caotropheus

Of course everyone knows that dividing "stuff" by 1/4, 1/2, 1/8, 1/12, 1/32 and so on, is much easier than dividing stuff by 10, right?... or not so much?! Link removed due to advertising.

Thanks IDF&C. Yesterday I heated the washer to an orange heat and locked it in place between the jaw and the screw head and it acquire the right shape for its function. Probably one day I will have the patience to make a more massive thrust washer with claws that lock into place. People, I forgot to show you, the fixed jaw is a bit marred and chipped in the edge. The chipped jaw suggests some sort of hardening, probably case hardening. As a personal preference, I like a vise with straight, parallel, even height jaws, not marred or chipped. My question is, can I pre heat and fill the damaged parts with 7018? Thanks

It is impossible to go wrong for 20 USD for that vice even with a frozen screw. You can forge the spring and fabricate the mounting plate later. Listen to Frosty, apply his method and the screw will become loose one day. Patience is key here, do not force anything or overheat there are brazed parts in the screw area that may become loose or destroyed... Don't forget to show us the vice after restoration and in operation.

Greetings I had this leg vice in storage for a long time and now I decided to repair it. It was missing the spring (forged one out of rebar...wish me luck) and it is still missing the thrust washer/bearing. I found this simple washer that fits very well the threaded rod and sits well into place, between the movable jaw and the screw head. Now, the movable jaw has two slots where the original thrust washer/bearing sits and it is secured. What do you people suggest I do, to repair the thrust washer/bearing? Use the simple washer? weld two claws to fit the slots? get a real thrust bearing? get a bronze washer/bearing? I am a simple curious guy how beats hot steel every now and then during the week, not a blacksmith. Thanks

After seeing this video, I will stop complaining about my anvils! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhTWcLSLeEA

Greetings people I was today with Hofi at the annual Israeli blacksmiths meeting. He showed up in a wheel chair and he is in good spirits. He goes regularly to his smithy but he is not yet actively smithing or teaching. Needless to say everyone gave him a very warm welcome and treated him like a king!

Sir Niles, .I have done it different ways, still, I am going to build one welding the top tool steel plate technique. And yes, hardfacing is a good alternative to top tool steel plate. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLsgFjkBQtg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSpXA0b33Fg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1-gk6W5Qrs The first anvil I build is the one I use the most.

materman I went through the steps you're going now, trying to do much more than necessary to start forging. I have real anvils but what I use the most is this one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLsgFjkBQtg Actually, the single bit of chisel would have been enough to forge (without the horn), just a simple support or buried partially in the soil. So, to start forging I suggest you use that 4.5 inch shaft and the mild steel slabs as upset blocks and to straighten long pieces and learn what you want from an anvil (weight, length, width, horn shape, hardy tool size, london pattern, european pattern and so on and so on...). If you get to the conclusion you really want to make your own anvil, send my PM and I can help you with that.

Also the lack of feet points to DIY anvil.

heat the metal to red/orange heat and straighten it with a wood mallet on a wood anvil.

Gentleman, thank you very much for your answers. I am going to use this anvil the way it is. After all, the rebound is really good and the anvil was cheap. If it splits into two, I will repair it then. For that, once more I ask you gentleman if you can help me find country of origin and manufacturer. From here we can speculate on what iron/steel is made off to tune in repair methods. Most of my forgings are made on the breaker bit. The rebound is fantastic and metal moves real fast. If I miss a blow on the breaker bit, I will smash my face in the rebound! I use less the "exercise in stubborness" anvil, mainly when I need a striker and to use the horn. This past week end I made a wood stove poker and my son was the striker, missed several times the 5 kg sledge and nothing happened to the anvil surface (I love the mild steel body, hard surface combination...). I still do not know how I compare these "homemade anvils" with a real anvil because I never used one in a regular basis...

