We live in an age of rapidly developing technology. And gradually folk arts and crafts are being squeezed out of our lives. And, perhaps, forging is almost the only craft that not only has not disappeared in the course of technological progress, but, on the contrary, has recently become more and more popular. What is the reason? In demand. Nowadays, forging is firmly connected with the design of residential premises and offices, with landscape design. With the growing number of country and holiday villages, it is difficult to imagine without forged gates and gazebos. Forging is still in demand in the funeral business.

Forging is not only large outdoor products, but also objects that decorate interiors of different styles.

Forging is a synthesis of craft and art, making each item unique.

And therefore, now the business of manufacturing forged products is very promising.

What to choose: cold or hot forging?

Hot forging is an ancient blacksmith's craft. Since ancient times, in forges throughout Rus', iron was heated on fire, and then craftsmen gave the softened metal the desired shape.

This type of forging requires a lot of effort and time, but products forged in this way are truly unique.

Today there is a more modern version of metal processing - cold forging. Basically, when creating a product, ready-made forged elements are used. This is a less labor-intensive method for the master and cheaper for the customer.

It is not easy to compare two types of forging. Hot forging is uniqueness and elegance, cold forging is durability and reliability.

Imagine the situation: you have decided to create a business manufacturing forged products. The first question is: what kind of forging should I do? Hot forging requires, above all, skill and skill. And this takes time. Therefore, taking a realistic look at things, let’s first turn to cold forging and gradually begin to create a business.

Sales market and competition

Any production is consumer-oriented. Therefore, first you need to study the demand for forged products in your area. Are there cottage villages nearby, individual construction, are orders from the municipality possible?

Get to know your competitors, real and potential. These are not only business colleagues, but the production of this area, located nearby. Forge shops, which are now being opened by large metallurgical enterprises; imported forged Turkish products, very cheap compared to custom-made ones produced in a small workshop; products from Europe, which are more expensive than Turkish ones, but also in demand.

Even a funeral agency that has its own small workshop producing monuments and fences will also compete.

The creation of paving slabs is more relevant today than ever: more and more people want to improve the appearance of their garden, yard and just the surrounding area. Read in ours how to realize yourself in this business.

Fundamentals of the bookmaker business:

We are starting to produce products

Exists standard product list, with which all blacksmiths begin:

• openwork grilles and gates;
• fences of all types and purposes;
• canopies for porches;
• garden furniture and gazebos;
• bars on windows;
• fireplace accessories and so on.

Over time, you can switch to producing exclusive products. This requires experience and the availability of individual orders. For example:

• knight's armor for the interior of a country house;
• unusual lamps (garden and indoor);
• parts for furniture, etc.

Video: DIY metal forging as an art

DIY forged elements: where would we be without advertising?

Any business, big or small, needs advertising support.

You can use local media for this purpose by posting photos of products, your interview, customer reviews, or a large article about your business.

Use the Internet. For example, at least just submit ads on Avito.

Many large and small cities hold festivals of folk crafts, including blacksmiths, on City Day. (For example, every year in August such festivals are held in the ancient city of Ustyuzhna, Vologda region, where blacksmiths come even from abroad).

Profitability of the blacksmith business

Let’s take as a basis the situation that you made the first trial product in your garage and have not yet registered as an entrepreneur:

• a set of the most necessary equipment for cold forging - 400 thousand rubles.

Now let’s calculate the cost of producing 1 meter of garden trellis with a height of 2 m:

• metal – 500 rub.;
• Anti-corrosion coating - 15 RUR;
• electrodes – 20 rubles;
• electricity – 100 rub.;
• miscellaneous expenses - 400 rubles.

Total 1035 rubles.

One meter of forged product costs on average 3000 and above.

This will take more time if you have built a workshop. But this is also a more serious investment in business.

Paperwork

Creating any business starts with. Without it, it is impossible to issue the relevant documents. In many regions of the country you can get a good business plan.

