The Old Coal Forge is back - Forging a Spoon

The old coal forge finally has a chimney and its time for the first fire in the new off grid blacksmith shop. I prefer to use an insulated chimney designed for wood stove installation. While more expensive, it is the safest option. This is Metal-Fab Temp-Guard Stainless Steel Chimney Pipe - www.woodlanddi... - not sponsored
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Blacksmithing and related activities can be hazardous. These videos are not a substitute for competent professional instruction. Your safety is your sole responsibility. Always use appropriate safety equipment including eye and ear protection when working in the shop. Follow manufactures safety guidelines for the use of all equipment. In the event something shown in one of these videos seems unsafe, it is up to you to make the appropriate changes to protect yourself.t yourself.

[@ronthacker211]

Reminds me of an old mechanic saying.... 1st thing to do is to hit your knuckles with a hammer, then burn a couple fingers, then squirt a little grease/oil in you eye. When that's all done, then you can start working on an engine.

[@bc65925]

Our guild shop is just a well ventilated pole barn with 4 coal forges and 4 propane. A winter day a few years back I helped guys light up two of the coal forges and then went to light the 3rd one for myself and it wouldn't draw. That's when I figured out that two 12" flues was all the ventilation we had coming into the barn. I had to open a door to get enough air to fill the 3rd flue.

[@matthewvgreene]

Well, today I fired my first forge for the first time and even managed to move some metal! Thanks for inspiring me and giving me the confidence to just go for it! The fire poker I made looks like crap and I love it! I was able to bend, draw out, upset, hot cut, and even put in a bit of scrollwork at one end. Thanks again for all your wisdom.

[@BlackBearForge]

That is awesome, you have to start somewhere. It all gets easier over time

[@RC-Heli835]

Nothing smells so good as a coal forge! May we never run out of coal!🍻

[@hawkeyedsniper7269]

No project is done until you drop it once 💯

[@cholulahotsauce6166]

Drop-forged

[@owenlee3825]

Keep up the good work my man! You were actually the one who inspired me to start balcksmithing in the first place and i hope you continue to inspire others!

[@BlackBearForge]

That's awesome, thank you

[@dominikmeril1720]

i too started now getting things to start on a budget now at least. lets see what the future has to offer

[@scottjohnson2087]

@BlackBearForge you have been the inspiration and motivation for me to get a forge going. My father was a farrier, and I loved bending metal as a boy. Keep up the awesome work!

[@RyanBarnes]

Same here! My anvil and forge should be arriving today. I am very excited.

[@dominikmeril1720]

@@RyanBarnes good luck and have fun

[@erikcourtney1834]

Glad to see the coal forge fired back up. I just used mine the other day which is something I rarely do, but the project wouldn’t fit in the gas forge. I will say I’m definitely out of practice with solid fuel 🤦‍♂️

[@blackhammerartisan]

yes!! so happy to see the old coal forge again!

[@candymountainforge]

Congratulations on finally getting the forge done, welcome back to the hand crank gang

[@gregwells8764]

something special about that chimney and forge. love the idea of the split shops

[@devilsanus3510]

I know in the past you've talked alot about " video styles". Weather it's shooting the video and doing voice over, or describing what your doing while your shooting, or no narration at all, this is my favorite type of video ( probably more work for you). For some reason when you do it this way I feel like your sitting here with me drinking coffee and we're watching you make a spoon. Its pretty cool 😅

[@robertwhitney2232]

Thanks John, could have used this video last week. We started a new class at the guild, we do a one on one, and my guy wanted to make a fork for his personal project. I took notes on your handle making, will do better next time. He still got a 👍from our master. 😁⚒

[@patrickharmon9459]

I'm glad you got coal forge working again in your new shop. Now if you get Roy's sledge treadle hammer in your new shop you'll be in good shape. At least that's what I think 🤔. Good luck with your new shop, keep up the good work and God bless you and your family 👪

[@jeffgrier8488]

Nice spoon John! We love the videos regardless of which shop they come from!

[@BlackBearForge]

Thanks 👍

[@milesrowan3833]

Nice little hand powered shop! Also nice to see a Blacksmith that knows not to drag a file backwards on steel. I see so many that drag it back, dulling the file.

[@thijs3514]

Nice to see the coal forge again. Mighty expensive chimney tough😬

[@smythcast]

Love the real fire for working with, and its romance. keep on keeping on John inspiring others to take up this craft. Always lit.

