samw1

Hi all, I had a buddy of mine call me up a while back wanting me to take a look at an old anvil he had for sale. I just got the time this last weekend (and the money if it was something I wanted to haul home). I went out on a gamble (I know foolish), and bought it up even though it had a bit of maltreatment and probably needed some repairs, but for a huge chunk of iron that she is, and 300 bucks! I took the risk. Now as I said she has some damage and might need some repair, some block head decided to use this anvil as a cutting torch table!!! :wacko: There are quite a few cuts, but only a few that have done critical damage. It looks to me as if someone went threw and tried to repair it with nickle rod, but did not take the time nor necessary steps. She is as straight as an arrow, flat as can be and oh boy dose she sound beautiful when she rings. I did a drop test with an inch and a half steel ball (all I had) and at 10" the ball will return 7". There were no evident markings on her, so when I got her home I started hunting, and this is what I got. She is a peter wright, with the weight stamp 2-2-11, which as I have gleaned is 281 pounds. It was hard as could be to find the markings, and all I could find was, Peter Wright Patented (What appears to be the solid wrought stamp) 2-2-11 I am hoping yall can help me narrow down the date, determine the worth of repairing, and tips on how to do so. I have read many articles about repairing anvils and am gaining a lot of info, I'm looking for advice for my situation, with the torch cuts and all, and to save yall some typing. A little more info here for you guys, when it comes to welding I am well versed and learning, I am a professional welder for a company that repairs train cars. Our welds have to be x-ray passable, and for the trucks we have to go through heat treating process since they are cast steel. I am fairly confident I can do the welding bit to par (Also hoping I can find someone to help me threw it) but this is a very old piece of steel that I would like to see last past my life time. So If any of you can help me out on this future project that would be much appreciated, thanks yall :) Beer can for scale This is a torch cut, facing in towards the face, its as deep as the ledge there. some minor gouges on the very edge Deep hole in the horn and what looks like to me, a repair. Heel,of the anvil, partially shaved off. Some damage in the hardy hole Deep gouge on the marking side of the anvil Deep gouge facing in, on the opposite side of the anvil Some repairs done, first one is on the face, other is on the side nearer the heel.

Frosty, I don't understand what "hot cutoffs" are. I am running charcoal, the chiminey is surrounded by 2/4s" and 1/4" thick. I know what to do with the walling. Having trouble with the codes. If I knew how on a phone I would upload a pic in a heart beat to give you a better idea.

Hi all I'm trying to figure out what kind of walls to put up. Right now it's bare studs and sheet metal walls. I want to insulate to keep me warm this winter. Will drywall be ok with deniem insulation around the forge and normal insulation everywhere else?

Rich, It is straight up threw the roof and the draft works amazing. I followed all that everyone on here has taught me so far in design and execution. My dad keeps telling me to put a damper in and limit the draft on lighting the forge, the only reason I havent followed his advice is the challenge I face in installing a damper. The chiminy pipe is 10" dia and 1/4 inch thick. The hood is a 30 gal drum all chopped up in the right spots. I can't pull it out without a major overhaul and lots of destruction. I used what I could get ahold of for free and it left me in a somewhat permanent situation. Unfortunately it won't let me upload pics, I only have an IPhone to converse with you guys, my computer crashed and I'm without easy access to upload photos. I am really hoping to find someone who can walk me threw in person on where I am lacking, but I have looked threw the member database and wasent fruitfull on Someone close.

I live in new Boston il. I thought my location was saved but I guess not. I will try and get pics up tomorrow. Gleen I have an ash gate at the bottom that sits loose but have never had a problem until now. I use to forge outside until I moved, and got a garage that I converted into my shop.

Ok guys I'm having one heck of a problem with my forge fire and getting it up to the right size of fire ball. So far all it will do is heat 1/4 inch steel on a good day. I have had 1 1/2 inch steel bar forge welding temp in this thing so I'm baffled as to what I'm doing wrong. The only change that has been made is the addition of a hood and chiminy. Quick description of my set up. I have 4" square pipe tyure with a 2" square opening in the bottom of the fire pot. Fire pots about 6-7 inches deep and 12" by12" at the top. I have read everything on this site about fire building and have gone threw my books. I'm at a loss, so Give me all the help you guys got, I need it. Thanks Sam

Hi all, I am making a small gas propane stacked firebrick forge. Im also going to be customizing it later for sheet steel work. now I have it all built and had first fire but it did not get hot enough. I think i have a burner issue but im puttin up pics so you guys can give me a hand here. The last photo is the burner im using. Any help is usefull thanks all.

thank you

HI all i have an oil drum I weill be converting into my hood using the side draft method going straight out the roof. Everything is going smooth besides the fact I dont know what type of paint i should use to paint the hood. I have some high temp paint for stoves that is suspose to be good but my question is will it be good enough. What type of precautions do i need and any thing else you can think of. Thanks all.

Hiya, I get the feeling your a fantasy wepon enthusiast such as I. I like your idea and I hope you are doing this for display purpose only. If im correct you can use a good spring steel and make it thin but strong enough for a stroke to a log or what ever. Check with the masters of metal here on IFI with that. If you wanting a lengthy head may i suggest a lengthy handle of maybe four feet to give it a wider arch making it a light battle axe. I very much respect and apriciate your wanting to make it authentic and fully agree because that is my style also. I do have to suggest some serious training behind the hammer first before you attempt such a feat, but by making it a thiner axe head im thinking half inch spring tappering to how ever you want it. Best of luck and im looking forward to finished photos. Sam Wendt Iron Rose Forge

Hi all, Im wanting to do some casting of non ferious metals, brass, copper, bronze, alum ect. Dont worry I have been trained in school on foundry work. Full year class of it so I know what im doing with saftey and what not. But in school we used a gas power big foundry. Im just wanting to do some small bars. My firepot in my forge is i 8" deep. what size of crucible can i pull off? Will get pics asap

I live in muscatine iowa. thank you both for your help I used what could posibly be quasi high carbon i was told. it was an axle from a lawn mower.

