Just wanted to say that from a researcher's perspective, your videos are wonderful! I'm researching for a book in which a character is a blacksmith in a medieval period. Your videos have been invaluable as a resource. Thank you!
9 year since I looked at this video and I’m still forging, have my own shop in my garage for 2 years. It is more of a hobby for me but I really enjoy it. Thanks for all the great videos it was really inspiring for me.
+PONYBOYonline How many iron daggers can Riverwood go through to warrant making so many? I mean there's like ten people there. Surely they don't lose them that fast?
@Apentogo Can you show those anvils? I'd love to see them! Also, you could try selling on etsy. Custom stuff might sell pretty well along with some other basic items.
What you say about glasses is the greatest idea you can give anyone, and everyone should adhere to what he said. I have welded since I was 17 years old and I am now 61. About three months ago, I got something in my left eye and as I had always done, I kept trying to wash it out and didn't go to the eye doctor until it was withing hours of me loosing that eye but thanks to The Good Lord, I found two of the best eye doctors a man could find. Yet I am still going to see them. I went this Wednesday and need to go back again in 30 days but that was the first time it had been that far between visits. For the first complete month I went every single day, so please do as the man says and wear eye protection. As far as the anvil goes, I too am a great fan of a piece of railroad track. A me a gave me a bit over four feet which I cut with an arc gouger where the top section was about 6" longer than the bottom section. I ten cut the top part of the rail off the bottom part of it about 3/4" from the bottom of the wider top section and shaped it down to a V, except for about a 1/2" flat on it. After shaping it to look somewhat like a real anvil, I put both pieces into our regular kitchen oven for about four hours so that it would get to the same tepmerature through out efore I started welding it. It took a good part of a 50 Lb. box of 3'16" welding rods to weld that thing out as well as several hours also. But the end product was well worth the trouble. One man offered me a thousand dollars for it and I would have sold it if I'd had another piece of track to make me another one. Many people have offered me several hundred dollars, but what can I say. She is a one of a kind. I welded it to a 4" x 4" x 1/4" wall box tubing which is welded to a 16" steel truck wheel. I have done a lot of fabricating things on that thing in the last 20 or 25 years.
Thank you sir, great videos, good sense of humor as well. I just started blacksmithing a few months ago. I built a nice coal fired forge that doubles for a pig roaster. Thanks for the instruction, hope you keep up on the videos. This is a lost art and there are very few teachers.
madwilliamflint an update (not that anyone's paying attention) I found an anvil in November. Life (and winter) got in the way. But I built my brake drum forge last Saturday and have made myself a couple little forge tools. *\o/*
dude awesome video....very inspiring. I'm 30yrs old been a welder for the past 11 years and know my way around steel. wanted to get into knife making now for about the past 5 years. got my railroad track anvil a pluthra of different size hammers and a few vice claps to improv as rings. just aquired some 5/8 thick leaf spring steel and plan on slappin a brick forge together in the yard tomorrow. I think I've done enough studying and reading up that i might just be able to pound something with an edge out hahaha
This man kept directing his instructions to quote=you guys. Well I am a 65 year old grandmother born and raised in West Virginia and believe in not limiting anyone who wants to learn so blacksmithing women can do too. My grandfather was one who worked and highly skilled at it in Alloy West Virginia. There is nothing I have not repaired to help my family from sweating pipes, roofing, canning and on and on but doing genealogy I want to do some blacksmithing to learn the trade my grandfather had. I have the hammer he used with his name stamped on it and gave to my son to pass down to my grandson. Thanks for the video.
I was looking at anvils online today. I saw a company out of North Bay Ontario selling them for $2500. I am glad my brother shoes horses for a living, he has a couple good anvils I can get.
I'm 17 and I honestly never thought about this until my friends started welding while building a go kart, I immediately wanted to start black smithing and building knives. I think this would just be an awesome hobby to start at my age! Please keep makeing videos like this for us newbies.
Fawxy12s Channel it really just bothered me lol like that's not always the reason why you can't do something. Idk, maybe I'm tired of people blaming literally everything on "that damn computer".
Great vid sir, much respect to you. When I started off I actually used the head of a sledge like you suggested lol. Its alot of work but you do feel a great sense of pride when you create something with your own sweat and hard work. And I love that feeling when someone genuinely appreciates one of my creations.
Your not wearing your glasses in this video Danggit haha! all jokes aside. Thanks for this video. Was good and motivational. I gotta stop playing with toys and my computer and get out there.
You my friend have just made me become a blacksmith right this minute, im 24, a joiner/carpenter from England, we don't really have blacksmiths and for some strange reason. the past year all ive thought about is being a blacksmith, the time effort passion love that you put into it is what i adore, im somewhat a perfectionist which makes things tricky but in the end it pays off. thank you for the video of positive thinking
Thanks. Love the straight talk. Just got my hands on a railroad track. Next is the forge. Where can you get actual coal? Safety glasses are a MUST WEAR. Got a piece of steel in my eye early this year. Had to be removed and the rust had to be drilled out. yikes.
Dear sir I have been a welder for two years and seeing all I have through the men and women I have met can and have amazed my childhood self. I paid the price for some dust from sparks today cutting as I was overconfident washed it out. I got lucky. I have become a God fearing hard working man. I watched this and the so you want to be a welder video and am very grateful. Thank you very much.
