old style blacksmithing (no power)
 

So as some of you know I am currently in the planning stages of my blacksmith shop/shed. And I just wanted to start a line of chat with any blacksmiths we have (or anybody with blacksmithing knowledge) on what you do and how you do it.

This is my current build stage planning. At some point I will need to throw a shed or building over all of it. Most of this is waiting on cooler weather to arrive (and time when I have a few extra pair of hands for helping out)

Brick Kiln (allows me to kiln bricks for the items below from local clay sand and straw)
Charcoal Kiln (to feed forge, foundry and furnace)
Bloomery foundry (for rendering local iron ore to a useable bloom)
Aristotle Furnace (for smelting scrap metals, and rendering steel from iron)
Forge (for uhm..... forging.....)

Need to build a good set of bellows as well in there somewhere....

Already have a good makeshift anvil (already using it for minor projects)

Anyway I plan on making knives and axes from both reclaimed scrap and from local ore. I will keep them separate from each other just because I plan on doing a iron age style wrought iron from the ore then adding carbon to make steel from it. Should make some outstanding blades, and should have character that reclaimed steel just won't have.

GoodOlBoy

GOB,

Great post. I regret to say my Blacksmithing knowledge is limited to the blacksmith's daughter that graced my 1949 Chevy in 1961-1962 era at the Exton, PA drive-in theater.

Adam

Well Adam, while I would readily admit that is a tenuous connection to blacksmithing, it is never-the-less a connection. Any details and photos would be appreciated.... :D

GoodOlBoy