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I Forge Iron

Forging station


kbaknife

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Thought maybe this might give somebody an idea or two.
Whenever someone undertakes the first few steps into knife forging, it seems like the first thing sought is an anvil.
Big surprise!
Not easy to find, and a new one is serious expensive!
The first one I bought cost me $900.00.
The things you will see here are basically scrap!
Keep in mind that the importance of an anvil is NOT just something to beat steel on.
The weight of the anvil is designed to RETURN the energy of the blow to the back side of the workpiece.
With a light piece of steel as an anvil, the energy of the hammer blow just passes right on through the work piece and is consumed by the earth below.
Here is a concept using a large piece of scrap steel and a piece of railroad track.
When a lot of guys are told to use a piece of RR track, they get one and then use it WRONG!
It should be stood on end so that the entire mass of the track is directly BELOW the hammer blow.
This set-up I made here also works as a work station to forge the "Brut-de-Forge" knives, as it can be rolled around the shop and located right next to the forge, and then rolled out of the way until needed again.
I have also used this for twisting Damascus and wrought iron. I use the vise to straighten my blades, just unlimited uses in the forge area.
It can also be loaded up into a truck or onto a trailer and taken to hammer-ins!!!
Just get to a recyle yard somewhere in your neigborhood and find a chunk of HEAVY steel to set on top of a piece of RR track.
Find a buddy who does some welding.
The base is 5/8" steel plate. I figure the whole thing weighs in at around 325 pounds.
I got lucky on the placement of the wheels - it balances perfectly for tilting back and rolling around the shop.
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No appologies necessary.
The term "forging" can mean more than one thing.
When I "forge" a knife, I will use one of two "forges", my power hammer, my press, both of my anvils, and now I have an additional tool for other processes.
In a pinch, this one tool could do them all.
My first anvil cost me $900.00 almost 10 years ago. That can be a daunting hurdle for many new "forgers".
This instrument can take some of the pain out of that process, and offer other alternatives as well to the already complete shop..

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Actually that IS an anvil just not a London Pattern one! The traditional japanese sword makers use a large block of steel for their anvils and they seem to do OK.

The London Pattern anvil is a "swiss army knife" type of anvil with lots of features allowing you to do lots of different things; but not optimizing for any one thing. A lot of beginning bladesmiths are now using simple anvils as they are *much* cheaper to find/make as such they are getting a lot closer to the anvils that swords were forged on back when they were a high class weapon!

I've forged using a broken rail car coupler for an anvil before found free! and that $900 could have bought any of the 3 commercially made triphammer's I've owned.

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They're not a trip hazard at all.
I don't walk where they are.


Just speaking for myself but I'd be stepping on the left caster every time I addressed the vise. It's no big thing to make one to suit specifics.

It's a fine forging station.

Well done.

Frosty
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I like that alot! Great for us small shop guys.

I don't think there is a WRONG way to use RR track if it does what you need. I use mine laying flat. The section is about 15 inches long and I mainly use it to prebend and straighten blades.

My "anvil" is a 4x4x24 piece of 1045 set on end and burried in a chicken feeder..... lol.... I know of atleast 3 master bladesmiths who use the same set up.

I'm seriously considering making one of these stations, now. Thanks for posting.

Rick

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Edited by Askdamice
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