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DIY Anvil + Striking Anvil


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I can't currently afford a real anvil so I am going to make do with chunks of steel.

 

Today I picked up two blocks one for an anvil (Similar to 4140) and one for a striking anvil (probably 1020).  Both are plugs from a plasmacutting place.  The one I will use as an anvil is 445mm long 122-180 wide (one edge is profile cut not straight so width varies)  and 185mm thick, weighs approx 70kg.

 

 

 

 

 

In relation to the striking anvil which is 60mm (2 3/8")Thick and has a bullnose edge along the longest face of 370mm (approx 14 1/4").   I'm wondering where the best position for the hardie holes would be?  I am planning to have two differing size hardie holes, 1" hole and a 1 1/4" Hole

 

I have shown 4 holes in my drawing  but I would select only two of those to actually put in the plate, question is which position:

 

I could have one at each end near the 65mm Flat edges, or two down near the 90mm Flat edge.

 

I like them down near the 90mm wide flat edge, but does this disadvantage me by leaving only the two shorter 60mm flat edges to work off and the long one that is bullnosed?

 

 

Is having the holes inset only 25mm (1")  from the edges enough??

 

Should I have a pritchel hole and where?

 

Your thoughts and advice appreciated................

 

 

 

My only other concern is will the plasma cutting have affected the hardness of the steel??

 

 

 

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Plasma will in some cases slightly harden an edge from the added nitrogen from what I understand talking to someone who is in the business building and designing plasma systems. Probably not enough to make a usable difference in this case. Basically you are nitriding ( SP) the surface just like they do to coat some tool bits.

 

One issue with plasma and thick materials is that it often cuts a slightly tapered hole. For that reason it doesn't make "precision" cuts on thicker stuff, unless you account for the taper. My understanding talking to him, is that for things like precise holes, many times pieces are deliberately undersized, then reamed to exact tolerance when things like bolt holes are critical. Companies who plasma material several inches thick can probably tell you what that taper is, and may know how to account for it when cutting.

 

This issue may not be a big deal, but it's something to be aware of. Top surface you plan on using may be important when they cut the holes. The holes may taper in, or taper out, I'm not sure off the top of my head which without talking to him. That may mean that if they flip your piece when cutting, that your hole size may be either bigger or smaller than you plan, or the it tapers in such a way things may get stuck.

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I plan to drill and drift the holes.  I was more concerned about the hardening in terms of cleaning up the faces and adding any radii to the corners. Or it having left stress in the material and braking etc.  The top and bottom faces are the original faces of the plates and dead flat already.

 

 

From what I saw upto 150mm thick it cuts pretty clean 150-400mm thick it starts to get messier and fishtail the cut at the bottom.

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why the differing sized hardy hole and why so many of them cutting into the usable face?

 

Because I have access to two different anvils and hardies. So one for each with a different size.   

 

I did state in the opening post that I only wanted two holes, but was looking for suggestions as to which of the four placement options shown was best?    It was a long post with many question so I can see how it might have been missed.

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It's awfully tempting in a situation like this to try designing the "perfect" thing, I think most all of us are guilty of this now and then. Don't over think this, especially for a striking anvil. They're intended for heavy use, not as tool holder / stake plates. Were I looking at using stock like this I'd be asking myself which edge I wanted up. I wouldn't be laying it flat, I've NEVER needed the whole face on my smaller anvil for anything I couldn't do on a bench. Seriously, striking on the edge gives you much better depth of rebound for better effect on the work. Even that thick laying flat there will be a little flex sucking up energy from your hammer.

 

If you use a lot of bottom tools they fit your existing anvils don't they? I have two anvils at hand when I'm working, one usually has the bottom tool I'm most likely to need next in the hardy hole while I'm forging on the other anvil.

 

Frosty The Lucky.

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Frosty,  Just to clarify…I have no tools at all except a post vice yet to be fitted to a stump, one hot chisel I have made and a pair of tongs I just made.  The intention is to make enough gear so I can forge at home.

 

Currently a local smith gives me access to his smithy once a week. So I am making the striking plate to suit his anvils and hopefully my future anvil.  Also I don't always have access to the same anvil at his smithy due to others also working there.

 

 

The other block mention will be my anvil for now (no hardie hole)  and I intend to use a piece of truck axle as a stake anvil for a beak.

 

 

It is not so much trying to make the perfect thing as make the best out of what I have and the most versatile until my situation changes or I get lucky.

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Frosty got you most of the way there. Put the longest edge facing up. Put your hardy holes centered in each end.  Put in two pritchels at each end too, four different sizes (17/32, 21/32, 13/16 and 1 1/8"). Put the two larger pritchels at the end with the smaller hardy. Grind various radi around the edges but leave one heel almost sharp, only about a 1/32" radius. Make some of your radi up to a 1/2, and everything in between the two. Try to make each radi between 2.5-3" long, but reserve one section of the edge, the very center along the length and have about 3" there with the same sharp radius as the one heel, and make your other heel have a generous radi around 1/4".  Instead of welding lges to it, make a frame for it to drop into. You can still use the common 3 leg stance. Design the length of the frame opening so that you can put all three of the edges up, and you can cut different swages into the sides. I would build the frame out of something like 2x3x3/8 or even 4x4x 1/2" angle with the legs down and out. Make your tripod legs from something substantial like 1x2" flat bar or at least 3/4x 1 1/2". Use the same stock to make the bottom ties but run the bar flat between the two back legs and vertical from the of the flat cross bar to the front leg. 

