Greetings aspiring metalsmith,
In the following pages I’m going to try to give you an idea of what’s required for smithing, tools that
are helpful (but maybe not necessary) and pitfalls to avoid. At a minimum you will need five things to
work metal: fire, anvil, hammer, tongs and of course metal to heat and work. I’ll go over each topic and
a few others, plus there will be a special section at the end for aspiring bladesmiths. I hope you find it
useful. I should also mention that this is how I do things, and though I offer some things as
recommendations, I can’t be responsible if you listen to me and things go wrong. You are responsible
for you, and I expect that you will use common sense and take appropriate precautions. If something
doesn’t make sense, ask questions and find answers before going on.
Before I go too far, it’s worthwhile to give a different kind of caution: before you tell a person you’ve
taken up smithing as a hobby, consider who they are and how they might impact you. Your neighbors
might not be too keen on the idea-- the adage “it’s easier to receive forgiveness than permission”
applies here. I’ve been in the same house for six years and one of my neighbors still gives me static
about the fact that my garage/shop is wood framed. I think it’s a running joke to him at this point, but
consider how much trouble a nosy worry-wart can cause if they decide to get local authorities
involved. For what it’s worth, he says he only knows I’m working when I’m running a grinder, or
sometimes if I weld at night he can see the light through the windows.
Also, people who have things that they might otherwise give away may be inclined to try to turn a
profit because they know you can use what they have. A friend saw an anvil on the side of the road
and inquired about it. He was told it was just sitting around and the owner was looking to get rid of it.
Of course my friend was excited to find a decent anvil and thought he would get a decent price
because it was basically considered junk. He told the guy that he had just started blacksmithing and
had been looking for an anvil. All of a sudden the anvil was the owner’s grandfather’s- he had brought
it with him from Sweden to shoe horses, and wasn’t sure if he could let it go for less than $700. My
friend sent his wife by later that week. She paid $400 for it and the owner even helped her load it into
the same truck that my friend had been driving earlier in the week.
There’s an auto repair shop near me and I asked if they did suspension repairs. Of course they do.
What do they do with the old springs? They pay to have them recycled. I asked if I could come by and
pick up a few. Sure, come on by before 7. Great- I just started bladesmithing and I need some tool
steel. “Oh, I forgot to mention, they’re $10 per piece and we only take cash.” I wish I were joking.
So give some consideration to whom you’re talking to before telling everyone you’re an aspiring
blacksmith.
Fire:
My first forge was a coffee can lined with refractory cement, and I used a plumber’s torch as a burner.
The cement was dense so the forge took a long time to heat up, it was heavy (it’s cement!) and it was
kind of expensive. After about four other experiments I finally did it the same way other successful
smiths had done: I used refractory blanket (the superwool brand that I bought at Seattle Pottery
Supply) and coated it with a reflective coating called ITC-100. No, it was not “cheap” but having a
forge that came up to temp quickly and kept most of the heat inside the forge body was a pleasure to
work with.
A very simple forge can be made with refractory bricks. Lay one on its face (flat) and set one next to it
to make an “L” shape, then put the piece of steel in the corner and heat with your torch. It’s ok to get
creative.
Another forge can be made with one brick. Use a large flathead screwdriver and chisel out an opening
through the center of the length. A half inch wide by an inch tall is good for a start. Next, chisel a hole
in one side that meets the channel through the center. This is where you’ll put your torch. Be gentle
with this as the soft bricks are prone to break. I have one that was held together with bailing wire and
it was used frequently for almost a year.
For a larger forge, like what I have on my smithy page, I just scaled up from that second coffee can—
literally. I use popcorn tins that are available around the holidays. The shell is just holding the
refractory blanket (which does all the work). Over three years later the only change to the forge is that
the paint has burned off.
