I started watching Blackbear Forge videos 4 years ago when I set out to start forging. I started with the basic setup you see in this video. I started making hooks and other simple projects. Now I have a Bridgeport mill, hydraulic press, multiple anvils and much more. My projects range from hooks, axes, warhammers, hammers, knives and much more. Just stick with it and listen to John he’s a good teacher! Lol

@norcalbowhunter3264

10 ай бұрын

Did you pay for it all with things you were making or do you have a source of income you funneled into the hobby?

@redlionforge9173

9 ай бұрын

@@norcalbowhunter3264 it was a combination of the two. I caught some auctions and added equipment over time.

@TinTin_games

3 ай бұрын

I wish i could do it but i would have to do an apprenticeship for 3 to 4 years so i can be a certified smith and also get money from it

@peterpeterson7665

Ай бұрын

Do a welding or fitting and turning apprenticeship. Do smithing as a hobby

Don't be afraid of learning the skill folks. All you can do is practice and it becomes easier. I made tongs, punches, and chisels for a few months piddling few hours after work. Then I started making hammers. After that i made hundreds of hammers and quit my job for an enjoyable few years of self sustaining livelihood.

@wesleymccravy901

Жыл бұрын

And ofc all sorts of decorative stuff

@mountainwolf1

Жыл бұрын

Always enjoy your videos John thanks for posting i likes this new series. You are helping a lot of possible blacksmiths godbless and be well.

@KneGros-nc1ss

6 ай бұрын

How much would a 1cm x 1cm square steel bar cost that is 62cm in lenght? I made one as those fireplace "ahjuroob" in estonian language. Gave it a leaf shaped tail end for the handle (kind of like a sword guard at the front) and cut squares around the handle into these blocks that I then twisted to look like some animal horn?

Love this series!!! You are breaking down barriers for a lot of people that want to get into blacksmithing. I have heard many times..."I want to start blacksmithing, but I can't afford an anvil".

@BlackBearForge

Жыл бұрын

Glad you're enjoying it.

@RoadHead62

Жыл бұрын

For me it was the forge. Once I found one I could afford the rest was easy. I'm in about $700 at this point and no end in sight, and all I really want to make are knives and small art projects.

I'm another beginner that's been learning from your videos for years. I've always admired and been grateful for your focus on teaching skills that don't require special tools. I love this new series, and while I'm growing beyond what you're teaching now, I applaud you for continuing to focus on beginners.

Been doing this for 9 years - still a fun series to watch!

This is a great series! I can't tell you how many people ask how to get into forging. I have little to no answers as a novice myself, so I revert to your channel now.

This is amazing, I personally learn best when someone breaks down and shows even the small stuff. I feel like I could start from the beginning and work beside you. Thank you 😊 I was a mechanic in the military and I can vouch for the glove detail. We only wear gloves when there is a pinching hazard.

On the topic of gloves, I've settled on a setup where I have a hot mill glove on my tong hand (left) and I tape my index finger and thumb with sports tape. I'm not in the shop every day, so the tape really helps cut down on blisters that make my day job more difficult and might keep me out of the shop. The glove on my tong hand helps with radiant heat when I'm holding a top tool and it helps to cushion the vibrations in the tongs or, especially, when I'm holding the end of a long work piece.

It's great to see that you're already working in this new space and I have great expectations for when the coal forge is installed. Only the experience of a lot of work provides the empathy to teach in an objective and accessible way and that you own very well. Thank you very much!

Thanks for putting together these videos (and the rest of them). I've finally scraped prioritized thworing cash at starting my own small home forge. Was at a blacksmithing course over a weekend some weeks back, and I'm hooked. In a month's time, I'm getting my own forge, tongues and hammers, and I'm off running. From now until that time, I'm gonna have to get myself something resembling an anvil. Thanks for the inspiration, and the clear(!) instructions. For those of you wanting to start out: A local blacksmithing course is the way to go. You meet with others in the environment, and learn whether this is for you. Blacksmithing looks easy, and the fundamentals are. Hit hot metal with hammer. It really doesn't take much out of you to get started. However! Getting them looking the same every time is hard. The blisters will be there, and the work can be physically draining for those of us sitting behind a keyboard all day. The veterans make it look so easy, and with time and practice, so will we. Looking forwards to continue binge-watching your videos over the next months as I'm getting started with my own blacksmithing journey. Much love from Norway.

