If you doubt how much blacksmith skills will mean in a survival situation, take an inventory of the tools you know you will need if faced with a longer term crisis.

How many are metal or have metal components. What happens if traditional stores are out of stock or business? Where will you get those tools fixed if they break? Here is one way of starting to learn the art of metal working.

Build a Forge

To build a brake drum forge, you’ll first need to find a truck break drum. Next, you’ll want to find 2-inch black iron piping. Here’s what you’ll need:

o    Flange – large enough for the mouth to rest inside the brake drum
o    T-joint
o    Cap
o    3-pieces of straight 1.5-foot threaded pipe coupler

DO NOT buy galvanized piping. If galvanized is heated to the degree you need to work metal, then the highly lethal toxic fumes emitted could land you in the ER.

All you need is to fit the flange on to the break drum, thread one coupler on to the flange, thread the T-joint and then the other two couplers to that.

In order to secure the flange to your break drum, you might need to drill some additional holes in the flange. Then simply throw some non-galvanized bolts on there and you’re solid.

Now, you should have a straight black iron pipe shaft running down from your coal pot – brake drum – and one running perpendicular via your T-connector. This is where you fit your blower mechanism. You can opt for a hand-cranked one down the road, but if you want to get it going right now… feel free to just duct tape a hair dryer to it.

Last, at the very bottom is where you thread on the cap. This is to catch debris that falls through the pipe, and it allows you to open it up to clean it out later on.

Now, throw that puppy on to some cinderblocks and you’re ready.

How to Run Your Break Drum Forge

There are a few ways you can run a break drum forge, but I simply like good old-fashioned blacksmithing coal. You can easily buy this stuff on eBay, but it’s find a local seller.

Also, you can make charcoal, but this is something you can learn later – since there is a bit of an art to it. I wouldn’t really recommend purchasing grilling charcoal, simply because I’ve found that it just doesn’t get hot enough to do the job.

You will also need:
•    Anvil – I used an old piece of railroad track
•    Tongs
•    Heat resistant gloves
•    Hammer
•    Safety glasses
•    A metal bucket of water

Blacksmithing is largely a lost art that would be invaluable in a survival situation; even if you were just straightening out a piece of metal, this under $40 forge could mean the difference between success and failure.

To learn more about this type of forge and to get other ideas and tips for working with metal, please visit American Preppers Network.