Small Things, Big Profit: Making Money as a Blacksmith
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- čas přidán 26. 07. 2024
- If you're interested in making money as a blacksmith, I'll let you in on a few tips and tricks I've learned along the way. With a handful of blacksmith projects to sell, you'll be on your way to making money, even if you're just starting out selling small things.
** Amazon and/or eBay affiliate links below **
Links to my supplies:
Box of 100: amzn.to/2rqFEVQ
Box of 250: amzn.to/2qHwRuK
Larger horseshoe nails (up to 16 head): ebay.us/oi9TIo
small scrolling tongs (amzn.to/2sCeDNu)
Propane Torch (amzn.to/2sxGn5s )
3M Safety Glasses amzn.to/2qMi6Yw
3M Ear Muffs amzn.to/2r7Mhha
My video on making Horseshoe Nail Hooks: • Beginner Blacksmith Pr...
How to Make Money as a Blacksmith Playlist: • How To Make Money as a...
The Business of Blacksmithing Playlist:
• The Business of Blacks... - Jak na to + styl
At craft fairs and SCA events I often had children come up to my booth asking, "Do you have anything for a dollar?" which is probably what their parents had given them for shopping. I finally came up with a very simple item, you flatten a double headed construction nail and you have just made a mini-sword. If you put a slight curve into it you have made a saber or pirate cutlass. I will drill a small hole and insert a jump ring in some so that they may be worn as a pendant. I will charge $1 to anyone 12 or under and $2.50 for anyone older. Sometimes if a family makes a significant purchase of other items I will throw some in for free for the kids. They are very easy and fast to make. Also, no jigs required.
Westmarch Forge
Laramie, WY
Smart
i make mini swords from duplex nails as well. they are a great little warm up exercise while the forge is warming up (pardon the pun) i play around with what i hammer i use to make orc blades, scimitars etc. they take nothing to make and yet i can sell em for 3 for $5. kids my age (26 =P) buy em too! my neighbor is a high school/college teacher and i gifted his kids some to use as book marks. im curious as to what other little things i can make cheap for kiddos....
Thanks for the tip
That's amazing making stuff for the kids that have the budget
@@shanerussell7395 watching the kids leave the booth sword fighting brings a tremendous amount of joy to all the vendors. its a gift to them as much as it is to us
You mention being long winded.... I'll take it everytime! No sensationalism, no bad music, just the real deal!
Thanks for the video..
+shadowcastre thank you very much for the great compliment ! I like being long-winded because it's informative thanks for watching God bless you today...
Well there is long winded but he could also edit some of the dead time like looking for his pliers and dropping the camera to make it more professional. Still this has a quarter million views, so what do I know...
Yes, no music!
I'll take long winded explanations over skipped steps covered in music.
As someone starting out selling my work, this is a great series. There are many blacksmithing tutorials on CZcams but this series on the business aspect is what I needed. I have the basic skills and this was what I lacked. This is what others don't share, thank you.
+Brett K thank you so much for your kind compliments. We hope to continue to inspire new Smiths just wanting to start their own businesses long into the future:-) make sure to subscribe and hit the little notifications Bell .we will be releasing new videos on the subject of blacksmithing every Monday! thank you for watching God bless you have a great day.
I've been interested in Blacksmithing for a long time. Never had the time. I do now. Thank you for the information. God's Blessings on your day!
Glad to hear there is another new member to the blacksmithing community :) God bless. ~Jessica at Christ Centered Ironworks
I feel like I could make 1000 hooks a day. That little jig is a smart idea. Work smart, not hard.
Just get a podcast or music going and just flow. It would get old pretty quick but you could just do it for a couple weeks and have thousands of some hand made small products. Thanks for the inspiration.
As someone who will be getting there first forge in a few days. These videos are super useful and just fun to watch and listen too. Keep up the good work.
Getting ready to start my own blacksmithing business. Been doing it for a little over 10 years now and have so many ideas on simple projects like this to make them money earners. A friend showed me a super simple little pipe cleaning tool made out of a nail and my brain went crazy with about a dozen variations that would appeal to a larger market. I can’t wait.
And you are exactly right on tooling up. I’ll be a one man show so I plan on a power hammer and smithing press to help me. I can’t afford to buy them so I’m going to make my own.
Thank you for showing us this!
Once again a thoroughly enjoyable video. You have an affable and friendly way to your character which comes across in your delivery style. The there is your generosity in sharing how to go about making a successful business. Really, brightens the day.
