Setting up Shop - Blacksmithing in the SF Bay Area
There are plenty of sources online telling you how to set up a blacksmith shop. There are so many that it may feel like you need to do an overwhelming amount of research. The truth is, a set up at home does not need to be complicated or expensive. The hardest part is finding the space.
Why I Want You to Set Up a Forge
On the surface it may seem counterintuitive to send you away from my shop to practice on your own at home. I have been teaching blacksmithing in the East Bay for over a decade, and I can tell you that there is more demand for blacksmithing than there is room. I set up my shop so that I can control my environment and do large scale commission work. I needed the time and space to work and grow as an artist.
I want the same for you. Maybe not identical goals but I want you to grow as a blacksmith and achieve your grandest goals. The idea you have in your head, that of a sword smelted from iron sourced by your hands from the Earth, is not an impossible goal. Creating your own set of pattern welded damascus chef’s knives is not impossible. Creating a monumental sculpture, or creating an iron railing for your home are all achievable goals. The biggest limitation is time in the shop.
It is my own wish that many of you find a place of your own. At home, at another maker space or in a friend’s backyard. I want there to be many places in the bay area where artist blacksmiths can go to practice and create. I know how gracious and sharing blacksmith communities can be. I want you to participate in forging together a blacksmithing community in the bay.
The Essentials - What You Need to Start Forging
Here’s the long and short of it. Start small and start hammering. You don’t an expensive set up, you just need a place to practice.
An anvil does not need to be expensive or precious. It is absolutely lovely to have a 300lb anvil that was hand forged in Paris over a hundred years ago. However, I can forge most things just as well on the 65lb Harbor Freight anvil that I recently purchased. The weight of the anvil may mean you may need to adjust the positioning more. Or it means you might need to find a way to anchor it in the ground. The ring of the anvil may not be as beautiful, but in the end all you need is a big mass to hammer on.
If you are to buy a harbor freight anvil, make sure you purchase the red cast steel Doyle anvils. The blue cast iron anvils make a good doorstop, but they can’t be used for much else; they fall apart when you hammer on them and are a hazard in the shop. You can also make your own from a piece of railroad track. Or you can order from a newer manufacturer on Blacksmith Depot. My good friend and patron, Andrew MacAleavy purchased my Hulet and Harmel french pig anvil from Anvil’s Planet on eBay. Or you can hunt on Craiglist and Facebook marketplace for your dream Hay Budden at $10 per pound. They will all work.
If you purchase a new anvil, you will need to dress your anvil using an angle grinder. You can also hand file if you are masochistic.
A hammer does not need to be expensive or precious. It can be a 2-3lb engineering hammer from Ace, It can be this Swedish style hammer that I found on eBay or these German hammers that I found on Amazon. Or maybe you prefer to shell out a small fortune to buy a gorgeous hammer that is a work of art from your favorite tool maker. Whatever you decide, the important part is that the big mass on the end of a stick is a comfortable weight for you. I can forge just as well with a Harbor Freight hammer as I can with any of the hammers that I have made myself.
If you purchase a new hammer remember you will need to dress the faces and the handle. The Swedish hammers need to be mounted better and receive a metal wedge.
Your tongs do not need to be expensive or precious. I admit, I have a lot of opinions on tongs. I prefer handmade tongs to any that you can buy manufactured. However, I have noticed a lot of students prefer the factory made tongs. To me they are heavy, they are not springy and not comfortable to use all day. But they in all honesty are a perfectly adequate tool. I can forge just as well with a manufactured pair of tongs as I can with tongs I have made myself. So go on Blacksmith Depot or support your favorite blacksmith tool maker and get a pair of tongs (or a few) sized to your favorite metal stock.
“One of the most important aspects of blacksmithing is tool making”
Your hand tools do not need to be expensive or precious. In fact you should make your own tools, I offer classes to show you how. One of the most important aspect of blacksmithing is tool making. The forging, dressing and heat treating can be particular, but it is a pretty straight forward process. You will be able to make any shape tool you need if you become a good tool maker. You will likely make loads of tools. An often overlooked first tool for a new forge is a hot cut tool. With a hot cut you can forge items on the end of a longer bar and then cut it from your stock with the hot cut. It eliminates the need for tongs when starting out.
