Dirt Cheap Blacksmithing - Forging with a hair dryer

Поділитися
Вставка
  • Опубліковано 23 вер 2023
  • Money can be tight for many people making it hard to start blacksmithing. But it can be dirt cheap to get started with some very simple forging. Using a hair dryer for a forge blower, old pallets for fuel and a sledge hammer as an anvil, lets start forging.
    Previous $500 shop video - • Affordable Blacksmithi...
    Bounce house blower - s.vevor.com/bfQCDL
    Starter Anvil - s.vevor.com/bfQn97
    Other useful links
    Blacksmith Supply: www.blacksmithsupply.com/
    Use discount code "bear5"
    Main shop Anvil provided by; Fontanini Anvil
    www.stevefontaniniblacksmith.com
    Precut blanks for forging available from:
    www.blacksmithingblanks.com
    use coupon code John at checkout.
    My blacksmiths apron
    www.Forge-Aprons.com use code BBF
    Music sourced through Epidemic sound
    www.epidemicsound.com/referra...
    Become a Patron - / blackbearforge
    Donate - www.paypal.me/BlackBearForge
    Shop - www.blackbearforge.etsy.com
    Web site - www.blackbearforge.com
    Instagram - / blackbearfo. .
    FaceBook - / john.blackbe. .
    John Switzer channel - / johnswitzer
    Some of my most used gear*
    Canon EOS R6 Mirrorless Camera - adorama.rfvk.net/b3yZ7v
    Canon EOS R Mirrorless Camera - adorama.rfvk.net/J50gq
    Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8 L Lens - adorama.rfvk.net/6bb7yV
    Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8 L Lens - adorama.rfvk.net/rneRoG
    Sony ZV1 point and shoot camera - adorama.rfvk.net/BXKMkJ
    Rode Wireless Go microphone - adorama.rfvk.net/YggLRm
    Deity V Mic D3 pro - adorama.rfvk.net/mxO51
    Insta360 One X2 - www.insta360.com/sal/one_x2?i...
    Insta360 Go2 - www.insta360.com/sal/go_2?ins...
    Autel Evo II pro drone - auteldrones.com/?ref=HUB40s11...
    Autel Evo Nano+ drone - auteldrones.com/?ref=HUB40s11...
    *Links include affiliate links
    Mailing address:
    Black Bear Forge
    P.O. Box 4
    Beulah, CO 81023
    Below you will find useful links that will help you in your journey as a blacksmith.
    To find more information in blacksmithing in the US or to search for your local ABANA affiliate group visit.
    www.abana.org/
    Blacksmithing tools and supplies
    Self contained air hammers - www.saymakhammers.com/
    General blacksmithing supplies - www.oleoacresfarriersupply.com/
    General blacksmithing supplies - www.piehtoolco.com/
    General blacksmithing supplies - www.centaurforge.com/
    General blacksmithing supplies - www.blacksmithsdepot.com/
    General blacksmithing supplies - www.blacksmithsupply.com/
    Square head bolts and lags - www.blacksmithbolt.com/
    New anvils - www.oldworldanvils.com/
    New anvils - www.nimbaanvils.com/
    New anvils -
    Industrial supplier - www.mcmaster.com
    Tong blanks and tools - kensironstore.com/
    Fire brick and refractory - refwest.com
    Blacksmithing and related activities can be hazardous. These videos are not a substitute for competent professional instruction. Your safety is your sole responsibility. Always use appropriate safety equipment including eye and ear protection when working in the shop. Follow manufactures safety guidelines for the use of all equipment. In the event something shown in one of these videos seems unsafe, it is up to you to make the appropriate changes to protect yourself.t yourself.

КОМЕНТАРІ • 585

  • @elitearbor
    @elitearbor 7 місяців тому +727

    In today's technological world, we have access to so many options. The tools might not be immediately obvious, but we're entirely surrounded by potential. Just takes a little bit of thinking to recognize!

    • @Aaron_Barrett
      @Aaron_Barrett 7 місяців тому +3

      Just visit local scrap yard! ❤

    • @MattQrillz
      @MattQrillz 7 місяців тому +6

      Too right mate, innovation. Teaching the young lad gets him thinking aswell. He actually is the inspiration for my chipping hammer. Cut the tip off* an old picaxe.

    • @thekingflea2199
      @thekingflea2199 7 місяців тому

      Not just that a black smith back in the day had that fire burning constantly to be hotter and hotter if they had to do it this way a couple days worth of coals she will be rolling heat

    • @oceanbytez847
      @oceanbytez847 7 місяців тому +1

      Thinking and experience. Someone who knows little about smithing or tools would never reach this conclusion, but someone who knows a thing or two stands a fair shake at striking genius every now and again.

