Unforgivun

Yeah, it may be just that we continue to use it as is. I'll get some pics of it up soon so you guys can see and judge for yourself. I mean its done just fine so far, we're just concerned about it causing the heal to break off at the hardy the way the face does. But, its like a really odd sized hardy as well, I think we figured it out to be like 5/8".

On a side note.. Check out frosty's stand for that vise Jeff... Looks to have folding legs, holes for hammers, etc

Your before picture looks about like jeff's vise... Only where yours has that bit of black showing through, his still just has rust.

I'll get some pictures uploaded of it... they might just be cell phone pics, but you know We've been using the anvil as is for a while now, Just with the fast fall off being right around the hardy hole it makes us really hessitant to use hardies with this anvil. For the most part, its given us a horn to work on instead of using pieces of pipe.

We pretty much have access to all the equipment needed in one form or another so its not as bad cost wise I don't believe. We have access to a mill, high end welders etc. Ours was more a question of the metallurgy ya know. More so a what would be the best way. So Frosty, you are saying it would probably be better to just build up the face using build up rod and then either grind it or mill it smooth? Don't worry about the plate?

My brother in law came up with an 80lb Fisher anvil stamped 1886... Its my understanding that these anvils are an iron body with a cast steel face. The face appears to have been maybe hard faced at one point to repair a break. There seems to be roughly 1/4 " of the original steel plate left on the majority of the envil stepping back up to roughly 3/4 in at the front end of the hardy hole. So we had an idea as to how to do it, but wanted to post this out there to get more. After some research we were thinking it would be best to get the anvil hardfaced again (provided the welder says there is enough steel left to do it) then grind the surface flat and weld a new face using either A2 tool steel or 4140 steel. Thats our idea... Maybe (probably) flawed... Sooooooo INPUT! :)

When it comes to a mortar and pestle this is the most important question to ask. My primary income comes from working in a compounding pharmacy where I have to mix drugs/chemicals to produce creams, capsules, suppositories, you name it, chances are I've made it. That being said, mortar and pestles are often completely unusable. For instance, we have wooden ones that customers have given us. Pewter ones etc. When it comes to drugs, just like food, you have to be wary of reactive surfaces. This is why aluminum pans are now almost always lined with steel, or a non-stick surface. Aluminum is highly reactive to acids, so lemon juice, vinegar, even alcohols all get a metallic taste from aluminum. BIGGUNDOCTOR stated that he was using a cast iron mortar and pestle in his kitchen for grinding spices... that means that every time he grinds those spices, he's adding little bits of cast iron into his diet. Not saying theres anything wrong with that, every time we use a metal spatula on a cast iron skillet we're doing the same thing. He also stated that the pores in the cast iron help to hold onto things. Let me tell you, I absolutely HATE breaking in a new mortar and pestle. The porcelain ones (Wedge-Wood) are much easier to work with when they are new than glass. It takes the glass ones a good 40 uses or so to start getting those scratches that makes them really nice. The only thing he stated that I directly disagree or take fault with is that he said most modern mortar and pestles aren't made correctly, that they're made for pounding. That's sort of the purpose. Just remember, we're used to seing it in logo's of pharmacy's. That's not to say that the shape we're used to is absolutely correct. A "mortar" comes from the latin Mortarium (spelling) and basically means receptacle for pounding, and "pestle" comes from pistillum (again, spelling) and basically means pounder. So basically, a mortar is any receptacle for pounding an object. Thus a spoon swage is a mortar. And a pestle is any bat shaped object used for pounding. Throw out the rules, step back, have fun with it. Chances are whom ever comissioned the item doesn't plan to use it, but to have it setting on a counter for looks and if thats the case, just make it look CRAZY. The International Journal of Compounding uses mostly purely decorative mortar and pestles on the cover of their magazine every month. Might be able to find some ideas looking through some of those.

I'll have to post some pics... I saw this thread months ago and my brother in law and I just made a small one of these 2" wide, 6" tall and 14" across. I know I could have had more mass under the hammer if I had stood it up on end, but it suits my needs just fine. I just really enjoy these home made anvil ideas.

Listen man I haven't had the priviledge of working on a true 200 lb anvil yet... The heaviest actual anvil I've worked on is an 80lb fisher. A buddy and I have only recently started doing this stuff but they are right. The heavier you get, the better off you are. We started off on a 35lb section of rail. Came up with a 2nd section (of which I'm going to turn on end and put an A2 steel plate across the top from ebay) Then my buddy came up with the 80lb fisher at a scrap yard and traded 50# work of scrap and paid them like $30 for. It isn't the heaviest anvil, but it did give us a funtioning horn. I came up with a 60# bottom die from a machine shop. The die was supposedly worn out and being replaced... Its 2" wide (a bit narrow for some) 6" tall on its end, and 14" long. Most of they stuff we're doing at the moment is small meat turners, wall hooks, etc. We're still practicing. The die also has 2 holes drilled all the way through it, so we're creating little exchangable horns using steel pipe and an L shaped bend. What Wooginator is talking about is when you're working small stuff, just getting your feet wet, and on a limited budget you work with what you have. We haven't been able to come up with anything directly heavier than that 80# fisher. BUT it gave us a true horn to work on. Since then we've found a few hardie cones like at kanye & son Hardie Hole Cone So yes Woog, a bigger heavier anvil is easier to work on... A true horn is easier than that... But you can get bits off of ebay and mount them if you want. Make your own exchangable horns using assorted A2 roundsthat heat to 58-62rc hardness or just buy a big flat peice like this Large Roundor this Large Squareand then attach a hardie cone to the side or make the cone its very own stand. For me black smithing has never been about following a set pattern or norm. Yes, I would love to have a 250lb fisher or peddinghaus or what ever, but at the end of the day black smithing is about being able to take fire, metal, and a hammer and after a little time stepping back having made something. Its primal, its fun, and rather than frustrating the hell outa someone who doesn't have $1000 bucks to drop on something, maybe put on the thinking cap and ask yourself what you would use if you had limited resources. That being said Woog, there are LOTS more anvils in the northeast than down here in Alabama. So definately keep an eye on craigslist. You can search entire regions by using sites like Crazedlist as well. Anyway, hopefully this will give you some ideas.