m16a2soldier Posted July 27, 2009 Share Posted July 27, 2009 been thinking about casting a steel anvil. anybody got any suggestions on this? Im thinking about just melting some old car springs and thew like and seeing what I come up with. what would be a good steel to use for this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryce Masuk Posted July 27, 2009 Share Posted July 27, 2009 I havent heard of anyone doing this but you might be able to buy a big hunk of metal and hardface it with the correct stick rods or flux core wire Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welder19 Posted July 27, 2009 Share Posted July 27, 2009 You really can't melt and cast steel in a backyard foundry, you can do cast iron and put a steel plate on top, just want to use a piece of tool steel for the face. How ever unless you plan on making a small anvil your going to need a cupola or a really big crucible furnace to be able to melt the amount of cast iron needed for a decent size anvil. welder19 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt87 Posted July 27, 2009 Share Posted July 27, 2009 There's plenty of 'things' around which will work as anvils. They won't be ideal anvils of course, but they will be better than what some smiths have successfully used in the past 4000-odd known years of ironworking. They will certainly get you by until you decide whether you want to stick with the ironbashing thing, and you save enough for and/or find a 'better' anvil. A few ideas for 'improvised' anvils: large sledgehammer heads, heavy pieces of steel plate, sections of heavy steel stock, heavy machinery parts, large axle shafts, sections of railway iron (legally obtained), sections of heavy I-beam. Mild steel won't be ideal but it will do. Cast iron is even less ideal but again it will do in a pinch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Einhorn Posted July 27, 2009 Share Posted July 27, 2009 As Matt said, first try some "found" objects. Go to your local flea market and find a large sledgehammer head and try using it as an anvil, or go to a junkyard and try to find a largish chunk of iron. A shop sized smelter tends to be used for objects not much larger than a belt buckle. Dave E. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweany Posted July 27, 2009 Share Posted July 27, 2009 Jymn Hoffman had some cast steel anvils made in a foundry.Hoffmans Forge, LLC - Anvils for sale google "casting steel" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K. Bryan Morgan Posted July 27, 2009 Share Posted July 27, 2009 (edited) I just scored a big chunk of steel from a neighbor, 2.5"x2.75"x15", I'm going to use as a small post anvil to get me started. Cost, free. Edited July 27, 2009 by K. Bryan Morgan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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