No BS Guide To Buying The Best Arbor Press Possible
What Is An Arbor Press? An arbour press is a convenient and (relatively) cheap tool that allows a person to press with incredible force. These tools are great for at home hobbyists as they are compact and not too expensive. This means that they will fit in your home or your garage, and you can […] Read More
Review of The Best 4 Needle Scaler Guns For Quick Cleaning, Best Practices, and More
As a blacksmith, I often find myself needing to clear away scale or rust on a piece of work. There are a lot of options when it comes to removing this scale, for larger projects, I tend to use a good needle scaler gun. These tools are great for quickly removing large flakey chunks of […] Read More
8 Items For Building A Beginners Blacksmithing Tool Kit Quickly
Blacksmithing is a rare hobby in that you can get by without really purchasing anything but your steel stock. You can make your own tools! The techniques are timeless as well, meaning the techniques you learned 10 years ago will work just as well today. But how do you begin forging if you have no […] Read More
No BS Guide To Optimal Blacksmith Clothing (Gloves,Aprons, And More)
People interested in blacksmithing tend to have colorful personalities that are contained within a unique worldview. As such, you will see a tremendous amount of variability in what people wear while smithing. Some people are very practical, and will wear a long sleeve shirt with hearing + eye protection in addition to boots. Other people […] Read More
No BS Guide To The Best 3 Refractory Bricks For Forging & Casting
Refractory materials are non-metallic (ceramic) materials that can withstand high temperatures. They are often used in a number of industrial applications such as furnaces, kilns, foundries incinerators, and reactors. As such, they are extremely useful to hobbyist blacksmiths and machinists who wish to build their own forge or foundry. So which fire bricks should you […] Read More
No BS Guide to the Best 10 Anvils For Sale (Blacksmith,Bladesmith,Jewelry)
A blacksmith anvil is one of the most important and expensive purchases a blacksmith will make. The blacksmithing anvil is central to almost everything that happens in a blacksmith’s workshop. Whether you are crafting a sword, a knife, armor, tools, decorative scroll-work, or tools for your own use, you will need to use an this […] Read More
Best 16 Books For Blacksmiths & Bladesmiths – Become a Master
While it’s possible to learn a great deal about blacksmithing from online articles, YouTube videos, and personal experience, these things really can’t replace a compact reference written by an expert with decades of experience. It’s also incredibly useful to have a reference book nearby. I know I often find myself forgetting things that I once […] Read More
No BS Guide To The Best Blacksmithing Tongs
Tongs are one of the most fundamental tools in the blacksmith’s workshop. A good set of tongs will effortlessly grip your stock and thus become an extension of your will. Experienced smiths will often hand craft tongs that are perfectly fitted for each project. They will bring years of expertise into the creation of each […] Read More
No BS Guide To The Top 10 Blacksmithing Hammers
Technically you can smack your stock with just about anything. Hell, an old carpenter’s hammer will get the job done. However, using a sub par blacksmith hammer is tedious and it’s hard on your elbows. There is nothing fun or creative about elbow pain! So which hammer should you buy? There are a lot of […] Read More
3 Best Bench Vises For Sale – Don’t Buy Cheap Crap!
The bench vise – also known as a mechanics vise, workshop vise, machinist vise, or engineers vice** – is one of the most fundamental tools in a workshop. ** What is The Difference Between Vice and Vise? There are some differences between the various english speaking countries as to how these tools should be spelled. […] Read More
No BullShit Guide to Finding The Best Hacksaw
As a blacksmith, I use a hacksaw to cut mild steel all the time. It’s great for times when I don’t have access to my angle grinder or cold saw. It’s also great for those folks that are just starting to fill out their shop with tools and don’t have access to more expensive machinery. […] Read More
No BS Guide To The Top 6 Shop Presses For Sale
So you have something that needs pressing, which press should you get? It honestly depends on what you are pressing. I usually recommend a 12 ton or a 20 ton press for most common uses, but I go over 6 presses in this article ranging from a 6 ton a frame to a 50 ton […] Read More
No BS Guide To The Best Blacksmith Forges
What is a blacksmith forge? It’s a “hearth” for a very hot fire that is used to heat up steel. At its heart, forging is a pretty simple process: heat up some metal, and hit it with a hammer. Despite its simplicity, many newer smiths tend to get tripped up when it comes to deciding […] Read More
How Much Are Railroad Spikes Worth? Are They Worth It?
The quickest way to gauge the value of a railroad spike is to check current retail pricing: Retail Railroad Spikes 25 Spikes 50 Spikes 300 Spikes Check Price Check Price Check Price However, it may be difficult to compare the pricing of these spikes with other sources of steel stock. Therefore I did some quick […] Read More
Best Candle Snuffers – No Mess, No Fuss!
Why is it that people love candles so much? Afterall, candles are waaaaay less efficient than lightbulbs. Why is it that people pay 20+ dollars for a glass jar full of wax? It’s not for efficiency, that’s for sure. A typical candle provides a tiny fraction of the light that a light bulb would. Candles […] Read More
Best Blacksmith Punches And How to Use Them
Whether it’s punching a hole for the eye of an axe, a hammer, or some other handheld tool, the trusty blacksmith punch is a great low tech solution for making holes in a piece of stock. There is no need for expensive machining equipment when you have a punch lying around. Today I will go […] Read More
