First off, I want to say that I am having a great time figuring out what end of the hammer to hold because have no formal training at all, whatsoever. Blacksmithing has quickly become one of my favorite weekend pastimes! Everything I learned about this art I learned from books (20%) and YouTube (80%). Nothing complex here. I wanted to set up a backyard blacksmithing operation for as little as possible. I strolled down to a railroad office and asked for a pice of railroad track. After a 5 minute conversation, I was driving off with one. Once I get better at it I am going to blacksmith something for those guys, maybe a few thank-you knives. The knife next to the hammer is my first Railroad Spike Knife! I will be posting a picture of it after taking off the scale and sanding it down with 120 grit sandpaper in the Bladesmithing forum.



Its a basic piece of railroad track with metal straps holding to to a tree stump. Simple and effective. I saw pictures of others online as well as this as a simple guide to various ways to mount the railroad track. Anvil: http://www.anvilfire...rail_anvils.php


My hammers: http://www.harborfre...ndle-95129.html
http://www.harborfre...ammer-6746.html

I use these pliers instead of tongs:
http://www.harborfre...iers-44874.html

I am going to attempt to make a set of tongs when I can find a very simple set of directions.

I am always looking for constructive criticism so anything you all tell me that helps will be appreciated.

K-

There a couple of methods for tongs on Anvilfire. I used one of those for my first two pair. There is a link to the basic tong making tutorial in a thread about tongs in the tool section. Lots of good stuff in the tool section. Your knife looks like my first three, none of them finished yet. One is close to done, and I'll post pics if/when I feel it vaguely resembles a knife. :)

Great thread. I got a new (to me) anvil yesterday and now I have lots of ideas for a stand from things around the house. I can't wait to get home tonight to start.

I put together a stand from 4"x4"s, 2"x12"s, 19/32" scrap and structural screws for my first anvil:

I haven't hammered on it hard yet, but so far the little anvil isn't bouncing or moving.

Here's my anvil's new home. My little monkey came home from baseball practice and went straight to the anvil. She's as interested in blacksmithing as I am. I'm not sure about the pose, though.

Get her a small set of tools and start her out with small projects! say 1/8" steel wire or sq stock and make some small hooks!

Friends gave us a miniature anvil for our daughter at her birth, I'm going to start her son out on it soon!

This is my 392 lbs brooks

i like that post vice set up you have there in the background

Thank you

But your anvil's so blue---it needs more use!

It does have a distinctly unhappy look about it...

My 162 pound Trenton. I was trying to paint something in a hurry and the gun plugged up, the anvil had the misfortune of being the closest thing to me when I was clearing the gun

Its not set up anywhere yet because I have to fix it but here is my fourty dollar Trenton made in 1899 75-100 lbs not sure what I havent thrown it on the scale yet.

That's a neat anvil stand, Brian! Looks like a large bearing race and I love how you adapted it for your needs. That's some thinking outside the box right there...

Ifn' I was going to pain one of my anvils I would probably try chalkboard paint so I could mark lengths on it for projects with multiple pieces. I do that anyway now just on the rust patina they have.

What is the name of this any one know??

Oooh, a Norrisez! I have one of those and I have seen 2 others. They are quite uncommon.

Here are my Two "users": My main one is #200Lb. HayBudden. Other is 400# Trenton. I also have a nice little 90#Wilkinson to take to "hammer ins" but don't have a picture of it.

I have no idea what maken it is, but for $50 I thought it didn't matter.

I have no idea what maken it is, but for $50 I thought it didn't matter.

Thats a good deal man!!! Besides the flat secions on the feet it really looks like a trenton.

I have no idea what maken it is, but for $50 I thought it didn't matter.

I'd also say trenton. Check the foot under the horn

On the bottom under the horn left side it says 157 then the right looks like 1867 then possibly a 4.

That's a neat anvil stand, Brian! Looks like a large bearing race and I love how you adapted it for your needs. That's some thinking outside the box right there...

Never thought of that, it does look like a race, I always just assumed it was just a machine stand of some sort. It works well but the ringing can get intense.

Ifn' I was going to pain one of my anvils I would probably try chalkboard paint so I could mark lengths on it for projects with multiple pieces. I do that anyway now just on the rust patina they have.

I painted everything except the face of the anvil I had before this one to stop the rust when I knew it was going to be a while before I could get back to it. Wound up stripping it back off because the smell of burning paint every time something was worked over the side or on the horn was sickening

This anvil belonged to my great grandfather. I built the stand this weekend.

Any ideas on the make/age? My gr-grandfather was a farmer in Alabama, from @1915 to @1950.