ThorsHammer82

40" is really tall for an anvil. if you don't need it to be mobile I'd sink a stump into the ground low enoug that the post is at the right height when placed into the stump. I wouldn't mess with the steel wheel at all. and get someone to weld a 15" across plate to the bottom with some gussets going up to the post if you want it mobile. You'll want to cut the length down a little though. just my thoughts.

carbon arch torches are used for cutting metal. I don't see it as a practicle way to just heat metal. Most carbon arch torches use air to blast away the puddle of melted metal, so basically without the air you're just going to get a puddle of metal that isn't any good for forging. With Temp control really being out of the picture, and the fact that you'll have to adjust for the melting carbon rod you're probably not going to get anything that is worth your effort.

The first projects on my new "anvil" a couple of bottle openers. Not perfect, but hey for someone who's only spent about 3 hours swinging a hammer so far with nothing but the internet as a teacher, I'm happy with them. http://www.iforgeiron.com/gallery/image/37497-first-fuctional-projects/ http://www.iforgeiron.com/gallery/image/37498-bottle-openers/ http://www.iforgeiron.com/gallery/image/37499-side-view/

And the first projects to come off the forge. a couple of bottle openers. I think I did ok for only having the internet to teach me. The scroll is far from perfect, and I don't have the right punches and drifts. but I'm happy with it. the second one is made from a large bolt I got from the scrap pile at the local rock quarry that I got to raid. and will be going to the quarry owner as a thank you. It's nothing pretty, but he's not really a "pretty" type of guy. http://www.iforgeiron.com/gallery/image/37499-side-view/ http://www.iforgeiron.com/gallery/image/37498-bottle-openers/ http://www.iforgeiron.com/gallery/image/37497-first-fuctional-projects/

I'm very excited about my finds. and I'm even more excited that I get to actually test them out tomorrow. at least until my small stash of coal runs out.

here are some pictures of the stuff I picked up at a local rock quarry from their scrap pile. one is a rock anvil from one of the rock crushers, and the other is a different type of rock anvil that will act as a post anvil. I'll hit them with a wire wheel tomorrow and see how they clean up. they both weigh in the 70-90+ lbs range. http://www.iforgeiron.com/gallery/image/37487-it-followed-me-home-anvil-type-item/ http://www.iforgeiron.com/gallery/image/37486-it-followed-me-home-post-anvil/

I could have brought home more. but I think my wife would have flayed than drawn and quartered me over a bed of salt if I'd brought home much more stuff. Luckily she likes "Free" which is the only reason I'm getting away with building a forge in the first place. I haven't spent any money on it yet. and coal really isn't that expensive. Cheaper than welding is. thats for sure.

My score for the month. One of my good friends from high school/boy scouts used to work at a bank where he became friends with the owner of a local rock quarry, Jim. I've met Jim a couple times at events at my friends house. and the last time I saw him, he and I had a long conversation about my forge build and Anvils and smithing in general. So the next week I discussed with my friend about getting a tour of the quarry (preferably on a blast day - didn't happen. Maybe next time), and maybe I could find something of an anvil type nature. Just a large hunk of scrap metal is all I was looking for. But I found far more than I expected. and this is what followed me home for FREE! This whole pile of metal was picked up on this trip. Manhole cover to be used as an Anvil type item because of it's many angles and shapes. http://www.iforgeiron.com/gallery/image/37484-it-followed-me-home/ trailer springs, pins for holding on excavator bucket teeth and some 5/8" plate all for beating on. and a bucket tooth that will be used kind of like a hardy for it's curves and angles. http://www.iforgeiron.com/gallery/image/37485-it-followed-me-home/ This came out of one of the rock crusher machines and will be used as a post anvil. http://www.iforgeiron.com/gallery/image/37486-it-followed-me-home-post-anvil/ and this large hunk of metal is a rock anvil from one of the machines. The rocks are flung at it at high speed and the break on impact. so I think it will serve nicely as my primary anvil. It weighs approximately 90 lbs and has a lot of great angles and edges. FYI, this one is broken in half so I only have half of it. http://www.iforgeiron.com/gallery/image/37487-it-followed-me-home-anvil-type-item/

6, 10, and 11, for me as well. you're going to get the most mass out of these three. and the largest surface size. I'd go back after you've made a few things and pick up a few smaller hunks for hardies and such. using a smaller hunk as a flat top hardy would get your hammer control down quick, but will still give you the mass of the larger chunk.

I know with tube and plate steel you can just heat shrink to true. Meaning one or more heatings on the top of the arch (foot in this case) and after each heat you let it cool. the hot side should shrink some causing the foot to lift up. Not sure if it will work in this situation, or if it's good for the anvil. but if you've got the equipment to do it, it might be worth a shot. as it doesn't require two people to flip and anvil. It would take a monster of a heating tip on that thick of metal though.

oh I've got no reservations on getting people to actually do it. I'm just finding myself offering. I do the same thing with most of the stuff I do. welding, carpentry, landscaping, etc. Maybe it's just because I'm a very social person, Maybe it's just something that goes with the project at hand. but either way, I don't take offense if something doesn't want to try.

I'm using a shop vac on the blower side. It puts out WAY to much air, way to quickly so I'm going to have to open my ash dump to hopefully reduce the airspeed/flow rate. Haven't had a chance to fire up the forge since the first burn. Maybe sunday...

for someone who's persued all avenues I find it strange that he only has 8 posts.... sucks that you're throwing in the towel, but to each their own. happy travels. and my the road be ever in front of you.

forgot to mention on this thread. I found a supplier "locally" (1.5 hr drive 1 way) that has Utah Bitinimous blacksmithing coal for $0.12 per lbs bulk. or 60-65 lbs bags for $13 I'll be taking a 35 gal garbage can down and fill it up. Should be able to get 100-200 lbs of coal which should last me a good long time based on the amount of time I'll actually have to forge.

the point was, it wasn't an excercise in lack of thought. it was an excercise in simplicity. minimal effort and resources to get the job done. I'm talking about the programming just as much as I'm talking about a fuctional product.

I'm sure I'm full of those kind of lessons right now for anyone that cares to mold metal with me.

The wall sconce just nailed into the wall was well thought out. K.I.S.S. method. Why waste processing speed adding detail to a sconce holder when it can be used adding detail to the human forms or the enemies, ect. Also, the design is much more realistic for that type of product. Especially if it's kept in a commoners home. They aren't going to pay for the detail. They just want something that works. Most torch olders are nothing more than a spiked loop stuck into a post. You don't need more that that. Well at least you didn't. Now it's all about pretty. not so much about function. what I would do is just add Pins inside where the stand wraps around the horn. The pins would hold a votive candle level and low enough that the upper section of the horn would be lit. I would try to make the band that wraps around the horn thick enough that the pin's and the candle would be hidden from the outside. Maybe 3/4"-1" wide.