Regards,
Geoffm
+Geoff Murphy thank you very much for your kind words of encouragement. I try to convey my sincerest thoughts in a way that may or may not lol be digestible to most folks :-) I love sharing knowledge as I feel I have been blessed with so much. Not saying I'm the most intelligent man in the world but have had the opportunity that some Smith's have not to study under really smart smiths and I just like sharing that knowledge gained :-) thank you for watching this video and I hope you're finding the rest of the content on this channel to be just as enjoyable! God bless you and have a great weekend.
I remember my Grand Daddy back in the 70s blacksmithed on his down time. I remember him using oak wood for the forge. What is avoid hot forge wood charcoal or gas? Just getting started making tools from pawn shop pliers punches etc something that already has a form of what I want to make so I can learn quicker. God Bless your day
I want to say how much I really appreciate these videos. Some folks hold their skills close so as not to give another a heads up in the market. For you to share this amount of info and skill, wow. Thanks.
I enjoy the content and length of video as well.
+OKBushcraft thank you very much for all the great feedback! Are mission for are CZcams is to educate and help fellow blacksmiths everything from business to their forging projects! And we are glad that there's a lot of people enjoying this:-) God bless you
Christ Centered Ironworks
I stopped and bought a 100 count box of horse shoe nails after work. I sat around thinking about it all and realized I had nothing to show for all my thinking. In the last 30 minutes of daylight I rounded up my tools and a 3"x2 1/2" bar of steel and cold forged 6 hooks. I
still need to drill the holes and paint them. Ill mount them on a board to present to the Mrs.
Thanks, John.
Liked/subbed immediately! Love, love, love what you're doing here, great video!
+FargoFX thank you so glad to have you as part of the channel enjoy!
FargoFX holy shit....
Hey Fargo. Love your channel too and its great to see you supporting other metalworkers
As a woodworker who lost his house and shop and most of my tools last year, and am now getting into bodgering I'd like to see more people hustling green woodworking tools.
Trying to get my own little black smithing business going as a part time deal for a little extra cash for my wife and me. Really appreciate your words and this video. I'll be watching more. Thanks!
6 years later… did it work out?
Extremely helpful and very cool. I'm getting started myself, doing it as a side business next to my day job, and it's exactly this kind of product that I want to make sure that I have on hand beside my big pieces. You guys rock, and I look forward to how you continue this series.
+Rich Miller thank you for your great comment! We are glad you are enjoying this series and look forward to keeping them coming in the future!
God bless you
I am someone seriously thinking about going into business smithing, so this series has indeed been valuable. Thank you for your generosity with these.
I've been trying to find a way to rationalize making a burner and starting to get into this craft, you gave me that reason. Thank you very much for the little push and i hope your evening is blessed!
This was the first of your videos I've watched. Very informative and practical. Thanks for a great video.
+Richard Goehring you are very welcome I'm glad this was your first video hopefully you will enjoy the other videos that I have on here God bless
Self help meets metalworking
Thank you Roy I just went back and watched your little hooks with the nails I can understand it much better and I am glad you left it up there my heeling is getting better very good to be blessed
These are very nice to come back and watch I thank you I have healed some better so now I can almost keep up with your speaking stay blessed and thank you for sharing with us.
I enjoy them cause you explain it very well. I have no experience in selling my goods but you are there lending a hand. awesome job and keep them coming please.
+Bryant Hoblit thank you very much for the compliment. We hope to inspire and help blacksmiths just like ourselves and selling their work or just reaching their goals! thanks for watching and look forward to your comments in the future God bless!
Good video Roy and very helpful for new businesses. Inspiring too, how you tell people they just have to go and do it.
It seems daunting at first, but you feel a lot better when you've got a decent sized cupboard (or room!) full of stock. Small and cheap items like this are ideal too, being fairly easy to make and repeatable via a jig. Get a hundred of these and similar items in your stock pile and you feel a lot more positive.
Liking the video series so far.
+Finarfin we are glad to hear that you are enjoying the videos in this series so far! God bless you and thank you for the great comment!
I just got into black smithing I think I’m going to buy 7 boxes then make 700
Then go to my local flea market that’s always packed and see how it goes, then I can also sell them on my website I already have 👌🏻
I love the business videos. They make people think about things. Keep up the good work.
+Keith Whipple thank you very much! we will continue to do our best!
This is a very good idea,have a box of these I found at a yard and have been looking for something to use them for!
