How To Start Blacksmithing for $100
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- Опубликовано: 28 авг 2024
- An example of a blacksmithing project that you can do with less than $100 of tools and a little creativity. There are a lot of projects you can do with this same collection of tools. Fair Warning: completing this project may ignite a furious search for more tools.
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Thank you, be safe, and be grateful.
You want to get better in smithing? Just make a lot of iron daggers, practise make perfect
I use to do that when I power leveled my blacksmithing :D
@@wayneemerson7342 i think thats the joke
Lol skyrim
"Take whatever you need, with reason of course."
I use to
do that
As much as i'd want to do this, even build my own furnace, I doubt my apartment complex and neighbors would be too thrilled about me using fire and smashing things on an anvil. :(
Screw your neighbors, Be a man. Dont use a hammer to forge, Use your hands, Be a man
@@moulayysabour5424 stop watching tiktoks, be a man.
@@owenstewart1160 stop having a family, be a man
Just persuade them with services, make them a couple custom metal products and they should hopefully shut up.
Same problem here. Not everyone has the space/convenience to just start blacksmithing. Apartment living is the worst for this lol. Unless you can find like a friend, family, or coworker who’d let you use some of their living space for it. Or if you can somehow find a local warehouse or garage or smithing shop that’ll let you work there.
Railroad steel anvil: $60 [Ebay] (
Lol, gg.
Well Ebay is overpriced AF then. I got a railroad track anvil just like the one in the video for $15 at a flea market.
I got 20ft of 1/4 square at the steel yard for $3.10 a couple days ago.
For the railroad steel anvil just take an angle grinder to your closest railroad track
@@GatasPolse Yeah, what they don't know won't hurt th... Oh wait.
"You don't have to have a million dollars worth of tools to do blacksmithing work."
Maybe, but a shop to make the dwarves of Svartalfheim jealous doesn't hurt.
hahahaha! Love your comment! :D
but if they jelaous than who I will employ in my shop?
That's what inspired me to start learning lol
I really like that saying.. "Stop moving the metal when the metal moves you". I feel like that can be applied to many things in life. I definitely have a problem with perfecting things and pushing it too far. Simplicity isn't bad. It is what it is and it works. Thanks for the video!
A blacksmith takes a bet to stay 3 nights in a haunted house, but after the first night he made a bolt for the door.
Oh my god. That was incredible xD
This is the internet... but I might as well explain. He made a bolt.
HE RAN TO THE DOOR!
Celtic Hero, it could mean he used tools to make a bolt and attach it to the door so it would lock, or it could mean he ran for the door to escape because he was afraid. The joke is that either could make sense.
LMFAO
Moving something until it moves you is how I know when to stop with my art and music pieces. You can't think about it, just all of a sudden you know you're done. It's kinda mystical.
When Essential Craftsman says "smite", an angel gets its wings.
I noticed that too. Why not an archaic word like " smite" to describe an archaic process.
Quality.
669 likes
I love this
I like to see him mix it up with simple projects like the marshmallow roasting rod that we can copy if we have a vice, pliers and map gas torch...and of course a coffee can of water. I love this channel. Been watching for years.
I am a woman who had a passing interest in "How to" but on your channel, I am completely fascinated by all types of mechanical devices and methods! You make everything seem logical and easy. Thanks for all of the lessons, even if I will never do any of this, at least I can participate in discussions that will surprise the guys! 😁
susan olson It's good that you get educated, but a lot of the techniques he shows are so educational that I think you can end up using them even if you don't get into some of those rougher trades like smithing or concrete work.
Ebvardh Boss, you are right, I am learning things that I will use sooner or later and having a good time.
Oh so you can't watch DIY videos on youtube and enjoy them without doing them yourself? I watch videos of a chef recreating the gushers snack knowing I'd never do it.
I didn't know it was possible to make gushers! Cool...
ruclips.net/video/fEMxFSjmo5Q/видео.html it's really difficult
Start Blacksmithing for $100, next thing you know someone forges The One Ring and then we're screeewed!
Elves don't die of old age, so they could master their craft far better than any human.
well the other 13 have to be made first
No, technically Sauron had made his ring already when he suggested to the Elven smith (forget the name) how to make the 16 (not 13) rings of power. Then the Elven smith secretly made the three Elven rings on his own so they were not corrupted like the 16 rings were.