Enjoyed watching the clip/video. I am a female welder, have been Mig, tig, ali and MMA welding for 15 years now. Everywhere I have worked I have always been the only girl. But I do love my job and am currently in the process of building a brake drum forge as I think this will take me to the next level in creativity as I do my day job welding and building conveyors, prefer doing my own stuff from up-cycled motorbike art.Will follow the clips. Thankyou.
Sometimes we must go back to the old original ways of working metal as a means of better understanding how to work such material. These experiences can teach so many to be thankful for all the more modern technology and tools to work metal today! I too,am seeking to give this sort of stuff a good shot just for an extra thing to do off the side because there's never really anything to do out where I live,so it never hurts to not only be busy,but also allow one's sense of creativity play a role in helping out as well!
just setup my Forge and all the necessities, I started making a knife out of the old railroad spike today. Absolutely loving it your channel is fantastic thanks for the inspiration
Great video sir. I was grinding slits in my break drum and caught my first(hopefully last) piece of metal in my eye yesterday. I then told myself no more with out glasses. I am happy I did not blink and held my eye open till I got to a mirror.
hey thanks i ended up making a forge out of an old gas grill that the insides started to rot away. after i watched this video i decided i was just gonna improvise everything and see where it got me. i decided to make a knife out of an old crescent wrench took a day of forging to forge weld the crescent together and get a decent shape, Another day of filing. now its ready to be hardened, sanded and sharpened, it ain't the prettiest thing out there but its solid and will make a good shop knife. What had held me back for the longest time was the anvil i ended up doing just what you said with the sledge head and it works great as a striking anvil, ive been using a small bit of ibeam as a straight edge. i dont wail on that or it would bend but a couple taps when its hot straightens things right out. I just wanted to thank you again for the motivation. Now just gonna upgrade things as i can afford it.
My Boy Scout leader at a camp almost got killed by a sycopathic kid wit a axe and a cast iron skillet thankfully he only had a bruise that kid is now in jail for 2accounts of murder
Sorry for the late reply! Here's a link to a bunch of different tips on making things quieter. Not sure what brand my magnet is, it was a hand-me-down. www.bladesmithsforum.com/index.php?showtopic=23941
I know this is an old video, but you laid it out and explained things very well. Straight to the point. I learned a few things and will watch more to see what else I can pick up. I watched this video multiple times. 👍🏻
I like how he called the "little maul" a two and a half pound hammer, but said a smaller guy should get a forty ounce (two and a half pound) hammer instead.
Christopher Lien Learn about rotational inertia. A longer piece like the “mini maul” is harder to start and stop than a more compact piece like a normal hammer. At least, I assume that’s the case. If that is correct, then the mini maul would take more effort to swing but also pack a bigger punch, even though it’s the same mass.
Thanks for this, I started Medieval Reenactment about a year ago and we don't really have a smith in the group, And I was Thinking about doing some arrow heads. and maybe a few knifes. You have pretty much told me I already have everything I need to get started. So Thank you for that, and Thumbs up for safety, not all the other channels I have been on have mentioned that.
Thank you for this video, I am a city boy and just started looking at this blacksmith stuff and fell in love with it. Thank you for this video I thought I would have to spend tons of money to start. Great Video and to HELL with anyone that would thumb down this video.
Theres some old railway line out behind my place, but the smallest piece is about 5 feet... I think, i haven't really checked it out... I don't have a plasma cutter or an oxy-acetylene torch and definitely wouldn't wanna try and cut it with a hacksaw, any ideas?
Jack Northwayss Lol I went through the absolute hell of cutting my anvil out with a grinder. (it really wasn't that bad took me six hours though and 3 wheels)
Thx for the vid. Regarding the glasses: I took a 3-month blacksmith course last year, and I was the only one who consistently wore safety glasses. A pain in the ass, true, but I was probably the only guy to have cut his iris open with a wire once. I chose to learn from that and know that you don't have to feel the same pain to learn from others' mistakes.
I watched a bunch of your videos. Just wanted to let you know that I have been inspired and I have built 2 railroad knives. And I just built a forge this weekend. I will get coal for it this week and twest it out this comming weekend. I will keep you updated on my progeress. Thank you and God Bless you.
+Alex sharpe brother let me tell you, im 32 years old, im a tractor mechanic, and do some metal working as well in my shop. im not rich but i have peace of mind and im completly happy. 3 kids and wife as well. i guess my point is do what makes you happy deep inside, your gonna be a better man because of it, but for now listen your your mom. hang in there it does get better
Money does not matter, it's used to pay for essentials, any extra just buys happiness, so if you're making 35k as a blacksmith don't what you love, you're going to be happy, and much happier than stuck in a job you hate because it pays more than you're going to spend
Thank you very much for making this video. I have been looking into starting blacksmithing for years now and could never find a straight forward bit of advice. Thank you for this clear and concise information, it has been more help to me on the subject then anything else has in the past 5 plus year. Also I would never have thought of using an old sledgehammer head for a makeshift anvil, that should save me a bundle while I practice some basics.
I just wanted to say thank you, Ive been researching for about a week trying to find some decent videos on blacksmithing and yours are by far the best and most informative that ive found :)
I used a 12 inches of I beam and its been working great I've even left it out In the elements for about a year and a half and its got a nice patina on it and it been the best anvil I've tried so far
thanks for the video, me and my son are about to start, going to weld up a brake drum forge Friday and trying to gather up tools. I think what you said about the HF anvil is great advice I was about to buy one. I'll check out your other videos
i would just like to say, great video brother. it is nice seeing others reaching out to novices. I've been smithing for over three years now, worked at Sloss Furnaces in Alabama, and am a member of the Alabama forge council, and i still smile and chuckle a little whenever anybody says that they want to be a blacksmith. it's a hard life, but it is doable. Remember folks, respect to be respected! i respect the heck outta this guy! :) happy heating!