Thank you , I am a electrician that has a passion for wanting to work with iron & a forge . Not sure if I will turn it into a business but you never know . Love your logo name .. Christ centered ironworks .. God bless brother . Look forward at looking at more of your video's . Roger
Create a 'vise' out of a board and a couple of clamps, line them up (before the bending part), to drill a bunch of them in a row... good video by the way, subscribing, because I like the way you take the time to explain every step in detail.
that was great roy you're producing great work and great learning thank you for making a starting point i wish i could give you a picture of what i made today a toasting fork and my nail header and my first failed nail and first successful one lol small beginnings
Appreciate your time and content. These little business ideas are great. I’m not looking to make money (yet), I’m just looking for ideas for Christmas gifs to make for family and friends? BUT, you make it seem very possible to make money at blacksmithing. I will be retiring in a couple of years and I’d like to make some spending money from this hobby.
Thanks again!!!
There are tons of forging projects on our channel, you can look at the playlist for ideas. Also, we offer blanks at our website www.blacksmithingblanks.com for quick and easy projects like ornaments, hooks, skillets and such. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! -Jessica at Christ Centered Ironworks
God bless you for making this video. I'm was thinking of turning rusty old nails into products to get started. This video inspires me to go forward.
great video,this applies to much more than these little hooks...thanks so much!!!
+JoJo Mama you're very welcome! And totally right :-) thank you for taking the time to watch God bless
Thanks for the videos, will be watching more of yours, very informative and interesting. Will be ordering the big nails and pliers
Thanks man. This is only video 2 and I’m rolling. Brand new to the trade so loving it.
This guys favorite thing is to *take and* do stuff.
*Take and* do this... *take and* do that.
I just thought I'd *take and* leave a comment about it.
Now I'm going to *take and* move on.
I hope you all *take and* have yourselves a nice day.
i never thought id learn so much about business in 10 min
~efficiency~
Bend up hooks while I watch my Oprah. :D - Great video man!
I gathered up these resources, for anyone looking to make these hooks. I hope this helps!
Box of 100: amzn.to/2rqFEVQ
Box of 250: amzn.to/2qHwRuK
Larger horseshoe nails (up to 16 head): ebay.to/2sI5iTV
small scrolling tongs (amzn.to/2sCeDNu)
Propane Torch (amzn.to/2sxGn5s )
These are ebay and amazon affiliate links.
I’ve also written up with a resource eBook to help you price your forged items called the BLACKSMITH CHEAT SHEET [see the vid here- czcams.com/video/e5U_eobHx6s/video.html] or you can download the eBook for $10 from our website at www.blacksmithpdfs.com .
Helps a ton. Great project for adding to christmas gifts
Thank you sir
Ben Toombs Do you know Gus Toombs
Randy Wilson I could. I've got family all over on my dad's side, there's a lot of them I haven't met
Ok thanks
Thank you. I've been trying to get into smithing and have been woodworking for a few years. I've always wanted to make things for a living at college hasn't peaked my interest at all. I'm in my third year and the only thing I want to do when I get home is to start making things. Ill try making some money off this and see where it takes me!
wow this is good stuff !
Hi
long winded but always very informative. Thanks for sharing the things you've learned. I do enjoy and learn from the videos you share. Be blessed and have a great day
+Joe Gregory thanks for the great comment God bless you today And looking forward to uploading more!
Your business videos are what have drawn me to your channel. My etsy store isn't doing so great, so I'm watching videos on that and on tooling and so forth to make things more profitable.
+Eric Cartrette we are glad you are here! Thank you for taking the time to watch our videos and we hope that we can help other small businesses like ours. Every Monday is business Mondays and currently we are covering the topic of Etsy fairly in-depth so make sure you check out the videos in that playlist. Hopefully they will help. Thank you and God bless you for the great comment
I love all your video's thank you for sharing and teaching the art of blacksmithing.
I often se blacksmiths doing the same mistakes when they sell handcrafted things at like Christmas markets where they have tables with various traditional craftsmen/women selling their products.
The blacksmiths often just craft and sell a narrow range of products with similar pricing, like a table full of only expensive knives or axes or only cheep hooks or a table full of just candle holders. The table I want to see is a table with various products both cheap and expensive. There should be something for everyone. People are there to buy presents and someone maby wants to buy a expensive high quality knife to their dad or husband and someone wants to by something to all their relatives and can't spend $100 on every gift.
