Blacksmithing Basics For The Homestead

This is a good guide for the beginning blacksmith, it has step by step instructions for several projects that will set a good foundation for blacksmiths at any age.

Good book with a solid overview of blacksmithing. This book doesn't tell you everything, but it does give you a good starting point. It is very focused towards homesteading and what you need from a mostly powerless environment. There is no propane forge information. This isn't a deficit, just focused on the self sufficient theme.The projects are good and themed towards fixtures and tools for the homestead.Not a blacksmithing first book, but a solid second or third.

This was a gift, he has enjoyed the material.

This is an informative book on blacksmithing. The author learned his trade from a full time master smith. That helps on his prospective of how to teach others how to forge different items. The old smiths worked at their craft every day and learned alot by trial and error, when they took on an apprentice they could teach them things without them going through the T&E process. The author has taken what he was taught and is now teaching us , so we can learn from his master and his mistakes.

Very good basic information.

Starts at the beginning and walks you through the process. I've read it twice through already.I'd buy it again, if I didn't already have one.

Good book could have used one or two more diagrams but I was pleased. First book I bought on the subject and learned from it.

I am a back yard blacksmith just starting out. Limited tools but my tool shed is growing. was a good read on how to blacksmith with limited tools.

The title gives a fair reflection of the book's contents: the requirements of a simple forge are discussed, materials next, then a run-through of basic forging and tool-making techniques, followed by a couple of dozen sets of instructions for `homestead' (farmstead?) ironwork.Colour photographs are used to show tools used and finished work; diagrams are used throughout the book, as is appropriate for an instructive manual, better conveying the methods being discussed.The instructions are quite clear and the diagrams well drawn but a little small; some relevant diagrams are overleaf from the instructions referring to them. It is likely that anyone wishing to follow instructions while forging would need to write them out in a vertical or bullet-pointed list alongside larger copies of the diagrams.The book is US-centric in writing style, references and the blacksmithing techniques advocated; having said that, there are many ideas in it that will be of use to blacksmiths anywhere. For anyone past the beginner's stage of blacksmithing, it is a book worth having both out of general interest and for the patterns and ideas it contains.But, it is unlikely to find itself ranking with Jackson's or, still less, Parkinson's book as an essential text for beginners.

prompt and efficient. everything as described

Loved this, getting a forge next.

Since the book was cheap it was a good addition to my library. But For a higher price I wouldn't recommend it. It doesn't give lots of detail and therefore I wouldn't recommend it to a beginning smith.But the writing style has a nice character and draws one into the authors mindset which I like.

You'll need good spatial thinking skills to use this book. There is a lot of, "Now turn around and pound out to 1/3 inch thick to form a flat and draw the other side out round to a diameter of 3/8 inch." If you can follow that sort of instruction this is a great beginners book to help you build all sorts of useful tools and projects.