Backwoods Blacksmith

McBruce, What a neat application. I think I can adapt this to my woodsplitter press. Another good idea. Thanks

I eye balled the Pappa Rino in Longview. Watched it in action while being used with what looked like a an 8lb hammer. Liked looks, the sound and the rebound. I currently have a Gladiator which I like very much. It has a wider face which is good and bad and does not have a step. But I work around it by using a step block and working on the tapered end of the anvil. Which means I have to think ahead before I get to the anvil. Would I replace it with a Rino? No. If I needed an anvil would I buy one? I guess it would depend on which style I wanted. European or American. Both anvils are well made, with good material and proper heat treat. Both are made in the USA, I don't think you could go wrong with either one. Good luck making up your mind. Good investment and great tools.

Nice job of repairing this fine old anvil. Not many people would have attempted this. Good for you.

Popov, Your hammers and anvil are neatist tools for this craft I have ever seen. I would imagine that celtic smiths used similar tools as they developed the use of iron. I agree that a smith might consider both a flat and convex anvil in the shop. I have a double horn flat face for general work and a 60lb RR track ground convex for weird stuff.

Current scrap price bought from the scrapper is 55 cents a lb reguardless of the alloy.

If you use galvanized ducting and it burns off, it will only do it once. There is not a continueing problem. Plus the metal needs to be in the red hot range before it cooks off. I have never seen a coal forge flue get that hot. So what is the problem? I used corrucated galvinized tin 36in by 8ft to make mine. Rolled it into a circle and used sheet metal screws to fasten the overlap joint. The flue opening and hood are 10 gauge and painted with high temp paint. Plus I got it as salvage. Use the galvanized and don't worry about burnoff.

If it is cast iron it is yard art.

Cast iron, when filed will have grainy dull looking fileings. Steel will be bright and slivery. The feel is different also. Try it at home. The top should ring distintly. Not all will sound like a bell but it won't thud either. When you hit the anvil lightly it should bounce back. Hold the hammer handle lightly. Better yet a 1in ball bearing dropped from a 2 foot height should bounce back pretty well. Metal rusts but the motteled look reminds me of cast iron. Plus the top looks to be cast with the body. The join looks to have a formed radius. Hard to say from the pics

It looks like a cast iron anvil with a top plate. It could be a good steel casting. How does it ring? how is the bounce? Does it weigh 100lbs? Does the top plate seem to be harder than the body? All these determine the price. Any good anvil is worth at least $2.00 per lb. I have't had to buy an anvil in a while. Back in the 1990's there were a bunch of cast iron anvils out of Mexico that looked real good but were not so good in quality. No hardened top plate and the horn would break off. Use a file on one of the feet to check for cast iron or steel. Do this first.

After having sloppy fits from punching holes I went to drilled holes the same size as the rivit and then heat the end to be formed then using a round peen and then a rivit set. If for tongs and the joint is tight, heat the rivit head to red and then work the tongs until cool. This works for me.

I recently made a top tool for my power hammer. It was a track tension spring off an old D8 dozer. Late 40's. Very tough stuff. Used a 10lb hammer and my swedge block to make a half round. Like I said very tough stuff. I don't think I want to do that again.

There are some great smiths in Tuson as well as all over AZ.. Check out the AABA.

Nicely done. This will be a big help to a lot of people.

In all of the old blacksmith books I have read, they caution you about impurities in the fire prior to welding. One of which was copper. When Jay Kidwell taught me to forge weld, he put copper pennies in the fire just to prove it was a myth. Borax Soap, on the other hand, will keep you from welding. Ask me how I know.

Straps with rivits or bolts. A very experenced welder and nirod

Nice job. What rod are you useing? I use 6010 for jobs like this. Less amps, deeper penetration and can weld dirty or rusty metal. Plus you can run down hill if necessary.

Beth and Marksnagel, Thank you The flower blanks were drilled and the stems were worked leaving enough material to rivit the head for the centers. What a pain. I thought that the material would swell and hold but I ended up welding them on the back side. I will also work the edges more and thin them down before trying to flower them up. I think that they are too thick on the edges. Once you do one you got to do them all the same way. I also tried a wax mix finish. Ended up kind of sticky. Maybe not enough heat. I have had requests to make make more. Should go easier.

Resized the pics in the camera. 640x480 Lets see if it works

I am speechless. Great composition and effects.

The flowers stand about 8 inchs. The split level base and the stems are countersunk and welded underneath. The flowers were made from 1 1/2 rebar.

Well, will try again for the pics

The pic is only 52 kb but I will try to resize.

I have tried 5 times to upload one pic on this subject with no result. I have tried basic and advanced with no luck. Any suggestions. It is pretty embarresing when you can't handle a simple picture. It is 1280X360 Is this too big? I thought the size was handled automaticly.

Did the pic not post?

My Mother was complaining that the bunnies were eating her flowers. HA!!!!!!! Let them eat these.