I really really like the burner that’s on the smithy page. It is a simple and efficient design that I
adapted from Don Fogg, and Geoff Keyes uses something very similar, as well. When starting the
burner: Fire, then fan, then fuel. I use that aforementioned plumber’s torch to start my burner, so I light
that and have the flame in the path of the burner outlet. This way, as soon as there’s fuel in the system
it will start to burn immediately. Even if the fan is turned on too high, the plumber’s torch will burn off
any propane in the mix so it doesn’t have a chance to build up in the forge body, which can explode
when ignited. When stopping the burner, turn off the fuel, then the fan. The fan will clear the burner of
propane so you won’t get an explosion from gas buildup.
In essence there is a blower that goes into a pipe with an elbow that has an 8” nipple as the burner
port. The propane is fed near the blower outlet to give maximum air/fuel mixing. I found a brass
coupler at my local home store- pretty much anything that will fit your fittings will work. I use
standard BBQ style fittings because they’re super common. I drilled a hole in the downpipe,
“screwed” the fitting into the hole and then sealed it with JB Weld. There’s no pressure in this system,
and technically the JB Weld has more to do with keeping the nipple from falling out than anything else.
Keep in mind that propane is heavier than air, so it sinks. I’ve seen burners with the blowers below the
propane inlet and all I could think was “what if there’s a power outage while you’re working and the
propane sinks into the blower?” It sounds paranoid, but blowers spark because they’re electric motors
and, well, propane will kind of explode if it’s left to “puddle” (you may find this out if you let your
forge build up with fuel before igniting it. Just something to keep in mind when you’re designing
your burner.
For those who are forging outside, the Tim Lively washtub forge is a great design. In essence, start
with a metal tub and a piece of pipe that is longer than the diameter of the tub; you’ll need one end
cap. You’ll also need wood ash and water. The hardest piece to find is a blower. Hand cranked
blowers are an expensive option. Small squirrel cage blowers from surplus suppliers are an excellent
choice- I use something similar on my main propane forge and a piece of cardboard acts as a choke for
airflow control. See my smithy page for pictures.
Cut two holes near the bottom of the tub opposite each other- the idea is that you’re going to slide the
pipe through these holes.
This next part is a matter of opinion: drill a series of holes along the length of the pipe. Some people
like 1/8” holes, others like 1/4” holes. Some like a few near the middle of the pipe. Others like to go
the full length. I ended up welding some of my holes closed and I now have about six 1/4” holes
spaced 1/2” apart near the middle of the pipe. But again, this is a matter of opinion.
Put the cap on the pipe and thread the pipe through both holes in the tub, with your air holes pointing
up.
Mix a slurry of ash and water, then line the tub—you’ll want about 1” in the bottom and at least a half
inch on the sides. This is your home made refractory and will keep the heat in your forge. If the
refractory shows signs of wear, just mix more ash slurry and fill the gaps. Some folks add sand,
bentonite clay or other binders to help everything hold together. Coal, lump charcoal, charcoal,
woodstove pellets, lumber scraps from construction projects and even feed corn have been used in
this type of forge.
Steel:
Your best bet for absolute beginning is to go to a home store and buy some rebar. It’s relatively
inexpensive and easy to find. You will want to check around for a place that sells mild steel (also
called A36, 1018 or 1020 steel). There are companies that cater to the hobbyist and will have a wide
range of sizes to choose from. However, they know that you are a hobbyist and will charge a premium.
Better than these places is a steel supplier. Many will cater only to businesses that can take deliveries
from 18-wheelers. There are a few places in Seattle (in particular Pacific Industrial Supply) that will let
you call to place your order, and you can pick it up. They do charge “by the cut” and are cutting off of
20 foot lengths to start. So if you can take 10 feet in your truck and are ordering 60 feet of 1/2" square
bar, they’ll take three bars and cut them in half. That’s three cuts at $1 each (that’s what they charged
me the last time I ordered) and can really begin to add up so plan your order accordingly.
Hammer:
Nearly any hammer 2# or larger will work. If it’s smaller than this then you will have to swing harder
to move the metal. This is hard on all the joints in your arm so start with something that’s a little
heavier than you think you might want. I started with a 3# “engineers hammer” which looks like a
small sledge hammer. I still use it more than 8 years later. This size is good for everything from 1/4”
to about 5/8”. As the cross section of the steel increases, a larger hammer makes for easier work. A
cross peen isn’t 100% necessary to start, but it’s about the most useful hammer to have available.