Your forge does not need to be expensive or precious. You can buy a forge on Amazon, Etsy or eBay (I personally would not buy from Diamondback Ironworks) You can also make your own. I used to make my own burners, but the cost of manufactured burner quality has increased and the price has decreased. I can buy better burners than I know how to make. If you need a source for refractory materials for your forge, you can buy castable forge liner or fire bricks from Pyro Minerals in Oakland.
You can buy a solid fuel forge that uses coal or coke, but your neighbors may not appreciate the smoke. Building a flue for your forge may help redirect some of the smoke. I’ve also heard that inviting your neighbors to come and play or making them little gifts can go a long way in helping them accept your hobby. A magnet on the side of your anvil can dampen the ring a little.
Your Forging Space
I recommend setting your forge up outdoors possibly in a lightly covered area, like a car port. I prefer concrete or dirt floors. I do not think it’s a good idea to forge in a place that is framed with wood. Lots of people have wood smithies. I have seen a lot of fires on social media in such places. People lose their shops and their homes that way.
Treat your forge with the same way you might treat an insanely hot outdoor fire pit or a BBQ smoker. Spend some time researching safe forging practices. I am not going to go into forge safety here; there’s too much information to include. I will say, be thoughtful and put safety as your highest priority when choosing to set up a little smithy. Also, a fire extinguisher, make sure you have a fire extinguisher close at hand. Several.
The Resources
Places to buy mild steel:
USA Metals at 513 Independent Rd by the Oakland Coliseum is inexpensive and filled will fun parts and shapes. They charge for metal cuts and sell metal in 20ft increments.
Albany Steel in Richmond (soon to move back to Albany if my sources are correct) is also fairly well priced but with less size options. They also charge for cuts and sell metal in 20ft increments
There are also scrap yards that sell metal. Most hardware stores will sell pieces 3-4 feet at a time. Those pieces cost about half the price of a 20 foot piece.
Places to buy Tool Steel:
There are a lot of blade smithing suppliers. If I want my metal to arrive quickly or want a shape other than flat, I use Online Metals. You can buy tool steel by the foot.
If I can wait 4-6 weeks for my metal to show up, I can get a good bargain from the New Jersey Steel Baron.
I can also buy old leaf springs or coil springs from car repair shops, scrap yards or online market places.
Places to buy Copper, Brass or Bronze
For a local supplier Sequoia Brass and Copper in Hayward is a great resource.
If I’m ordering just a few feet of material I use Online Metals
If I’m buying a few thousand dollars of material, I use Alaskan Copper and Brass.
You can also find some good deals on eBay.
Blacksmithing Tool Suppliers
I have two that I most commonly use, Blacksmith’s Depot and Ken’s Custom Iron.
There is a lot of good equipment at welding supply shops. AirGas usually charges 2-3x as much as other welding shops. I use East Bay Welding Supply in Martinez or North Bay Welding in Novato. Praxair tends to be a pretty good as well in my experience.
Refactory Materials
You can buy fire bricks, fibers and castable refractory from Pyro Minerals in Oakland.
Specialty Heat Treating
You can heat treat your wierdo tool steel perfectly at Garner Heat Treat in Oakland. Call ahead and bring cash.
Fuel
Last I heard J & J in Hayward sells blacksmithing coke or coal. Call ahead to be sure.
I refill my propane tanks at Allied Propane across the street from my shop. But any place to refills or switches out propane tanks will probably work for you.
The Extras
It is nice to have some sort of belt sander or grinder. It is nice to have a handheld angle grinder for cutting stock and sanding off burrs. It is nice to have a metal table for layout. There are so many fun tools and equipment that you can acquire. Such as a induction forge from Coal Ironworks. But you don’t need it.
You can sometimes get some really good deals on equipment through West Auctions. All auction items start at $5. There’s a lot of deals to be had and also a lot of junk equipment mixed it.
Start with the basics and make your own tools. Have fun. Be safe. Feel free to ask me anything.
