It is interesting to note that the typical anvil shape was a block and the size was significantly smaller approx 35#-60#
Click on the picture to enlarge.
The shape that we recognize as an anvil did not come into wide spread use until sometime in the 16th century.
When you take away all the extras you only need 4 things:
Heat(Forge)
Metal to strike with(Hammer)
Metal to strike on(Anvil)
Metal to work(Metal)
These are the absolute bare minimums. Notice there a lot of missing tools that are typcially associated blacksmithing; including tongs, punches, files, fire rake, chisels etc. All of these items can be made with just the four main elements. Now, just because can start at this level, doesn't necessarily mean you have to. You will need to determine what items you can afford and which items you will need to make.
Heat - There are many possible sources (charcoal, coal, propane, natural gas, and electricity), but all of these (except electricity) will also need a source of forced air to increase their heat ouput.
Traditionally air was supplied by a leather bags, bellows, or hand cranked blower. The first two are the easiest to make [great bellows diagram] and although I have seen home made blowers, most people tend to use an electrically driven blower. The first forge we built used a defroster blower from a Ford Falcon hooked to a car battery that we recharged every night after forging. Most electric blowers have one big draw back however, they usually produce too much air pressure. Some find that using a reostat to regulate blower speed the way to go. Since I don't do much with electricity, I prefer to install a valve or shutter, to control air flow in the tuyere (air pipe).
Today many coal and charcoal forges are bottom fed with air. This is not the only configuration however, many early configurations used an animal's horn for the tuyere that entered from the side or back of the forge. However, an excellent and simple bottom blast forge can be made from a brake drum and common piping. Although gas forges may take awhile to heat up to the temperatures needed for forge welding most projects don't require this amount of heat. Gas forges, also have the added advantage of burning much cleaner than coal/coke, or charcoal, and are easily "set" to a particular temp. For many smiths these features are very appealing.
Metal to Strike With - Once you get started in blacksmithing you will quickly discover more kinds of hammers than you ever knew existed. In a pinch nearly any hammer will do for blacksmithing as long as it is heavy (at least 2#). The most common hammer in the blacksmith's arsenal is the "cross pein". Typically a smith will have cross pein hammers in 2#, 2-1/2#, and 3#. Some techniques can only be accomplished with a cross or straight pein, but for the most part the advantage of these hammers is their weight. Ball pein hammers, that nearly everyone has wondered what the ball part was for, get used for heading rivets (as the ball was designed to do).
A word of caution about hammers. They have hardened heads, and are therefore brittle, can chip and fracture if hit against each other or other hardened steel. This also means that they can easily leave marks on your anvil face; marks that can be transferred to your work.
Metal to Strike On - Getting your hands on an anvil is probably the most challenging part of getting all the needed equipment. Flea markets, yard sales, estate sales and auctions can turn up some good deals. But you may spend a lot time looking before you find decent anvil. Notice I didn't include antique dealers as a possible source. In the New York - New England area where I live, most antique dealers have driven up the price of anvils to way above fair market value. It is not impossible to make your own anvil and many people must do so simply because a decent anvil is too hard to come by.
Metal to Strike - As a beginner, the best metal to work with is "hot rolled mild steel". These steels don't have enough carbon content to be concerned about accidentally hardening them, so you can focus on learning how metal reacts to the hammer.
How do you know what you're working with if you just grabbed something from your local scrap yard? There are two simple tests to give you a ball park idea if you're dealing high or low carbon steel. The first is the spark test. High carbon steels spark very brightly (white-yellow) and fan out considerably when ground on a grinder or belt sander. Low carbon steels spark more in the orange-red range and each sparkler will shoot straighter.
Resources: This is just a quick primer that covers only the minimum amount of info needed to get started. In addition to e-mailing us, included below are several links and a suggested reading list to better help the beginner. And as always, "Safety First"! Wear gloves, eye and ear protection.
Books:
"New Edge of the Anvil" by Jack Andrews
"The Complete Modern Blacksmith" by Alexander Weygers
Links:
ABANA (Artist Blacksmith Association of North America)
Blacksmith's Virtual Junk Yard
Neo-Tribal Metalsmiths - For the ultimate in primitive forging.