cheap smithing supplies (around Coatseville)

[dtownknifekid]

since i'm planning to get into knife forging i was wondering where i could find cheap smithing supplies. Do you know of any scrapyards around Coatseville PA where i could find material to make an improvised anvil and forge? Any websites where i can buy cheap supplies? I want to keep the cost under $200 but $300 is acceptable.

 

[son_of_bluegrass]

Start checking farm auctions and estate sales. Find your local ABANA chapter (Artist Blacksmith Assn of North America), group members may have extras or know where to get 'em. If you're willing and able some (many) bits and pieces can be made (more time than money). Iforgeiron.com has a plueprints section with lots of plans.

I made my forge from an old weber bbq grill. (A local guy finds this ironic as according to him the origional grill were converted from unused rivit forges. Ah the cycle of life.) I put a hole in the side for an air pipe (don't use galvanized). Consider the pipe expendable unless you want to go to the trouble of making it water jacketed. I lined the insides with wood ash (many possibilities for lining material), leaving a depression for the fire pot. I set it up so the air pipe sits an inch or 2 above the bottom of the hole and 3 or so from the top. All you need is an air source for a suitable forge.

If you don't mind working from the ground, a fire pit can be dug in the ground and a pipe run into the fire for air makes a trench forge.

ron

 

[J.McDonald Knives]

i have heard of a round forge being lined with only fire bricks. the guy did the math to find the right angle to cut each piece. im sure it can be done alot easier with soft fire brick (insulating brick) but would work better with hard fire brick. to make the floor flat just take an equal amount of clay kitty litter and satanite (you can get it from Darren Ellis http://refractory.elliscustomknifeworks.com/ ) and mix it up before adding the water and just build a platform with it. you can also purchase a venturi burner from Darren or make one yourself. you can also make a one brick forge. go pickup $50 Knife Shop by Wayne Goddard. he tells you different ways to make a forge. for the anvil you can just pickup a piece of an I-beam or a railroad track piece. you could even take a big piece of steel that is perfectly flat on one end and take the other end and put it in a 5 gallon bucket and pour cement around it. you can make an anvil out of alot of things with any budget. for steel you can use a leaf spring, saw blade, and many other types of items. Wayne explains things alot better. hope this helps. first step tho is to pickup $50 Knife Shop and read it.