Marc1

Ha ha ... had forgotten the coal in the sock for the bad kids ... my parents used unwashed potatoes instead of coal. There was always a couple of potatoes in the bottom of the sock ... I wonder why? Das, diet anything is worst for you guaranteed. Substitute sugar or substitute fat is poison. Have less real sugar and less real fat.

I think that the original post has a nice purpose/intention that seems lost in the thread. The fad of making swords (was it a TV show perhaps?) has run it's course but has provided as a fringe benefit, a group of people who are interested in a forgotten trade. Get cracking and beat the iron regardless of its provenience. Who can deny that new graded steel is better than unknown junk? I think the point was originally a different one. Metallurgy is complicated and overwhelming for the beginner. Start with the basic and experiment with what you have available. Make mistakes like we all did and learn from them. There are two kind of beginners, the one that take what you tell them at face value, apply it yet remember the lesson only when they don't follow the instructions, make a mistake and understand why. And the other one who will not follow your instructions because they need to experiment, make the same mistake and then understand why and eventually tell others ... don't do that it does not work ...

Sure, you can do that, however that one in the picture seems to have like 1/2" or so difference.

Oh I just saw that link ... yes ... not rust, that anvil was born like that. Plenty of meat to flatten the base, but probably a heresy and not necessary. if you really wanted to do it, you would have to grind away all rust on the base, build up the lower edges with a welder and then machine it flat. THat way you take away minimal original metal. or just make a twisted base for it

mm ... if it is me, my OCD would kick in and I would probably run the the engineering shop, place the anvil upside down and get all 4 feet milled level . How much is the difference? And can you tell if it is a forging defect or rust eating away at one leg? You could also build up the shorter leg if the difference is too much. A picture would help. Or you can just ignore it and level it as you can. $50? Serious? A gift from the anvil gods.

Mm ... Sthinking about you ...

It's the same in Australia. buying steel at the hardware store is expensive. Then we have retail metal merchants like Edcon steel and wholesale like Waratah steel. Buying by the length is cheaper but cheaper still is to ask to pick up from their offcut bin. If you are only forging whatever you can find, the offcut bin is your lolly shop. ...

I disagree. What you call waste of time is actually learning time. Then there is the allure of free, recycled, recovered or whatever else. Let people be and work the way they want. Eventually they will come to similar conclusions ... or may be not. My master used to say ... "I have seen horses throw up"

There are many ways to skin a cat Thomas, and then there are some more. People succeed in their endeavours not when we tell them how to do it but when they discover how to. Yes, occasionally what you say sort of get's caught between one ear and the other. Most of the time it does not. I think it is more important to allow and make room for mistakes than it is to shelter people from making them.

Even with +- 20 pounds or kilos who cares! that is one massive anvil and in such good nick. Congratulations on the find. Don't ask any questions about grinding or welding please !

Looks like a 12g to me

You are probably right ... flame harden? that is a cheaper process. Or just stick with a small DIY one. I used a 40k anvil for scrolls and architectural work for years. We had several anvils in the shop but "mine" was just 40k

You are right in theory. In practice, the red rust can develop around and even over some patches of residual zinc and make seem to be fully rusted when it is not. Furthermore if you are talking about galvanised pipes, the exterior of the pipe has a lighter coat of HDG than the inside that is usually much thicker. A pipe that has been in use with chlorinated water may be fully rusted inside and free of zinc but when it reaches that state it is but a useless clump of rust and worthless for forging. There are copious cases of poisoning by welders and blacksmith and the risk is not worth it. Best to collect scrap that is not hazardous and make your blacksmithing learning experience a pleasurable one. Keep on posting about your endeavours.

The zinc in galvanised steel acts as a barrier and as a sacrificial anode to protect steel but eventually will rust away and steel will start to oxidise, so if steel that was once galvanised is now showing brown steel rust, that means the galvo is on his last leg. In any case the presence of patches of zinc coating should be obvious. If steel rust is prevalent and all over the piece, the zinc should be gone. However ... As it was repeated at nauseam in other threads, the risk of poisoning from zinc fumes is not worth a few cents of scrap metal.

All sensible suggestions to take on board. My 2.5 c : Good for you for having such an ambitious initiative. Go for it. It will most likely be uneconomical but you will surely learn from the experience. I suggest to make a much smaller version to find your feet in this process. Say a 30 or 40 k one. Yes, you want a 200 k one but start small. You can always sell your smaller project and then get stuck into the big one. As far as heat treatment, I remember getting a new 40K farrier anvil heat treated and it wasn't that expensive at all. In Sydney there is a mob called Gearco that did it for me for about $150 Australians. It can't be that more expensive over there. If anything it should be cheaper. Get cracking and post pictures of your progress!

I like this one ... Refflinghaus 470 ... Kilos

I have several blu hammers. They are good value. I buy the best tool I can afford always. If In doubt I buy two or three ... Blacksmithing as a hobby has a tendency to be minimalist and big ticket tools appear to be pretentious. I only ever worked in a commercial smithy where the job had to be done in time and within specifications. It was a job and not a hobby. We had good tools always and cheap and nasty tools were not allowed through the door. Today? well I wouldn't use cheap and nasty tool only because I don't have to and I don't want to. It's a no pressure hobby and whatever I do I want it to be a pleasurable experience not a struggle. But we are all different. You can learn making your own tools like 200 years ago. Or you can buy good quality tools and learn making something you like. It's a choice, or rather it should be your choice. Learn always, take notes, ask questions and then learn some more ...

Do you think that crack can be repaired? Anvil wedding ... I though that was a Scottish tradition, where did Austria come in the picture?

You are welcome One dumb observation ... if you post a link, the link sits there and the picture does not come up unless you press enter. In other words, if you paste the link and post, you will post just a link, if you paste the link and press enter the picture comes up .... well you probably know that

Interesting! I found your video and post it here a few weeks ago. From the title "bigorna" and your accent I would have sworn this was in Portugal. Anyway. very nice job. Post some of your work on it!

Nice forge, the second link has an error. No it does not, ha ha ... there you go ...

Sand blasting with a pressure washer is the safest method you can use in your backyard. Not super fast but nothing becomes airborne due to the water in the sand. I would stick it in the slow combustion wood heater in winter or lite an open fire ... we are not talking radioactive material here

I used this method for indoor furniture, bed head, tables etc. May be a bit fiddly for little stuff, but the principle is the same. If you want to have only metallic colour finish, paint with black oil based paint. When the paint is tacky to the touch, Apply plumbago with a rag wrapped around your finger. The graphite will stick to the paint and you can give it a second rub after dry. It will stay black and shiny for a long time. If you want to have an old/rusty finish. Paint with rust colour paint and apply the plumbago only in some spots leaving streaks of brown rust colour visible more or less plumbago means less or more rust.

I Like it. Do you know the weight? And yes, your location is essential, the post office usually does not like to deliver those ... How much do you want for it? PS OK Central Oregon ... a bit far for me