[@steveRBForge]

John, thanks for the explanation of how the side draft and chimney work.

[@larryjones4713]

Sorry I missed this episode this morning, I enjoy watching your videos but I’m here now

[@DavidSellars-b8l]

Doesn't matter which shop but I do like the powerhammer....and the coal forge.

[@colvinwellborn]

I've burned up so many pieces leaving the air on too long. It's just as you say: you go to grab a tool or something and it isn't where you remember, or you get distracted with something on the way... and there goes your piece. It can happen really fast. I don't regret switching to a coal forge at all, but it has been quite a learning process to get the right amount of heat without burning stuff up. The biggest pain is that you usually end up burning things near the end of the project when you have thin or delicate parts.

[@BlackBearForge]

Very true

[@garethbaus5471]

Hand crank blowers help reduce that, but it certainly can still happen.

[@colvinwellborn]

@@garethbaus5471 Yup, diligence is needed in all cases. I've been thinking about trying to make one of the Japanese box-style blowers. If I get a manual blower I want to hook it up alongside my electric blower so I can switch between the two.

[@chasehopkins3653]

In the case of your horn moving, could you make a hooked plate that sticks out that far on the bottom of the stump? The hooks would grab the bottom of the stump, and the plate would extend under the stump out to be in line with the horn, so it would apply the force evenly and prevent the horn from causing a wobble.

[@benedikts.8371]

I would love to see your take on forging kitchen equipment like this out of stainless steel.

[@AtholIronworks]

Wahoo love the coal forge! Thanks for another great video. Keep me in mind if your ever done another run of stickers I'd love to have one.

[@BlackBearForge]

I should actually have some available soon

[@AtholIronworks]

@@BlackBearForge awesome!

[@johnjude2685]

I'm learning carving and planning to save a fortune building chisels and knives for carving as we know good tools get expensive, and so many are helpful to speed up work and being efficient and can help you improve your work. I've gravel floor and have the absorb energy problem and problem working on the ends. Thanks again John Switzer

[@charlottesimonin2551]

been looking at your videos from recent times [back to 5 years} and really admire the technique and effort you put into your instruction, As a new FAN I have a small suggestion for your apprentices. If cash is a little short, and resources of higher alloy metal not readily apparent, look for crowbars and similar tools at the cheap big box stores, Years ago i bought three crowbars for a small price at dollar general. Pieces of those have functioned as punches, chisels, and fullers for years. Twenty years later the only high alloy purchased for tooling is one piece of H13 shaped thin for fine line cuts in red orange cuts,

[@andycamm6317]

Like to see you made sure the match was out when you lit the fire

[@billroberts3864]

Hi John. Thanks for a great demo on making the spoon. You are a great teacher and make it easy fun to watch your channel. Blessings to you.

[@BlackBearForge]

My pleasure!

[@InMyPurview]

Great addition with the old coal forge sir. Enjoyed the video!

[@BlackBearForge]

Thanks 👍

[@dr.froghopper6711]

I can’t get decent coal for my forge. My grandfather’s old forge has a hand cranked bottom blower and the blower is jammed, likely the result of kids dropping rocks into the air intake. My anvil is almost identical to yours but I really really need a good swage block!

[@BlackBearForge]

Take a look at Holland Anvils, thats where the one in this video came from.

[@1noryb]

Thanks John, I've been gifted a bunch of coal so the discussion on your chimney install is particularly good!

[@Tina06019]

Thanks for this great video. And thanks for the comment about the safety glasses.

[@dwwoodbuilds]

Great discussion on chimney draw and safe construction! The non-electric shop is looking nice! Another great video and demonstration!

[@BlackBearForge]

Thanks for watching

[@richardsurber8226]

Nice video. you really show that chimney well, and explain the physics of the draw. Thanks for the video

[@BlackBearForge]

Glad you liked it!

[@CausticPuffin]

In Florida you have to worry about alligators in the water, in Colorado you have to worry about bears on the roof.

[@miniblasan5717]

In Sweden (the Norrland region), Norway (the Nordland and Finnmark regions) and Finland (the Lapland region), you have to keep an eye out for reindeer and moose that like to wander out onto the roads. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jqPKhIWlm7eIZ9E&si=3UmeHx8d9QO9HIBi

[@Smallathe]

Very cool! Very inspiring!

[@marcopolo1119]

Thank you to teach us your talent. What happened to your previous workshop?