    • @nyetloki
      @nyetloki 7 місяців тому +7

      Too many options lead to selection paralysis

  • @Joe_for_real
    @Joe_for_real 7 місяців тому +519

    John is going from the most advanced blacksmithing shop with presses and powerhammers to a forge on the ground, becoming more primitive. At the same time, John Plant of Primitive Technology is working on his smelting and working his way into the iron age. At this rate they are going to meet right in the middle.

    • @horehoundbasedcandy8736
      @horehoundbasedcandy8736 7 місяців тому +5

      😂😂😂

    • @PatrickKQ4HBD
      @PatrickKQ4HBD 7 місяців тому +4

      👌

    • @watzdefuque5378
      @watzdefuque5378 7 місяців тому +13

      This would be an amazing crossover.

    • @JavierChiappa
      @JavierChiappa 7 місяців тому +26

      I gues they will eventually join their homemade rails and drive a homemade vapor locomotive to visit.

    • @DungeonMetal
      @DungeonMetal 7 місяців тому

      🏆 winning comment ha ha ha

  • @jackcampbell3016
    @jackcampbell3016 7 місяців тому +96

    I started out with a similar setup about 4 years ago spurred on by your videos. I had £20 im my account and had just moved back to the UK. I used plaster of Paris and a baking tray with charcoal and a sledge as an anvil. Today I have a forge and am slowly starting to make it pay the bills. Thank you so much for continuing to make this craft accessible.

  • @rickardhansson1861
    @rickardhansson1861 7 місяців тому +186

    When I started blacksmithing 18 years ago, my first forge was a rusty old charcoal grill connected to a hair dryer. A piece of railroad track was my first anvil. It worked fine and allowed me to try enough blacksmithing before deciding if I wanted to get more invested. Also, looking back at my first setup today really makes me appreciate having a proper forge and anvil.

    • @Mr_man69
      @Mr_man69 7 місяців тому +15

      Same, I've been forging for 2 years and I've still got a railroad anvil cause I am not spending £900 on an anvil

    • @SamsungShawty
      @SamsungShawty 7 місяців тому +2

      I'm also a railroad anvil guy. I've got a leafblower and blackpipe for my air

    • @DeepFleeceheart
      @DeepFleeceheart 7 місяців тому

      I made my forge out of a break drum i got from the salvage yard and an old bathroom fan i frankensteined together (with a dimmer switch!) And i got a 100 anvil from the hardware store that was about the sixe of a football.
      It was fun, but ATE through the charcoal....

    • @No.Good.Nickname
      @No.Good.Nickname 7 місяців тому +2

      Just startest forging this year, with poor quality steel, a piece of traintrack and a Hammer. Even without fire it can Work.

    • @MrPablosek
      @MrPablosek 6 місяців тому +1

      Damn. How common is using a piece of railroads for an anvil? Haha. I've been thinking of doing it myself if I ever start blacksmithing. Had this small piece for years sitting at home.

  • @IAmEddie
    @IAmEddie 7 місяців тому +209

    This legitimately gives every standard household blacksmithing capabilities. You have literally increased productive potential of humanity a percentage point and I'm favoriting and downloading this video.

    • @edgarburlyman738
      @edgarburlyman738 7 місяців тому +7

      C'mon man, show some enthusiasm

    • @thecoolbyzantine24
      @thecoolbyzantine24 7 місяців тому +4

      it saddens me to think that some people wont even use this absolutely world changing technique

    • @IAmEddie
      @IAmEddie 7 місяців тому +2

      @@thecoolbyzantine24 be that *one* who entices a neighbor 🤘⚒️

    • @karara5532
      @karara5532 7 місяців тому +4

      Every standard household has an area to do this? Doubtful

    • @edgarburlyman738
      @edgarburlyman738 7 місяців тому +4

      @@karara5532 apartments you need to use a blowtorch and ideally when everyone's at a festival or something.

  • @ronnie2115
    @ronnie2115 7 місяців тому +34

    That's how I started, hammer, charcoal grill, coal, hairdryer, metal block

    • @Vikingwerk
      @Vikingwerk 7 місяців тому +6

      Mine was the top of a pressure tank, a shop vac, charcoal, a hammer, and an old anvil my uncle left at our house, that was welded to a stand with 1” rod for legs, so it would sink into the ground and tip over.

    • @ForTheGoldenOak
      @ForTheGoldenOak 7 місяців тому +2

      I'm so amazed that people just have metal blocks. I just can't find any good Anvil. Currently using a normal small hammer

    • @ronnie2115
      @ronnie2115 7 місяців тому

      @@ForTheGoldenOak used to work at a metal fab shop. Check around for one of those, they always have scrap lying around

    • @JamesWhite-tg4kw
      @JamesWhite-tg4kw 6 місяців тому +1

      Scrap yard

  • @pocketchange3543
    @pocketchange3543 7 місяців тому +9

    Been there done that. My #1 tip is getting your "anvil" up at a good working height makes a huge difference. It really sucks forging off your knees and hunched over.

