There is a very good book on making basic tools from such things as re-bar as well as coil & leaf springs. It is written for rural Africa so I’m not sure how many people will kill and skin a goat to make their bellows, but the other steps in being able to get up and running without much external support.
The book is titled “Basic blacksmithing” by David Harries and Bernhard Heer. A pdf is currently available here. I’m not sure of the copyright status of this book, but I was able to find a pdf several places on the internet so it may be pseudo public domain. The sub-title is “An introduction to toolmaking with locally available materials” and really is a book that starts with the basic blacksmith techniques and tells you how to use metals that can be scrounged from a junk yard.
Some items the book teaches you to make are:
- Round Punch
- Hot Chisel
- Cold Chisel
- Hot and Cold Sets
- Tongs
- Fullers
- Hammers
- Axe, Hoe & Knife Making
- Carpenter Tools
Remember “It’s not the tools that make the Blacksmith, it’s the Blacksmith that makes the tools”.