Donald Vincent I just watched the movie it clearly states that the 16 were made first and Sauron made one more powerful ring to combat them. Hence; ‘One ring to rule them all’
Donald Vincent they made the rings to combat sauron. Sauron in response created the One.
Lots of old sledge hammers in yard sales will work well as an anvil. Remove the handle and mount it with the best face up in a log.
Love it man, ASO is where it’s at when you’re on a budget
Great idea
That is an excellent idea.
Necroreply but just be careful because hitting a hammer with a hammer can end with shrapnel buried inside you
You can start blacksmithing for under $100
*uses $3,000 torch*
a random frog well, he did say he was going to use the basic torch. Those aren't expensive, but his was not able to be used, thus he improvised.
You just need a heat source as he stated. Also, Lmao he did in fact use a torch that exceeds the 100 mark. And I knoe you're aware, just leaving this here for those not as perceptive. 😂
A torch kit like that costs roughly 100 bucks if you know where to look also the acetylene and oxygen tanks could be found bout 75-150 each if you buy from private owners so that torch setup at bare bones could be 350-500 not 3k
I dont think that torch is worth more than $100 lol
You can use a Mapp torch with a decent tip and a steady hand those little bad boys hit 4,000 degrees on a whim
iamkitkatbar I don't like mapp honestly I prefer acetylene
Another reason why, by far, this is one of the best channels on You Tube.
Thank you Scott. You are an inspiration...honest.
For a heat source I have used charcoal bricktes, and a old hair dryer as a bower.
henk Barnard I never really did blacksmithing but I wonder; would a leaf blower work as well if you controlled the force to the forge, or would that be too much power?
Tavier Using a hair dryer on a frying pan sized brick forge worked extremely well for me.
Tavier it has too much power, you need to make holes in the tube that feed the fire to lose some of that power.
Use softwood charcoal (pine) best for forging. Burns very hot and clean and also the heat spreads out evenly throughout the blade. It was traditionally used a lot by Japanese bladesmiths and is the best type of charcoal for this work.
You sound like alec...
Fantastic! Can't get enough of this channel.
As a designer and cartographer, I couldn't agree more with the maxim that "less is more." As famous writer once put it: "In anything at all, perfection is finally attained not when there is no longer anything to add, but when there is no longer anything to take away…"
Well done, Sir. Carry on, and 'Choose the Right' :-)
Alan T I have
He's Christian not Mormon you cult following freak
tyler krug whatever his beliefs (or yours), I think he's a great teacher, and I'm glad he is on RUclips! Also, you might enjoy visiting a Mormon church - I think you'll find they are 'freakishly' friendly, kind, and neighborly. :-) Have a good one, Tyler!
Wow, nice cheek turning, Alan. I had to guess and do a little searching to know where the Mormon reference came from. The Mormons I've met have indeed mostly been very friendly, and neighborly in the sense of helping others with no expectation of return. Don't Mormons consider themselves Christian? I had a Gideon friend who said he didn't consider them so because "their Jesus isn't my Jesus", but ISTM anyone who considers themselves Christian is, or we risk a No True Scotsman fallacy.
Hey, as the proverb goes "A soft answer turneth away wrath..." :-) Yes, Mormons consider themselves Christian, and I've never really understood why some seem to feel threatened by that. In any case, there are many, many devotedly good people out there, and they call themselves by different names, but kindness is a common thread - and one this world could use a lot more of. I learned some powerful lessons on that, reading a book called "The Anatomy of Peace" -- good stuff. Cheers!
Scott - great video again. I love that you left in where you dropped the metal off the anvil after heating - made me smile knowing that I'm not the only one that fumbles with my work (even though I've never smithed anything in my life and wood doesn't get that hot when cutting).
Keep it up. Like so many of us here, I watch every video and my four year old is starting to watch with me a bit as well. That'll taper off once the weather breaks and he gets to tear across the yard again, but there will always be rainy Saturdays with a few minutes for 'The Craftsman'.
Went to Lowe's, dropped 50 dollars, (17 was on some wire for other projects, and I already had propane and a hammer), and made a marshmellow stick, all today. I don't think the temper worked, and I might need a hotter torch to get up to critical temperature. But, it'll still last longer than a whittled stick.
How much did the torch cost? Did you buy propane or MAPP?
@@davidgerth2276 I think all I bought was a bench vice to use for an anvil and the torch, so about 15 for the torch, and 20 for the vice. But I would definitely go up a couple steps on the torch - it was barely able to get a very thin piece of stock up to red. I'd go 40-50 USD if I was to go back.