Further registration must take place in accordance with the Law “On State Registration of Legal Entities and Individual Entrepreneurs dated August 8, 2001 No. 129-FZ”.

Metal forging ── is a promising line of business, and with proper organization it will flourish successfully.

• What orders are most often made?
• Recruitment
• Financial calculation
• What documents are needed to open
• Which taxation system to choose for registering a forging business?
• Do I need permissions to open?
• Production technology
  • • • Similar business ideas:

The business of artistic forging has become quite widespread in our country, primarily due to the “cheap” start. You can open your own mini-enterprise with an amount of 1.0-1.5 million rubles. The main investment at the first stage is the purchase of equipment and materials for forging. After this, all that remains is to find a “handy” blacksmith and you can start forging money...

Due to the low entrance ticket to the artistic forging market, a large number of small firms and “handicraft industries” have sprung up. Garage production does not interfere much with large manufacturers and is mainly active only during the construction season. The products of such manufacturers are not of high quality, so the demand for their products is maintained only by low prices. Most of the products here are made by hand, so the result largely depends on the physical strength of the master and his dexterity. Meanwhile, about 60% of all orders are carried out by large firms, most often equipped with high-performance equipment. Their main clients are rich, solvent people.

What orders are most often made?

Orders are very different. The trend of the last few seasons is fireplace sets: poker, scoop, tongs. Classic products that are traditionally ordered are fences, canopies, canopies, window grilles, gates, monuments, gazebos, railings, benches and flower stands.

What you need for a successful business

According to experts, to open a successful business you must have either extensive experience or appropriate education in the field of blacksmithing. Or better yet, both. Before starting the case, it’s a good idea to study the relevant literature, for example, Fedotov’s book “Metal”. Study drawings, diagrams, drawings, metal processing techniques. Then, if finances and time allow, you should receive a special education. The best of the best, real blacksmithing professionals are trained at the St. Petersburg State Academy of Arts and Industry named after. Baron A. L. Stieglitz.

You don't have to start with a big investment. Blacksmithing for the most part is based on the enthusiasm and efforts of the organizer. An example of this is Sergey Shevchenko, an aspiring businessman from Omsk. The entrepreneur needed not much more than 300 thousand rubles to start fulfilling orders. “Having received a grant from the regional administration in the amount of 200 thousand rubles, I bought gas and electric welding, a special table for work, and with the remaining amount I purchased a tool for bending metal,” says the blacksmith. Such a set of equipment fits freely in “garage” conditions, on an area of ​​15-20 m2.

How much money do you need to start a business like artistic forging?

Of course, if we talk about a serious matter, completely different investments will be required. At least 300 thousand rubles will be spent just on preparing the production site. For production 200 sq. m of finished forged products per month, you will need to rent a room of 60 - 80 sq. m. m. Plus, some area (15-25 sq.m.) is allocated for storage space, where finished products and raw materials for production are stored. It is desirable that the room have high electrical power (the equipment consumes up to 7 kW), be connected to a water supply and have good supply and exhaust ventilation. Renting such an area, depending on the region, will cost from 70 thousand rubles per month.

What equipment is best to choose for the production of artistic forging?

The next investment is the purchase of equipment. Experts advise purchasing only professional forging equipment. You will need machines: for bending, twisting, shaping, cutting, forming and straightening rolled metal. In addition, you need a welding machine, a straightener, an anvil, one or two welding stations for assembling products, a cutting machine, an angle grinder for cleaning weld seams, a compressor with a spray gun for painting finished forged products, as well as a workbench with a vice. The total investment in such a set of equipment will be no less than 1.5 million rubles.

In order not to waste money on delivery of raw materials and materials, it is advisable to acquire a personal truck. Boo. a Gazelle van will cost 150 - 250 thousand rubles. On it, if necessary, it is possible to deliver finished products to the customer.

The total investment in the business will ultimately amount to at least 2 million rubles. No one can say the exact payback period for such investments - everything is very individual and largely depends on the organization of the business. You can make a profit after just six months of work. The average return on investment in blacksmithing is two to three years.