Anvil:
Just about any chunk of steel will work to start: railroad track is common. Harbor Freight usually has
anvils, though the quality is variable and the sizes change every now and again. 30#, 55# and 100#
used to be common, but I think the 55# size is about all that’s available at most stores.
More important than the size of the anvil is how it’s secured to the floor. Traditional shops were on
dirt floors with a stump dug into the dirt about a foot- this supports the anvil. This is still the best
because the anvil stand won’t bounce around and if the anvil is secured to the stump then all of the
work you’re doing with the hammer goes into the metal, rather than energy being used to bounce the
anvil and stump. Check out my smithy page for pictures of my current stand: 4x4 treated cedar cut to
length, then glued and screwed together.
Tongs:
Pliers are a good start. There’s not much more to say. The teeth will help hold the piece, but the
handles tend to be short. Your local tool store should have a variety of styles and lengths to choose
from. Learning to use tongs is like learning to use anything else, there is a learning curve. They can be
expensive ($30-60 per pair) so choose carefully and don’t overbuy.
Also, for a lot of pieces simply using a long bar will let you hold the not-hot end while you work the
heated end. If it gets too hot, quench (see below).
Quenching:
Everyone thinks about the blacksmith dipping hot metal into a large wooden tub, but that’s not
necessary. A 5 gallon bucket will suffice to begin with, but do not drop a hot piece into the bucket.
Chances are good the hot metal will melt the bottom. Most of the time the quench tub is used only to
cool the tongs I’m working with. As mentioned above, if you use a very long bar you don’t need tongs,
but the handle end can get hot- quench it! Wood tubs –can- be found at home stores and garden
suppliers, they’re sold as planters. If you buy one, take it outside and fill it with a hose- let it leak. It
will take time for the wood to swell so that it’s able to hold water, so keep filling it periodically. It will
not take water all the way to the top, usually just above the top band.
Once steel is quenched it becomes brittle. Even A36 and “mild” steel will harden to brittleness if
quenched. It is best in most cases to let the steel air cool. Drop the finished (or abandoned) piece on the
floor (your floor IS concrete or dirt, right?). Don’t let anyone pick it up until it’s cooled to room temp-
the best test is to pour a little water on it. Not enough to quench, but enough that will sizzle or steam
off if it’s too hot.
Bladesmiths and tool makers:
As I mentioned above I picked up some scrap springs (I went to a different shop and kept my mouth
shut). It turns out one reason springs have to be replaced is that they develop stress fractures. These
fractures will be inherent weaknesses in your blade/chisel/etc. The pieces that aren’t microfractured
are great for practicing with alloyed steels, and for quenching practice (this is a specialized skill, you
don’t just drop hot tool steel into water). But don’t be surprised if during the forging process you
notice cracks. Also look at the metal while it’s hot, sometimes you can see cracks while the metal’s hot
that couldn’t be seen while it was cool.
There’s usually a lot more time in a blade or tool than there is in the average mild steel hook. It’s really
worth the money to order steel that comes in standard sizes. Admiral Steel has many common blade
steels in common sizes available for online ordering, and more are available if you call.
You can buy expensive fancy tools, but keep in mind that you need to learn how to use the tool. Bench
grinders are deceptively simple- they actually take a lot of time to master, they’re also the most
dangerous piece of equipment in most shops because they spin at 1700RPM or faster. They will grab a
piece and shoot it at your face. It has happened to smiths and jewelers and it usually doesn’t end well.
Wire wheels and buffers are also very dangerous. Belt sanders can rip off skin in a heartbeat and there
are several tricks to using them properly so they don’t ruin your piece of work.
This is just the barest of beginnings. Smithing can be as expensive or as inexpensive as you make it.
Thank you for reading. Above all, BE SAFE and have fun!