Hi all, I am wanting to learn more about making knives. I know how to shape, them in the forge but not so good in shapeing them after and tempering them. I made a drop point hunting knife that tempered fine but i also made a foot and a half dirk. Now since it is my first longer blade i dont expect it to turn out perfect but the temper is worrying me. I tempered it in the oven at 350 for the first time and the second 500 for half an hour, cooled it and put it on my knee to test the temper and it bent supper easy. After that i brought it to red and qauenched it (every thing is quenched in oil). dident work so im lost on what to do. I want to start makeing A-quality blades and am wanting to know more, like how to not leave so many dents and scale pocks in the metal ect, everything. If you have any advice or since im asking alot books i can get that would be great.

one thing i would like to say is run it a few times for an hour or two so you know the distance sparks or fire flies ( tiny peices of hot coal) might fly out of your forge and you hammer hits. For saftey. Another thing you could do to look a little more athunteic. (ik horible spelling) is to take some steel oh 4 inches high 6" long and weld some flat stock at an angle at the bottom for a base to make a first century looking anvil. if you dont have a brick of steel mabey weld some scrap together and grind the edges to make it look smooth. it will only be an aso (anvil shaped object) but it should still serve your purpose and give your forge a better first centuary apperacne. make sure to put it on a stump. :)

Peter could you give me a bit of a better explination on the matmatics with the square inches of the uptake and opening, also what about the elbows? i was told that was a no no. I have to go straight up so if your talking about an elbow out the wall thats not an option for me. with the super sucker do i need a smoke shelf, and what is a smoke shelf? Ok now that i have those questions out of the way i want to say that with my forge build im seting it up so that the main pieces are the hood, firepot and blower set up. im going to keep the peice i cut out for the firepot so if i ever have to re designe i reweld it in and am good to go. the most i will need for length in stock is about 3 feet which i can manage. i plan to move my forge set up a bit diff to give me more room and make it out the roof easier. And honestly to you all if i dident have your help i would be totaly lost. thanks all.

Thanks for the help guys and i went with a 12 by 12 fire pot 4 deep, was to be 12 by 10 but i couldent get the angels right on template and said skrew it lol. but its all in the works.

Petere76 I like your hood and that was the style i was looking into makeing, how im going to get the money for the steel i have no idea. What thickness did you use? Also a more important question that might help me out alot in designing this is, how dose a super sucker hood work, do you need an exhaust fan? Also my forge is going to be like yours but sideways. Imagine your forge lengthwise with the pot in the center. Its some sort of table that i got and has a big lip on one side, the long side. so i thought to make it with alot of room to each side of the firepot rather than in front. Granted the forge will be in a cornor but i dont know how else to do it. this is a big project to me and i dont want to mess up like i did my first forge that has had many remodles. but i want to make it so it will be a permanent forge. it has a 5/8 fire pot 1/4 steel table with casters. all i need is a hood and a blower set up and im good to go. just have no money. so any more advice you would be willing to share would be much apreciated. (also i would load pics but i cant seem to send a message to gleen to figure out why)

tomhas i would love to do that but for some reason it wont let me change things as of yet, and it also wont let me upload photos of this build. i live in iowa

Another question i just thought of because something i read, does the drafting of the air have anything to do with heat, i read on anvilfire that sometimes you need to throw some sort of flame in there to get the draft going, also (im sorry for so many questions, my mind works to far ahead of its self) with the anvilfire hood designs whats with the dashed lines inside of the main design.

what do you mean by cap, like a rain guard on the top of the chiminy, also im looking for more of the links that you gave me unforgivn. the flue and chiminy i kinda got the basic idea for my needs, i need to go straight up, i dont have the option to go out the side of the shop just up, im needing a good design for the acctual hood. Thank you both.

well the fire pot is taken care of, one of my budys was hunting in his barns for something and found this old steel plate, 5/8 thick!!! already have it cut up and ready for welding. now im working out flue design. Im thinking sheet metal 10 inch, if i have to go with a ducting for the flue im going to line the inside with clay to prevent what happend to Dave. btw thanks dave for all the help

Hi all, im looking for some pics and demensions on the hofi hood, ive looked and looked again and cannot find it anywhere.

Ok i see what your saying about the fire pot, my only problem is that i cant seem to find the metal to make it, dont have alot of money to buy plate stock from a store so it will be a tough one. How thick should i go on the fire pot? 1/2 3/8? I aslo unfortunantly have a problem with cuting but i think i can manage that. I keep trying to upload a pic of the forge table. its not wanting to let me though. I want it to be able to heat long peices of metal, so if the pic uploads you will see what im working with.

Hey guys im wanting an expert opinion on how i should set this up. I want to know if the plan for the fire pot is good, it will be 6in from the back lip and 8x8in 5in deep 6x6in base, I want to set up a good hood for it, one where i dont have to do a super sucker. Also advice on how to make a good ture and clinker breaker would be nice, iwant to set this up nice. Any tips, pics, ect would be awsome. thanks all.