Thanks for the video, and encouragement! I'm attempting to make a knife for my dad, using an axle shaft from a '79 F-150. The safety glasses are a major plus point
+Athena Gabbard I took a 3-month blacksmith course in Nelson BC and most of the participants were women. And most were better smiths than I. Check it out if you like. Lots of fun.
Then be a blacksmith, if you make good work people will want it, assuming you want to make some money from this, if not then it's just a hobby and it doesn't really matter if you're good at it. If you want it enough to pursue it, then that's what was meant to be, if not, then it wasn't.
Athena Gabbard theres nothing wrong with that. im sure theres plenty of smiths that would love to see a woman do it just to prove its not just a mans hobby.
Great vid, and always, I mean always wear safety glasses... I am guilty just like the rest of us, but I happen to know a guy who lost an eye from a projectile piece of chisel. He regrets not wearing glasses everyday. Also, and just as valuable of a tip, do not beat on a chisel that is cracked, chipped or mushroomed. Reshape them, or get some new ones. That little tip will save you an eyeball.
Fearless1441 What? Obviously you can, why you should not be able too just being a woman? He didn't mention any gender restrictions. Are you people completely stupid?
i am 16 and i just started blacksmithing and i am loving it, my friends call me crazy for swining a hamer all day instead of playing videogames but when i showed my first knife they all wanted me to teach them and start blacksmithing to bad none of them continued
Thank you for helping me with blacksmithing i always wanted to do it but now yesterday i just bought a regular drop forged steel hammer and this other hammer and they work fine!!!!
Man, thanks for all the advice. Me and my firends, We're starting ASAP. Its not as easy to find the proper tools here in Brazil, but we're not letting that stop us.
One of the best intro to blacksmithing books out there is by a female smith. The Backyard Blacksmithing by Lorelei Sims. Worth buying if you can't find it at the library. Covers all the basics and has great photos.
Hey Man! I really dig this video. You have a great personality and I'll bet you're a good teacher. I appreciate the tips. I also think it's great you advocate the use of glasses. I've got many years serving as a first responder at the shop I work and and am all too familiar with rust flake sneaking past the glasses. I can't imagine a hot piece of slag jumping in there. Keep it up! I'll be checking out your other videos!
modernblacksmith Great tips! Subscribing to your channel. Ever since the day I figured out what a sword was as a kid, I've wanted to try out blacksmithing. Never wanted to bother my dad in helping me get started when I was young, and since I've been on my own in different apartments I've never had a yard or garage to use as a shop, lol. I think where I live now might have just enough yard space to try it out though. Just need to find me an anvil... They are so difficult to find here, unless you pay a load of money to buy one.
Awesome video man. Been watching knife making video's lately and really wanting to try but all those guys have tons of tools, machines they use, thanks for showing you really don't need all that. Gonna give it a try
My grandfather was the blacksmith in a small town . He's below is in the museuem vor there . A massive contraption that was handmade in England . And I have a burning sensation to take this up as a fulltime hobby . But things are difficult right now . I am prepared to start with nothing but I need the space .
Nice video, I remember that I used a sledge hammer head. Remembering the trouble of finding good stuff. But I'm a great example that it is possible to for young people to find good stuff, I think. As long as you are willing and put enough energy in it, and you have to remember, good tools cost a fair amount of money, but it will be up to the job! As for the S-glasses, I'm going to consider that too.
i got a TBI few years back and have started working metal to help me get back to life!! i use part of a forklift fork for my anvil, as i get better i can now see that its not as hard as i would like but it has worked!! nice flat with sharp edges!! i have sold a few things to get more tools!! long ways to go but haveing a blast!!
5:53 to 6:07... that hit home... been talking about doing it for years. Consuming any book and most videos I could get my eyes on readily... This bit of advice rang true on every level.
Hey man... I'm just beginning, and this was actually really informative and helpful. I've made a couple of smaller blades and am building a power hammer to help me draw out steel so i can make a sword. I'm super pumped. I like what you said, that wherever it takes you will be positive. Right on, man.
Thank you so much for making this video! I would very much love to get started with all this, I've watched lots of videos, read a lot of articles and such on the topic; and I think that it will be an absolute blast! I love your wit, and I admire your spirit good sir :) Wish you happy smithing, and know that you got at least one aspiring young person to get out there and DO IT!!
I gave you a thumbs up! Because of the sledge hammer. Lol. I have a big bastard like that one in my garage and it's literally too big for anything I need. I guess I'll be using what you said. The sledgehammer as an anvil! Top video! I like how you improvise. Nice!!🙂👍👍👍
YOU CAN DO IT!! I know many female blacksmiths, it all about you. No one else's opinion matters. If you're passionate about it, and if you are driven, then you will succeed! Good luck!
this helped me start blacksmithing i'm pretty young but I got all my friends interested and he's right about glasses but don't forget gloves i was starting up my charcoal forge and a piece of charcoal that was burning hot and landed on my hand I now have the hole that it burned into my hand to remind me to wear gloves and kevlar sleeves
Hey Dude wear your glasses!! You a natural teacher. I have the ambition, I'm a multimedium artist ( I experience art through different meduims) I have been wasting my potential on 2d meduims I'm on a journey to create something I can hold. All I need is a fire some tools and a master to show the way. You showed me more in 5mins than most videos. Thank You
good luck big guy, remember everything you make at first is gonna suck, but after a few weeks you'll get it all figured out and start really making some cool things, have fun and be careful, you can get hurt bad or start a small fire if you're not too careful.