[@BlackBearForge]

Its right where its always been. This little shop is a KZbin project. I still do most of my regular work in the main shop.

[@raydall3734]

One thing I'd like to see that I haven't found o KZbin... Sometimes blacksmiths need to use a rasp. Sure you can buy one, but I can't help think that blacksmiths of old made their own... Never seen it done. A tutorial would ROCK!

[@stephenjohnson6841]

Another great video John! Thanks for sharing!

[@BlackBearForge]

You are very welcome

[@threeriversforge1997]

Been a long time since I worked in a coal forge. Still miss that fine smell even after all these years. Propane is convenient and all, but it sure takes something out of the smithing experience. That said, I haven't made a spoon in awhile and might have to see what I can do about that. One more project on the to-do list! 🤣

[@charleslamica5123]

Loving the videos from the small shop! This is much more like the type of shop an amateur blacksmith is likely to have. The power hammers and hydraulic presses in bigger shops are impressive, but most of us don't have those. That's why these small shop videos are so appealing. Thank you!

[@olddawgdreaming5715]

Great Safe Install John. Best to CYA before anything happens. Sure liked the Spoon Making instructions too, turned out right nice and plenty useful. Thanks for sharing with us. Fred.

[@hiluxmad]

Another get video. A new wooden handle for the blower will be a nice wet day project 😉

[@BlackBearForge]

Good call!

[@stuffbywoody5497]

I'm liking the new shop. Good video. Nice to see some old school smithing 👍

[@JackFrost-ps2kt]

I really enjoyed this video, I work in a small coal forge smithy and appreciate your content on the subject.

[@MagiRaz]

The stump I had my anvil on split right down the center, Georgia pine just cant take a beating, so I spent most of today in my shop engineering a new anvil stand. My wood working skills need serious help. In a lot of ways, iron is far more forgiving than wood.

[@charlesburgoyne-probyn6044]

Some knotty hardwood should serve well like with a wood chopping block

[@blackhammerartisan]

you should get one of the Christ centered iron works treadle hammers for the hand tool shop.

[@BlackBearForge]

I'm not sure if Still have room for one.This little shop is filling up fast.

[@PuissantPike]

Great to see the old coal forge back up and running!

[@bigredbeard65]

I really enjoyed this video, nice seeing that coal forge up and running again, makes me want one!

[@glencrandall7051]

Nice spoon. Thank you for sharing. Have a great dat and stay safe.🙂🙂

[@Jesus_Freak-He-is-comin-soon]

Thank you so much for these videos im just starting out blacksmithing and these videos have helped me so much

[@BlackBearForge]

Glad to help

[@doingitoutdoors7083]

Thanks for the video. Making a spoon is on my list. It's funny, the things I focus on. I loved it when you used the wood from the roof to start the fire. Keep up the good work.

[@mechniack]

Crazy amount of insulation in that hut. 😱

[@ivancorea]

Man, I love watching your videos. Really wish I knew where to start but I cant even find an anvil for sale in my country

[@BlackBearForge]

Any large piece of steel can be a good substitute for an anvil

[@robertlamb7513]

I make spoons carving them out of wood all I use is a few knives and would like to get into blacksmithing some day and I am sure this video will help if I ever to become a blacksmith

[@exgamer13]

I think a forged tomahawk style chipping hammer video would be a great idea im a welder by trade but been watching youre videos and tinkering with my forge for 5 years now would like to see how to make my own chipping hammer from an expert

[@BlackBearForge]

Great suggestion!

[@cholulahotsauce6166]

Torbjorn made one but he's all power hammer work it seems like these days.

[@exgamer13]

​@@BlackBearForgeI also got thinking and could you make a spring punch for punching holes but on a spring in the hardy hole like the spring fuller so you didn't have to hold the punch you could just slide you're work under it?

[@Jason-jd1jv]

Just a quick tip for people who start their fire with lumber, be careful. I have a friend who took a deck down and burned it in his help took all the lumber out to his pasture and burned it. Later he had several cows drop dead and he came to me to ask what he could do to help the ones that were still down but not dead. We had no idea what the problem was but after a necropsy on one of the cows it was determined they had found the burn pile and licked the ashes. Apparently the ashes were salty or something. Turns out the lumber was treated with arsenic and it killed several head of cattle. My friend, not realizing the burn pile was connected, never mentioned it to me or the vet but the vet did ask him specifically if the cows had access to a burn pile so it seems it's not uncommon for him to see that. Having said that, I would exercise caution when burning treated lumber.

