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How do i start a cheap forge?

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Sammakesbows:
Im looking to find a way to start a forge for dirt cheap. Where can i get fuel? What type? My parents will probably not let me but considering the scrap metal we have lying around, materials wouldn't be an issue, so why not ask?

willie:
coal? and some way to blow air into a pipe like an old thrift store vacum cleaner?

mullet:
There are lots of videos on YouTube.

Hawkdancer:
Get them to watching "Forged in Fire" on tv, either History or Discovery channel, I think.  Some of the other guys can tell you about making a starter forge.  Get some training!
Hawkdancer

Mr. Woolery:
There are several cheap ways to make a forge. The easiest may be the box of dirt. I’ll look for the Torbjorn Ahman video later if I can remember.

But there’s something more important. Knowledge. I see guys on FB groups proudly showing off some awful and nasty banged up metal and thinking they will be going pro soon. Watching YouTube, they find channels that feed this idea.

Don’t be one of these guys, please.

Find out if your area has a folk school that offers blacksmithing classes. Check for local blacksmithing organizations. Ask about beginner classes.

I thought $140 was a lot to pay for a 2 hour class. But it trimmed so much off my learning curve. It is a really good investment. If the teacher is competent, you will learn proper form so you don’t trash your shoulder and wrist with bad technique. You’ll learn the basics of efficient forging. A beginner class will make your life so much simpler it is silly to not do it if you possibly can. You can request it as a birthday present, maybe.

More important than the forge is an anvil of some sort. I used a hunk of railroad track for a year. It works.

I use a propane forge made of two soft fire bricks. Remember, soft. The hard ones (the easy ones to find) don’t insulate. My burner is a plumbers torch. Mine is the large pencil tip Mag Torch. All told, not counting the tank, I think this cost me about $30. I’ve built a bigger, hotter forge. But I use the little one for 90% of what I do.

Patrick

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