My DIY Anvil before it lost 50 pounds

This is my DIY anvil that I made during the winter of 2008-2009 towards the end of my 3rd tour in Iraq.

The base was a chunk of a large Iraqi forklift fork, about 6" wide by nearly 2" thick. It was originally 29" long as seen here.

The middle and top sections were Iraqi tank half shafts - the rear end on both was threaded before I got my hands on them. The square portion is about 3" and they had a long 3" diameter round portion with another threaded section at their ends. Using a hack saw, I cut one of the round portions completely off and cut a rought octagonal bick which got touched up a little with the flame wrench (oxy/accet) and a grinder. The top two sections rang like a beautiful bell but toned down quite a bit once all 3 pieces were welded together. I pre-heated all three pieces and welded them together with 3/16" 70018 welding rods at about 350 amps.

Heat treating was started wit a 50-gallon oil drum filled with (and constantly replenished) scrap wood burning with a shop vac blowing air through a pipe into it for about 6 hours. Then, using a chain I had tack welded to the base, I lifted the anvil out when it had been a bright red bordering on orange for a couple hours using an extended reach forklift, I then put it into a 55-gallon drum of 80-weight oil (not previously used - so little in the way of contaminants) to quench. The oil fire that bubbled out of that barrel was something pretty impressive to watch - I had quite the mess to clean up afterwards! With the residual heat after it cooled to a straw color was quenched away with a bunch of 5-gallon coolers of water.

Not sure what the hardness is and I still have no idea what kind of high-carbon steel the top pieces are, but it works beautifully and only really bad misplaced hammer blows will mark it.

After tearing my rotator cuff on my right shoulder, I can't lift things like I used to, so during November 2009 I cut off the rear round portions and cut a bit of a waist into her, then got rid of the excess base. The scrap chunks are somewhere around 50 pounds. She weighs in around 130 pounds now.

The only other thing I am working on changing is adding a 1"x4" chunk of O1 tool steel to the face - after I finish cutting a hardy and pritchel hole in it. That is slow going but I am trying to be as patient as possible so it turns out clean with good edges and usable holes.