  • @buttonvalley
    @buttonvalley 7 місяців тому +8

    I think the success of this setup is due more to the skill of the man wielding the hammer than any other factor.

  • @markmoreno7295
    @markmoreno7295 7 місяців тому +16

    The notion that anyone would consider using such a setup makes me realize 2 things, 1st that some people are that interested in learning blacksmithing, and 2nd that I am lucky to have such a nice anvil and a good assortment of hammers. It certainly encourages me to use what I’ve got.

    • @WYO_Cowboy_Joe
      @WYO_Cowboy_Joe 7 місяців тому +1

      The notion that anyone would consider making such a comment makes me realize that there are people out there who should refrain from commenting lest they appear to look like they're bragadocious.

    • @markmoreno7295
      @markmoreno7295 7 місяців тому

      @@WYO_Cowboy_Joe sorry, my intent was not to be thoughtless, please feel free to delete my comment.

    • @mgeller854
      @mgeller854 7 днів тому

      Welcome to the unnecessary comment section.

  • @paulregner5335
    @paulregner5335 7 місяців тому +57

    This video brought to mind a couple of your previous videos about historical Viking anvils. They certainly weren't using 150-pound anvils at their forges, and they managed to make everything they could ever need. An excellent video. Thank you!

  • @dereksstuff8395
    @dereksstuff8395 7 місяців тому +11

    Many years ago I asked my grandfather if i could buy an anvil from him because I was interested in smithing. Instead He gave me a piece of RR track. I went to our abandoned RR tracks and found some hard coal. A brake rotor, some pipe, a hairdryer was my forge. Made some of my most beautiful wall hooks on that rig. Thank you John.

  • @colterreicherter6189
    @colterreicherter6189 7 місяців тому +6

    Good lord, that is exactly how I started. And with a few more bricks and proper charcoal, you can actually forge weld in such a set up. Don't ask me how I know... I am a bit beyond that now, but it brings back a lot of good memories.

  • @ralfbear
    @ralfbear 7 місяців тому +42

    I've made a few knives with this sort of setup in the past... definitely functional. One thing I did end up doing is chisel out a hole in an old wooden log and set the sledgehammer in that, as you suggested. Worked far better...

  • @Bangalangs
    @Bangalangs 7 місяців тому +7

    Takes me back to when I started. Didn’t quite have a hole in the ground, but I did have a junk brake drum with a hair dryer +pipe. Wasted a lot of hardwood charcoal that was given to me. Had a harbor freight anvil though. That anvil is still a useful piece of equipment, I prop the shop door open with it when it’s hot.
    A tip for people wanting to use bricks or stones* if you use bricks, make sure they’ve been fired, not poured cement bricks. With stone, make sure your stones haven’t been sourced from near a source of water. Both stone and concrete can absorb moisture that can make the material burst in a forge. Don’t use cinder blocks. Wear your safety glasses for sure.
    Another excellent video sir.

  • @timberanvil3788
    @timberanvil3788 7 місяців тому +8

    Ah yes...the good ol hair dryer days... I burned up a couple Goodwill hair dryers as they're apparently not made for a 3-4hr 100% duty cycle. What I didn't like was that the hair dryer was way too much air for the small stock I was playing with so I upgraded to a bathroom exhaust fan from the hardware store and a makeshift damper... but that was 8-9yrs ago....I've come a long way since 😂 great video sir!

  • @welshhomestead
    @welshhomestead 15 днів тому +3

    I play guitar and I remember someone once saying "The great guitarists don't get amazing tone from their equipment, they get it from their fingers" - it's so true. If you know what you're doing you can do anything, with almost anything. Great video thank you

  • @chewyakarieckenicholas6049
    @chewyakarieckenicholas6049 7 місяців тому +13

    I started in the same way with a $10 grill from Dollar General and some old fire wood and a large rock so basically I truly appreciate this video and I appreciate that you showed how to get started extremely cheap

  • @benjhind
    @benjhind 7 місяців тому +6

    Well done John. My back hurts just watching this video. Wishing you health and happiness.

    • @BlackBearForge
      @BlackBearForge  7 місяців тому +3

      Its not something I would do often, my knees start to complain

  • @nicholas_obert
    @nicholas_obert 7 місяців тому +3

    My first forge was made out of a diy sheet steel barbecue and a hair dryer. It could get so hot it was able to melt steel.

