Dropped $280 on a brake drum forge kit and it was a total waste of cash

Ruby Martinez · 2026-10-09T18:05:04.16233+00:00

So I'm pretty new to this and figured buying a brake drum forge kit online would save me time and hassle, dropped about $280 on the thing plus shipping to my place in Boise. The drum was way too thin and warped on my second burn, and the grate that came with it jammed up with clinker every 20 minutes of work. I ended up fighting the fire more than actually hammering anything, which killed the whole point of getting into this craft. My neighbor who's been smithing for a while let me use his old rivet forge setup, and it just plain worked better with half the fuss. If you're just starting out, buy a used rivet forge or build your own from a thicker drum, don't get suckered by these premade kits. Anyone else get burned on a starter setup they thought would make things easier?

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Dropped $280 on a brake drum forge kit and it was a total waste of cash | Blacksmiths - Thought Shares