John you are a plethora of knowledge thank you for sharing everything that you do share and hope to see more projects from you soon

Love this content John!! Thank you! This is the main style of my forge setup and thrills me to see you going this route for us! Been a fan and follower of yours for a while now- please keep it coming!

@BlackBearForge

Жыл бұрын

Glad you're enjoying it.

I've been forging for 15+ yrs and still come to John to learn ,love your videos Brother great teacher

I'm loving the series! I always appreciate the videos.

Fantastic information John. Thanks for walking through the process.

As an OSH representative in my workplace, I was impressed by your explanation of what to wear, when to wear it and why you need it. Well done.

Thank you so much for doing this! I am an apprentice bladesmith and am setting up my home forge slowly. Your videos are very helpful, but this new series is absolutely perfect for someone like me who is just starting.

I love this series on setting up shop. You’re a great instructor and wonderful resource. You really drill down into the nitty gritty. I mean, what boots do you wear? Seriously down and dirty on the details. Love this and I don’t even want to be a blacksmith.

Great series John, Thank you for sharing your great experience in Blacksmithing.

Really love this series! Very helpful! Thanks John!!!

Thank you very much for your time and patience

Great series = John, have watched you for a log long time but I am still enjoying this series. Once again, Thank You!

It's coming along nicely so far John. Can't wait to see more videos soon. Keep up the great craftsmanship and hard work my friend. Forge On. Fab On. Weld On. Keep forge lit. Keep making. God bless.

Tools are the best first projects. It's been a while since I tuned in. Great to see you going back to basics👍

Love these videos they will help me a lot with ideas on what to make, Thank you so much!!

Starting small is still a start. Really enjoying the “budget-friendly basics for beginners” videos. A good measuring tool for a beginner to get acquainted with is a set of dividers, they’re pretty cheap at Harbor Freight. I’d be curious to see if some cheap neodymium magnets stuck to the underside of that anvil would help with the ring. Another excellent video sir.

@fredfchopin

Жыл бұрын

Dividers aren't too different from tongs also, but they're a lot smaller so a lot less to draw out but still the same skills to learn for shaping the boss, punching/drifting a hole, riveting, etc. Would be a good beginner project for sure.

I watch all of your videos, and I learn something new with each one. I strive to learn everyday, and I appreciate this content. Please keep up the good work John, you have been an inspiration for me over a year since I've started!

Dude, you are awesome, I've learned a considerable amount from and really enjoy your videos. Thank you.

Love this series, never too old to learn new things! Picked up a decent vise today at my local salvage yard. Just needed cleaned up. Old vise broke at the base.

Fantastic video series! I've always been interested in the subject and so far, your videos are the best I've come across. The ones I've looked at in the past were either to hurried and skipped explanation or the person would go off on tangents and make them too long. Example.... Yours is the first I've seen that mentioned specific metal grades and where to buy them. Until this video I had no idea that there were tool steels that were designed to air hardened and not quenched and/or hardened in an oven. Thanks for making this series.

I really ought to follow along while I can, and rebuild the skills again that I’ve lost. By the way, excellent and versatile so far. And that one brief pause you took reminded me of just how far you’ve come with your delivery and talking to the camera, it’s inspiring

great video , I have been setting up my forge for a year now ( attempting I should say ) all of your videos are very informative . Thanks for all of the teachings and info . TC

Thank you so much for taking your time to do this. I bought a n inexpensive forge a while back and nd played some, but this gives me a great direction to start. Going to build a roof to keep things dry and keep following your lead.

Just finished my first lesson in Blacksmithing here at my local historical society and came across your video. Great work, thanks for thinking of us beginners!!

Great video as always John! Im sure its been said before but a strong magnet under the square horn on these Vevor anvils really cuts back on the ringing

I like to hot rasp my round tapers. I anchor the piece on the anvil or on a vise, anything that will prevent the piece from moving against the rasp. Spin and rasp, spin and rasp. I usually use H13 and I can make round punches without grinding. Cool video, John. Thank you!

@mannmadeinarkansas5857

4 ай бұрын

Thanks, that is what I was wondering on the tool steel. I have seen other videos showing it in use on mild steel. Do you use a file or just a rasp?

