FlatLiner

I second Buzzkill's suggestion.

Thanks for all the insight.

Nice anvil Ethan.

Sorry if I'm sure this has been discussed here a myriad of times but with all my research I still can't find any answers to my questions. I've seen and read about Smith's in third world contries repurpose steel to make knives, tools etc. But you never hear about their products that they have made failing. On this and every other forum you are told to steer clear of repurposeing steel such as leaf and coil springs because of spring fatigue introducing micro fractures resulting in future failures of your products. What I'd like to know is if anybody has repurposed steel and actually had a failure? Was the failure pre existing or because of something the Smith caused? And if this is just an old wives tale we tell because this is what we where taught?

I'm jealous

Very nice documentation about your progress.

I would love to have that anvil.

I like it as is. Start pounding hot metal for awhile before making any changes :-) here is a pic of my steel block anvil.

Mark off with a permanent marker an even grind line then use a flap wheel on your grinder to grind it down even. In my experience shims tend to walk out on you.

I didn't have that long of a piece of rr track so I mounted mine horizontal. I wasn't too worried though because I already had a post anvil.

I laughed when I saw that add on KSL.

Thomas I know a guy in Wyoming who a few weeks ago bought a trunkated anvil for $40.

Beautiful work

Awesome. I'm sure you'll be happy with your choice.

I really like my forklift tine anvil.

Use the

That is how I found a 125 lb sodofors for $100. Is a little banged up but rings like a bell with a 90 percent rebound.

Check out the improvised anvil secion. There are a lot of ideas on what you can use while your deciding on an anvil.

I would love to get a Bulgarian style anvil. My personal opinion is to go with the steel. By the way you will want to put where your from in your profile if you haven't already.

For those who missed the my pics that got taken down because of "advertising". Here are some that prove that there are stones that have so much iron content that a random fridge magnet will stick to them. They are hard enough to mushroom and damage hardend sledge hammer heads that are used to break these "soft" stones to pieces. Mushroom tool steel drill bits once the carbide wears out on them. These stones are plenty hard to forge on. If you have no other option they will do just fine untill you get anouther better option.

I really like your stand. It looks really good.

Yes, if you have to use granite put a good pencil radius grind on the edges and it will keep the chipping and spalling down.

We give granite scraps away for free lol. That is cheeper then paying to throw them away. By the way you would be amazed by the rebound you get off granite.

If your willing to try and forge on granite go to your local headstones/monument shop and ask if they have any old broken monument bases preferably in black granite (last year we threw away over 12 tons of old broken stones). The solid black is usually basalt. It has a lot of iron and magnesium in it. In fact it rings when you hit it with a hammer. You can also stick a thin fridge magnet to the polished side. Just like a hardened anvil you don't want to strike the edge with your hammer as it will flake but if you keep hot steel between the edge and your hammer you'll be fine. Here are some pics of one I might take home as a post anvil.

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Ok, we'll do. If I remember right the good stuff came out of the bronco mine.

Anvil Where in Wellington does your buddy buy your coal? I have to go down that way for work every now and then.