Shifteybricks Posted February 1, 2018 Share Posted February 1, 2018 Here is my hay budden. It is 128lbs. Should I be worried about cleaning it up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranchmanben Posted February 1, 2018 Share Posted February 1, 2018 Depends on how you want your anvil to look. Do you mind rust? I personally don’t like the rusty anvil look. Use a wire wheel on an angle grinder or get yourself a big tub, washing soda and battery charger. As long as you don’t do any grinding your not going to hurt it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lionel h Posted February 1, 2018 Share Posted February 1, 2018 Either way, use in good health and have fun! Nice anvil! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C-1ToolSteel Posted February 1, 2018 Share Posted February 1, 2018 Yes, you should be EXTREMELY worried about cleaning it up!! Grab some hot steel to clean her up with as soon as possible! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted February 1, 2018 Share Posted February 1, 2018 let me elaborate a bit: As long as you don't do any grinding or milling or or welding to the FACE of the anvil you won't damage it. And once you remove any loose rust; forging red hot iron on it will gradually polish it to a shine! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC Hammer Posted February 6, 2018 Share Posted February 6, 2018 Clean her up with a while wheel on an angle grinder. Wash it with soap & water, then coat it with boiled linseed oil or new motor oil. I think it makes the anvil look better yet it preserves the decades of patina that has built up. Any time you can stop rust from happening really just is a bonus for your tools and anvil. The rust won't hurt it a bit, but why not make the anvil look her best? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foundryguy Posted February 14, 2018 Share Posted February 14, 2018 Just cast, annealed and machined. H13 tool steel to be hardened to 52-55 RC this weekend. 85 lbs, made in Michigan! We will polish the horn and drill the hole in them tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted February 14, 2018 Share Posted February 14, 2018 A thing of beauty; you will be leaving the cutting step soft? Also; why is the heel so thick? One of the joys of a small anvil is that they have a thin heel to use---I have my 91# A&H right by my 500+# Fisher for that very reason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foundryguy Posted February 14, 2018 Share Posted February 14, 2018 The step and table are going to be machined when we drill the hole tomorrow. Is that what you meant by soft? The heel was cast as is when we found the old pattern. I added my logo and cut a core box for the hardy, that is all. We can make adjustments down the road should we make more. I own a foundry, pour H13 often and have had dozens or requests over the past year for quality anvils. I am cutting a pattern for a 200 and 400 lb version now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted February 14, 2018 Share Posted February 14, 2018 12 minutes ago, foundryguy said: The step and table are going to be machined when we drill the hole tomorrow. Is that what you meant by soft? “Soft” as in “unhardened”. The idea is that the smith can cut workpieces on the step without worrying about damaging the chisel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foundryguy Posted February 14, 2018 Share Posted February 14, 2018 Hmm? I will talk to my heat treat supplier Friday when i drop them off. I do not know with H13 how localized I can harden and not harden. My main users of H13 are aluminum wheel manufactures, I make components for the wheel molds. I need to farm the heat treat out as we are very busy in our foundry. Thank you for the info Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted February 14, 2018 Share Posted February 14, 2018 Foundry guy. how much will these run? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foundryguy Posted February 14, 2018 Share Posted February 14, 2018 5 hours ago, JHCC said: “Soft” as in “unhardened”. The idea is that the smith can cut workpieces on the step without worrying about damaging the chisel. One other question, should the step area be machined to a sparp 5 hours ago, BIGGUNDOCTOR said: Foundry guy. how much will these run? Around $6.50 per lb in H13 with hardening complete. FOB Michigan. At 85 lbs i think UPS or FEDEX can handle them. $550 by my math. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted February 14, 2018 Share Posted February 14, 2018 You will have to do some good advertising to explain the benefits of H-13. A 125# JHM runs $574, and they are a good anvil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted February 14, 2018 Share Posted February 14, 2018 I was wondering about how you would get H13 to have a differential hardness at a reasonable price heat treat.. I would not machine the step at all. Sharp edges are generally a BAD thing for an anvil as they leave cold shuts in your work. Practical Blacksmithing;Volume 1, published in 1889; page 110: "For my own part I am satisfied not only that the sharp edges are useless, but that they are also destructive of good work. I cannot account for their existance except as a relic of a time when the principles of forging were but little understood. I want both edges of my anvil rounded, not simply for a part of their length, but for their whole length." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted February 14, 2018 Share Posted February 14, 2018 @foundryguy You taking on custom orders? I can supply the pattern.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted February 14, 2018 Share Posted February 14, 2018 To be honest, I'm not convinced that a softer cutting step is of any greater value than using a softer backing plate when cutting on the face of the anvil. It isn't generally found in Birmingham-pattern or Continental anvils. On the other hand, the step is very useful for a lot of different operations, and I'm not proposing you get rid of it. However, it may be simpler and more affordable to heat-treat the H-13 uniformly and leave it at that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted February 14, 2018 Share Posted February 14, 2018 I have a cutting plate that fits in the hardy hole. When it gets chewed up, I stick it in the forge and bend the hardy hole tab to the other side and use it till that side gives out. Then I make another one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foundryguy Posted February 15, 2018 Share Posted February 15, 2018 5 hours ago, BIGGUNDOCTOR said: You will have to do some good advertising to explain the benefits of H-13. A 125# JHM runs $574, and they are a good anvil. A JMH as advertised is made of ductile iron which is an inferior material for anvils. I see their 125 lb product as being $764 on a web site. Link removed I pour ductile iron daily, it sells for around $2.00 per lb so with machining and heat treat it would be in the $3.50 to $4.00 range. I am not going into the anvil business, i happen to own a foundry and doing this for some folks that have asked me to make a quality product. My research showed me H13 was the best material i can make them out of that I already pour on a daily basis. 4 hours ago, JHCC said: it may be simpler and more affordable to heat-treat the H-13 uniformly and leave it at that. I think that is what i am going to do. 4 hours ago, jlpservicesinc said: @foundryguy You taking on custom orders? I can supply the pattern.. Not at this time, my foundry is swamped ever since Trump took office. I have 3 anvils kicking off already. I would like to see a photo of your pattern if you care to send me a message. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoName Posted February 15, 2018 Share Posted February 15, 2018 MICHIGAN made, thank you. My first anvil Trenton had a soft cutting table, or step...with three massive chisel marks. Now a question. Do quality cast steel anvils, have a soft step? Chisel marks came with my first one. Yes, I use a cutting plate. N.N.F. Beautiful, Manchester, Michigan. USA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foundryguy Posted February 15, 2018 Share Posted February 15, 2018 i know little about the step and hardness. My plan is to harden the first batch to one hardness level 52-55 Rc. That process cost $1.00 per lb at best. I need simple and quick as things are very busy. To be clear, I am a life long foundryman, not a blacksmith! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted February 15, 2018 Share Posted February 15, 2018 Is the hardy hole straight sided or tapered? I am a bit surprised you started making them without knowing what was important on an anvil. I think that is a very good price for a H13 anvil with a good heat treat; not a mass market one but a high end one. As the Step won't be used for cutting you might reduce it a bit and make the horn a tad longer (If your positive can be easily worked) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foundryguy Posted February 15, 2018 Share Posted February 15, 2018 The hardy is straight, it was the best option with the core I had to make. it can be used on different sized anvils. On information, I gathered some knowledge here and a couple of other sites. It seems in this area there is no "good answer" if you will, just a lot of opinions. I pour iron, ductile, steels, stainless and tool steel and it seemed H13 was a good choice. Pricing is pretty much what we charge for the material. I am surprised what ductile anvils sell for, almost the same price, they should be half as much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted February 15, 2018 Share Posted February 15, 2018 Jymm Hoffman casts his anvils out of H13 too. I wouldn't say that ductile iron is inferior. The 125# JHM I have is a nice anvil, and has yet to show any damage. I loaned it to a friend from Italy who used to to make several pattern welded billets, and when he moved and gave me the anvil back he said he liked it too, but he wished it was double the weight. JHM gets some good reviews. Now having said that , yes different steels will do some jobs better than others. When I was making die sets I had to know which steel was best for the application. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted February 15, 2018 Share Posted February 15, 2018 Straight is correct! I was worried about possible draft angles... Cost is not tightly linked to cost of materials. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.