I just watched your videos on the bloomery iron from several years ago. my grandfathers method was to go from blume to crucible. He liked to use green glass from broken beer bottles. We recovered iron from the peet in the licking river bottoms in Kentucky.

Nice series, looking forward to see were it goes!

Love the series and what you do!

Just some pointers as a tool and die maker: 1. there are blades for a hacksaw that will cut hardened steel, i usually use the Sandvik ones. Its slower than a grinder of course, but its cheaper, and you don't have to worry about sparks or drawing a tools temper. 2: Make sure that your vise is as steady as possible, every little bit of rocking is wasted energy on your part

The Lenox hack saw, is wonderful as a basic tool. Thanks 🙏 for the tong recommendation! I made a set when I was a kid. They are a big project for a novice. I still really love ❤️ riveting. Copper rivets are fun!

Just started on my setup, good timing to find this

Coil spring can be straightened using a temporary brick and charcoal fourge. Heat up, put on a vertical rod and pull an end. Videos on KZread. Temporary fourge is a great tip for heat treatment of log stuff. I just use clay house bricks and clay mud from my water hole

I didn't think I'd find this so soon, I'm currently interested in blacksmithing once I buy land, thanks for the videos ✌

@stevealford230

Жыл бұрын

Whereabouts? Southwestern Virginia here... have spare land and all equipment except for power hammer/press, but need funds to build the building to use as a shop. I'd gladly sell an acre or work out a deal, if you're interested in a rural life with extremely low property taxes and cost of living.

@mwinterroth

Жыл бұрын

​@@stevealford230 Id take you up on that offer

Hello John . I use an old car speaker magnet to dull that ear numbing ring and it doesn't magnetize the anvil .

Hello John Thank you for this wonderfull series. For beginners it is the best they can get. Thank you for sharing your Skills. Yours Frank Galetzka

Thank you sir for this series.

Another excellent video! Thank you!

Great practical information. Thanks!!

Great video, John.

Thank you John.

ank you for sharing. Have a great day and stay safe.🙂🙂

Hi John, I just want to say that I think you are one of a handful of "maker" KZreadrs who are excellent presenters. I have to believe that you are or were in a teaching field. You presentation and language skills are excellent. Although my interests are quite varied and smithing is not my primary inteterest, your ability to convey ideas, concepts and operations keep me coming back! Thank you!

Thank you very much to show blacksmithing is within reach!

I want to learn how to blacksmith bc I have a small homestead. I want to start producing my own nails, hinges, hangers and anything else I can think of to save myself a little money. I’m not interested in selling anything but I definitely want to get good enough to produce better quality items that I would have to buy anyway.

I took a welding course and thought I was invincible with my gloves on, only prolonged my pain when i picked up some pieces I was working on

As usual awesome video .

Hi John you are a master of your craft

Great video for folks just getting in to the craft. Best way to get better is to just do, everyone is a beginner at one point!

@BlackBearForge

Жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it

You're such a good teacher!

thanks john!

What a great series.Thanks for taking the time to put it together!

Thank you!

Earplugs with earprotection is the best. And oversized leather welding gloves are good.

Morning there loving this stuff I'm very much past this but going watch every one cause it's still very helpful ❤ I can't wait to get to how to weld when you haven't glue it's was the one thing I never learnt doing my smithing corse I was told back then steel wasn't good for forge welding and wasn't overly worry about it as I can use a modern welder and own one and use it to be welding on my blacksmith projects but now I'm finding that forge welding is a way more important skill then had been told it was now I'm struggling to learn it on my own

@BlackBearForge

Жыл бұрын

Forge welding is one of those skills that is easier to learn with someone coaching. But I do have quite a few videos on the subject, this one might be a good place t start. kzread.info/dash/bejne/nGxllqOqma68pqg.html Its an older video, but still good information

@manfoodchannel

Жыл бұрын

@@BlackBearForge thanks I will watch i probbly already have watched it I think getting the heat right is what's making it hard but I have remade my forge now so heat shouldn't be a issues next time I'm going give it a try

Good point on the New China files. New files in general are not very good. I buy all the old files I can find at state sales and yard sales. For a while hammers were everywhere, till I got all of them. I built my forge from a paint can, refractory cement, good black iron pipe from Lowes for the propane burner. Grill brushes from yard sales do great for brushing hot steel. I'd like a bigger forge but that is for down the road. I can make knives and wrenches with what I have.