Recruitment

Now about the employees. You will need to employ at least three workers: a welder and a couple of mechanics. Physically, one cannot handle the entire production process, and one also needs to accept orders, pay off payments to suppliers, ship products, do accounting, etc. Finding qualified personnel is not easy, and most likely a person will have to complete their education on their own or be sent to appropriate courses. Wages are set as salary plus a percentage of the volume of manufactured products.

Financial calculation

The main materials in artistic forging are rolled metal (square or circle 14x14) and paint (such as Akrem metal). The price of rolled metal is on average 24 rubles/kg. The cost of paint is approximately 60 rubles/kg. For 1 square m2, 18 kg of rolled metal (415 rubles) and 0.15 kg of paint (9 rubles) are required.

In addition, when calculating the cost of goods, you should take into account material costs per 1 m2: electrodes - 10 rubles. (or argon + additive), abrasive wheels - 8 rubles. and propane gas - about 5 rubles. Electricity costs per shift are about 35 rubles. The wages for three craftsmen are 200 rubles, based on 1 m2 of finished product. About 20% or 100 rubles are overhead costs.

The total production cost of one square meter is about 800 rubles. The average selling price of forged products such as “houndstooth” or faceted lance is 3,000 rubles per 1 sq. m. Thus, profit per sq. m. m is equal to: 3000 (selling price) - 800 (cost) = 2200 rubles. By producing at least 100 m2 of forged gratings per month, you can make a profit of 220,000 rubles.

This calculation shows that one machine worth 350,000 rubles pays for itself upon the sale of 170 sq. m. forged products. If you produce at least 50 sq.m. every month. m., then the machine will pay for itself in 3.5 months.

Video about artistic forging:

Step-by-step plan for starting a business: where to start

1. Choose a room (rent a garage or hangar), think about heating in the winter.
2. Calculate initial investment.
3. Find experienced blacksmiths (1-2 people).
4. Register as a business entity.
5. Purchase expensive equipment (rent).
6. Advertise yourself and produce the first samples of products.

Which OKVED code to indicate when registering a business?

This type of activity belongs to section C “Manufacturing”. In the application we indicate 25.62 (mechanical processing of metal products).

Architects and designers often use forged elements in their work. Openwork metal grilles covering fireplaces or beautiful balusters on the stairs look elegant and noble.

If you know how to forge and learn this craft, you can create original products yourself.

This activity is suitable for anyone who likes to do physical work and who is ready to get acquainted with the technology and features of choosing a metal.

What you need to know about forging?

Forging is a process of processing a special workpiece. Its purpose is to give the metal the required dimensions and shape. There is a distinction between hot forging and cold forging.

The master needs to get acquainted with both varieties in order to know the advantages and disadvantages of each.

Hot forging method

In the hot method, the metal workpiece is heated strongly. As a result, the metal becomes ductile. Hot forging gives the workpiece the required dimensions and desired shape. The master has a variety of work options available to him.

Heating a metal workpiece also has its disadvantages. First of all, it is necessary to arrange a special room. You will need to buy a forge, for which you will have to buy fuel.

Fire safety rules must be followed; it is important that the master knows how to work with fire.

Having an idea of ​​the temperature conditions used in the forging process, you can easily select the desired type of forging.

Cold forging method

Cold forging is a labor-intensive process. To achieve the desired shape from a metal workpiece, it is bent, pressed and welded. The technique is a little simpler compared to the hot method.

The workshop does not require a lot of space, and to set it up you do not need to purchase a special forge; it is enough to buy a forging machine.

The manufacturing process of a product involves working with semi-finished products. If a mistake has been made, it is impossible to correct it.

Choosing metal

Metals with certain properties are suitable for hand forging. The more ductile the metal, the easier it is to change its shape. However, ductility is inextricably linked with strength.