Kris
In the following pages I’m going to try to give you an idea of what’s required for smithing, tools that
are helpful (but maybe not necessary) and pitfalls to avoid. At a minimum you will need five things to
work metal: fire, anvil, hammer, tongs and of course metal to heat and work. I’ll go over each topic and
a few others, plus there will be a special section at the end for aspiring bladesmiths. I hope you find it
useful. I should also mention that this is how I do things, and though I offer some things as
recommendations, I can’t be responsible if you listen to me and things go wrong. You are responsible
for you, and I expect that you will use common sense and take appropriate precautions. If something
doesn’t make sense, ask questions and find answers before going on.
Before I go too far, it’s worthwhile to give a different kind of caution: before you tell a person you’ve
taken up smithing as a hobby, consider who they are and how they might impact you. Your neighbors
might not be too keen on the idea-- the adage “it’s easier to receive forgiveness than permission”
applies here. I’ve been in the same house for six years and one of my neighbors still gives me static
about the fact that my garage/shop is wood framed. I think it’s a running joke to him at this point, but
consider how much trouble a nosy worry-wart can cause if they decide to get local authorities
involved. For what it’s worth, he says he only knows I’m working when I’m running a grinder, or
sometimes if I weld at night he can see the light through the windows.
Also, people who have things that they might otherwise give away may be inclined to try to turn a
profit because they know you can use what they have. A friend saw an anvil on the side of the road
and inquired about it. He was told it was just sitting around and the owner was looking to get rid of it.
Of course my friend was excited to find a decent anvil and thought he would get a decent price
because it was basically considered junk. He told the guy that he had just started blacksmithing and
had been looking for an anvil. All of a sudden the anvil was the owner’s grandfather’s- he had brought
it with him from Sweden to shoe horses, and wasn’t sure if he could let it go for less than $700. My
friend sent his wife by later that week. She paid $400 for it and the owner even helped her load it into
the same truck that my friend had been driving earlier in the week.
There’s an auto repair shop near me and I asked if they did suspension repairs. Of course they do.
What do they do with the old springs? They pay to have them recycled. I asked if I could come by and
pick up a few. Sure, come on by before 7. Great- I just started bladesmithing and I need some tool
steel. “Oh, I forgot to mention, they’re $10 per piece and we only take cash.” I wish I were joking.
So give some consideration to whom you’re talking to before telling everyone you’re an aspiring
blacksmith.
Fire:
My first forge was a coffee can lined with refractory cement, and I used a plumber’s torch as a burner.
The cement was dense so the forge took a long time to heat up, it was heavy (it’s cement!) and it was
kind of expensive. After about four other experiments I finally did it the same way other successful
smiths had done: I used refractory blanket (the superwool brand that I bought at Seattle Pottery
Supply) and coated it with a reflective coating called ITC-100. No, it was not “cheap” but having a
forge that came up to temp quickly and kept most of the heat inside the forge body was a pleasure to
work with.
A very simple forge can be made with refractory bricks. Lay one on its face (flat) and set one next to it
to make an “L” shape, then put the piece of steel in the corner and heat with your torch. It’s ok to get
creative.
Another forge can be made with one brick. Use a large flathead screwdriver and chisel out an opening
through the center of the length. A half inch wide by an inch tall is good for a start. Next, chisel a hole
in one side that meets the channel through the center. This is where you’ll put your torch. Be gentle
with this as the soft bricks are prone to break. I have one that was held together with bailing wire and
it was used frequently for almost a year.
For a larger forge, like what I have on my smithy page, I just scaled up from that second coffee can—
literally. I use popcorn tins that are available around the holidays. The shell is just holding the
refractory blanket (which does all the work). Over three years later the only change to the forge is that
the paint has burned off.