[@BlackBearForge]

Its been many years since treated lumber used arsenic. But in general I would avoid burning treated lumber

[@Jason-jd1jv]

​@@BlackBearForge I think the idea was he was scrapping the old deck and building a new one so I'm pretty sure the wood was old. How old I have no idea. But the vet that did the necropsy told him arsenic was to blame. Having said that, there is a herbicide that contains arsenic that I sold a lot of over the years but he never used it. We had lots of chemicals that people spray for different things that could be very hazardous and many people used it off label, which is why so many chemicals are getting banned. I've known people to spray the wood on their houses for termites and such with chemicals that would make you sick or kill you if you simply spilled it on yourself. Paraquat, strychnine, nicotine sulfate and of course arsenic were just a few of the fun things we sold. I even found thermite and nitroglycerin torpedoes in the warehouse from the railroad days. It was a fun job and always an adventure.

[@cholulahotsauce6166]

I fired up my prototype side blast for the first time tonight. Pretty decent. Gets steel hot anyway.

[@SchysCraftCo.]

Very nice and very useful and helpful tool forged there. Hopefully you will get some use out of it. Can’t wait to see more updates and projects and many more videos soon. Keep up up the great craftsmanship and hard work my friend. Forge on. Keep forge lit. Keep Making. God bless.

[@robsonsantosOSO]

These were great tips on the responsibility of building a forge with a good chimney system. And this is a great spoon for camping trips with friends!

[@bernardflood8289]

Greetings from Ireland. I would love to see more about how you installed the chimney, especially how you sealed the roof to keep rain out. What is a good height for the fire. I am setting up an extension to my workshop and I want to set up a forge. I bought a used pellet furnace for scrap value including a nice 8" double walled chimney pipe like yours, definitely the way to buy it plus I have a lot of good steel in the hopper.

[@ericcartrette6118]

I like the coal forge. BUT! No matter which forge you are working in, I'll be watching.

[@Anvilbanger]

Great video as always! Where I smith in Arizona, coal and coke are hard to come by and expensive. Also, local air quality laws proscribe their use. However, many local businesses sell large bags of mesquite charcoal for a reasonable price, In fact. chunks of mesquite wood or desert ironwood burn clean and provide plenty of heat for forging and even welding.

[@reginabivona1282]

Anvil sounds great!!!

[@antheaxe7340]

looks really really good

[@ValhallaViking]

Amazing videos. I just started looking into blacksmithing haven't started yet just been doing some research and your videos are by far the most informative that I have come across. Thankyou for the time you put into this

[@BlackBearForge]

Welcome aboard!

[@StocksFarm]

So much knowledge in one video.

[@MASI_forging]

Another great video 😍😍

[@FarmsteadForge]

Thanks for explaining the hood and the draft, that was very helpful. How long are your metal shears? I just acquired a set that are 4' long and I'm pretty excited!

[@ironhead65]

Such fast work with a file! Is there any particular brand you gravitate towards? I’ve only used a “good” file once and it was amazing how well it worked!!

[@huckstirred7112]

I would be an awesome blacksmith , if I could hit the same place twice

[@nathancharles103]

nice

[@rangerknow940]

Hey John a big fan of your work. Do you ever find yourself getting bored with forging and have you ever had to take a prolonged break from the craft?

[@BlackBearForge]

Bored yes. But no prolonged breaks. When the shop is a source of income you have to work to pay the bills. I do switch up what I'm doing from time to time so that I have some variety in the work. There are lots of big long term projects I hope to work on that aren't likely to have a paying customer on the other end. But those will certainly spark some new interest.

[@seanmccullough2871]

Love your videos. I have a couple pairs of large shears like you used. I would love to see more info on the use, mounting options, sharpening of them. Thanks for your contribution to blacksmithing!

[@Vikingwerk]

Good to see the coal forge back in action! Special request; could you talk some time about shutting down a coal forge when you are done forging? Do you just let it burn out? I want to finish up building and start using my coal forge, but my coal supply is limited, and I don’t want to waste a lot by letting is just burn up when I’m done, and while there are a lot of videos on starting up a coal forge, and working in one, but I’ve never seen any ‘end of day coal forge procedure’ stuff.

[@JeffSearust]

Without the blower going the fire goes out pretty fast. If you have a water dipper, and you're done for the day, a LITTLE water will make it go out faster.

