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I Forge Iron

anvil help


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I've read several of your posts now and first let me say. Welcome aboard, glad to have ya.

You're falling into a pattern many folk new to any craft follow, you're trying to figure out what your ideal is without knowing much about the craft.

For instance exactly why do you need a 250-300 lb anvil? You say you hit a little harder than average? Really? what's average and how do you know? I'm not a particularly big guy and I'm not a full time smith, even now I'm retired I only spend 10-15 hrs a week hammering. It would be interesting which of us actually hit harder, you a bit above average or me with a good 40+ years of technique and experience. If I let the steel get a bit cool and use a 3lb hammer I can bounce my 125lb Soderfors with the 75lb spruce block off the floor.

Neat huh? So what, plt! Here's blacksmith secret #1 from a real live blacksmith. (well, sort of, I'm a hobbyist but I been hobbyin a long time) How HARD you hit it isn't really very important at all. What really counts is WHERE you hit it. Control is all important, power is probably 3-4 down the list if that high.

My advice is to slow down, read some more, ask some questions, look at pictures and keep your eyes open for deals on good working tools. Save your "ideal" till you know what you actually need.

This craft takes a long time on average to become well rounded and skilled enough at to be able to do what you really want. Best not to rush yourself into blind alley after blind alley. Been there, done that, waste of time and money. Life's too short.

Frosty

Edited by Frosty
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I think your going the wrong direction in your thought process tholdorimm. The heavier the anvil, the more work the anvil does with each blow, thus negating the necessity for herculean strength hammer blows. I think you will be surprised at how finesse and precision are vastly more important then strength. I can almost guarantee that your not going to have a need to hit anything hard for quite a while.

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Go out in the yard with a shovel. Dig a shallow hole in the dirt. Run a piece of black pipe down to the bottom of the hole. Fill with chunk charcoal and light. Push air through the pipe with a hair blowdrier of exit port on a vacuum cleaner.

Voila a forge!

Glad I could help!

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