  • @robsonsantosOSO
    @robsonsantosOSO 7 місяців тому +24

    Here in Brazil there are very few blacksmiths but several bladesmiths and many of them started forging blades exactly like this, adapting forges and anvils with scrap and available material. Great video!👍

  • @scottyuhrich
    @scottyuhrich 7 місяців тому +24

    I love this video as it shows just how easy it is to start forging. I wanted to for years, and even though I had a number of tools to do the work, I struggled to find a forge. Of course, once I found one, several others just seemed to fall into my lap. There must be some sort of weird inverse proportion rule about how badly you want or need something and its availability to you.

    • @honthirty_
      @honthirty_ 7 місяців тому +6

      " Once I found one, several others just seemed to fall into my lap",
      Is true for girlfriends too.

    • @parkinbs2222
      @parkinbs2222 7 місяців тому +3

      ​@@honthirty_I must be missing something then...😂

  • @colvinwellborn
    @colvinwellborn 7 місяців тому +7

    I've seen a lot of takes on a makeshift anvil around on the internet, and honestly none of them seem as simple, cheap, and effective as a sledge hammer. That's genius.

  • @CausticPuffin
    @CausticPuffin 7 місяців тому +15

    I started with a hair dryer, a box with clay and the end cap of an air tank for a forge. Dropped a 20lb piece of tool steel in a stump.
    Definitely suitable for a beginner to make hooks and small edc knives.

  • @acrussell1959
    @acrussell1959 7 місяців тому +3

    Oddly enough the "Dirt Box Forge" which is kind of what you are showing is my primary forge (or a variation of that). I'm retired and do some blacksmithing just for fun. I can't afford to spend serious money on this. I have a 2 by 4 wooden frame, clay brick and plumbing fittings for the forge. The blower is an old electric motor, some scrap plywood I found, and fencing material glued and screwed together. I was given a junk Peter Wright anvil and I found a bent-up sprung leg vise that I've bent back into alignment. The vise mounting hardware and return spring are all made from rebar I had sitting around. Still I can easily reach welding heat and do some reasonable work. All together I have roughly $200 in the whole set-up. Will I ever be a professional blacksmith? .....No. However, enjoyment in the shop, in retirement, has been achieved. A young man could take this much further with very little money. With a little imagination, you can have many, many hours of enjoyment.

  • @trailblazerforgeco
    @trailblazerforgeco 7 місяців тому +5

    John, had to sell all my good and heavy forge and anvil due to military move but this keeps my boys and I in the game. Thank you!

  • @FallenAnvilForge
    @FallenAnvilForge 7 місяців тому +3

    Pretty much a bushcraft forge, little unwieldy but completely doable. Morning John.

  • @FarmsteadForge
    @FarmsteadForge 7 місяців тому +5

    Great job thinking outside of the box. I'm shocked how hot you could get it with just wood. Thanks!

  • @Vic1943_
    @Vic1943_ 7 місяців тому +7

    The Vikings did it the same way great idea Mr John thanks for posting blessings to you and your family

  • @mikeredrugger
    @mikeredrugger 7 місяців тому +4

    For my coal forge I run a bouncy house blower, a 30gal drum, an old lawn mower deck, a brake drum. I have made many knives using this setup and done a TON of forge welding and such. Been a lot of fun just recently bought a propane forge for the first time in my 7 years of smithing.

  • @tdyblacksmithkeithcoleman3365
    @tdyblacksmithkeithcoleman3365 7 місяців тому +3

    I'm glad to say, I haven't been at that level of need in a few years. I recommend a cheap shop vac ($20) instead of a hair dryer. If a sledge is all you have, I would still mount it on a stump. Watching you kneel, hurt my knees😅. Love the content!

  • @ga5743
    @ga5743 7 місяців тому +5

    Whatever works works, now to find an easy way to get up off the ground 😀. Thanks John for making videos for us. Enjoy your day.

  • @fredschmidt6802
    @fredschmidt6802 7 місяців тому +6

    I used a propane grill some fire brick a weed burner . I also did the grill charcoal & hair dryer . It's a way to start & helps justify the money spent to get better stuff . Wife's can be encouraging or hindering in getting into something different

  • @laytonmiller5865
    @laytonmiller5865 7 місяців тому +7

    This video is why Black Bear is the cornerstone of the community. No judgement, all practicality. Good stuff.

  • @richardsurber8226
    @richardsurber8226 7 місяців тому +5

    You are the courageous blacksmith. Thanks John

  • @IronsInTheFire-Official
    @IronsInTheFire-Official 7 місяців тому +20

    This is awesome :D
    I reckon one could stretch fuel consumption just a little by turning down or off the hair dryer in between heats. Maybe hit the switch right before pulling the piece from the fire, etc.
    Lovely video John!