0:00 I'm discouraged because my mom won't let me start a blacksmith forge in the backyard. ):
Do you have a garage or shed loop holes are great 😜
Parz1val im 14 and my parents let me use a torch
Haha, I got lucky and convinced my mother to allow it when I was 17.
I was 3 when I started torching, but I also had a full beard, so it was ok.
ask her to help you find a local tutor that is willing to teach you, look up who's local to your state then start calling them and asking if they know anyone close to you because you want to start learning. If you can find someone don't expect to be hitting the anvil at first, cleaning the shop and being useful or whatever else they need will get you a long way to being taught. only if you're serious though, people don't want to waste their time on a lark.
Oh man..my smithing skill is only lv 19.. im just trying make some dragonbone equipment.
Daleth Guerra dragon scale is so much better so you don’t have to invest in heavy armor
Daedric armor is weaker but looks more badass
Dude, I’ve made mine legendary twice.
Magnum Icecream ill have you know daedric armor is better however dragonbone weapons are stronger
Do you even virgin
@@mr.jameson218 yes I know,
And yes I'm a virgin
Simple video just gives me more confidence that I DON'T need thousands of dollars to start playing around and getting a feel for it. Thanks so much
On a whim I contacted an old school friend that I kept in contact every now and then.... he worked at a scrap yard so I just asked him if he had any chunks of hard steel that I can use as an anvil. About 20 minutes later he sent me a picture of a small piece of railroad that someone ground into an anvil shape and then a bigger Anvil also was a vice? Don't know much about the Vise Anvil haven't even cleaned it all the way off yet since it's winter time here in Southwestern PA and wayy to cold to mess around. I gave him scrap price which was around 5 bucks and then I threw him an extra 20 just for getting it for me. As soon as spring comes I plan on making some kind of drum brake furnace or something simple just to try my hand at blacksmithing to see if it's something I enjoy. I have collected knives my whole life. My brother gave me my first night when I was 3!, my parents would hold on to it and give it to me when I ask for it and I didn't even cut myself for the first time until I was around 5. I have always loved to take things apart and try to make it better or build something different out of the parts so I'm hoping that blacksmithing will turn into a great hobby that I enjoy.
I can't even imagine how awesome it will feel when I make my first knife that works. It will be a knife that I, ME, MYSELF made from scrap! I been keeping a eye out for a GOOD anvil that's in a price range i can afford to spend on a hobby. Having 2 kids, 5 an 2, a wife and a dog an 2 cats to take care of..... there is not much extra money to spend on WANTS and not needs....
LOVE your videos! I feel like i know you/ could meet you and get along. You seem like a good down home person.
How did it turn out?
I read that all, and respect you as a man it its true.
Same boat buddy. 2 kids under 3. It's hard to get anything done that needs doing g, forget the things we want to do. I would love to have this as a hobby at the very least. I want to get into all the old trades like smithing, butchering, woodworking. Our goal is to be on a farm and off grid (for the most part) within a few more years. I want to learn how to make/fix everything myself.
I could listen to fast forwarded hammering all day long. Such a satisfying sound.
After a long, stressful day, this channel is the best!
Had the worst day at work today, and watching Scott always relaxes me. Looking forward to retirement, even if it is 45 years away!
By far
You're an inspirational mentor, squire! Thank you for spending your time sharing knowledge you have clearly worked so hard to attain.
Essential Craftsman... You have influenced my life.
I really mean it. Thank You
Scott, your channel is so informative, educational and insightful. The videos are not too long but to the point without a lot of unnecessary talking and camera movement. Its the best way to wind down after a long days work. Keep them coming and may many good gifts in life keep coming your way.
Some tips for the cameraman: 1) Make a decision and stick to it. 2) Loosen the lock on your tripod as the movements are too jerky. 3) Invest in a B-camera to cover up your shot transitions. 4) You don't have to move with every movement of the subject, so if he is waving a hammer around you don't need to zoom in on it, you can stay static too.
You are an inspiration and a joy to watch. You have an amazing way with words that I feel gets more refined every video I watch. If it takes any less than 100 takes to say what you say with confidence and ease in which you say it, then color me impressed. I'm always excited to see more from you, and I hope that I can for years to come.
Thanks
Yes, me too, Thanks for this idea!
I have the tools, including the Oxt-Acet. torch, so now I have the basic knowledge ( well, an idea at least ) to go start something like this, maybe even tomorrow.
