Subject: Re: Getting Started!

From: [email-masked]
Date: Fri, 10 May 1996 23:21:53 -0400

Norm..

Put down your Bible and go pound iron.  Learning blacksmithing is like
getting to Carnegy Hall... practice, practice, practice.  (I'm assuming you
have an anvil a hammer and a source of heat and iron.)

There are several good beginners books on BSing.  One that I'd recommend,
above all for a beginner, is the CoSIRA (Council for Small Industries in
Rural Areas) The Blacksmith's Craft.  It shows everything you need to know in
step by step pictures. It has 37 lessons on different projects from easiest
to the more difficult.  It is probably available through any of the BS book
suppliers if it is still in print or from the council. Their address is
London, SW19 4UP.  I don't have a street address, but a letter to that zip
code will probably make it.

I can't remember what was in Alex Bealer's book, (someone needed mine more
that I did,) but, as I recall, it was excellent for a beginner as well.
 Another is The Modern Blacksmith by Weygers in either hardbound or
paperback. ISBN 0-442-29363-1 (paperback).

I'm sure there are others that are geared toward a beginner.  

Welcome to the gang.

Kent   :o)
[email-masked]

---

From: Russell McCrackin <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 11 May 1996 02:23:00 -0700 (PDT)

At 01:55 PM 5/10/96 -0500, you wrote:
>Good Day!
>
>I have finally realized my goal of getting a country place so I could do
>blacksmithing.  Now I find that I don't know how to get started.  I have
>searched the internet sites for basic info or basic books but everything
>seems fairly advanced.  How does one get started?
>
>Thanks
>Norm Lampton
>
Hi Norm.

Here is about the best book I know of for the beginner:
(It will even teach some new tricks to old timers.)

   EDGE OF THE ANVIL
    by Jack Andrews.

Published by Skipjack Press,   Ocean City, MD
ISBN 1-87953-500-9
Library of Congress  TT220.A53  682  91-15115

The latest edition is 1991, although the earlier first edition 
is excellent,  but does not have the portfolio of photographs 
of Samuel Yellin's work.  These alone pictures are worth the 
cost of the book.

This book will help you lay out your smithy, shows how to build 
a several types of forge, what the various tools are for and how 
to make them, even shows how to build a good fire.  

If I could have only one book on blacksmithing, this would be it.
If you read it carefully, and start at the beginning, making tools
as you go, by the time you finish the book you  will have almost
any tool you could need, and be able to make any that you don't
have.  Go to almost any good bookstore and order it.  It will
be worth many times the cost, and it's not expensive.

Get it hot and hit it hard

Rusty

at Rusty Forge

---
 [email-masked]

---

From: [email-masked] (fred clark)
Date: Sat, 11 May 1996 10:55:09 -0400

Norm:

Another great book for beginners or anybody else is Edge Of The Anvil, by
Jack Andrews. He has a new up-dated version out that I haven't seen yet,
but I hope to buy soon. It advises you on what you need to start with, how
to build your fire, different tools you can make, and lots of resource
info. In the back (of the old one, at least) there are a lot of pictures of
work by Samuael Yellin that I still can't figure "How'd he do that?".

Good luck, Fred

---

From: "Harold E. McKinney" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 11 May 96 11:53:08 -0400

One I like is:
Blacksmithing and Metalworking by Percy W. Blandford, 2d edition, TAB Books, Blue Ridge Summit, Pa., 1988
Larson has it I believe; most bookstores should be able to get it.
Only 14.95, paperback, 360 pp.
Reason I like it:
	Pretty much covers the waterfront.  Heavy on blacksmithng, but also gets into working other metals, measuring, cutting and shaping, drilling, soldering, brazing, hollowing, raising and casting.
	Plenty of "how to" and fine illustrations.
	Gives you just enough to make you go look for more.
Mac

---

From: "David C. Hufford" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 11 May 1996 12:21:40 -0400 (EDT)

I'd second the recommendation of Blandford's book as a good starter 
book.  Also, would recommend COSIRA's The Blacksmith's Craft and 
Andrews' New Edge of the Anvil.  I particularly like J.E. Hawley's The 
Blacksmith and His Craft, although it may be out-of-print.  Best 
approach is get to a BS conference where Norm Larson and/or Centaur 
Forge has book displays and browse.

D.C. Hufford

---

From: "D. M. Dickie" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 14 May 96 06:18 PDT

>work by Samuael Yellin that I still can't figure "How'd he do that?".
 I have another book that I think is great, but I never see it mentioned.
It is "Elementary Forge Practice" by Francis Lord Bacon.  It's part of the
"lost technology series" published by Lindsay Publications        ISBN
0-917914-45-7.  It was originally published in 1904 & 1908.   Covers the
usual; basic tools, welding, simple forge work, excellent info on stock
calculation, a chapter on steam hammer work and tooling, metallurgy and heat
treating, and there's even a course of exercises in forge work that the
aspiring 'smith can complete.  Best part of the book is the excellent
illustrations, which are much better than a lot of books of a similar
nature.  Check it out!

=============================================================================
D. M. (Mike) Dickie 
FLATLANDER FORGE
Box 85
Pennant, SK
Canada S0N 1X0

[email-masked]

---

From: Russell McCrackin <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 14 May 1996 08:01:30 -0700 (PDT)

At 06:18 AM 5/14/96 PDT, you wrote:
>I posted info about The Edge of The Anvil a while ago, and still think it
is the Best.  Have Elementary Forge Practice in my hand as I type, so to
speak, and agree that it it very good.  But there is still another book
that I think is better, but not as good as Edge of The Anvil.  It is:
  Practical Blacksmithing and Metalworking, 2nd edition, by
  Percy W. Blanford.  

It is available in hard bound as ISBN 0-8306-0394-8
and in paperback as ISBN 0-8306-2894-0

In the book they say:

Questions regarding the content of this book should be addressed to:
  Reader Unquiry Branch
  TAB BOOKS, Inc.  
  Blue Ridge Summit, PA. 17294-0850

Section 1 on Blacksmithing has 12 Chapters, and ends on page 251
Section 2 on Metalworking has 7 chapters and ends on page 346,
followed by a Glossary and Index.
The book is well illustrated with photos and line drawings that
take you through all the steps in making things.  I have the paper
back copy.  Good news is that it cost $16.95

Rusty 

at Rusty Forge

---
 [email-masked]

---

From: [email-masked] (lee pavlica)
Date: Tue, 14 May 1996 16:06:20 -0600

>Get it hot and hit it hard
Another good book for beginners is "Plain And Ornamental Forging" by
Schwartzkopf.  It was prijnted in the 30's and used as a textbook in high
schools in new york, so I was told.  You can get it from Centaur Forge or
Norm Larson.  Centaur Forge price is 24.00.  It covers all aspects of our
craft from the simple to the sublime.  Enjoy

                                                 Lee
                                                 Rampart Forge
                                                 [email-masked]