Bheikes235

WI as a spring? Isnt it too ductile/soft for that? As for san-mai: will it stick to "unfriendly" steels like 5160? Or is it only friendly with carbon steels?

Hey, thanks! That answers most of my questions, i'll look into the book. Probably ill play around with folding the chunk i have cut, and shelf the rest until i need it for something weld-y. Maybe renaissance faire folks will want some when/if it opens this year.

So, I chopped off a chunk of an old scrap bar I found in an old barn and went off to heat & beat. Squared up ok, started fraying at the ends while tapering, definitely wrought iron. Seems pretty coarse, though I have zero experience with WI. What is WI good/useful for? I understand it forge welds to near anything (especially itself)? Any advice working it (other than HOT)? I also understand that it is corrosion resistant? Good for jewelry? Is there some info repository that answers all these questions?

Ok, thanks. That's the information i was looking for. No access to rr track. Again, most scrapyards wont sell, the one that does only sells angle iron, rebar, flat stock, etc. Plenty lying around near old tracks, but only available at 5 finger discount. Guess ill just deal with the dishing and scarring til i have another option

It sounds like this is a Bad Idea and i should abandon it, just not clear on *why*. Ill end up buying a decent one eventually, just thought this might be a stopgap measure til i find a decent one.

Hardy hole is parallel to sides. Ball drop test results in ~30% rebound. Not dragging equipment to/from other shop to spark test. Ring is more of a clack, almost nonexistant. How useless is useless? If it holds in combination with a pin/rivet id be satisfied I'm not aiming for a great anvil here, just a flat one.

Cast iron? Maybe, but I doubt it since it moves cold under the hammer like mild steel. Very soft surface, any time i upset anything on it, it leaves a mark/scar that i tap away between heats. Worth testing in advance anyway, good call. Thoughts on drilling/pinning/bolting? As for improvising an anvil, it's not out of the realm of possibility, i just dont have the parts to do so at present. All my local scrapyards refuse to sell scrap, only buy it. I get scrap from auto shops, roadside junk, and "donations". South central PA seems weirdly devoid of good scrap sources.

Forgive me if this isn't the appropriate place for this question, first time posting on this forum (though I've been using it for information for quite some time) Background: So, i've been using the shoddy harbor freight anvil (yeah, i know) since i started. It has, unsurprisingly, developed a big sag in the middle of the work face. "Real" anvils have "real" price tags, and i can't afford a decent one, though i've been looking for a bargain for quite some time. I do however, have plenty of leaf spring lying around. Question: is there a good reason i shouldn't take a chunk of leaf spring, forge it to fit tight to my current surface, smooth it (dress?) Heat treat and pin/weld it to the top? I figure it will give me a fresh, flat, and harder surface and add a little mass as a bonus. To my mind, it's a good, "free" upgrade. Thoughts/suggestions?