    • @craigcarolmiller536
      @craigcarolmiller536 7 місяців тому +1

      I was just going to add the same comment! 😁

    • @pettere8429
      @pettere8429 7 місяців тому

      Get a good, foot operated switch perhaps...

  • @andresaofelipe
    @andresaofelipe 7 місяців тому +4

    I have forge welded in a setup like that one. If you put some thought into the brick configuration you can achieve some surprisingly hot flames

  • @kuriakos
    @kuriakos 7 місяців тому +4

    Kind of comforting to know how to do an improvised forge in case you end up in a jam!

  • @larrybreuer4495
    @larrybreuer4495 7 місяців тому +3

    Keep It Simple!
    Brilliant!!!
    👍👍❤️

  • @danbreyfogle8486
    @danbreyfogle8486 7 місяців тому +3

    One of my early woodworking shops was heated with a small cast iron (farm store brand) stove and pallet wood. And like your simple forge, I spent more time stoking the stove than woodworking. Pallet wood burns pretty fast, hot, but fast.

  • @walte99
    @walte99 7 місяців тому +3

    Great video! I made a forge from an old kiln that was missing the electrical parts, so I have not needed coal and I can't confirm, butI believe that Tractor Supply stores may sell coal for farriers. I'm thinking that would produce a much hotter fire and shorter heat times.

  • @billssmithy7352
    @billssmithy7352 7 місяців тому +5

    My first forge was a Box-O-Dirt forge. A frame salvaged 2x4s, filled with dirt, a fence post for the pipe, and "Goodwill" hair dryer which lasted 2 years. I already had a ball peen hammer.

  • @user-br3ou2cs9o
    @user-br3ou2cs9o 7 місяців тому +2

    Simple, low-cost and functional ideas.
    Thanks BBF. 👍🏻😎
    🏠🔥🚒 Well Chief.. there's was this blacksmithing guy I watched on UA-cam..
    Well yes Chief.. admittedly I didn't take time to watch the rest of the video until AFTER I became "that guy" which he mentions towards the end of the video...
    😄😄

  • @Farvadude
    @Farvadude 6 годин тому +1

    another important detail is that this setup is portable. it would be heavy in a backpack with the hammers in hand, but you could probably fit all of these materials into a typical home gardening wagon or wheelbarrow and transport them wherever you'd need to, possibly while out looking for usable scrap metal that's been abandoned.

  • @r3ngokuking
    @r3ngokuking 7 місяців тому +4

    My first forge was an old brake rotor in a box of dirt, anvil was a salvaged piece of I-beam with a chunk of old heavy truck leaf spring welded to the top. It wasn't glamorous, but it worked, and it got me started. There's all kinds of videos out there about how to get started for cheap, but I love going back a few years and being nostalgic about where I came from. Just proves, where there's a will, there's a way.

    • @abitoffblacksmithing9985
      @abitoffblacksmithing9985 7 місяців тому +2

      Iam currently building my 3rd forge started with the old BBQ bottom an old tube from a satellite dish and my wife's hair dryer ( she had to get a new one) lol!! Then built a propane forge from scratch ,gave that one to a new smithy i ran into. Now im building my final one I think? Lol!! My anvil still is a120 lb block of aneald 4140 and an old railroad spike hammer for a horn i have ground down and mounted on a shaft and mounted in my stump next to my anvil.
      Once I moved some hot steel under my hammer I was hooked...

  • @TalRohan
    @TalRohan 7 місяців тому +3

    I think we get a little bit spoiled by having all these cool tools around to work with so its awesome fun to go back to almost nothing and see what we can do with that sometimes,
    I made my last knife with an angle grinder and no other power tools, using a small hand cranked blower in the house stove to do all the quench and start the tempering
    It turned out to be a really good little knife, its got its problems but hey I did it ...pretty much handtools only so to speakBouncy castle blowers are great but tend to be a bit strong so you do need some way to divert some of the air flow...otherwise well worth the money though

  • @williamlott7612
    @williamlott7612 7 місяців тому +6

    I started out with a charcoal forge but built it from two cultivator disks connected by 2” pipe. I plugged bottom of the pipe, welded a pipe tee in the 2” pipe for an air connection, and welded a piece of plate drilled with air holes over the pipe connection in the top disk. I used this setup until I build my first gas forge and it works well. It does use a lot of fuel. Darlington, South Carolina

  • @ImaLurkin
    @ImaLurkin 7 місяців тому +3

    That was an awesome demonstration of the absolute basics. Thanks!

