ThomasPowers

Vulcans are the lowest tier of the "real anvils" IMNSHO; but are usable, especially in areas where a quiet anvil is needed. They have quite thin steel faces so DON'T REMOVE ANY OF IT. The ones I have seen/owned had a softer face than a Hay Budden or other top tier brand That one looks to have tons of life left in it---use it to make something for your friend---an ornamental beer bottle opener is often well received---and ask him to keep looking for another!

Lefties, the Yokes on you!

it ranges from quite mild to medium to higher carbon DEPENDING. Do a quench and break test if you are trying to keep the C levels up in a billet. (or use quite high C steel in greater proportions to it.) I like to use the higher C banding along with band saw blade to start a billet with 20-25 layers the first weld. Never assume that there is only 1 alloy used for *anything*. I've even run into a low carbon leaf spring before! (Strain hardening but would not quench harden even in water)

There are methods to fab up a new screw and screwbox using things like scaffolding leg levelers; but in general the time and effort to make one is greater than the cost to find a vise in better condition. You can sometimes find the screw/screwbox used at conferences or a vise with a trashed body but a decent screw/screwbox; but the wait is often long Buying new coarse sq buttress thread tends to be pricey.

I'll see if I can take a look at mine this weekend and of course will defer to Frank Turley's opinion on the soft vs hard jaws. Wish I had some acid handy to do an etch across them to hunt for a transition. (shop is currently 3 hours away from where I work my day job, sigh)

I teach a lot of dipping your toes in classes""; generally making an S hook from 1/4" hot rolled sq stock. To pass there are 3 criteria: you listen and follow instructions, you are safe around other people with hot steel, you are safe around yourself with hot steel. You can totally destroy your piece but as long as you have passed I'll give you another chance. (There is a hidden one too "Though shall NOT annoy the smith!") Lots of people try, a few go on to dabble, some of those get into it and a few of those really take off! However all of them now know that having a forge around the neighborhood is a *good* thing and not something to feared and forbidden.

If it's not for you then it's great you recognized it early----pass anything you have on to someone else; perhaps forging will turn out to be *their* hobby. Good luck in finding one that's a "fit" for you! Far better to give it up now before you have sunk more time and money into it! We have a member here who started blacksmithing in college---on a student's budget and while living in a dorm. He overcame all obstacles and is still active now with a wife and kids and a job (and a bigger power hammer then me the rat!) (I've said that getting him into blacksmithing was like throwing gasoline on a fire!)

across the street at anvilfire there is a calculator, Mass3j, that given the dimensions will spit out the weight for a bunch of different metals/alloys

#6,10,11 for *my* choice with the long dimension going vertical

Naw, make a Bick for that hole for the finer horn. If you do forge it, think about drifting the hole sq for hardy hole tooling.

I had a student once that was having a terrible time hammering---missing the piece and hitting the anvil or clipping the piece and hitting the anvil. I finally asked him if he was using his dominant hand to hammer and he said "No" he wanted to learn to use his off side. I asked him to damage his OWN equipment learning that and not mine!

I don't; I tend toward boot sales and smithing conferences to pick up hammers. I want to feel the heft, handle shape and how hard the face is before I spend money.

well it would depend how badly I needed an anvil...

Hmm; I have several anvils with 1.5" hardy holes....and one with 1.25" (and a bunch with smaller ones...) If it is mild steel think about perhaps putting some swage depressions in it for special use. (a few tapered ones could be handy for starting arrow sockets for example) Got a friend with a power hammer? Fastest way to get a nicer horn would be to FORGE IT!

Here in the desert we're rated for direct ground pours being basically subsoil all the way up!

what size is the shank?

I do not know if I would use the term *most*. As the vices were made from wrought iron and then mild steel any hardened jaws should be visible as a forge welded in face to the jaw. Of the 20 or 30 I have owned over the years I can remember only 2 with such jaw faces.

magnetite is considered a high grade bloomery ore and is the "iron sand" of the japanese tatara. It is also the black sand of gold panners. It is a common component in *many* igneous rocks even if in such small amounts that it is not visible to the naked eye.

Hey I prefer it the way it first came out! And as sweaty as we can get down here in the summer we are harder to light! (until we dehydrate....)

Shoot I drag folks just walking by over to the forge and stick a hammer in their hands---been doing so for over 30 years now

let's not forget standing so your shadow is on the face of the anvil too!

Sounds like a rivet forge. "It is as Mr. Powers, harder to light"------ouch this is a tough crowd! (I love a good typo!)

Make sure to put your mark on that one---it's a keeper! I haven't seen many, if any, mild steel body/high carbon steel face hammers; most composites I have seen were wrought iron body and high carbon steel face; (I own several of that type). By the time mild steel was cheeply available the price of higher carbon steel had dropped quite a bit. HOWEVER; you still have made an excellent hammer indeed! A most proper variation on the traditional method! IIRC there is a comment in Richardson's "Practical Blacksmithing" on the difficulties of welding a face on a hammer and they suggested cutting a couple of spurs in the back of the face plate to drive into the hot body and hold them together during heating for welding. Did you do something similar?

If you are in a suburban setting; using coke and a Fisher (or Vulcan) anvil can do a lot to help you slide under the radar WRT your neighbors

try opening the ash dump to waste excess air. Charcoal needs very low air!