An increase in one characteristic inevitably entails a decrease in another. When buying a workpiece, the master must know exactly what its composition is.

Craftsmen make decorative forging elements from copper, steel, duralumin or brass. In addition, alloys can also be used. Information about metals that can be easily forged can be found in the Steel and Alloys Guide.

What tools are needed for forging?

Inventory varies depending on the forging method. A forge with an anvil and hammers with tongs will be needed for hot forging.

For the cold method, you need a “Gnutik” tool, which allows you to bend the workpiece at an angle, and a “Snail” machine for forging, which you can make yourself. The latest machine allows you to create decorative elements with a spiral shape.

Note!

In addition to the basic tools for the cold method, “Flashlight”, “Wave”, “Twister”, a ring machine and others can be additionally used.

The modern market offers industrial machines designed to perform technological operations. In the photo of forging you can see a product made on the “Master 2” machine from the MAH company.

Hand forged

In order for the workpiece to acquire the desired shape, the master must use different techniques and methods in his work. You will need to purchase various tools and master different technologies.

The cold forging method does not require much effort from the master. The work includes the following stages:

• creating a drawing or sketching a decorative element;
• procurement of workpieces;
• forging process.

Today, you can make a drawing using a computer program yourself or order it from professionals. The project will allow you to calculate before starting work how much metal blanks you need to purchase.

Note!

The main forged elements are represented by the following groups:

• Paws. The end of the metal rod is given a certain shape.
• Curls. The ends of the rod can be bent in one or two directions.
• Rings. Decorative elements are made from rods with a square or round cross-section.
• Torsion. It is characterized by helical twisting along the axis.

3 generally accepted technologies are used: drawing, bending and twisting.

• The hood allows you to increase the length of the metal workpiece, reducing the value of its cross-section.
• Bending makes it possible to bend any part of the workpiece at an angle.
• Twisting is a technology in which the workpiece is twisted along its axis. A Twister machine is used for twisting.

All elements are assembled together and secured by welding. These operations are performed on a special table. Homemade cold forging does not require any special skills.

DIY forging photo

Note!

Artistic metal forging is not very expensive, but quite a profitable business idea. This project can be implemented in any city and district, village and regional center.

What it is?

Artistic forging products have recently become quite widespread. These are textured gates and fences made of metal, balcony frames and gratings. These beautiful products are also used for front gardens and as fences in cemeteries.

In former times, the artistic forging method was used to produce all these items. This required special equipment and tools. A workshop was also needed where the forging process itself took place. However, over time, everything changed.

The old technology was replaced with a new, more improved one. It's called cold. At the same time, products are produced whose appearance resembles ancient ones, but forging in a forge is not used in their production.

First steps

In order for the planned project to be successful, you will need to have at least the minimum necessary equipment, have ingenuity and good physical strength. An idea can become a reality and allow you to make money only if a competent business plan is drawn up.

Artistic forging will bring the desired profit if all points of this document are strictly observed. The business plan should consider all the details of the future project, including the location where the workshop will be located and the choice of necessary equipment.

Stages of business development

The choice of location where the workshop will be located is of great importance. Currently, a large number of elite class villages are being built. The houses in them will belong to successful entrepreneurs, officials, and the Russian elite. The location of the workshop on the way to these places should be included in the business plan being drawn up. In this case, artistic forging will quickly become in demand.

However, it is not always possible to achieve our plans. Therefore, you will need to provide for the costs of conducting an advertising campaign on the Internet. They should also be taken into account during the period when a business plan is being drawn up. Art forging can be advertised through advertisements on street billboards, on television and in local media. Only in this case will the business idea begin to take on real shape.

Selecting a room

The next stage in business development will be finding a place for a future workshop. In this case, the premises must have an area of ​​at least one hundred square meters and be equipped with sewerage, water supply, and electricity supply. If the scale of the future project is small, then a garage will be enough.