Cheers!
Been watching your channel for a little while and these have been exactly the kick in the rear I needed to finally start smithing as a hobby. Found a gorgeous 100lb London-style anvil for sale on marketplace for $200 and am really excited to begin working. Thanks for these!
Wasn't sure at first.. but then at 1:25 he said "you need something to smite the steel" and I was sold! Anyone who uses the word smite to describe hitting a piece of metal with a hammer deserves my subscription!
A “rose bud” for the top of that little propane tank makes a huge difference. I’ve seen them at harbor freight for 20$. They are well worth it.
That's some great advice.
I use it all the time. It puts out a lot more heat then the tip that comes with it.
Love all your content! You're clearly very good at what you do, you explain things very well, and you're even relaxing to listen to. Thanks for putting the effort you do into your videos!
I have been watching your posts faithfully for about twelve months and eagerly look up each new video....but Mate....I gotta tell you, this one is by far the best one you have done yet...
you will reach so many people with this one and hopefully inspire so many more...keep up the great work and expect a visit when I next am able to visit the states....
What I love about smithing is that it has been done for thousands of years with very primitive and basic tools , you can forge literally with a hole in the ground
"Basic basic tools" *Grabs Acetylne torch*
I know they are kinda basic but they cost a lot
$150 bucks for a used setup at a farm auction and it came with a ton of stuff and half-full bottles. Honestly these tools will last a lifetime.
@@Swarm509 That's still $50 more than the price mentioned in the video's caption...
@@roflstomps324 He did say you can also use a $20 propane torch. But really, even if he's off by $100, it's not a big deal. An anvil can run over $1200. Getting an entire forging rig together for a couple bills is impressive.
@@JC-fj7oo bahah then why didn't he use the propane torch? He said it's too slow. Imagine a quicker way to discourage someone from doing something than making them do it the hardest way possible.
@@InLakechAlaKin23 what the hell are you talking about?
Wow man amazing studio and workshop :D i want something like that in the future. Just started my channel and i have a few videos there, but i am loong forward to getting my channel bigger so i can invest in more equipment :)
Gg man. 199k subs
@@snappyy2615 i just i just saw their channel too. they doing well for themselves
@@snappyy2615 he doesnt even post anymore
@@yuvrajbhasha7654 ik but he had 199k
@@snappyy2615 ye
Thank you Scott, I needed this! I am gonna make something. About 6 months ago I started telling people I was going to be a blacksmith when I grow up (I am 41 today). Aha moment! I don't have to have a forge to start smithing.
Thanks again!!!
So, I tried to do this over the last week. I had only a propane torch, thick steel pipe, left over from my well or something, a claw hammer and a pair of vice grips. I made three in a week. The first one was all beat to pieces and only resembled yours because they are both started out as a piece of 1/4 inch square rod. I am thinking it is more like a tent peg then the marshmallow roaster you made. Of Course, I did not expect it to be that good. I had fun, so I made another one, much better, got my hopes up now, so I made another one, then another. I have since made a propane burner similar to the one you use in your make your own forge video and I bought a couple of cheap, ball-peen hammers. So, today, I started on 16 more. I did the small flare at the end on them all. By the time, I got all 16 ends done. It got better, easier and quicker each one I did. I have 5 grand Children and we are all going camping on Prince Edward Island on the 12 of July. If I finish the 16, I will pick the best five and monogram them with the Kid's names. I cannot express my gratitude I feel towards you and your encouragement. I have always wanted to try this and because of your video, I am trying and enjoying it immensely. thank you, sir...
“Where ya gonna go to get something like this?” ...wonderful although i can tell you made that handle look 1000 times easier than it actually is. Ha ha
I just wanted to say thanks for all of the videos. I enjoy every one of them.
Growing up I always wished I would have personally known someone who could causally teach me this craft the way this man does. I have always found it fascinating.
Your vids are so easy to watch. My first trip to a blacksmith, I was 7 and flew American Airlines from Dallas to Detroit to visit grandparents,cousins... We went to Greenfield Village and when we got to the blacksmiths shop, well it was hard to leave. At sixty now, I've been working on my castle for 14 years, in the mountains. I'm about to enjoy my own hand for awhile to make hardware. Wish I'd begun decades ago. Thank you for your videos.
more than 150 likes and non a single dislike, you are doing things right Mr. congratz
I like your humble yet confident character, thanks for being real.
