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I first tried my hand at smithing when I was a teen, and I was rather ignorant about it. I just heated up a metal rod and started pounding. I split the metal in several places and destroyed my moms smoker grill in the process. But here lately I've been doing quite a bit of research and I'm confident I can pull it off now. The only problem I have is funds. I've got kids, and kids aren't cheap. My wife and I work are butts off to provide and we just get by. So the idea I came up with is to build a small forge from scrap I have lying around. An old pan for the forge, a satellite dish mount for the air inlet, and the whole thing on bricks for a base. I know it's not the best but it's a start. What I plan on making is whatever I can sell. My stock is going to be any scrap steel/iron I can get. Steel tubing from chairs, railroad spikes, old pots and pans, you name it. Right now I have no real smithing tools to speak of, just a framing hammer and channel lock pliers(insert WTF comments here). My first project will be making a punch and drifter from railroad spikes. Next will be a decent hammer, then tongs. And from there I will start working on art and knives that I can (hopefully) sell. I will use any money I make at first to upgrade my workshop until I am happy with it and I can afford better materials. Like I said, I've done a lot of research into the art. But research is just that. It's not experience or practice. I know what I need to do overall but I'm still gonna need a lot of practice on technique and form and such. So if anyone out there has any good advice or comments please let me know. I am eager to learn and willing to take advice from experts. I am definitely open to suggestions on anything. Just keep in mind that for now my budget is about $0.17 Thank you, Scrapsmith Steven PS I will post pictures as I build.

I've been asking myself what I would use to up the Ni in crucible steel if I wanted to make my own high contrast crucible steel damascus. I'd like something high in Nickel, and low in everything else, so I was looking at SAE 2515. In what kind of applications would this be found as scrap? Roller bearings? Other suggestions? I doubt I can find any FeNi or pure Ni locally. And I haven't been struck by any meteorites lately. We are the knights who say Ni!

I was wandering if it is possible to take regular mild steel (table legs, steel cans, fridge doors etc.) And make it usable for knifes. I was thinking about making a tatara/bloomery and processing it through that instead of iron sand. Of course it would have to be cut up real small but I enjoy the extra work as long as it's not a waste of time. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.