Diablo77

I didn't feel it prudent to tell them the steel could be tempered, must of slipped my mind while staring intently at my new pile of tool steel....I am fairly sure they wouldnt have listened anyway as they were experts. Thankfully I know nothing and need not make such absolute judgements.

Thanks Steve that seems a good project and builds my tool collection (the only thing I have bought was my hammer). I am not bothered so much about making money as scratching my maker itch if eventually they work together so be it! Plus I have 5 sons who appear to have inherited the need to make things. I have them working up through copper and aluminium but they learn fast so more tools needed soon I think

I will be using a 30lb sledge head for that till I can get something chunkier and yes I will read the info you suggested thanks for the reply Oh sorry I am based in UK, I have scoured local junk yards for suitable chunks and nothing in steel of suitable thickness/mass. I have found anvils but only for silly money I will find something bigger eventually but hoped I could recycle what I had found! I am a sucker for mystery steel which I gather is a bit of a no-no but I have saved some lovely steel from being buried not recycled. The project before the chisel that broke the anvil was a knife made from 1" bunker rebar again saved from burial and it's a lovely workhorse. Good shout though I have read info on forklift tines,backhoes etc and will grab anything of that nature if I find it and put it to work!

OK, so first post! I have gained x20 4lb lump hammers which were going to be chucked because they are waaay too hard! Now I will be keeping a couple as Hammers and that's fine I can reset and bring to a more acceptable level of toughness. However my anvil died after a valiant effort considering it was cast iron! Is it plausible to forge weld the heads into a larger chunk of steel? I do not need anything fancy anvil wise but I do need something and waiting for a suitable chunk of steel or anvil is breaking me! If you need mastersmith skills for this then suggest other uses because I'm a learner working my way through making the tools for my workshop(tongs,chisel etc) it was using hot tool steel on the cast iron anvil that broke it! Many thanks for looking