  • @jasoncooley1907
    @jasoncooley1907 7 місяців тому +3

    Awesome showing what one can do with very little. Thinking outside the box is a great thing. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

  • @columjevens4612
    @columjevens4612 7 місяців тому +4

    Brilliant , should be very valuable for starting off or someone doing a particular project needing some bending . Thanks👍

  • @TheBrushcutter
    @TheBrushcutter 7 місяців тому +3

    If you need more airflow, moving the hair dryer back so there is an air gap around it allows more air to be pulled into and forced through the tubing. I think I used nuts off 5/16th(8mm) bolts on mine. But that is dependent on the size of the hair dryer and tubing. Love this video, it very well demonstrates that we aren't limited only by our imagination but also the motivation to actually get down to doing. And burn bans. Like me right now. In Louisiana, outdoor forge and statewide burn ban. But I'm good with that until the temperatures drop below 90. In fact I'd prefer they were below 60, or even 50. Lol

  • @DH-xw6jp
    @DH-xw6jp 7 місяців тому +1

    Now you are just showing off.
    "You see that hole? I'm gonna make art with it."
    Good job.

  • @olddawgdreaming5715
    @olddawgdreaming5715 7 місяців тому +4

    Where there's a will there's a way. Thanks for sharing with us John. That was show that it can be done.Stay safe around there. Fred.

  • @quintonrowan9886
    @quintonrowan9886 7 місяців тому +17

    So nice to see the different ideas of how to get started. The bouncy house blowers may be a bit much for air supply but before building my gas forge I built a coal forge and used an old air mattress blower for my air. I ordered a simple rheostat on Amazon for about $7 to control the speed. It actually worked great. Blacksmithing is such a satisfying activity even if you don’t want to make a living at it and we need more people who have these timeless skills. John thanks for teaching such a valuable skill. I hope you never stop!

    • @WYO_Cowboy_Joe
      @WYO_Cowboy_Joe 7 місяців тому

      Actually, an old sewing machine foot pedal can be an ideal set up for controling the flow of air and it frees up a hand.

  • @williamhowells2059
    @williamhowells2059 7 місяців тому +2

    This is a great idea for when i run out of propane, thank you.

  • @billf9526
    @billf9526 7 місяців тому +2

    Goes to show a true craftsman can use anything and create something. Thank you for sharing this!

  • @AmericaPatriot
    @AmericaPatriot 7 місяців тому +7

    Great video, my forge is like a combination of this and the $500 set up. I have the 66lb anvil and a charcoal forge made from an old tin firepit, a hairdryer, small trailer wheel, break rotor and some other junk welded together. I love using charcoal.

  • @lukiatiyah-singer5100
    @lukiatiyah-singer5100 7 місяців тому +6

    Thanks for bringing back fond memories. It's almost exactly the same setup I came up with in my parents' garden when I was 11.

  • @blazerfox22
    @blazerfox22 7 місяців тому +1

    The fact that I can start a campfire add a blow dryer and actually get a poor man’s black smithing experience is kinda awesome

  • @raydall3734
    @raydall3734 7 місяців тому +4

    my first forge was similar. I have clay soil. Built a mound of dirt up 4 feet tall and 3 feet in dialmeter. Used a very large hammer strapped to a tree stump. Burned charcoal. Worked great.

  • @z0mb13h0rd3
    @z0mb13h0rd3 7 місяців тому +5

    John,
    I love this video for the fact it removes the barrier of entry for many people. $500 is still a tidy sum of money for many, and flea markets/garage sales/Craigslist, you can find most of this cheap, if not free on the latter.
    Thanks a million,
    -John

  • @farsalor2627
    @farsalor2627 7 місяців тому +3

    Just outstanding!

  • @A4amad3us
    @A4amad3us 6 місяців тому +1

    I’m a 17 year old looking to get into blacksmithing for myself, and may god bless you, honestly !!

  • @mikevansickle2735
    @mikevansickle2735 7 місяців тому +4

    That's a pretty cool example of how a simple improvised set of tools can still create useful things!
    Thanks for bringing us along and taking the time to break it down to Ye Olden School!

  • @AtholIronworks
    @AtholIronworks 7 місяців тому +9

    I love this! Doing without and making it happen anyways is a real positive message for folks to see !

  • @robphone4895
    @robphone4895 7 місяців тому +2

    Haha, this is more or less how I started years ago. My son asked daddy can we do some forging. I don't know let's try. I`m hooked ever since.

  • @justincase5228
    @justincase5228 7 місяців тому +2

    Thank you. I lost my job last summer and haven't found employment since then. I'm not on government subsistence so I don't have the money for expensive tooling. And yet, even so I'm building and renovating something at my place almost every day. I plan to forge and smelt and weld and construct in all sorts of projects. I'm not letting poverty keep me from building my dreams.

    • @BlackBearForge
      @BlackBearForge  7 місяців тому

      Best of luck. Blacksmithing can help pay the bills once you're comfortable making simple items.

