[Advanced ASH #4] Summary:
In long-term collapse, modern tools break and hardware stores don’t come back. This guide teaches you how to create and maintain essential tools from scrap using primitive blacksmithing techniques, improvised gear, and fire — on a budget.
1️⃣ WHY BLACKSMITHING IS SURVIVAL GOLD
- Machines break. Blades dull. Handles snap.
- Replacement tools become priceless.
- Barter economy will reward fixers and forgers.
- You don’t need a full forge to start. Just heat, metal, and anger.
✅ Tool-making = infrastructure repair = civilization extension.
2️⃣ WHAT YOU DON’T NEED TO START
❌ $3,000 power hammer
❌ Coal-fed industrial forge
❌ Medieval smithy with a goat named Grom
✅ Instead, you need:
- A hot fire
- A flat rock or heavy steel
- A hammer
- Scrap metal
- Basic survival intelligence
3️⃣ MINIMALIST BLACKSMITH SETUP
| Component | DIY Option | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Forge | Hole in ground + bricks/clay | $0–30 |
| Fuel | Charcoal (homemade from wood) | Free |
| Anvil | RR track, heavy steel slab, or granite block | $0–50 |
| Hammer | Sledgehammer or ball peen | $10–20 |
| Tongs | Channel locks / pliers | $5–15 |
| Air | Hairdryer + metal pipe (bellows replacement) | $10–15 |
✅ Upgrade with a real anvil, forge blower, and welding tools if possible.
4️⃣ SCRAP METAL SOURCES FOR TOOL MAKING
| Scrap Item | Usable For |
|---|---|
| Leaf springs (cars/trucks) | Blades, draw knives, chisels |
| Rebar | Tent stakes, fire tools |
| Old files/saw blades | Knives, chisels |
| Railroad spikes | Hatchets, tools |
| Bolts/nuts | Hinges, hooks |
✅ Look for high-carbon steel for blades and mild steel for hardware.
5️⃣ TOP 10 SURVIVAL TOOLS TO FORGE OR REPAIR
| Tool | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Knife | General utility |
| Drawknife | Wood shaping |
| Chisel | Carving, mortising |
| Hook | Hanging pots, storage |
| Awl | Punch holes in leather, fabric |
| Tent peg | Securing shelter |
| Hinge | Build doors, boxes |
| Blade sharpening tool | Maintain other gear |
| Garden hoe | Soil prep |
| Axe head | Woodcutting, defense |
✅ Repair > replace. Teach blade tempering before blade making.
6️⃣ BASIC BLACKSMITHING PROCESSES (Low-Budget Versions)
| Process | What You Need |
|---|---|
| Flattening / shaping | Forge, hammer, anvil |
| Hardening | Heat to red-hot, quench in oil |
| Tempering | Heat blade spine to straw color |
| Drilling | Heated punch (no power tools needed) |
| Grinding | File or grindstone |
✅ Burned yourself? Go read Module 3 (herbal first aid). Then get back to work.
7️⃣ TOOL REPAIR ESSENTIALS
- Replace handles with hardwood (ash, hickory, oak)
- Wrap cracked handles with cordage + pitch
- Resharpen with file or improvised whetstone
- Re-rivet broken hinges
- Cold-bend damaged frames back into shape
Collapse rule: No broken tool is trash until everything else is worse.
8️⃣ BLACKSMITHING SAFETY & COMMON SENSE
- ✅ Eye protection = actual protection
- ✅ Gloves = nice, but dexterity wins
- ✅ Quench outside (oil fires exist)
- ✅ Don’t forge inside your food cellar
- ✅ Kids can assist, not solo (unless you want a future one-eyed legend)
9️⃣ GROUP STRUCTURE FOR TOOL PRODUCTION & REPAIR
| Role | Task |
|---|---|
| Smith | Does hot metal work |
| Apprentice | Tongs, pumping air, quenching |
| Supply Scavenger | Finds scrap, handles, fuel |
| Tool Tester | Sharpens, logs success/failure |
| Inventory Keeper | Lists available repairs, pending projects |
✅ Rotate apprentices regularly. Everyone should know basic repair.
🔟 BLACKSMITHING BARTER POWER
| Item | Barter Value |
|---|---|
| Basic knife | High |
| Tool handle repairs | Medium |
| Tent pegs, hooks | Medium |
| Axe sharpening | High |
| Custom tools (drawknives, chisels) | Very High |
✅ Forge items in batches. Barter with instruction manuals for added value.
🔑 KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- ✅ Anyone can start forging — fire, metal, hammer, repeat.
- ✅ Tool repair = permanent barter value.
- ✅ Scrap = your steel mine.
- ✅ Basic forging saves entire operations from failure.
- ✅ Apprenticeship system makes this scalable and permanent.
🚩 LOW-BUDGET BLACKSMITH STARTER KIT
| Item | Cost (Est) |
|---|---|
| Sledgehammer / ball-peen | $15 |
| Heavy steel or RR track (anvil) | $0–50 |
| Scrap metal (scavenged) | Free |
| Tongs / locking pliers | $10 |
| DIY forge materials (bricks, clay, blower) | $30 |
| Fire-resistant gloves + eye protection | $25 |
TOTAL: ≈ $130
Enough to forge basic tools, repair gear, and train multiple people.
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