I really really like the burner that’s on the smithy page. It is a simple and efficient design that I
adapted from Don Fogg, and Geoff Keyes uses something very similar, as well. When starting the
burner: Fire, then fan, then fuel. I use that aforementioned plumber’s torch to start my burner, so I light
that and have the flame in the path of the burner outlet. This way, as soon as there’s fuel in the system
it will start to burn immediately. Even if the fan is turned on too high, the plumber’s torch will burn off
any propane in the mix so it doesn’t have a chance to build up in the forge body, which can explode
when ignited. When stopping the burner, turn off the fuel, then the fan. The fan will clear the burner of
propane so you won’t get an explosion from gas buildup.
In essence there is a blower that goes into a pipe with an elbow that has an 8” nipple as the burner
port. The propane is fed near the blower outlet to give maximum air/fuel mixing. I found a brass
coupler at my local home store- pretty much anything that will fit your fittings will work. I use
standard BBQ style fittings because they’re super common. I drilled a hole in the downpipe,
“screwed” the fitting into the hole and then sealed it with JB Weld. There’s no pressure in this system,
and technically the JB Weld has more to do with keeping the nipple from falling out than anything else.
Keep in mind that propane is heavier than air, so it sinks. I’ve seen burners with the blowers below the
propane inlet and all I could think was “what if there’s a power outage while you’re working and the
propane sinks into the blower?” It sounds paranoid, but blowers spark because they’re electric motors
and, well, propane will kind of explode if it’s left to “puddle” (you may find this out if you let your
forge build up with fuel before igniting it. Just something to keep in mind when you’re designing
your burner.
For those who are forging outside, the Tim Lively washtub forge is a great design. In essence, start
with a metal tub and a piece of pipe that is longer than the diameter of the tub; you’ll need one end
cap. You’ll also need wood ash and water. The hardest piece to find is a blower. Hand cranked
blowers are an expensive option. Small squirrel cage blowers from surplus suppliers are an excellent
choice- I use something similar on my main propane forge and a piece of cardboard acts as a choke for
airflow control. See my smithy page for pictures.
Cut two holes near the bottom of the tub opposite each other- the idea is that you’re going to slide the
pipe through these holes.
This next part is a matter of opinion: drill a series of holes along the length of the pipe. Some people
like 1/8” holes, others like 1/4” holes. Some like a few near the middle of the pipe. Others like to go
the full length. I ended up welding some of my holes closed and I now have about six 1/4” holes
spaced 1/2” apart near the middle of the pipe. But again, this is a matter of opinion.
Put the cap on the pipe and thread the pipe through both holes in the tub, with your air holes pointing
up.
Mix a slurry of ash and water, then line the tub—you’ll want about 1” in the bottom and at least a half
inch on the sides. This is your home made refractory and will keep the heat in your forge. If the
refractory shows signs of wear, just mix more ash slurry and fill the gaps. Some folks add sand,
bentonite clay or other binders to help everything hold together. Coal, lump charcoal, charcoal,
woodstove pellets, lumber scraps from construction projects and even feed corn have been used in
this type of forge.
Steel:
Your best bet for absolute beginning is to go to a home store and buy some rebar. It’s relatively
inexpensive and easy to find. You will want to check around for a place that sells mild steel (also
called A36, 1018 or 1020 steel). There are companies that cater to the hobbyist and will have a wide
range of sizes to choose from. However, they know that you are a hobbyist and will charge a premium.
Better than these places is a steel supplier. Many will cater only to businesses that can take deliveries
from 18-wheelers. There are a few places in Seattle (in particular Pacific Industrial Supply) that will let
you call to place your order, and you can pick it up. They do charge “by the cut” and are cutting off of
20 foot lengths to start. So if you can take 10 feet in your truck and are ordering 60 feet of 1/2" square
bar, they’ll take three bars and cut them in half. That’s three cuts at $1 each (that’s what they charged
me the last time I ordered) and can really begin to add up so plan your order accordingly.
Hammer:
Nearly any hammer 2# or larger will work. If it’s smaller than this then you will have to swing harder
to move the metal. This is hard on all the joints in your arm so start with something that’s a little
heavier than you think you might want. I started with a 3# “engineers hammer” which looks like a
small sledge hammer. I still use it more than 8 years later. This size is good for everything from 1/4”
to about 5/8”. As the cross section of the steel increases, a larger hammer makes for easier work. A
cross peen isn’t 100% necessary to start, but it’s about the most useful hammer to have available.