[@The_Smith]

What I do when shutting down the forge is make sure there good amount of coal converted to coke, (also called breeze for some reason unknown to me) and then just sort of break the fire up and pull it apart, it goes out within minutes.

[@dakotareid1566]

You should try an electric blower with a foot switch that way it’s only on when you’re around it

[@BlackBearForge]

I took the electric blower off because this shop doesn't have power.

[@hodekondrej]

I don't really have an idea how much force it takes to hand crank, but it might be interesting to connect a flywheel to the blower. It'd take more effort initially, but could free up a bit of time for doing things around the shop while waiting for forge/stock to heat up - and at less risk of burning up the material, since it'll run out of energy sooner or later

[@Tina06019]

It doesn’t take much force at all. If anything, my blacksmith son sometimes needs to tell me to slow down with the cranking. Of course, I am one of those beginners who enjoys cranking the blower.

[@mandolinman2006]

I wonder if a set of bellows would help to push air while you go grab tools.

[@BlackBearForge]

Probably not, the upper chamber empties out about as fast as the blower stops turning

[@TheDovatuxPlaysMC]

Real silly question. How is he not burning his hand at 3:00 Is there a rule of thumb on when to use tongs or not? Or is he just built different

[@BlackBearForge]

As for a rule of thumb, if it's too hot to hold onto safely and comfortably use tongs. But it does take time for the heat to travel up the bar, so you can often hand hold a piece for the first heat or two. Using water to cool the bar so you can hold it often an option as well.

[@kaptainkirk12]

Yeahhhhhh !!!!!

[@FrankEmmrich]

Just wondering about that swage block (spelling?) you’re using. Is that something one would find easily? How about one made from hardwood? Thanks for your videos!

[@BlackBearForge]

That swage block is from Holland Anvil - www.hollandanvil.com/ They have a variety of new swage blocks

[@RyanBarnes]

Was wondering if eating utensils like spoons and such, or cooking with like ladles or spatulas, are okay to be made from mild steel?

[@BlackBearForge]

Yes they are. Just finish with a food safe oil like you would a cast iron skillet

[@JasonLykken-o7g]

👍 😊

[@billmaguire6216]

Is the anvil a Peter Wright?

[@normanwehner6913]

Did you build or buy the side draft piece for the Chimney?

[@BlackBearForge]

Thats one I built many years ago. This is the third place its been installed.

[@normanwehner6913]

Does anyone sell them finished?@@BlackBearForge

[@bernardbazaud8294]

Here's a big spoon for dining with the devil ! 😝

[@jimmyjackjumpup6765]

Looks like you're getting quite the little compound there. Let me guess. The bigger the maze the harder it is for the wife to know where you are? 😁

[@BlackBearForge]

No, she just fallows the sound

[@clongshanks5206]

Can you use that spoon to actually eat or would that be harmful

[@Vikingwerk]

It’s just steel, should be fine.

[@BlackBearForge]

You sure can, as long as you use a food safe oil or wax to finish it with. No different than using a cast iron pan.

[@familyonamissiongo4790]

So your shop is only 12x20?

[@BlackBearForge]

This little shop is more like 12 X 16. or about 192 sq.ft. The main shop is around 400 sq.ft.

[@jakelencher817]

where do you get coal

[@BlackBearForge]

It depends on where you live. Talk with other smiths in your area to see where they get coal from. Or you can order from most of the blacksmithing suppliers online, but thats really expensive and one reason I use propane more often than coal.

[@ForgingAheadArtisanBlacksmith]

Is the wife a Drone operator now? 😅

[@BlackBearForge]

No, I didn't bother using a drone for any of these shots. But I'm glad i was able to give the same look.

[@cristopheraltobranto1999]

DOVE SI COMPRANO LE PINZE PER FABBRO?

[@stevegreen2432]

You really must stop cutting holes in the roof to light the forge!!!!

[@louishayworth9023]

When you get an ear why can't you just hammer it back ?

[@Vikingwerk]

I find with thin material like that, hammering it back just bends it over, rather than pushing it in.

[@BlackBearForge]

It would just bend over when its this thin.

[@darrelleddington7948]

(Respectfully asking) Why did you come back to using a coal forge?

[@BlackBearForge]

I still use the gas forge and induction forge for most of my regular work. The little shop with the coal forge is more of a KZbin project for those viewers that like that approach to blacksmithing. Both shop setups will be seen regularly in future videos