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I received my forge a couple days ago and I spent the morning putting it together. I was going to build one but I really want to get started so I did some research and found this Whitlox Homesteader forge, it's perfect for me, I love it! Family owned and Made in the USA. It's a wood burning forge, not coal, so the fuel is more readily available and after much research, being the lover of anything historical, I found that wood was used for eons for forging, coal is a more recent invention, there are pros and cons of both, but I found an attraction to forging with wood. I got the mini forge, their full size forge is over twice the length, for now I believe my needs will be met with the smaller version, they have blower options to add and a stand, but I did not get those items, I'll build my own stand and I already have a blower. The image below is the forge basically together, the Kaowool is laid on the sides of the forge as a heat barrier. The fire bricks There is a pipe that goes through the bottom of the forge to supply the forced air to heat things up, and produce charcoal which is ultimately what we want for the high heat. Whitlox claims you can actually forge weld with this forge using wood as fuel, and I've seen it done so I was sold on that. I went ahead and purchased the stack as well, not only can I have more control where the smoke and sparks go, but by having the hood over the forge it'll actually cause a draft from the bottom up, which increase the heat. I'm going to have a lot of fun jumping into this craft. I have much to learn and I'll share what I learn as I go So at this point I have my anvil, I have a hand cranked blower, a set of tongs, a couple good hammers. I think I have enough to get started, and I'll make the tools as I need them. Most blacksmiths make their own tools as they go, there's not much that is needed that we can't make on our own. My ultimate goal is to be able to make my own forged strap hinges, locks, and all kinds of other types of hinges and even nails, I'll use it all in my own woodworking endeavors, furniture builds etc, and I can say, ya, I made the WHOLE THING! I'll also make the occasional fireplace tool set, and what ever else mama wants, friends and family, and perhaps if I good get enough I can display my wares in open markets during retirement to supplement our income. Thanks for following me along this exciting journey! Here's a video of the forge in action by the folks at Whilox Forge. I like supporting family businesses like this whenever I can. Here is a neat video with the Whitlox daughter Corey forging a fire poker. Here is my small anvil and stand I built last year. Here's my blower. And my helper! Her name is "Lady", our 2.5 year old GSD. Love that gal. I picked up this old Canedey Otto blower up from an old blacksmith nearby, he restored it and decided he was kind of done with the craft as he feels he's getting a little old for it, so he put it up on the market and I picked it up for 275 bucks, I got a pretty good deal, he was very nice, and happy to see it go to someone who is going to use it, specially a beginner.
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I was perusing a Facebook group for Blacksmith Shops around the world, and just like any trade/hobby, you have purists, the in-between's, and the moderns. This fellow is a purist where the only electricity used in the shop is for his ceiling lamp. What I found fascinating about this mans blacksmith shop, is he talks about the reason he chose a dirt floor for his shop. And it makes sense, man was made to walk on dirt, and he states that this floor is much easier on his feet and body. And there are other benefits as well, like a dropped piece of sandwich, just crush it into the dirt! One of the drawbacks is, he may sometimes drop wax coated iron on the floor, and the wax has to be removed and reapplied. I love a purist in hand work.
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