Gentleman, thank you very much for your answers. Do you have any idea of the manufacturer, country of origin? You can see more photos where i highlighted the crack with a marker. it starts at the top on the table, and continues downwards. It starts at 1/3 of the table, closer to the rounded horn. The hardy hole seems to be filled with some "casting spill". Also the hardy hole goes through the all body of the anvil, not like the French type hole.

Yes, I will do it, I will ask my daughter to take a picture with her "super camera" probably we will see more detail of the crack.

Got this anvil for about 200 USD in an antique shop. Seller told me it weighs 200 kg, but I haven't checked it yet by my self. It was really cheap for the country where I live, even for a cracked anvil. There are no marks of the manufacturer, so, can you guys please identify it? Ball bearing rebound is about 90% but there is almost no ring. Overall length 820 mm, height 310 mm. The guy has a lovely 300 kg anvil for sale, almost brand new but 1250 USD is a bit too much for me... I just forge as an hobbyist, probably I forge about 150 to 200 hours a Year, so, should I be concern about the crack? If the anvil splits into two, can I weld it back together using the right methods? I make most of my forgings on the anvil I improvised with an hydraulic breaker chisel. Thank you for your answers Almost forgot, the hardy hole and pritchel hole are in part filled with what seems to be metal from the casting. Can you guys please also give your opinion on this issue?

I wonder for how many years is this bit of railroad anvil being used? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TkkK8OTMxQ I am confused!!...Is the blacksmith wearing "steel toes" or does he have "steel toes"?

Why this "blacksmithing" good stuff only happens to other people! What exactly is the colour for envy?

Adding to Irondragon, use rail as is. The idea in blacksmithing is to keep as much mass as possible under the hammer in order to loose less energy as possible through anvil movement or flexing. In third world countries blacksmiths use improvised anvils and small anvils but firmly secured to planet Earth! Youtube videos and internet images show the most fantastic and beautifull rail shaped to anvil objects (very popular with viewers) but they are less useful than the rail used as a whole. Again read carefully and with full attention this thread https://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/52308-a-collection-of-improvised-anvils/ Anvils shown here are ugly but more functional then a rail shaped as an anvil. Ooooh, an angle grinder is always a nice tool to have in the shop...

You know the rules, without pictures/video, never happened!...

Several bits and pieces that followed me home during the last couple of month: 1 - "dead steel" I found in the fields, broken harrow disk, rotavator blades, pipe cut-off, wrench, tank (or some other military vehicle) caterpillar pins, all sorts of pins. The ruler is 60 cm long. What steel is this caterpillar pins made of? 2 - Hand crank blower, a friend gave it to me, British Alcosa F40 gear box, F56 blower box. It Runs very smooth despite the gunk on it. 3 - Other friend gave this to me as well. It looks like a stand for a hand drill but it is massive. The ruler is 60 cm long and the stand weighs 30 kg. I do not know a hand drill massive enough to be used with this stand, so what machine was it used with? Looking for ideas how to use it beside with the hand drill...

If the anvil is mild steel, you can hardface it like I did in my homemade anvil the anvil making video the hardfacing video

a - this is my question as well. b - Whenever I see a nice chunk of steel (like this one for example) first I take it...then I make questions...

I do not intend to hijack the thread, this is other type of two legged vise I saw on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwGlBH7YJPg

Ausfire, Gentleman, as an entomologist, I have to insist that insects (and arthropoda in general), have their antenna located in fore part of the head, not on the thorax. Best use I have seen of a pipe wrench when not used for the propose it was created for...

There are many Youtube videos about "vise restoration". I saw several of these videos that address issues you referred.

Fuji, this is what I call a " Nice Chunk of Steel". I second other members opinions to use the anvil "as is" for a while and only then hard surface if necessary. If the block is mild steel and if you still insist, I suggest hard surfacing. To make a full penetration weld hard plate on the surface of such block, would require a lot of work and high amperage welding machine. Laying hard facing rod seems to me much faster and easier. If the surface is damaged, clean the damaged part and apply more hard surfacing. Take a look at my videos on youtube how I made my last anvil...