Blacksmithing has been on the back of my mind for several years now (im 22 atm)... watching your video just gets be excited to start trying it out for some reason xD
So I got a railroad track anvil, and a ghetto forge cobbled together from a hardened steel plate, bar stock walls and pipe legs. Airflow comes from a vaccum motor. Nice to have in a pinch, but I might make the switch to propane soon. Might wanna consider flattening out my anvil too...
About to start the long journey brother. Time to get my little shop set up. I will be checking out your channel alot and hopefully I can start hammering pretty soon. Cheers.
I really appreciate this video, thank you for being so encouraging. I'm just starting out and, already, loving it.Just trying to suck up any information and advice youtube has to offer. Thank you.
good advice but I've also found tongs can make or break you, a good set of tongs (several different types actually) are essential as you really need to be able to adequately hold your work well.
The anvil can be an old 3 foot tall safe we have in the yard(it's empty and has a hole cut in it)a hammer can be a big stone,tongs,i need to buy them,but the problem is like you pick up a lighter and the neighbors call a noise complaint(the fine for disturbing the peace is 700€)and a general lack of space
thank you for making this video, Im 12 and have been wanting to try this out for a couple of years now but never really have had a bunch of money, now I know what to get and not spend a fortune
Yes, in the bottom of my soul, i feel and i know - I WANT to be a blacksmith, making things and rebuild old items. I dream about it, and it's my life goal. Teach me master.
haha, I just bought my first anvil. Additionally, I was playing Xbox,when you said put down the video games I started busted out laughing. Lot of help, thank you
![[BLACKSMITH] Easy ways to forge hardy shanks with a friend.](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/fOBvuKqLEo8/mqdefault.jpg)
"So...you want to be a blacksmith?" Man I already like this guy.
Aaron Manning same he seems very humbe and nice
Aaron Manning im eleven years Old
Definitely. I was thinking I was in a real life video game like Skyrim. LoL
Just wanted to say that from a researcher's perspective, your videos are wonderful! I'm researching for a book in which a character is a blacksmith in a medieval period. Your videos have been invaluable as a resource. Thank you!
9 year since I looked at this video and I’m still forging, have my own shop in my garage for 2 years. It is more of a hobby for me but I really enjoy it. Thanks for all the great videos it was really inspiring for me.
Aww man thanks for the kind words, I never thought when that video was made it would spin off into so much more
All you need is some leather strips and iron ingots, and you can be a blacksmith in less than a day.
don't suppose you'd enchant my sword? dull old blade can barely cut butter.
+PONYBOYonline How many iron daggers can Riverwood go through to warrant making so many? I mean there's like ten people there. Surely they don't lose them that fast?
+PONYBOYonline I used to be an adventurer like you, then a took an overused meme to the knee.
+Andrew Pauly either the butters frozen or your a skydoesminecraft fanboy....
+Taylor Kingct lol you do know what that phrase his from right?
I enjoyed the part about getting off of our computers and just getting started.
so relevant to me rn
I haven't blinked in over 40 minutes
Steve Long
He knows we play Runescspe. HE KNOWS!
@Apentogo Two years ago now. How's it going it with blacksmithing?
@Apentogo Can you show those anvils? I'd love to see them! Also, you could try selling on etsy. Custom stuff might sell pretty well along with some other basic items.
What you say about glasses is the greatest idea you can give anyone, and everyone should adhere to what he said.
I have welded since I was 17 years old and I am now 61.
About three months ago, I got something in my left eye and as I had always done, I kept trying to wash it out and didn't go to the eye doctor until it was withing hours of me loosing that eye but thanks to The Good Lord, I found two of the best eye doctors a man could find.
Yet I am still going to see them. I went this Wednesday and need to go back again in 30 days but that was the first time it had been that far between visits.
For the first complete month I went every single day, so please do as the man says and wear eye protection.
As far as the anvil goes, I too am a great fan of a piece of railroad track.
A me a gave me a bit over four feet which I cut with an arc gouger where the top section was about 6" longer than the bottom section.
I ten cut the top part of the rail off the bottom part of it about 3/4" from the bottom of the wider top section and shaped it down to a V, except for about a 1/2" flat on it.
After shaping it to look somewhat like a real anvil, I put both pieces into our regular kitchen oven for about four hours so that it would get to the same tepmerature through out efore I started welding it.
It took a good part of a 50 Lb. box of 3'16" welding rods to weld that thing out as well as several hours also.
But the end product was well worth the trouble.
One man offered me a thousand dollars for it and I would have sold it if I'd had another piece of track to make me another one. Many people have offered me several hundred dollars, but what can I say. She is a one of a kind. I welded it to a 4" x 4" x 1/4" wall box tubing which is welded to a 16" steel truck wheel.
I have done a lot of fabricating things on that thing in the last 20 or 25 years.
+stephanie phillips
I was registered wrong here. I am Dennis Phillips, Steph's husband.
Thank you sir, great videos, good sense of humor as well. I just started blacksmithing a few months ago. I built a nice coal fired forge that doubles for a pig roaster. Thanks for the instruction, hope you keep up on the videos. This is a lost art and there are very few teachers.
