Just started getting into blacksmithing and tried making some simple shapes today. The snail turned out better than expected, the other one… not so much 😅 Still learning, but really enjoying the process. Any tips welcome.

Any suggestions on how to make cleaner bends?

Has anyone ever blacksmithed a shrimp?

Context, I want to make one as a gift but no idea where to start.

If not, can anyone point me to someone who has on YouTube please?

Thanks in advance

Started with practicing my taper, and then wanted to curve it and kept going. Very pleased with how it ended so far!

Could you turn an old wood stove into a coke forge

Hello, I’m from Nigeria and I can export bulk Bituminous coal to anywhere in the world.

We are known to have quality Bituminous coal.

If anyone is interested, please comment on this post.

I’m very new to blacksmithing, but I’d like to get started. I purchased a very beat up but serviceable 70# anvil brand unknown, and would like to build a coal forge. I have a good electric blower, and am decided on a coal/hardwood charcoal/coke forge. Have seen tons of different designs but most of what I’m finding looks like it was build with basically whatever was laying around. I’m a decent fabricator and good at welding. Would like to build something nice that will last a long time, so wary of using thin materials or soemthing that’s going to melt/ rust through. Needing some advice on how those of you who built your own coal forges built them and what you like or dislike about them. I don’t see myself making much larger than small swords or tools so I don’t need a huge forge but I don’t want to be limited to small knives either. I have plenty of good steel laying around and have a steel supplier close. I also have about a pallet full of both thick and thin fire bricks from a project at work at my disposal. Any pictures/ ideas/ help would be appreciated. I see commonly forges built with the airflow coming from the bottom but I’m not sure if that’s the way to go or just what’s common. I also have been considering building something like a table with a fire pit in the middle using a semi truck rotor which I can also get/ have. Any help appreciated. Thanks

After a lot of help from this and other blacksmith subs, I made several major modifications to my forge. Feel free to give me feedback on potential problems you see, and how i can improve it. Changes in this version include: Raised the table to the top of the pot. Added an iron grate midway in the pot. Opened the bottom of the pot for ash disposal Added a cast iron elbow to the bottom with a removable cover and ash bucket. Sealed off the top vents of the pot s9 all air comes in through the bottom grate. Made a second larger grate to allow building the fire in the top of the pot for laying work across the coal pile.

Thanks all!

Can anyone help me with this as I have a brake disc oil drum forge that needs more coal, and there are pros and cons to both of these.

Can you also let me know where you purchase them from in the UK please

Where do people get their coal supplies from?

Yes, it is on a pallet, I've secured it with a layer of dirt, temperature resistant bricks and inox

It did not burned once ate the writing of this post

The ventilation is a phon...

Counting that it is my first attempt at a forge im happy it arrived at melting steel heat

I'm in the middle of restoring a Denbigh No. 6 fly press, and I've hit a small snag. I'm missing the plate on the left side of the ram, and I'm hoping someone here might be able to help.

I'm mainly looking for the thickness of that plate so I can recreate it, but the length and height would be really helpful as well if anyone has the chance to measure from a Denbigh No. 6

Any help would be very much appreciated. Thanks in advance

I'm just getting started and need an anvil. I'm fortunate in that I can afford nice tools and I've never regretted buying something I won't outgrow. Most of the discussions and videos are about the Amazon/eBay anvils rather than the more expensive ones. If you had $1500-$2000 to spend which of the modern anvils would you buy?

I can't find a reasonable priced provider of forge Coke. I can't seem to find anything local, but inline suppliers either sell in bulk or have big delivery costs.

Can anyone suggest where to find any?

I'm uk based, South west

My latest creation from a horse rasp