Make sure there is something for everyone at your table. Both in price and in interest, for young and older. Make hooks, knives, pretty things, cool things, weird and funny things and people will make a crowd around your table at the market.
That's a great little jig. Thanks for sharing.
Great video and very informative! Thank you sir! Shout out from a Mountian Preacher in Virginia!
3 minutes in and you're explaining basic life wisdom. You have to do repetitive boring stuff until you get a name then you can work on your quality of that image. Forge your own life.
Thanks man gonna make hooks tomorrow
I have no idea what these are for but I liked the video! Thankyou for another great little tutorial!
Really enjoy this series. Great information. One day I am hoping to be a full time blacksmith.
+Hot Iron Forge thank you for the great comment! We are glad you are finding it informative and that it's inspiring you to want to become a full time blacksmith some day.. May God bless you in your journey!
Thanks for taking the time to make and share this
+joegodsey you are very welcome I enjoy teaching others thank you for taking the time to watch God bless
Amen brother... First video of yours that I have watched. Definitely going to check out the rest. Love the content.
I'm just getting going with my own forge and starting on my tooling. So this was a great find for me.
Kfirst86 awesome glad to hear that! we are releasing New videos in this series every Monday at 9:00am & 9:00pm thank you for your great comment. God bless you
Where did you sale those hooks?
Thank you! I want to get into blacksmithing, but just as a hobby. The cost does seem prohibitive to have anything better than maybe the cheapest of cast iron anvils, but this opened my eyes to the fact that I could make a little money selling small things like this, and getting practice at the same.
Eric Romano you don’t have to spend a lot actually. There are ways around the cost. I bought a railroad rail that’s about 10 inches long and I’m using it as an anvil after a little bit of work flattening the top. Use vice grips instead of expensive tongs for now. Chain the anvil to a tree stump. Find an old propane tank and build your own propane forge. All pretty cheap stuff!
good video and good quality as well as a good explanation. Thank you so much :D -Pheonix Feather Forge
Wow this is really cool!!!
I listen to people with real experience....that is the best advice n my own opinion 👍
Great video and thanks for sharing!
yes continue this series pls
Hey there, I don’t mean to bother, I’m a disabled vet located in Jacksonville NC. I wanted to take a few classes or try to work a deal for some training with a local Blacksmith but can’t find one. I traded for a small single burner forge that’s in pretty rough condition. And he gave me a set of tongs but they broke at the pivot the first time I used then. I know a good hammer is a good place to start, but I really need to find a few sets of tongs, maybe second/ third hand. I know I need a power hammer or a press… my disabilities really limit my time I can spend on the hammer. That and the material constantly coming loose from the one crappy broken tongs, is a big waste of energy. I don’t even know a place to get bar stock that I can use to make knife out of. My thought was I’ll just make my first 6-7 knives and sell them to fund the tools I need… and now I gotta find a welder as well… grr. I know I should do things that cause me added pain. But for the last decade I’ve been through hell and I decided I didn’t care and that I would take the added pain, to do something I wanted to do for a few decades now. Once I can afford the materials I’ll try making and listing a few things on the market. Maybe they can help my upgrade my setup. Do you know of any FB groups that experienced blacksmiths share knowledge with the new guys or hand down older tools for a discounted price by any chance?
Thanks for your generous sharing of information
Thank you for your positive info!
ftr I subbed because of your care for the community
God Bless you for your work, keep it up!
+Louis Raad Thank you and God bless you!
Nice project. Thx for sharing
Great! Thanks brother, you so positive for the craft! Thanks for sharing your positive energy with us✌😊
Your welcome God bless you in all your work
This video was awesome!
Good vid and important life lessons!
Great advice. I've also got a couple of everlast welders and a plasma cutter that I would like to use to make money. I hope you can give some ideas on how I can use those as well.
Dude you are BRILLIANT 😂😂
Liked and subbed after this video, love the channel name brother!
Thanks for the sub brother
just wanted to let you know this video inspired me to try something new. went to my local atwoods and bought 100 nails and plan to give this a try. I think I have everything to make the bending jig too. thanks again for the awesome videos. you are one of my favorites on CZcams
+05dcummins That is so awesome to hear! we are glad that you are going to take some chances And go for it! Looking forward to hearing from you again and how it turns out. God bless you and thank you for all your kind comments.
05dcummins
Atwoods?
Are you in Oklahoma?
OKBushcraft close. Wichita falls TX
05dcummins
Ah, ok. I was wondering, Atwoods is mainly an Oklahoma store. I'm in north eastern Oklahoma near Tulsa.