  • @scottswineford6714
    @scottswineford6714 7 місяців тому +1

    I learned this morning, while trying to assemble a cabinet carcass to floppy for my assembly tables, my days of working on my knees are behind me.

  • @threeriversforge1997
    @threeriversforge1997 7 місяців тому +9

    Exactly. I like to remind people that the Sutton Hoo Hoard, Mastermyr Find, and every other "amazing" work from our ancestors was made using tools as simple as that. The sledge anvil is probably the biggest anvil you'd find in ancient Europe outside of stone anvils, and being hardened steel means it's an order of magnitude better. If those guys back then could forge great wonders with what we would consider rudimentary tools, there's nothing stopping people from doing the same today. It's all about patience and perseverance.

  • @WordsOfWarning
    @WordsOfWarning 7 місяців тому +1

    Thank you so much for presenting these "dirt cheap" option scenarios. This kind of video helped me get over the intimidation factor and start learning.

  • @-ink-7622
    @-ink-7622 7 місяців тому +2

    Its nice to see you showing this, I used to do this when i first started blacksmithing! Tho i used a small 5kg anvil, a cast iron pot as a forge and a fireplace bellows for air. Used to go out into the woods to do forging with everything fitting inside my backpack, except the charcoal i used! Dont have a youtube channel for my blacksmithing, Winter Heart Forge here by the way! Keep up the good work!

  • @avisdaniels6194
    @avisdaniels6194 6 місяців тому +1

    Thank you for proving that this type of setup will work for simple purposes for those that can't afford the best blacksmithing tools but still want to get into it!

  • @maniacalmank6261
    @maniacalmank6261 7 місяців тому +2

    Been on a binge of your channel lately. I have always thought smithing was incredible and way outside the boundaries of my skill. But your videos I caught within the last 2 months that I finally bought material to make my own forge, however I opted for the gas burner for my forge, shout out to the @KyleRoyerKnives channel for that idea. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge the way you do.

  • @bradchugg8915
    @bradchugg8915 7 місяців тому +3

    Thanks John. I have had the desire to forge metal as home on the farm in Northern Alberta dad had a forge set up on a stand that he used charcoal in. I remember the hand crank blower and how we go to crank it. I have purchased a cheaper anvil from Princess auto and you have rekindle my desire to beat on hot metal. Thanks.

  • @Br0ns0n
    @Br0ns0n 7 місяців тому +2

    This is fantastic. I hope it inspires those wanting to try but don't have a few grand to get started.
    This video says "you can do it!"

  • @ultimatepiro
    @ultimatepiro 7 місяців тому +5

    I'm almost ready to start, just some weeks and I got everything I need.. the story will tell my beginnings were humble and minimalist. Every time you said, "in a hole in the ground", I couldn't avoid finishing the phrase with "there lived a hobbit"😂.. TY my friend

  • @The_Smith
    @The_Smith 7 місяців тому +2

    All a forge is is something to heat with, all an anvil is is something to hit on, all a hammer is is something to hit with. There has been a lot of work done with even simpler set ups that that.

  • @JacksonDunnoKnows
    @JacksonDunnoKnows 7 місяців тому +4

    My very first forge was similar. I used an old cheap standing fire pit, drilled a hole in it for a pipe. Built a "trench" out of bricks and used a mattress pump. Put some steel or more brick under the pipe so the cast iron dont melt and bottom out the fire pit. Worked great for a year.

  • @steveculver6670
    @steveculver6670 7 місяців тому +2

    I built something like this about 6 years ago. I made mine about 3 feet long, and used split firewood. I built a fireplace great out of 1inch round stock. Made 45 and 90 degree bends by hand

  • @Dannysoutherner
    @Dannysoutherner 7 місяців тому +3

    I love the improvise, adapt, overcome methods. I like having a nice anvil now - my forge is a paint can lined with refractory cement - still have my railroad track from a state sale - and I love seeing people make something from nothing like this. Our hobby is like that, makes the brain stay flexible.

  • @kathyskaggs4154
    @kathyskaggs4154 7 місяців тому +2

    This is exactly how i got started forging! On a campfire actually… and it took a lot of wood and great coals for the heat.

  • @Jason-jd1jv
    @Jason-jd1jv 7 місяців тому +4

    That was an absolutely beautiful frankenforge setup. I've seen other people do these sort of videos but most of them made S hooks or something small with them. I can't remember seeing anyone make a functional tool with one of these setups.
    My first forge was a wok that I sat in a brake rotor on top of a tube type diner table leg with a piece of copper tubing ran up the inside of it attached to a shop vac with a dimmer switch attached to it so I could control the air. It was an ugly setup but it worked as well as the shop forge I have now, just not as efficient.