Bless you Sir!

Stick a couple magnets on that ting ting anvil..😵‍💫... Brilliant series.

Great video John, I use S7 in my farrier practice a lot. It's a great tool steel, I can modify it out in the field without having to go through the quenching and tempering process.

@BlackBearForge

Жыл бұрын

Do you just use it as hardened then? I usually temper out of habit, but maybe it's not required.

@FarmsteadForge

Жыл бұрын

@@BlackBearForge I've always let it air cool or let the end cool off in a bucket of ash and never have had an issue with it. I just always make sure the end I am pounding on is very rounded. Generally it's the pritchels that break because the ends are so small and used so hard. That's a quick fix though - just heat them up, fix them and move on!

Thank you

Great video, as always. I know most know this. But I was watching the hacksaw cut the round stock. Some of the energy in the stroke of the saw is used up because the vice was not mounted to a rigid surface It's not a big deal for a few cuts, but many cuts add up fast.

@BlackBearForge

Жыл бұрын

As the little shop improves that will be disused, The point I'm trying to make at this point is that you can get by with some low cost make due and temporary setups

I recently got an antique knife that was made out of a some sort of bandsaw blade

have you ever thought about making a flintlock barrel? i think it would be a fun challenge and interesting to see

If you need anvil attachments. grab old trailer hitch balls. You have to grid down the screw part some. 30 min to a hour of work depending on your skill with a grinder. I'm using an old train rail plate as an anvil. I grid it to fit. From their so many ways you can go about shaping it to your needs. Grid and file or forge it. Even new balls are 1/3-1/8 the price of anvil attachment.

I want to send this guy money he’s showing us all this information and I just can’t thank him enough

@BlackBearForge

11 ай бұрын

I appreciate the thought. Donations are welcome, links in video description

thanks for sharing interesting video

Every time you hit the heated steel for the first time in your video it's like this huge release 😂😂 Another great video!

These videos are a great service. I’ve been forging for 5 years now. For the first year I only practiced tapers. I’ve added to my tooling and built a belt sander, a forging press, and three ribbon burner forges. I am picking up info from these videos. One thing I have never seen explained is what is the shape of the cutting end of a punch look like? Sharp edged? Beveled? Rounded? Is the face of the cutting end flat? Rightly rounded or even concave?

@BlackBearForge

Жыл бұрын

A punch usually has a flat end with crisp corners as it transitions from the flat end to sides of the punch

Great idea for a series of videos. My only critique is that for the cost of that file and hacksaw and blade, you could just about buy an angle grinder and some cutoff wheels and a grinding wheel. Harbor freight has an ok one for about $25. At first I thought the file and hacksaw would last longer, but it doesn't sound like that's the case, from what you said in this video. They just don't make things like they used to. Unless we do it ourselves.

@BlackBearForge

Жыл бұрын

While I agree that an angle grinder is a great tool, I also think people should become comfortable with a hacksaw and files. Plus, not everyone will be working where they have power available and the cordless tools are more expensive.

I always enjoy your videos. I learn a lot even if I'm not blacksmithing. On the coil spring material, is it air hardening as well so that I need to keep it hot when forging it like with the S7?

@BlackBearForge

Жыл бұрын

Most coil springs should be oil hardening.

KaTom sells the short bristle block brushes for about $11. That's the best price I've managed to find on them

I put a magnet under the trail of my Accaio anvil. It almost completely removed the ring.

Just stumbled on this, John. It seems like the perfect series for me. I have a strange affinity for numbered instructional videos, the longer the better. I'm going to go back to the beginning and watch both of them. Thanks for this. Oh, and one question. I know you're keeping this affordable, which is great, but why is the bench your vise is mounted on so janky?

@BlackBearForge

Жыл бұрын

Its temporary built out of scrap to keep it affordable.

Thanks!

@BlackBearForge

Жыл бұрын

And thank you

When I was first starting, I just used magical happy steel (Atlantic 33) for all of my tools. It's a simple water quench, it moves relatively easily, and the self-tempering means that I don't really have to worry about heat treating it correctly or accidentally overheating it while I'm working it. Only issue is that I don't think it comes in anything smaller than 3/4" square or 3/4" octagonal bar, so it would be a lot more forging it down even if you kept the body of the tool at the size of the stock (like I did for my first punch) but I feel like the simplicity of the heat treat and lack of tempering makes up for that to an extent. Still, you have to learn to heat treat properly at some point if you're going to be a blacksmith.

