gerald

Milk, Milk, Milk

Fold, Fold, Fold

Colt, Colt, Colt

Took, Took, Took

Goal, Goal, Goal

Loon, Loon, Loon

Moos, Moos, Moos

Boon, Boon, Boon

OK, I agree ... POMPOM

I agree with Thomas, an arc welder of some sort can give you much good service once you learn/practice. If you do go with O/A, be aware that a rosebud sucks acetelyne out of your bottle at an astronomical rate compared to a welding or a cutting head.

Reap, Reap, Reap

Teal, Teal, Teal

Jmercier, 4140 is pretty tough stuff. Do you think it would have worked OK without any heat treating? I guess I'm asking if you tried to forge on it before you heat treated it and found it too soft. I like the weld on feet idea, too.

Thomas is right. There are many uses for a piece of flat steel and many techniques that one could learn to perform on it. If a person is dead set on owning and using an anvil, and is delaying getting started smithing until he/she finds one. There are alternatives to use and learn on until that perfect one comes along, and one of those alternatives could reasonably be a Cast Iron Anvil Shaped Object (ASO). If it get you to work quicker, with a tool that will be similar to what your objective tool would be, go for it and don't listen to the ridicule that you will hear for using a sub-standard piece of junk. You won't be able to hear the comments anyway as you'll be busy working (and learning).

Tees, Tees, Tees

Teed, Teed, Teed

Yes, a chunk of steel would work, and may be cheaper, but with your CI jewell, at least you'd have a horn (probably ugly) that you'd be able to learn to use and you'd have a hardy hole, too. Both of these faetures are things that a new comer needs to have available in orfer to learn.

Need, Need, Need

Of course, if you are putting off learning to smith until the "perfect" anvil comes along, it might be worth the $30 (HF sale price) of a cast iron anvil just so you can get started with something. I'm not sure that the regular price of $50 would be advisable, it's up to you. As you learn hammer control, forging technique, etc on your "cheapo" you can be looking for a better anvil. The important thing, IMHO, is to get started learning and training your muscles and eye toward those forging skill that will serve you well on about any anvil that you may come across in the future. When you find that perfect Peter Wright (after months of looking) and you buy it, donate your cheapo to someone else who is trying to get started but is delaying his/her training until the "good" anvil comes along.

Heed, Heed, Heed

Nope, we're back to Jayco's NORPUS. We can only change one letter at a time.

Geld, Geld, Geld

Corpus, Corpus, Corpus

Gull, Gull, Gull

Bill, Bill, Bill