Dude, your a legend! This summer when my life is less hectic I'm going to take your advice and let the good times roll!
Much respect to you man!
THAT'S IT! Making a shopping list. Off to craigslist, see if I can find an anvil.
madwilliamflint an update (not that anyone's paying attention) I found an anvil in November. Life (and winter) got in the way. But I built my brake drum forge last Saturday and have made myself a couple little forge tools. *\o/*
madwilliamflint Nice! As soon as I live on my own, i'll get into blacksmithing too
thingman100
It's... awesome. I've ruined a LOT of rebar. But I'm having such a blast doing it.
+madwilliamflint Fuck that, I'm going to MAKE one. Once the railroad will allow me to buy a segment.
dude awesome video....very inspiring. I'm 30yrs old been a welder for the past 11 years and know my way around steel. wanted to get into knife making now for about the past 5 years. got my railroad track anvil a pluthra of different size hammers and a few vice claps to improv as rings. just aquired some 5/8 thick leaf spring steel and plan on slappin a brick forge together in the yard tomorrow. I think I've done enough studying and reading up that i might just be able to pound something with an edge out hahaha
This man kept directing his instructions to quote=you guys. Well I am a 65 year old grandmother born and raised in West Virginia and believe in not limiting anyone who wants to learn so blacksmithing women can do too. My grandfather was one who worked and highly skilled at it in Alloy West Virginia. There is nothing I have not repaired to help my family from sweating pipes, roofing, canning and on and on but doing genealogy I want to do some blacksmithing to learn the trade my grandfather had. I have the hammer he used with his name stamped on it and gave to my son to pass down to my grandson. Thanks for the video.
You guys = you people, it's just a term to describe people not one particular sex.
what a feminazi
Blood from the last guy who gave you a thumbs down... LOL
This had good info, thanks!
I was looking at anvils online today. I saw a company out of North Bay Ontario selling them for $2500. I am glad my brother shoes horses for a living, he has a couple good anvils I can get.
i live in north bay and have been looking for an anvil, what company was it that produces them?
I'm 17 and I honestly never thought about this until my friends started welding while building a go kart, I immediately wanted to start black smithing and building knives. I think this would just be an awesome hobby to start at my age! Please keep makeing videos like this for us newbies.
The whole "stop playing on your computer" thing really hit home. Gotta get off this stupid thing. I'm eager to start!
im in the same way now that i have my own space to work
Fawxy12s Channel it really just bothered me lol like that's not always the reason why you can't do something. Idk, maybe I'm tired of people blaming literally everything on "that damn computer".
Great vid sir, much respect to you. When I started off I actually used the head of a sledge like you suggested lol. Its alot of work but you do feel a great sense of pride when you create something with your own sweat and hard work. And I love that feeling when someone genuinely appreciates one of my creations.
Your not wearing your glasses in this video Danggit haha! all jokes aside.
Thanks for this video. Was good and motivational. I gotta stop playing with toys and my computer and get out there.
You my friend have just made me become a blacksmith right this minute, im 24, a joiner/carpenter from England, we don't really have blacksmiths and for some strange reason. the past year all ive thought about is being a blacksmith, the time effort passion love that you put into it is what i adore, im somewhat a perfectionist which makes things tricky but in the end it pays off. thank you for the video of positive thinking
Thanks. Love the straight talk. Just got my hands on a railroad track. Next is the forge. Where can you get actual coal? Safety glasses are a MUST WEAR. Got a piece of steel in my eye early this year. Had to be removed and the rust had to be drilled out. yikes.
best bet is to find a local club/guild
Use propane.
If you have a local hardware store, most carry smithing coal, but you have to ask, as obviously it’s not a common selling item
Dear sir I have been a welder for two years and seeing all I have through the men and women I have met can and have amazed my childhood self. I paid the price for some dust from sparks today cutting as I was overconfident washed it out. I got lucky. I have become a God fearing hard working man. I watched this and the so you want to be a welder video and am very grateful. Thank you very much.
Enjoyed watching the clip/video. I am a female welder, have been Mig, tig, ali and MMA welding for 15 years now. Everywhere I have worked I have always been the only girl. But I do love my job and am currently in the process of building a brake drum forge as I think this will take me to the next level in creativity as I do my day job welding and building conveyors, prefer doing my own stuff from up-cycled motorbike art.Will follow the clips. Thankyou.
Sometimes we must go back to the old original ways of working metal as a means of better understanding how to work such material. These experiences can teach so many to be thankful for all the more modern technology and tools to work metal today! I too,am seeking to give this sort of stuff a good shot just for an extra thing to do off the side because there's never really anything to do out where I live,so it never hurts to not only be busy,but also allow one's sense of creativity play a role in helping out as well!
just setup my Forge and all the necessities, I started making a knife out of the old railroad spike today. Absolutely loving it your channel is fantastic thanks for the inspiration
man, i dont know why, but you Sir gave my a good feeling from first second on (y)
Great video sir. I was grinding slits in my break drum and caught my first(hopefully last) piece of metal in my eye yesterday. I then told myself no more with out glasses. I am happy I did not blink and held my eye open till I got to a mirror.
im watching this in 2015 almost 2016, and I am 21, and wanting to be a blacksmith. I love your videos Im learning a lot
Cool cool, why don't you share your blood type and horoscope with us too?
