BoOnTheGo

Thanks to everyone for the ideas and support. First winter at this so it is good to know I can keep at it. I have a tarp so I will stay dry

Crazy Ivan- My bellows are made from an old tractor inner tube, so I don't think it will have the issues one might with leather.

OK thanks. Was wondering if it would harm anything by the temp change. What I am using for an anvil seems to suck the heat right out, so I the motto should be get it hot, hit it hard, really fast? 

I have not seen this addressed anywhere as of yet. The question is, can you? I have an outdoor primitive forge and when the temp gets <50 degrees outside, it just seems too cold to work. Am I missing something?

Bo

Welcome Bo.

 

There are a couple of Carolina anvil and blacksmith tool dealers that regularly post on craigslist, the one closest to you would be in Denver, NC. Not sure about Virginia.

 

The local Triad area chapter of NCABANA meets at the Dixie Classic Fairgrounds, 9am 3rd Saturday every month. Mooresville and Raleigh are on different schedules.  http://www.ibiblio.org/nc-abana/

Thanks John, I joined NCABANA a few months back, just have not been able to make it to a meeting yet. Looking forward to it though. I have read all the past issues of the spark.

Broken fork lift tines---explain you want to make an anvil out of it and would be happy if they cut it in pieces (so it couldn't get reused---liability).  Forklifts are found *everywhere* in the USA these days

 

http://www.marco-borromei.com/fork.html

 

One of a large number of ways to do it!  (as I recall they ended up with a 100#+ anvil for US$25 and yes I am the Thomas mentioned---I still have the mate to that tine in my scrap pile---but I carried it out of the forest by myself---see I'm dumber that I appear on the net!

Great Idea Thomas, Thanks

A few weeks back I did an 4 day intensive on primitive blacksmith-ing. Absolutely fell in love with it. I have spent the last several weeks gathering tools and items to start hammering. Now I seem to be stumped with the anvil. At the intensive we used all manner of items, RR track, steel bricks, cast off dies, axles  etc. I am having the darnedest time trying to locate something for starting. I plan on starting out with small objects and working my way up. Any helpful input would be welcomed