TyeBledsoe

I know this isn’t about an anvil, but it could be used for an anvil; but recently I got a steal on a 500lbs swage block I only paid $300 for it. When I picked it up, there was a docking area to help me put in the back of my truck I don’t have that in my shop. I’ve already got the table built for it and now I have no idea how to pick it up to put it on there, two people can’t pick it let alone slide it across the floor. So does anybody out there have any suggestion on how to move it, pick it up and set it on its stand; I’m sure some people on here has bought a 500lbs anvil and had an ingenious way to set it up.

I have a medieval style forge it’s very similar to Mr. Habermann’s forge in this video (below) . I have used fire brick for the last several years, but the brick around the tuyere or the whole where my air comes out always breaks or cracks after a few weeks. I have great fire control but still it burns out, I decided to use a fire clay mixture, is this a good idea? or is there something better out there that I have been missing? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKLSSnm-inA

I know the last post for this was back in February, but is there an update on the status of the hofi anvil I checked the angele website but they are still out of stock... I would just love to have a Hofi anvil

Back in the day before all the safety acts by MSHA (mine safety health administration), Black Lung was caused by prolonged exposure of coal dust, which I have been in the mines it is thick, you can wave you hand in the air and it will completely black. Several People in my family have died from black lung it is not a pretty death. Today they have masks that kinda look like gas masks and the filters are similar to what you can buy at a pharmacy. Long story short it takes years to develop black lung in that thick coal dust usually people that have been diagnosed have worked in the mines 20 to 30 years. Unless your shop is throwing coal dust so thick you can't see, you won't anything to worry about, although it is good to keep your shop ventilated, and if you would feel more comfortable buy a mask or tie a bandanna around your face and mount a fan in a door or window but do it in a place it doesn't mess with your draw. But like I said don't worry about it.

Its a no go on those bits, I went to the mines today to look at them, they are so degraded and like y'all said you cant forge them and they are around 2 1/2 to 3 inches round to big for a punch. I'll check out that site Mister Bower suggested but I did pick up some nice bolts they use to hold up the roof of the mines, there about 6 foot long I'm not sure of the hardness, but I did try to cut it with a file and hack saw no nicks or cuts I'm sure that make some handy tools.

Brasilikilt I actually live in a coal mining area there plenty of heavy machinery, actually in the past when I first began blacksmithing I asked for a piece off one of these continuous miners http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/thesouthern.com/content/tncms/assets/editorial/5/bf/eeb/5bfeebc8-70c6-500f-8b04-ef65e59b3476.image.jpg... I personally have no welding skills but I know several machinist and welders who work on these pieces of equipment, to them it was simply out of the question to cut a block off it, or to cut pieces off and weld them together to make an anvil out of it; That would be awesome to have an anvil of that quality of steel. the problem was the man hours the plasma cutter and the stuff needed to weld it is expensive that's all I know. Also that was several years ago I was a teenager it was in $thousands$ to complete it I hate to see the price now. As for other big machinery there isn't any farms near except in Tennessee that would be anything close to that size. As for Craig's list I've looked, there isn't any in my area I blew a chance for a heavy anvil 2 or 3 years ago in Tennessee but the guy sold it and I was at college in eastern Va it was to far away to come back.

I live in coal country an there is a lot of heavy mining equipment to cut coal, sandstone or whatever else that run into miles underground. Here's my question they're are cutting teeth on the head of the continuous miner called Bits here's what the look like new, bad link 404 These things have diamond tips and eventually break the base is made from tungsten carbide, can I forge this? is it safe? is it going to give of deadly fumes? I don't know anything about this stuff. the mines throws these things away. I was seeing I could forge these things into useful tools that I could use around the shop. If not they have plenty of 1090 stuff laying around gathering rust I can ask, but they usually reuse that and cut that up and weld it to broken pieces.

clinton Do you personally own a ozark pattern. If so give me low down on it, basically tell me why you love and why you hate. thanks

Old N Rusty I checked out the 200lbs traditional its looks pretty good. I tried to look at the foundry in MS I browsed the website I couldn't find the anvils if you have a link could you send it to me I would appreciate I'll give it a look see thanks

I did receive good advice from the other site but I just want more opinions on anvils to see whats, what and the whose, who of anvils, my current has no hardy hole it looks like they tried to make one but fail miserably the horn is atrocious, the anvil it bounces around to much, it weighs around 50lbs I worked with friends that have a heavy anvil its so much easier after you get past the 200lbs range I find my self working a oak stump with a mild steel plate screwed on it for the heavier work, I want to start working on heavier projects I want to be able set tools in my hardy I could go on and on, as you said I need mass I just want opinions on certain anvils which is better that others I know certain anvils do better with certain jobs but this light weight I have doesn't cut the mustard for heavy projects... for example I have been making hardware for an extremely heavy door the wood itself on the door weighs in about 150lbs this is a heavy door its need heavy strong hardware to support it, my little anvil bounces around, the mass of the isn't were it needs to be if I cut something of on my make shift hardy the I placed in my over size pritchel hole which is 1 1/2 inches the tool spins around every time I strike again because of the weight it bounces a plethora of problems I could go on forever I need mass but what I'm asking which is the better of the masses, I don't want to sound unappreciative of your opinion sir and I thank everyone for there interjections I'm just so frustrated with my anvil and in buying the styles are insurmountable

I need a new anvil badly I have been blacksmithing for seven years my current is a russian cast steel it was either that or a cast iron one asking why I took this long to get a good anvil ( one word college) I'm looking at several different anvils around the 250 to 300lbs range, here's my problem.... 1. a wide face like Nimba Centurion 2. a narrow face like old world anvils Austrian workhorse 3. a narrow face with side shelf like ozark pattern Others I've considered are Peddinghaus/Rigid, Refflinghaus, Kohlshwa the thing about kohlshwa is I don't know the dimension and I'm sure shipping will be very expensive Like last night I was working on some tools and some artistic stuff. On the tools I'm like I need a wide face but on the artistic stuff I'm like I need a narrow face. but I'll do both works equally and sometimes I'll make horseshoes which is like once in a blue moon so any help here would be awesome if any y'all owns anyone of these anvils tell me how you like it, pros and cons or ones I haven't consider all the information I could get would be great...