As for the sloped foreheaded jackasses who thumbed you down, I guess some folk's egos, just won't let them play well with others.
jimsiggy
OMG! Sloped foreheaded jackasses! I think I peed my pants reading that! Thank you for that! Oh man.
i've heard it may be RUclips auto-balancing the Like/Dislike ratio. I am not sure though.
Scott. Just a FYI. NICE !!!!!!!! SHOWING PEOPLE THAT THINGS START REAL SMALL AT FIRST. THEN THINGS GET BIGGER. I ALWAY LOVE WATCHING , WHAT YOUR DOING !!!!!!!!!!!!! JUST IN YOUR VOICE. YOU TELL IN HOW MUCH YOU ENJOY WHAT YOU. DO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I COULD WATCH YOU ALL DAY.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, IN ANOTHER LIFE COME BACK AS A TEACHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GOD KNOWS. WE NEED THEM. I COULD SEAT IN YOUR CLASS ROOM ALL DAY WATCHING YOU........... THANK YOU. JUNKMANDO
Man do I love this channel. It's so laid back and friendly but entertaining and educational at the same time.
Please just stay like this.
I love the channel and vids I have a nice tools selection at hand I and still love these simple smithing vids btw when I'm making cooking utensils I use coconut oil to finish them its works great and no nastiness lol
Well done!
On a side note.. JPW is not food grade and has nasty chemicals in it.
Thanks for the video...
Essential Craftsman have always used beeswax myself🔥
shadowcastre my thoughts exactly I’ve had good results with canola oil
It was really great to see you layout the basic tools and then actually build something with them. Your channel has so much authenticity. Thanks for the great content. I'm looking forward to more 'beginning blacksmithing' videos.
I enjoyed your use of the phrase “something to smite the steel with”.
I'm writing a fantasy novel and one of my characters is a blacksmith. Doing research so I can accurately represent :)
(Translation: I am procrastinating)
Great video. Greetings from Bend!
i started with a campfire and a leaf-blower using a piece of railroad track on the ground as an anvil when i was 12, that was four years ago. Now i am a knife maker/blacksmith and i know what i will be doing for the rest of my life. love the videos kids these days have it easy i didn't use the internet until i was 14, take advantage of the wisdom on the internet
This is what makes this channel SOOO good simple ways to do things with out a lot of money and the information to do the work and how. Plus all the other information to do big jobs as well. Thank you Scott for all you do. GOD bless.
ive been watching alec steel since i learned you do blacksmithing. i think you might like his channel. He's young and learning all the time and has good content. I know you are pretty busy but you might check him out if you have time.
Oh wow brother you definitely should have used bee's wax for anything that is going to come in contact with food.. I don't think anyone likes petroleum flavored marshmallows. Good video otherwise.
:D
WD40......from a guy who hasn't graduated to coffee yet :0
@diver dave
Only 2 cans? I drink no less than 3.5 a day and 1 cup of bleach for a good detox cleaning of my lungs and arteries.
Don't forget the annual hot sulfuric acid shower. it really gets your skin clean. If it burns you know its working.
I have seen this method on Oprah once so you know its legit !....
@DarkShadowsX5
Followed your instructions to the letter. Now I’m a puddle of human goo. Please send help.
It is delicious. WD-40 tastes as sweet as it smells!
I nearly didn’t watch this one, and so glad I did. You captured perfectly what has always fascinated me about blacksmithing, and your eloquent delivery is always a joy to watch.
Scott what a skill person you are , not only to perform but also to reach people and the courage you give us to do , learn, and to become better .A lot of school should learn from you to teach and transfert knowledge to youth
Thanks
Serge ( from Mtl )
"You can do it with anything, I'm gonna use all my real equipment tho so suck it scrubs."
I think I’m gonna make me a marshmallow roasting sticks
As someone looking to get into blacksmithing on a shoestring budget, I can’t begin to tell you how important this info is.
You are a wholesome person. You've got a warm personality.
The C note is for fuel, right?
depends on what u use if u go out for a welding torch like that then yes but I have found I can get a 40lb bag of heating coal for around $5 a bag and mix that with lump charcoal and a hair dryer for air and I can melt steal
Where do you get a piece of Railroad track, legally?
a lot of old timer metal fabrication shops will have them mate, or some rail maintenance companies. they will cut you a piece for a 6 pack of beer no hassle.
You can use I beam cut offs, too. Almost any skyscraper site will have some.
