Fabricated Anvil

[SilentBob]

nakedanvil

I sure would like to see the dies you’ve made for your ‘whatever you decided to call it’ on it. If you’re waiting for somebody to beg you I’ll do it, Please, Please, Please…. It’s been almost two months from when finished the bottom part and you’re too hard a worker not to have gotten some progress on them. Are you making all the dies you saw at the shop in Sheffield first? So take some pictures, please. Ok that's four begs is that enough? If not, anybody else interested?

[dharber]

I, too, would be very interested to see and hear how this anvil turned out. Were there any issues with it? Has it been holding up under use? What kind of dies have you made for it.

[monstermetal]

I, too, would be very interested to see and hear how this anvil turned out. Were there any issues with it? Has it been holding up under use? What kind of dies have you made for it.

I'm very interested to see how it turns out as well since I now own one. ;-). Grant invited me over, fed me lunch and twisted my arm until I agreed to haul off about 12,000 lbs worth of iron
pretty stoked really. I think it's an outstanding tool

[dharber]

I'm very interested to see how it turns out as well since I now own one. ;-). Grant invited me over, fed me lunch and twisted my arm until I agreed to haul off about 12,000 lbs worth of iron
pretty stoked really. I think it's an outstanding tool

Man, now you're just making me jealous!

[monstermetal]

Grant almost has my anvil done.... Thought I would post a link to the pic he posted on the NWBA site..

Anvil pic thread

[Sam Falzone]

I deleted my original post here.

I made a reply to something I read on the first page not realizing how long this thread had been going on.

Just disregard this.

Sam

[Dan P.]

Interesting thread, I'm glad it popped back up or I probably would never have seen it.
It's obviously a bit too late, and has already sort of been said, but here are my thoughts anyway;
The dovetailed die inlets were used in special blocks or sometimes in anvils in the knife, sword and tool making fields years ago. They were used to hold dies of very particular shape for forging tines or fullers etc. In the photo that Sam linked to, of Tom Beasley and Sid Rouse forging a sword in the 30s or 40s, the die block was already largely obsolete, most of the forging being done on spring hammers, while fullers etc. were formed on rollers or presses. The need for dies of a particular shape has been, for general smiths, long been satisfied by hardy tools or a swage block.
The idea of resurrecting the die block is very nice (while it lasted), but it has only ever been relevant for the use of very specialized tooling, and in the modern context even that function is far better met by the various presses and automatic hammers available.
-Dan

[BlackSmithBear]

Introducing the ANVOLUTION by OCP.

Functional. Versital. Affordable. Expandable.

The ANVOLUTION is modern alternative to the Londan Pattern anvil capable of being customized to YOUR specific needs.

Designed by an R&D team with literally hundreds of years of blacksmithing experience.

Proudly made in the USA.

This one gets my vote...great marketing slogan as well!

Posted this before the $$$ got in the way...too bad...it was looking great! Edited May 16, 2010 by BlackSmithBear

[Nakedanvil - Grant Sarver]

Dan: Nothing to do with specialized tooling. It's just always been the goal of anvil manufacturers to put a reasonably hard working surface on a cheap, heavy hunk of iron, right? Just another way of accomplishing that. The changeable die aspect was just a side benefit. The usual one-shape-fits-all means we make do. Having part of the horn well supported makes it vastly superior for drawing. Being able to take the face off and dress it is no small benefit. As far as "in the modern context even that function is far better met by the various presses and automatic hammers available". I'd say that may be true in industry, but most of us lack that kind of equipment.

[MattBower]

Would it improve the economics any to have the base cast?

[Dan P.]

Grant, I understand what you were trying to do. I just wanted to point out that evolution has already taken the anvil down that route, where, in a very specific environment, it found a niche. That environment changed, and the die bearing anvil died out.
However, having thought about it for a day or so, I actually I like the idea a lot, but as an anvil height swage, fuller and die tool with real stability and presence, not as an anvil substitute.
I also think mattbower's suggestion of a cast base (ductile iron?) is a good one.
-Dan

[Nakedanvil - Grant Sarver]

Here it is ready for Larry to pick up.

[Nakedanvil - Grant Sarver]

Paradigms change. Rough forgings cost around $10/lb, castings not much less. The burnout for this cost $1/lb. Flat and square, easy to setup to machine.

After the top pieces are heat treated and run-in for a while the wedges can be cut off flush.

[Tim McCoy]

Here it is ready for Larry to pick up.

Grant,
Thanks for showing us what a "finished" Omniversal looks like - mighty sturdy looking.
Tim

[youngdylan]

I've seen anvils in England that had dovetails like this.

Went for a mooch round the hills on the bike today and stopped of at Abbeydale. Last time i was there was 20 years ago ... that when I still thought Blacksmiths shoed horses.

For those that don't know it's a water powered "industrial estate" that used to be in operation until the 1930s making scythes. Well they did go all modern at one time cos they installed a steam engine at some point.

I nearly jumped out of my skin when I saw the anvils that Grant refers to

If you're interested I've posted more info / images at this place

http://blacksmith.or...p=1959#post1959

[kpotter]

I have never posted before but I have been a lurker, I like your anvil I think that you could do it profitably if you didnt use a burn out I would sell only the top 3 inches with the dovetail and let them get their own chunk of steel and bolt your part to it or weld it on, it would save a fortune in shipping you could even do it in small chunks so it could ship flat rate. I make the T-stakes and planishing stakes that are sold by otto frei and I make them 11 and three quarters long so they fit in the big flat rate box and ship for 12 bucks. I think it might require to much machining but what about holding the dovetailed parts in with a cam like on the Aloris quickchange tool post or the kdk style ones. just some thoughts

[monstermetal]

I have never posted before but I have been a lurker, I like your anvil I think that you could do it profitably if you didnt use a burn out I would sell only the top 3 inches with the dovetail and let them get their own chunk of steel and bolt your part to it or weld it on, it would save a fortune in shipping you could even do it in small chunks so it could ship flat rate. I make the T-stakes and planishing stakes that are sold by otto frei and I make them 11 and three quarters long so they fit in the big flat rate box and ship for 12 bucks. I think it might require to much machining but what about holding the dovetailed parts in with a cam like on the Aloris quickchange tool post or the kdk style ones. just some thoughts

good thoughts.... So Grant when can I pick up the cam parts for mine?

[Bentiron1946]

So you fellows don't think Kevin Potter is just blowing smoke, here is his web site http://potterusa.com/
He makes a very innovative hydraulic press for jewelers along with his line of silversmith stakes and hammers. :blink:

[kpotter]

Hey Bent iron I was just talking to you in another forum for jewelers, we should get together I dont live that far away. I am pretty new to the internet but these forums are great I dont know very many people who are into the same stuff I am. I think that anvil project might be doable but not as a burnout, lots of guys can get a block of steel but very few have the machines to mill dovetails and make dies so if you do the hard part and sell that as a kit I bet you could sell a few. I have sold some of my tools as kits for the guy that likes to weld and polish. I make stuff in batches of 50 and that lasts me a long time since there is not much demand for metal forming tools. I bet you could sell fifty of these, it might take a year or two but I am sure you could do a run of them in a couple of weeks and have a pile to sell through. I have all conventional machines I would do the dove tails in the shaper just for fun.