@BlackBearForge

Жыл бұрын

I was planning on using the Atlantic 33 in this series, but all my usual sources were out of the 3/4". Plus the 1/2" S7, that was readily available, fit in the same pair of tings, so there wasn't a need to by more than one pair.

@fredfchopin

Жыл бұрын

@@BlackBearForge yeah that makes sense, glad I stocked up on it although Coal Iron Works has some right now. The second pair of tongs I ever made were to fit the 3/4" flutagon. I keep a little piece of it in my tool bag too for the frequent times that I need to make a tool that I don't have.

I'd like to put a ball end on my tong reins, do you know of any videos that teach that? Thanks for sharing all your knowledge, if you like I'll send you some photos of my attempts

Thank you very-very much for starting this project! It is an excellent source for someone like me, who is trying to learn a few things. :-) As a side note: perhaps, something you may want to check: your links to hammer and tongs seem broken. Thank you again!!

@BlackBearForge

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the heads up, they should work now

making a pair of togs to start with , you make them to suite you

Why don't you wear your own t-shirts to advertise them to us John . And if they are not cotton, can you order them as such. Love what you are putting out there for our young viewers, you always do a great job in teaching the new students.

John could you spend a few seconds showing and telling about that steel tripod table you made for your vice? Thanks!

@BlackBearForge

10 ай бұрын

I'll try to cover that, it isn't anything great.

@rwg727

10 ай бұрын

@@BlackBearForge thanks John 😊

even if all you have is a hacksaw you can get creative. make a campfire and put it in it or toss it in your burn barrel. might help lose the temper so you can get through it

How did it miss this

101 forget the hacksaw. Buy an angle grinder. Thin blades and flap disks. Whire brush, and polish disks I use most. I like to have a 4 and 5 inch great combination with compact controllable one and a more heavy duty version with a bigger cut, also saves time changing disks. Great tips on the gloves i only where if its getting hot, and to protect from samder sometimes.

@BlackBearForge

Жыл бұрын

I agree on the angle grinder. But it was outside the $500 budget set for getting started. Besides, everyone should be comfortable with a hacksaw.

Watching you make tools from scratch is my weekend guilty pleasure 😁 out of curiosity, can you make files yourself? I've always been curious how they got made without already having a file on hand..?

@BlackBearForge

Жыл бұрын

File making was a very specialized trade. All cut by hand with a chisel. Its not something I have ever tried.

@Vikingwerk

Жыл бұрын

I think Clickspring might have done a video on hand making files back during his Antikythera mechanism series. Edit: Yep here it is: kzread.info/dash/bejne/hYOrm7mqfbKumqQ.html

@ChemistyStudent

Жыл бұрын

@@Vikingwerk Thank you for the link!

I would say buy tongs or trade for some from a local blacksmith.

When you are filing, say the punch, what are you looking for to file, to roundness?

@BlackBearForge

Жыл бұрын

Roundness (if its a round punch) and flattening the end so there is a sharp transition from end to the side of the punch

Have you had any problems with using the 20lb propane tank? I have a similar forge (Mr volcano single burner) and I’m wondering if a 20lb will work well or if I need to get a 40lb or similar. Thank you for the great series.

@BlackBearForge

Жыл бұрын

So far I haven't had an issue with the single burner. But I will discuss that more before the series is complete.

it's a job to buy s7 around here. i used coil springs. would coil springs be good to make axe drifts i need a small one and a middle size one. this is a awesome series have a great day

@BlackBearForge

Жыл бұрын

The material would be very good, its just a matter of finding it in large enough diameters for that type of drift.

i've been wondering if there's a specific name for those saftey glasses style, the oversized frame with the side/temple guards. Those are super effective I really like em

@BlackBearForge

Жыл бұрын

I'll try to remember to ask next time I'm at the opticians office. I have been hunting for the right thing to use prescription lenses for years . This is the first pair that really works the way I wanted.

John, I don't know how you could stand to punch on that hot, thick steel plate with no gloves on your holding hand!!!! Mine would have blistered first time around. You be one tough guy!!!🙄