My local scrapyard has literally tons of old railroad track, check a local scrapyard.
Bradley Thomas Dixon will ship you 1 foot of documented track with certification of ownership for 40 shipped
Cory Goff what would you estimate shipping to AZ
Thank you for you great videos. Figure I could post my costs since I have started this recently and still have the receipts. I see people complaining about your use of a torch not matching up to the $100 listed so I’ll list out my material costs for what I’ve spent at Lowe’s, in case it could help someone out. I did 2 of these marshmallow sticks to try and impress my girls mom for Christmas,.. verdict still out on that.
Estwing 40oz Steel BS Hammer - $17.98
4”x8”x16” cement block ($1.14 @ 6) - $6.84
Charcoal & lighter fluid - $14.87
4’ Steel stock ($4.49 @ 2) - $8.98
Welding gloves - $10.97
55 pound Anvil from Harbor Freight - $50
Vice Grips, Wire Brush, Extension Chord, old hair dryer - Free
Total Cost pre-tax - 109.64
Thank you again for your great content, you’ve inspired another young blacksmith if I can call myself that yet. I wish you the best of luck on your spec house, and have a merry Christmas.
I don't know though, maybe go with a candle holder next time? Haha.
A couple dozen fire bricks and an $8 heat gun from Harbor Freight makes a great furnace. A couple bags of stove coal and voila! A very good forge for less than a hundred bucks. I also picked up an anvil from Harbor Freight for $65. My heat gun blower was sitting in a junk box with a burned out element but they are always on sale for $8.99. It blows hard enough to make a "white hot" fire so forge welding is easy too. I learned basic blacksmithing as a youngster back in the 1950's when there was still a need for the craft in rural upstate NY. I do realize that burning coal is not environmentally sound but it is very effective for heating iron and steel. I use coal from a company that is cleaning up the mess left by Big Coal in the Pocono Mountains. So burning it may create some pollution but is very well offset by the reforestation in the Poconos.
21st comment
I love your videos
You are the Bob Ross of blacksmithing. Thank you for your supportive video
Wow Scott, simple,precise and easy to follow and doesn't frighten you from having a go, in fact makes you want to get up get dressed and jump right in, you won't know 'til you have a go.
To get out of metal shop 1 with a passing grade back in '89 we had to forge, harden, and temper a chisel. That chisel has to cut a 3/8 inch bolt. We did it with what you showed except our anvil was nicer than the one you used.
I forged a bolt down into a "knife" one day in my dad's shop, with a torch, a bench vise as an anvil and my old hammer. In fact the very first tool I had for my forge (which didn't exist at the time) was that rusty old ballpeen hammer that I shined up. I was so proud of that hammer, i remember taking it to school in my backpack.
When I moved out on my own I came up on a piece of railroad iron that would be my first anvil. I spent two nights after work grinding and grinding on it until I had a horn, a heel and an anvil shaped waist in my rail track. I mounted it on a stump with rail spikes and sunk the stump into an out of the way place in my driveway.
My next piece of equipment was a gas forge that I built from an old air tank. I cracked it open and lined it with ceramic wool and refractory cement, and installed a burner I found on ebay. That forge cost me $300 to build.
For Christmas one year I got a half dozen hammers to add to my collection, and I lurked around ebay until I was able to find a small 3" post vise I could afford. Probably $150.
I still use all of that same equipment, however today, after three years of using my poor boy equipment I finally saved up and made a purchase on my first real anvil. I bought a new Peddinghaus anvil that I am eagerly awaiting in the mail!
This is all to say that if someone is out there, and they have been dreaming of starting their own forge, I say DO IT! Start today. Work some extra hours at your day job, go shovel some driveways and save every penny you have. Don't wait until you can find the perfect tools or the best you can hope to have. Start with whatever you can, even if it isn't enough to actually make anything.
I started with just a hammer, and it is still my favorite hammer to use today.
Finally, a channel focus on metalworks.
I’ve been interested in black smithing for years. I finally took the plunge and bought a cheap forge, anvil and a good pair of gloves.
I just dug a hole in the ground big enough for large knives, dug a trough at an angle for a 1inch pipe for my air going to the bottom, lined it with some regular red brick and boom. Works like a charm. You can dig a bigger horizonstal trench in the ground and accomplish the same thing. make it a brick or two deep, dig a trough through the center of it for a 1inch pipe with holes drilled into it every inch or so for even air flow , cap off the pipe at the end, fill it up and start it. Made both of my forges from junk.