+syrenet XD
hey thanks i ended up making a forge out of an old gas grill that the insides started to rot away. after i watched this video i decided i was just gonna improvise everything and see where it got me. i decided to make a knife out of an old crescent wrench took a day of forging to forge weld the crescent together and get a decent shape, Another day of filing. now its ready to be hardened, sanded and sharpened, it ain't the prettiest thing out there but its solid and will make a good shop knife. What had held me back for the longest time was the anvil i ended up doing just what you said with the sledge head and it works great as a striking anvil, ive been using a small bit of ibeam as a straight edge. i dont wail on that or it would bend but a couple taps when its hot straightens things right out. I just wanted to thank you again for the motivation. Now just gonna upgrade things as i can afford it.
96 people have been hit by a sledgehammer
Joey Or need to be :)
***** More properly stated :-)
+TheChipmunk2008 think its more then 96 that need to be
My Boy Scout leader at a camp almost got killed by a sycopathic kid wit a axe and a cast iron skillet thankfully he only had a bruise that kid is now in jail for 2accounts of murder
Joey 204 now..
Awesome! And I quote: "You know what you need after that? A little ambition..." Well said... Well said! Thanks for a great video.
Put a strong magnet on the side of the anvil. It'll dampen the sound from the hitting, and prevent your neighbors from hating you.
Thanks, can you recommend a magnet?
Sorry for the late reply! Here's a link to a bunch of different tips on making things quieter. Not sure what brand my magnet is, it was a hand-me-down.
www.bladesmithsforum.com/index.php?showtopic=23941
***** simply chain around base and tip of horn works as well
Michael Kowalski best dang advice I've seen anywhere thanks
I know this is an old video, but you laid it out and explained things very well. Straight to the point. I learned a few things and will watch more to see what else I can pick up. I watched this video multiple times. 👍🏻
I like how he called the "little maul" a two and a half pound hammer, but said a smaller guy should get a forty ounce (two and a half pound) hammer instead.
Christopher Lien
Learn about rotational inertia. A longer piece like the “mini maul” is harder to start and stop than a more compact piece like a normal hammer. At least, I assume that’s the case. If that is correct, then the mini maul would take more effort to swing but also pack a bigger punch, even though it’s the same mass.
Well, in the blacksmithing business we say that no matter what size a person you are, you should still be able to swing at least a 2.5 lb hammer
Thanks for this, I started Medieval Reenactment about a year ago and we don't really have a smith in the group, And I was Thinking about doing some arrow heads. and maybe a few knifes. You have pretty much told me I already have everything I need to get started. So Thank you for that, and Thumbs up for safety, not all the other channels I have been on have mentioned that.
176 people died from the sledge hammer in this video
196 now
216 fools! (I'd like to track the rate at which these slayings have taken place based on the comments that state the dislike count)
kirbykane9 the spycrab 222 People now
That’s gonna be a lot of -blood- red paint.
Thank you for this video, I am a city boy and just started looking at this blacksmith stuff and fell in love with it. Thank you for this video I thought I would have to spend tons of money to start. Great Video and to HELL with anyone that would thumb down this video.
Haha "stop playing on the computer" made me smile. I need to look to see if there is a club in my area. I like your channel btw, keep up the good work
J Robitaille
I swear, he KNOWS that we took an interest in this because of Runescape!
@@redking36 haha yasssss but mine was cause of skyrim
man I can't think you enough this has really helped me go towards the right path on blacksmithing.
Theres some old railway line out behind my place, but the smallest piece is about 5 feet... I think, i haven't really checked it out... I don't have a plasma cutter or an oxy-acetylene torch and definitely wouldn't wanna try and cut it with a hacksaw, any ideas?
take it to your local welding shop and ask them how much to cut the rough shape you want with a torch, then do the finish work with your grinder
Jack Northwayss Lol I went through the absolute hell of cutting my anvil out with a grinder.
(it really wasn't that bad took me six hours though and 3 wheels)
+Jack “Goat” Northwayss 8 to 10 cut off blades and a good grinder time ,,
+Jack “Goat” Northwayss thermite. Pretty easy stuff to mix up.
just cut a little every day for a week with the hacksaw take a new blade every day!
Thx for the vid. Regarding the glasses: I took a 3-month blacksmith course last year, and I was the only one who consistently wore safety glasses. A pain in the ass, true, but I was probably the only guy to have cut his iris open with a wire once. I chose to learn from that and know that you don't have to feel the same pain to learn from others' mistakes.
I once wanted to be a blacksmith but I was too hammered to be any good at it.
Clever
NO
I watched a bunch of your videos. Just wanted to let you know that I have been inspired and I have built 2 railroad knives. And I just built a forge this weekend. I will get coal for it this week and twest it out this comming weekend. I will keep you updated on my progeress. Thank you and God Bless you.
