow me since there are none very close to me. Thank you for your
>>> time.
>>>
>>>
>>> Lloyd W. Giddinge
>>> mazrim at comcast.net
>>>
>>> _
> <snip>
>