norrin_radd

Well I installed my "anvil" in its stand this weekend. I removed my rr track and hobby anvil from the old weight bench that I had them mounted too and the 2x9.5x28 plate slid down in it perfectly. I braced it with a couple of 1x4's and it is firmly on the ground, maybe a little bit "in" the ground. I made a post to mount the half round to. I think I need shorten it to use as a hardy. This gives it a very stable platform and its all recycled stuff. The plate has a real nice ring to it and I knocked the edges down a bit with a polishing wheel on an angle grinder. I started on a pair of tongs and the difference is night and day from hitting on my older stuff, completely solid. Not bad for around 60 bucks IMHO. I have to smooth it out a little more but its ready to work. I'll have to get a pic of our forge next. thanks for all the advice. if we make anything cool I'll post it.

I went out and got a pic of it, cropped it to the cutouts: It weighs about 129lbs. Funny story about the cutouts, when I paid for it I didn't know it had them nether did the seller, it was on the bottom of a stack. The guy felt bad about it and gave me a dozen 3/4 x 4' round stock, about a 20" piece of I beam and 2' of 4" angle iron. Lesson learned but at least we got some stuff to beat on. I wasn't concerned about it and was just going to put that end down. This may sound stupid, but then I got to thinking if that fine zig zag cut would have some adverse affect when striking. I wouldn't think so but then you read things about "harmonics" and such so I don't know. But if I can use this shape in some way that would be cool too. What do yall think? I like Jerome's idea of the "saddle" style hardy tools for that half round too. And thanks for putting up with such a lame post. I'm just trying to avoid spinning our wheels as much as we can so we can start making stuff .

I get your point. But I am not familiar at all with power hammers. Are you suggesting something along the lines of what was mentioned in this >post by macbruce? Cut it and "laminate" into more of a pillar? I 'm not familar with the "simple bolt/socket combination" either I will research it. I appreciate the replies. I need to post a pic of actual slab, maybe I can tonight. Its actually about 28" long but it has 2 rectangluar cutouts toward one end about 2x4 each, with a fine zig zag starter cut if you will, from the edge to get to them. I wonder if thats an issue and if I should cut it off square? It would still be plenty heavy, and I could use the drop to fashion a horn if I wanted too. I had acutally thought about looking for an old rail road spike sledge hammer and cutting it in half to use as a horn on either side with a hardy hole through the handle hole. I think I will stand it up this weekend and see how it works the way it is. I'll have to smooth it out a little and dull the edges some, but I'm looking forward to it.

Hey thanks for the quick reply. I like the idea about welding the structural steel for the hardy hole. I was set on using the 2x9 end for my striking surface then I started to second guess that after looking around some more. We'll probably start using it that way and see how it does, that would be the quickest option too. Now I just have to engineer a stand that will hold that monstrosity up! thanks

Hey All, My son and I are just getting into blacksmithing as a hobby. We've got access to a decent shop with welders and we modified a forge from a homemade hand crank deal we found, we just added a bathroom vent fan and it seems to work pretty good. The thing we really lack is an good anvil. We have a small cast hobby anvil, a 8" piece of rail, and a chunk of steel that looks like this its about 10"x6" maybe +/-20lbs. It has a hole in it and it works ok I just havent taken the time to mount it right, I just have it wedged on a 2x6. I have no idea what its original purpose was. Anyway, all that to get to my question. I bought a 2x9x24 slab plate steel drop with the intentions of just standing it up lengthwise and using the 2x9 surface(I'll make a base out of wood) untill we can get something better. But after more research I wonder if I should cut in two and make somthing like this with a 1" plate sandwiched and gapped for hardy hole? The other option is to make one of the striking anvil (Brain Brazeal style?) like I have just learned about. I just wanted get some educated opinions about what we might be better off doing with what we've got and how hard it would be to fabricate. Thanks for ya'lls time.