That's pretty badass. Understated, direct, clean.
Any chance to bend metal is a good one -- wonderful topic. I was lucky to find blacksmithing equipment cheap on Craig's list, but not putting it all to use yet. Mostly still using the MAP cylinder and bench vise for the little bendy/twisty needs - so it sure works. Always love your down to earth videos !!
After being recommended this for over a year, I’m finally indulging. May I finally die with a clear conscience now.
Another double E video, educational, and entertaining, plus all at a level that my grandson can enjoy and understand!
I started out just making a setup to melt aluminum canes and eventually moved up once I learned what I could do I have gotten most of my stuff from rummage sales $10 for a chunk of rail road track, $5 for a nice blacksmith hammer or 4 and I have a forge made of a old lawn mower deck a cast iron pan, pipe, and a hair dryer sitting on old bricks from a chimney. it runs off anything from fresh wood, charcoal to heating coal I am still just starting out but if you look you can find great things for really cheap even managed to pick up a 50lb anvil for $80 from a guy at work.
This is great. I enjoy watching blacksmithing videos but figured it was out of reach. Thanks for putting it into perspective!
A small campfire fanned with a stiff piece of cardboard or sheet metal actually works pretty well for heating small pieces. It can be made much more efficient by forming a small diameter trench or tunnel with one end opening in the heart of the fire and fanning air into the other end.
Something that works surprisingly well is a simple bag bellows like the primitives use. It can be made from an ordinary paper grocery sack or pet food bag, a couple of sticks to open and close the mouth, a brick or rock inside to hold it in place, and a cardboard or metal tube to lead the air into the tunnel to the base of the fire. Once the knack of opening and closing and pumping the bag correctly is learned, it is not difficult to bring steel up to welding heat. Two bags - one for each hand - can be used for more heat and larger pieces. It's a lot less nerve wracking than listening to a hair dryer, shop vac, or leaf blower - and requires no electricity.
The quote about crafting simplicity and elegance in art that stuck with me was from Mr. Regular, as he poked fun at his own creative process. He said something like, "I know that I'm using a whole bunch of extra words to say this, and I'm sorry for that, but I'm writing like this because I don't have the time to edit this into less words."
Ironically long for a quote about brevity, but it reflects the unseen time and effort that go into making a finished product
This project actually makes me want to start blacksmithing. I've always been interested in knife making and thought that the starter trinkets were boring and useless, but I could use one of those and test out heat treat methods on those as well
Damn this video got recommended to me at the right time me and my friends are going to set up a area where we blacksmith and all that stuff
Less is more. I had an art teacher who would creep up behind me as I was drawing and he’d yell, “Stop!” He’d often tell me, “With you, my job is to stop you before you ruin it.”
Stuff like this could come in handy for woodworkers, Making your own blades is one example.
Good luck, on the Path!
Love it - don't know why you're not on national tv - PBS maybe, right before This Old House on Saturday mornings :)
This may be the video I look back on as the thing that launched my blacksmithing hobby. Thank you for, after watching many of your vids, making me finally say, “aww hell even I can do that!”
Ive always been drawn to smithing and ive been thinking of a future where i own some land out of town where i can build a shed and build a coal forge and smith away. Never did i think of just using a handheld torch to heat the steel. When i find the motivation to try something i wont be good at straight away and when i feel like annoying my neighbours im gonna try this and find out if i love it as much as ive dreamed about.
On the topic of blacksmiths on the cheep. I started with an old wheel rim forge, a 10lb anvil which was 5$ used, a normal hammer, and a blow dryer (from second hand store) as bellows for homemade charcoal(made in a burn barrel). Cost about 11$ and then i spent another $20 later to put some concrete in the wheel rim with some fittings for air flow.
I'm watching in Manchester, England, and just wanted to say i only just discovered your wonderful videos. They are great and i can't think of a thing that would improve them....except more of them please! Take it easy.
Thanks for that video ... it shows the simplicity of this good old but mostly forgotten craftsmanship.
The best blacksmith explanation,good job.
Those fast-forward taps in my earphones was also great insight into how horrible the noise is.
This takes me back. I first started smithing using one of those chiminea fireplaces and osage orange for a forge and a 10 lbs sledgehammer head for an anvil.
I actually think I might try this. I have always been one for thinking I needed space and money to start, thanks for taking the time to open it up for me.
You make it look easy the sign of a real craftsman Thanks for taking us along.