Blood on the hammer from the last thumbs down😂😄😆
At 6 minutes, I knew you had your sh1t together. Smithing rocks and I've been doing it for 18+years. Thanks for a great vid :)
I want to be a blacksmith when I'm older but my mother says 35000 a year isn't good money :(
+Alex sharpe brother let me tell you, im 32 years old, im a tractor mechanic, and do some metal working as well in my shop. im not rich but i have peace of mind and im completly happy. 3 kids and wife as well. i guess my point is do what makes you happy deep inside, your gonna be a better man because of it, but for now listen your your mom. hang in there it does get better
Money does not matter, it's used to pay for essentials, any extra just buys happiness, so if you're making 35k as a blacksmith don't what you love, you're going to be happy, and much happier than stuck in a job you hate because it pays more than you're going to spend
Thank you very much for making this video. I have been looking into starting blacksmithing for years now and could never find a straight forward bit of advice. Thank you for this clear and concise information, it has been more help to me on the subject then anything else has in the past 5 plus year. Also I would never have thought of using an old sledgehammer head for a makeshift anvil, that should save me a bundle while I practice some basics.
is picking your ear a necessary part of blacksmithing
FullOilBarrel yes
I just wanted to say thank you, Ive been researching for about a week trying to find some decent videos on blacksmithing and yours are by far the best and most informative that ive found :)
I'm 14and I would love to become a blacksmith but I built a forge today
any ideas
im 9 and ive done this before than took up cubing (look it up)
I used a 12 inches of I beam and its been working great I've even left it out In the elements for about a year and a half and its got a nice patina on it and it been the best anvil I've tried so far
Who knew Rick Steiner became a blacksmith after pro wrasslin?
lol
I have found the most talented guys are always the most humble and helpful... Thanks for a great video!
You did't wear your glasses in this video
thanks for the video, me and my son are about to start, going to weld up a brake drum forge Friday and trying to gather up tools. I think what you said about the HF anvil is great advice I was about to buy one. I'll check out your other videos
I gave you a thumbs down because that was literally the funniest thing I've heard in a few months.
i would just like to say, great video brother. it is nice seeing others reaching out to novices. I've been smithing for over three years now, worked at Sloss Furnaces in Alabama, and am a member of the Alabama forge council, and i still smile and chuckle a little whenever anybody says that they want to be a blacksmith. it's a hard life, but it is doable. Remember folks, respect to be respected! i respect the heck outta this guy! :) happy heating!
Or how about an older woman???
Chris Knapp nope, sorry
Thanks for the video, and encouragement! I'm attempting to make a knife for my dad, using an axle shaft from a '79 F-150. The safety glasses are a major plus point
what if your a woman and wanna be a blacksmith? lol
TRIGGERED
+Athena Gabbard I took a 3-month blacksmith course in Nelson BC and most of the participants were women. And most were better smiths than I. Check it out if you like. Lots of fun.
Then be a blacksmith, if you make good work people will want it, assuming you want to make some money from this, if not then it's just a hobby and it doesn't really matter if you're good at it. If you want it enough to pursue it, then that's what was meant to be, if not, then it wasn't.
Athena Gabbard theres nothing wrong with that. im sure theres plenty of smiths that would love to see a woman do it just to prove its not just a mans hobby.
"I dont claim to be the best smith of all Skyrim"
What do you have?
"The finest weapons and armor"
Great vid, and always, I mean always wear safety glasses... I am guilty just like the rest of us, but I happen to know a guy who lost an eye from a projectile piece of chisel. He regrets not wearing glasses everyday. Also, and just as valuable of a tip, do not beat on a chisel that is cracked, chipped or mushroomed. Reshape them, or get some new ones. That little tip will save you an eyeball.
I'm a freaking woman. Are women not allowed to be Blacksmiths?
Me too! I was like wondering if I was the only girl here that wanted to make swords! T.T
Fearless1441 did he say you couldn't? I clearly missed something because you're like the fifth commenter I've seen saying "but what about women"
Fearless1441 What? Obviously you can, why you should not be able too just being a woman? He didn't mention any gender restrictions. Are you people completely stupid?
i am 16 and i just started blacksmithing and i am loving it, my friends call me crazy for swining a hamer all day instead of playing videogames but when i showed my first knife they all wanted me to teach them and start blacksmithing to bad none of them continued
woah how good are you now??
Thank you for helping me with blacksmithing i always wanted to do it but now yesterday i just bought a regular drop forged steel hammer and this other hammer and they work fine!!!!
I am 15 and want to start blacksmithing. This video helped me alot now all i got to do is get the stuff and give it a shot. great video.
Thank you for the advice and encouragement, I've always loved blacksmithing, but never really got around to it.
Man, thanks for all the advice.
Me and my firends,
We're starting ASAP.
Its not as easy to find the proper tools here in Brazil, but we're not letting that stop us.
One of the best intro to blacksmithing books out there is by a female smith. The Backyard Blacksmithing by Lorelei Sims. Worth buying if you can't find it at the library. Covers all the basics and has great photos.
I'm too white to be a blacksmith.
(Get it?)
then be a whitesmith. or tinsmith
burn enough coal at one time you won't be.
How the hell did I not get the joke at first haha.
J Garcia dont worry after you do a bit of blacksmithing, youll be black.
Hey Man!
I really dig this video. You have a great personality and I'll bet you're a good teacher. I appreciate the tips. I also think it's great you advocate the use of glasses. I've got many years serving as a first responder at the shop I work and and am all too familiar with rust flake sneaking past the glasses. I can't imagine a hot piece of slag jumping in there. Keep it up! I'll be checking out your other videos!
Been doing it for a few months now and going to my first craft fair, love the shop talk very inspiring 👍
modernblacksmith Great tips! Subscribing to your channel. Ever since the day I figured out what a sword was as a kid, I've wanted to try out blacksmithing. Never wanted to bother my dad in helping me get started when I was young, and since I've been on my own in different apartments I've never had a yard or garage to use as a shop, lol. I think where I live now might have just enough yard space to try it out though. Just need to find me an anvil... They are so difficult to find here, unless you pay a load of money to buy one.