Equipment

The clause that provides for the purchase of a small universal machine should also contain a business plan being drawn up. Artistic forging does not require the purchase of expensive equipment produced by a foreign manufacturer. A domestic machine designed for the production of “crow’s feet”, “peaks” and “baskets” can be purchased. The resulting blanks, then brought to marketable condition, will help you get your first money.

An artistic forging machine from a domestic manufacturer can perform spirals, curling, and longitudinal twisting. This universal equipment will need to be supplemented with the following:

Drilling machine;

Welding machine;

Bulgarian;

Other small improvised tools.

Purchasing good equipment will increase the profitability of your business to impressive heights. Ideally, it is advisable to equip the workshop with machines designed for twisting, bending and applying designs to the strip. It is also advisable to have equipment for forming, sizing, pressing, stamping and straightening.

Products in the creation of which artistic forging was used will be of high quality if you use such specialized equipment as a semi-automatic vertical press with a force of up to one hundred tons, saws designed for cutting metal, a lathe and milling machine. To paint finished products, you will need spray guns, and to store tools and workpieces, you will need racks. All this equipment can be purchased for 3-4 million rubles.

Required material

After equipping the workshop with equipment, you will need to invest money in the purchase of consumable raw materials and hardware. First of all, these should be metal rods with a diameter of eight to twenty millimeters. Such consumables will be required for the manufacture of spiral curling and longitudinal twisting to obtain a “basket”.

Do-it-yourself artistic forging will require squares and corners, sheets and pipes. As a rule, the range of procured raw materials directly depends on the type of order. As for the characteristics of the metal, experienced blacksmiths recommend purchasing low-carbon steel marked “St0”, “St1”, and also “St2”. This material is best suited for artistic forging.

The list of consumables includes paint intended for anti-corrosion protection. You can even buy a car. Two or three layers of such paint will highly reliably protect products from exposure to adverse factors.

Cleaning and cutting wheels, primer and electrodes, as well as solvents must be purchased as consumables.

Assortment list of products

If you are organizing a workshop where you will produce artistic forging with your own hands, samples should be displayed in the room to demonstrate the products to clients. For clarity, an advertising colorful booklet with finished products or a photo album can be issued. It is advisable to place high-quality photographs of products on your own website on the Internet.

The finished product will look good even before entering the workshop itself. You can place garden benches and window bars there.

A workshop for the production of artistic forged products can produce gates and fences, iron furniture and fireplace accessories, exclusive lamps and benches, awnings and window grilles, as well as much more.

Features of the technology

The production process in which artistic forging is performed has its own characteristics. First of all, it is characterized by minimal costs for purchasing equipment, which makes it possible to make the price of finished products affordable.

In addition, artistic forging, the equipment for which in the form of a press, hammer and hydraulic apparatus is made independently, will pay for itself within a short period - from one week to a month. Such machines can, if necessary, be transported to another room.

Artistic forging, done with your own hands, does not require special skills and knowledge, because mastering a hammer, press and other necessary equipment cannot be called a complex process.

At its core, cold forging is a process in which a fairly thin sheet of metal is bent. The material does not require preheating. The purchased rod is cleaned of rust with a metal brush, which is put on the grinder. Next, the frame of the future product is assembled on any flat surface (table, workbench, etc.).

The corners are welded. Then the future pattern is applied to the asphalt or chipboard, its elements are measured, and the rod is cut according to their sizes. In order to deform the workpieces, a special device is created, which consists of two pins welded to a flat surface at a distance of two to three centimeters from each other.

After this, the rods are bent with a hammer. During the production process, the workpiece must be constantly compared with the stencil. The next stage is assembly, and after that – welding. The elements are laid out on the stencil in such a way as to assemble the required pattern. Excess pieces of rods must be cut off. The product is welded first on one side and then on the other.

Shutdown

The next step is cleaning and welding ready-made forging elements, which are purchased in advance, to the product. The metal is then coated with white primer and painted. To make the product more attractive, it can be aged and gilded, and it will practically not differ from what was forged in a forge.