Anvil:
Just about any chunk of steel will work to start: railroad track is common. Harbor Freight usually has
anvils, though the quality is variable and the sizes change every now and again. 30#, 55# and 100#
used to be common, but I think the 55# size is about all that’s available at most stores.
More important than the size of the anvil is how it’s secured to the floor. Traditional shops were on
dirt floors with a stump dug into the dirt about a foot- this supports the anvil. This is still the best
because the anvil stand won’t bounce around and if the anvil is secured to the stump then all of the
work you’re doing with the hammer goes into the metal, rather than energy being used to bounce the
anvil and stump. Check out my smithy page for pictures of my current stand: 4x4 treated cedar cut to
length, then glued and screwed together.
Tongs:
Pliers are a good start. There’s not much more to say. The teeth will help hold the piece, but the
handles tend to be short. Your local tool store should have a variety of styles and lengths to choose
from. Learning to use tongs is like learning to use anything else, there is a learning curve. They can be
expensive ($30-60 per pair) so choose carefully and don’t overbuy.
Also, for a lot of pieces simply using a long bar will let you hold the not-hot end while you work the
heated end. If it gets too hot, quench (see below).
Quenching:
Everyone thinks about the blacksmith dipping hot metal into a large wooden tub, but that’s not
necessary. A 5 gallon bucket will suffice to begin with, but do not drop a hot piece into the bucket.
Chances are good the hot metal will melt the bottom. Most of the time the quench tub is used only to
cool the tongs I’m working with. As mentioned above, if you use a very long bar you don’t need tongs,
but the handle end can get hot- quench it! Wood tubs –can- be found at home stores and garden
suppliers, they’re sold as planters. If you buy one, take it outside and fill it with a hose- let it leak. It
will take time for the wood to swell so that it’s able to hold water, so keep filling it periodically. It will
not take water all the way to the top, usually just above the top band.
Once steel is quenched it becomes brittle. Even A36 and “mild” steel will harden to brittleness if
quenched. It is best in most cases to let the steel air cool. Drop the finished (or abandoned) piece on the
floor (your floor IS concrete or dirt, right?). Don’t let anyone pick it up until it’s cooled to room temp-
the best test is to pour a little water on it. Not enough to quench, but enough that will sizzle or steam
off if it’s too hot.
Bladesmiths and tool makers:
As I mentioned above I picked up some scrap springs (I went to a different shop and kept my mouth
shut). It turns out one reason springs have to be replaced is that they develop stress fractures. These
fractures will be inherent weaknesses in your blade/chisel/etc. The pieces that aren’t microfractured
are great for practicing with alloyed steels, and for quenching practice (this is a specialized skill, you
don’t just drop hot tool steel into water). But don’t be surprised if during the forging process you
notice cracks. Also look at the metal while it’s hot, sometimes you can see cracks while the metal’s hot
that couldn’t be seen while it was cool.
There’s usually a lot more time in a blade or tool than there is in the average mild steel hook. It’s really
worth the money to order steel that comes in standard sizes. Admiral Steel has many common blade
steels in common sizes available for online ordering, and more are available if you call.
You can buy expensive fancy tools, but keep in mind that you need to learn how to use the tool. Bench
grinders are deceptively simple- they actually take a lot of time to master, they’re also the most
dangerous piece of equipment in most shops because they spin at 1700RPM or faster. They will grab a
piece and shoot it at your face. It has happened to smiths and jewelers and it usually doesn’t end well.
Wire wheels and buffers are also very dangerous. Belt sanders can rip off skin in a heartbeat and there
are several tricks to using them properly so they don’t ruin your piece of work.
This is just the barest of beginnings. Smithing can be as expensive or as inexpensive as you make it.
Thank you for reading. Above all, BE SAFE and have fun!
Kris
Tips for Beginners
Completely revised 8/4/2010
Completely revised 8/4/2010
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