  • @peltiereric6497
    @peltiereric6497 7 місяців тому +3

    This is almost identical to how I started years ago except I used a leaf blower and the forge was built on an old yard wagon/ trailer that I could move around and many of my anvils were actually tree stumps from my recently logged property, I just shaped the stump with a chainsaw close to what I wanted and then could hammer out hot sheet steel from the forge to the desired shape for a welding project

  • @bunyanforgings7849
    @bunyanforgings7849 7 місяців тому +2

    Cool experiment! I wonder if it would be worth your time to revisit the viking stake anvils you made a few years ago? Specifically just looking at smithing from the standpoint of efficiency. Would it be possible to have everything you need in just one toolbox? Likely that was what defined the variety of tools the viking smith had at his disposal. It would be neat to explore some of the possible range of projects with just such a set up. Cheers.

  • @matthewtracy8744
    @matthewtracy8744 7 місяців тому +2

    My first project used 3 bricks, 2 propane torches a ball peen hammer and a spitting maul head hammered into a stump. Lol I also made a simple fire poker.

  • @PatrickBaptist
    @PatrickBaptist 7 днів тому +1

    Sir that is so smart, I've been wanting to get into this and I believe you just gave me what I need to tip the balance to get me started, can't wait till I'm off work Sunday the kids are gonna love this idea. Thanks so much, Lord Jesus bless you and yours.

  • @moreybandel5560
    @moreybandel5560 7 місяців тому +3

    This is a good idea! I remember when I was getting interested in blacksmithing, I did something similar to this... I made a forge out of an old brake rotor and set that into a 30gal 80/90 drum... I used exhaust pipe for the pipe. And, an old hair drier for the blower. I made my first S hooks doing this! Good info! Great video!

  • @jakobrosenqvist4691
    @jakobrosenqvist4691 7 місяців тому +1

    This is almost exactly what my first forge set up looked like. Only differendce is I had an actual anvil left behind by my grandfather.

  • @russmitchellmovement
    @russmitchellmovement 7 місяців тому +2

    That's absolutely brilliant, and in my garbage clay soil I bet the sledge would stay even more nicely.

  • @totheleftrightla
    @totheleftrightla 7 місяців тому +1

    I love the straight forward common sense knowledge way of going about things.

  • @stevemoore5053
    @stevemoore5053 7 місяців тому +2

    Not making light of your video, but as simple as it is , it is a brilliant idea ! 👏

  • @Aminuts2009
    @Aminuts2009 7 місяців тому +1

    I know someone who got started blacksmithing using a rail road car knuckle. They are huge and you can't dent them. I don't care how hard you hit it.

  • @OGfrenchy1986
    @OGfrenchy1986 7 місяців тому +4

    Great video! Definitely an easy way to get into the Hobby. That is how I started as well with a little dugout hole in my backyard!

  • @skully70
    @skully70 7 місяців тому +1

    I am constantly over thinking about set-ups. This really helps.

  • @Aaron_Barrett
    @Aaron_Barrett 7 місяців тому +3

    I've tried blacksmithing first time (to understand am I like it) with piece of concrete curb. It brokes completely after few weeks, but everyone can forge a chisel or construction stapple, wrench bar or so this way.

  • @mrkiky
    @mrkiky 7 місяців тому +3

    I actually started like this except I was holding the hairdryer in my hand too, and made 5 or 6 knives before I graduated to a metal box off the ground with a pipe for the hairdryer and an actual anvil on a stump. Still use vicegrips for tongs though 😂

  • @racheledwards4833
    @racheledwards4833 6 місяців тому +1

    I enjoyed this video so much, not that I feel it's the dream set up, but that it can be done. It's amazing! And when it comes down to it, that's what it's all about, making something from nothing, to be able to make what we need from what we have. I love it!! Thank you so much.

  • @SnareX
    @SnareX 7 місяців тому +1

    Tip with the hair dryer. Put something around it to hold down the "cool" button. Otherwise it will overheat and trip the breaker. It has a breaker on the plug and can be reset, but repeatedly overheating it will kill it eventually.

  • @DerickZill
    @DerickZill 17 днів тому +1

    I love that you mentioned the bouncy house blower as I've been eyeing mine up 🤣🤣🤣

  • @SammyGDude
    @SammyGDude 4 дні тому

    Wow. This is really one of the blacksmithing videos of all time.
    That is hands down one of the methods ive ever seen.

  • @glencrandall7051
    @glencrandall7051 7 місяців тому +2

    This is kind of "Back to the Beginning" of blacksmithing. It looks like it works. And with your suggestions it looks like it could work well enough for a person to get started in the hobby🙂🙂