That last bit of the video.. was the best. "I've always seen something positive come from this" well that was the rough quote. Very nice.
thanks for the tips. the sludge anvil worked great. for now im just flattening and bending but it is fun.
Awesome video man. Been watching knife making video's lately and really wanting to try but all those guys have tons of tools, machines they use, thanks for showing you really don't need all that. Gonna give it a try
My grandfather was the blacksmith in a small town . He's below is in the museuem vor there . A massive contraption that was handmade in England . And I have a burning sensation to take this up as a fulltime hobby . But things are difficult right now . I am prepared to start with nothing but I need the space .
Nice video, I remember that I used a sledge hammer head. Remembering the trouble of finding good stuff. But I'm a great example that it is possible to for young people to find good stuff, I think. As long as you are willing and put enough energy in it, and you have to remember, good tools cost a fair amount of money, but it will be up to the job!
As for the S-glasses, I'm going to consider that too.
i got a TBI few years back and have started working metal to help me get back to life!! i use part of a forklift fork for my anvil, as i get better i can now see that its not as hard as i would like but it has worked!! nice flat with sharp edges!! i have sold a few things to get more tools!! long ways to go but haveing a blast!!
5:53 to 6:07... that hit home... been talking about doing it for years. Consuming any book and most videos I could get my eyes on readily... This bit of advice rang true on every level.
Hey man... I'm just beginning, and this was actually really informative and helpful. I've made a couple of smaller blades and am building a power hammer to help me draw out steel so i can make a sword. I'm super pumped. I like what you said, that wherever it takes you will be positive. Right on, man.
Thank you so much for making this video! I would very much love to get started with all this, I've watched lots of videos, read a lot of articles and such on the topic; and I think that it will be an absolute blast! I love your wit, and I admire your spirit good sir :) Wish you happy smithing, and know that you got at least one aspiring young person to get out there and DO IT!!
how’s the black smithing going?
I have been blacksmithing for about 5-6 years now (studied it at college for the first 3 years), I still love it.
I gave you a thumbs up! Because of the sledge hammer. Lol. I have a big bastard like that one in my garage and it's literally too big for anything I need. I guess I'll be using what you said. The sledgehammer as an anvil! Top video! I like how you improvise. Nice!!🙂👍👍👍
YOU CAN DO IT!! I know many female blacksmiths, it all about you. No one else's opinion matters. If you're passionate about it, and if you are driven, then you will succeed!
Good luck!
this helped me start blacksmithing i'm pretty young but I got all my friends interested and he's right about glasses but don't forget gloves i was starting up my charcoal forge and a piece of charcoal that was burning hot and landed on my hand I now have the hole that it burned into my hand to remind me to wear gloves and kevlar sleeves
I really like what you are sayng at 5.55 in the video!
Blacksmithing is way more funnier and more productive than playing computer games.
Hey Dude wear your glasses!! You a natural teacher. I have the ambition, I'm a multimedium artist ( I experience art through different meduims) I have been wasting my potential on 2d meduims I'm on a journey to create something I can hold. All I need is a fire some tools and a master to show the way.
You showed me more in 5mins than most videos. Thank You
I’m 14 and I know nothing about black smithing I’ve been binge watching videos about black smithing and this one helped a lot thx so much 😅
good luck big guy, remember everything you make at first is gonna suck, but after a few weeks you'll get it all figured out and start really making some cool things, have fun and be careful, you can get hurt bad or start a small fire if you're not too careful.
i have equipment, but im still young. and i dont have so much time...i will start for next 2-3 years...you have my word..greetings form serbia :)
Blacksmithing has been on the back of my mind for several years now (im 22 atm)...
watching your video just gets be excited to start trying it out for some reason xD
So I got a railroad track anvil, and a ghetto forge cobbled together from a hardened steel plate, bar stock walls and pipe legs. Airflow comes from a vaccum motor. Nice to have in a pinch, but I might make the switch to propane soon. Might wanna consider flattening out my anvil too...
About to start the long journey brother. Time to get my little shop set up. I will be checking out your channel alot and hopefully I can start hammering pretty soon. Cheers.
I really appreciate this video, thank you for being so encouraging. I'm just starting out and, already, loving it.Just trying to suck up any information and advice youtube has to offer. Thank you.
good advice but I've also found tongs can make or break you, a good set of tongs (several different types actually) are essential as you really need to be able to adequately hold your work well.
Hammer, check. Coal. Double check. Forge. 90% check Need a base and an air supply. Just need an anvil.
The anvil can be an old 3 foot tall safe we have in the yard(it's empty and has a hole cut in it)a hammer can be a big stone,tongs,i need to buy them,but the problem is like you pick up a lighter and the neighbors call a noise complaint(the fine for disturbing the peace is 700€)and a general lack of space
thank you for making this video, Im 12 and have been wanting to try this out for a couple of years now but never really have had a bunch of money, now I know what to get and not spend a fortune
Yes, in the bottom of my soul, i feel and i know - I WANT to be a blacksmith, making things and rebuild old items. I dream about it, and it's my life goal. Teach me master.
haha, I just bought my first anvil. Additionally, I was playing Xbox,when you said put down the video games I started busted out laughing. Lot of help, thank you
Encouraging video. Laughed at the bit about the blood on the hammer! Subscribed, thank you :)
Nice vid bubby, thanks. I'm just gettin mine set up. I appreciate how you didn't claim, we need all that extravagant stuff at first.
Thanks for this man, Im 21 and Blacksmithing just calls me! this was a lot of help, first project this summer is a small forge!