If you make some hooks, make a vid so we can see them. I didnt think about recording my effort.
all the best, John.
OKBushcraft I made some tonight. wish I could post a picture
I love this project! :) I do have some questions though. Do you harden these? Will they hold up to say... my heavy coveralls in winter? The metal seemed so soft, and easy to bend. Thanks in advance! :)
thank you for the tip and encouragement. Cannot wait to start forging some stuff. Can I use your portable coal forge to make these?
Thanks for this great video!
the best thing i sell are those tent things you ram into the ground and hold the tent ropes. people pay good and they are easy to make
Cool. "Tent stakes" I believe. Thanks for sharing your input! ~Jessica at Christ Centered Ironworks
Do you sell them on ebay or some other place online, or in person? I'm interested. Thanks
@@mcnuggatron2129 you can find me on on facebook or minds i am placed in germany so that may be important
Christ and Forging. Subbed. Thank you.
Great video, interesting thank you for sharing :)
awesome videos thank you for doing them. I would like to make your nail hook jig, could you explain the materials needed and spacing.
i appreciate the bussiness tip videos
Glad you like them!
Love your videos thank you
dude thANK YOU ITS ALL AWESOME CONTENT :D
I like this video. I'd like to get into blacksmith work, these would definitely help me fund my crafting hobbies. I'm not sure of where or how to market things like these though.
Hi Hello World, some of our followers start at farmers markets. You could also do craft shows. Selling on Etsy is an option also!
Christ Centered Ironworks thanks for the reply, and information. I'll definitely make good use of this.
I plane on getting a wood fuel forge and start making my own tools by learning by trial and error and try and make different things
Thanks buddy........nice project.
Great video.
I tried bending the rattail cold. it just broke off. haven't tried but I'm hoping heating will work.
+bowsmythe the hooks I worked on in the video warp reforged to flatten the heads therefore it helps soften them for cold bending.
Still awesome info. Thanks for sharing
Thanks for watching!
Good vid
Thanks man
I don't mind the length
great video and love the pep talk. I do great on my projects, but then drag my feet on the sale. do you have a video on the best way to market my ?stuff
We do. Look under our business of blacksmithing playlist.
Great advice
Great video.....Generous spirit..!!!! God bless you too!!!
+Cj12sings Thank you ! And thank you for watching
thanks for sharing !
6 bucks. 3 of the 9 bucks goes to tax and resources cost recovery. Still excellent turn over! Earning $2 per hook.
Show me where people are buying $3/pc hooks anywhere
Who’s gonna wanna buy a bunch of nail hooks? Can’t imagine there being a huge market for them
It surprising on the Internet. I used to buy large sheets of clear plastic perspexts just to laser cut then to different sizes for welding glass protectors, the 3m by 3m sheet would cost like £20 but it would make me approx £60 profit after postage packing. Making jigs or designing in software takes abit of time but once your set its easy money really. I now tend to get the same people coming back and it wouldnt surprise me if he does to. You don't realise what people need stuff for until you get a few customers
@@tlc3636 but where would you sell something like that ?
good vid.
This is an old video and you may not see this but have you ever thought about doing pipe tampers? Its not a huge community but pipe smokers love buying custom pipe tampers lol
Good ideas. Tooling is the key. It is ok to do traditional work while demoing to the public but using tooling to speed up the job and repeat the work is critical.
+William Bland thank you for the great comment! Yes sir I'm a absolute finatic about tooling up for the job at hand:-)
Alright bro I got you. Make me feel bad because it's true. I have the time and resources but I'm not thinking right. Man. Truth🤔
Just my 2 cents, if you film a box....open it!! Lol I kept thinking the box was the focus of the vid and you were waiting to open it to make some point or something so rather than focusing on listening and taking in what you were saying I thinking "when's that box gonna open" now I'm a bit ridiculous about things like that but if I think that way someone else certainly does too. Other than that great vid, i really like your style of teaching and ability to pass along technical knowledge via video, not an easy task when dealing with tactile skills
How about the hardening process of it, can you elaborate or maybe a video in that? Thanks a bunch and god bless man.
Just tryin to get my forge built.
@creepy coffie it’s not...
@@masterofnone1481 are you joking or do you need some suggestions
@@brandonfoley7519 I wasn’t joking, but I’ve put it off... unfortunately
@@masterofnone1481 What are some of the issues you're facing, and what type of work are you intending to do with your setup?