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Frosty got you most of the way there. Put the longest edge facing up. Put your hardy holes centered in each end.  Put in two pritchels at each end too, four different sizes (17/32, 21/32, 13/16 and 1 1/8"). Put the two larger pritchels at the end with the smaller hardy. Grind various radi around the edges but leave one heel almost sharp, only about a 1/32" radius. Make some of your radi up to a 1/2, and everything in between the two. Try to make each radi between 2.5-3" long, but reserve one section of the edge, the very center along the length and have about 3" there with the same sharp radius as the one heel, and make your other heel have a generous radi around 1/4".  Instead of welding lges to it, make a frame for it to drop into. You can still use the common 3 leg stance. Design the length of the frame opening so that you can put all three of the edges up, and you can cut different swages into the sides. I would build the frame out of something like 2x3x3/8 or even 4x4x 1/2" angle with the legs down and out. Make your tripod legs from something substantial like 1x2" flat bar or at least 3/4x 1 1/2". Use the same stock to make the bottom ties but run the bar flat between the two back legs and vertical from the of the flat cross bar to the front leg. 

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Alright, understanding your situation helps a lot. While drifting the hardy holes may be "traditional" for a few centuries ago a blacksmith invented the drill press for a reason. Drill and broach the hardy holes will not only be easier and a WORLD more comfortable, it'll yield a better product. Believe me you haven't lived until you've worked a piece of steel that size at drifting temperature, say high orange to yellow, yellow is better but your Levis will just burst into flames unless you have a seriously long handle on the drifts and sledge. Your strikers wont be back again either.

 

The piece you want for an anvil is going to work a treat. How's the other end look? It has that little tag sticking out that would make a small but serviceable heal. Also, seeing as it's standing on end I believe the other end must be pretty flat and a little dressing will make it work ready.

 

The end up in the picture is pretty rough and will need a lot of grinding just to smooth enough to be a good anvil surface. As it is it's just fine for welding a stand to it. Can't do much to make it harder to grind clean and you're going to need to make or weld a stand for it anyway.

 

I like it, I'd put it in my shop in a heartbeat.

 

Frosty The Lucky.

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I'd love it if my striker didn't come back again……….then I wouldn't need a work shop of my own I'd have his all to myself :D

 

Actually he is going to my one for his work shop and I am making one to take home so it will be a reciprocal thing striking.

 

 

Frosty, Most of the ends/faces of the anvil block are pretty smooth and flat, the one sitting at the top in the photo is where the cut was started as this piece is the waste so that end is pretty rough.  I need to grind the edges to various radii. Arfist gave me a good list above.

 

It rings like a bell so I don't think I will try and face harden it just use as is. If it is too soft then I can flip it over and harden the other side before using it.

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post-55258-0-92469600-1408579237_thumb.jMaking Square Holes….. Both Plates have a 1¼" Hole and one also has a 1" Hole.

 

The rectangular plate is 3" Die Steel and the 1¼" Drift was tool steel. This one came out quite clean.

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My plate is mild steel (60 mm thick)  and the 1" Drift was also mild steel, it didn't come out as clean and the drift did deform, where the tool steel drift didn't.   We had 3 Strikers all with different sized sledge hammers so we had to move around a bit to try and keep it even. Someone (not me) also missed a few times and you can see the mild steel while hot dented quite easily.  The dents will be filled with a bit of weld and ground back.

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I'm also going to have to redrill my oval pritchel hole round.

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I'm impressed. I was going to make my striking anvil by rough cutting the square hole with the plasma, then finishing it off with files, but I may give drifting it a try since yours came out pretty good and my plate isn't anywhere near as thick as yours was.

 

Nice job.

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Why not use that huge hulking pedestal-looking piece as a striking anvil? Unless its not steel. That looks like its already a good height and, what, 500+lbs??

again, unless its not steel.

your punched plate does look good. Could probably weld a leg on each corner and then those together halfway down for some lateral support?

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Leeknivek if your referring to the brown looking bit of steel in photo in post #14. That one is going to be my regular height working anvil.

DSW Have a crack mate it isn't that hard to do. We got 3 holes in about 3.5hrs including all heats. I predicted all holes 1/8 undersized. that way you get clean smooth sides to the holes.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I'm teaching myself Solidworks, So I drew up the stand how I plan to make it. 



8 Deg leg splay so there is plenty of support under the striking anvil and a little lateral support. The legs are 90 SHS with a nominal 5mm wall thickness. I plan to fill the legs with sand and oil to reduce the ring and add some extra weight.




The legs are cut so that the plate is let into each leag to locate it and there is a piece of angle iron running under the plate between each leg. The angle iron has the angle towards the centre of the stand as I figure it is strongest that way even if only minutley.

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If I may be so bold as to make a few suggestions, more geared to regular anvil stands than striking anvils.

 

1. Put all the floor anchor plates fore and aft, not sticking out under the anvil stand where you would tend to trip on the bolt heads when working close to the anvil.

 

2. Put the angle iron with one leg up and one leg in. You can fill the triangle with expanded metal and have a place to cool freshly forged items, store your punch lube, etc. You can also hang a storage rack for punches and chisels on the upright angle, and remove as needed.

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I have made several striking anvils, and a bunch of anvil stands. BTW your punched hole looks quite nice. For a 1 in sq hole I would start with a drilled 7/8 hole. Two heats should make a hole in 3 in thick material, well it did for us. Then make another drifting as the metal gets toward black to polish and firm up the hole. There should be a slight rise around the hole as the metal has been displaced, which can be easily removed by grinding. Not much worry about filling in the missed hammer strikes as there will be replacement mis-blows to show up until you get proficient in striking.

 

If you use 1/4 in sidewall 2 x 2 sq tubing the answers will become evident as to installation of oil and sand. Oil and sand should be used in all hollow leg stands ...to reduce the noise factor exponentially.

 

Good luck

 

David G

 

carry on

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