Found out the hard way yesterday the it's not easy to bend hooks on a duck bill anvil horn.

What can I do to fix this? (safely) without danger to the anvil.

Make a bick to fit in the hardy hole,
Use a U in either the hardy hole or the vise,
Use ratnose tongs, (rat nose tongs with the jaws bent at 90

get an angle grinder and a bunch of grinding disks, and have at it.

I assume you mean J or S hooks. Weld a short piece of 1" or 1-1/4" pipe to a small plate and tack a pin (the width of your planned stock) away from it. Catch the stock against the pin and wrap around the pipe until you get a "J". Turn the stock around and bend the opposite way for an S hook.

Sorry, I gotta say this, but when starting out, you (the general one) should really concentrate on making things the traditional way before you go and start with jigs. But, that's just my opinion, and I realize that this forum isn't about blacksmithing, but about fabricating. So....., you should outsource them.

Please pardon my ignorance but what is a duck bill anvil horn? If it's the pointy end of a normal anvil and you are using thin stock for your hooks, say 1/4" round, and it's hot (another presumption) then it should almost flop over the horn into a hook shape all by itself. If it doesn't you may need to give it a few taps with a hammer to coax it around the horn.
Or consider this the final location of the hot piece of metal will assume the the average shape between the what's underneath it (the anvil) and what's on top (the hammer) and from what direction the top member has come from.
And if your attempt at making hooks is frustrating, take solace in the fact that the results you're getting may well be exactly what you want sometime in the future. That's called "experience" I think.

Strine,
I think he has one of those new Harbour Freight (or the like) anvils.
The horn on them isn't cone shaped but sort of flat and wide looking like duck bill

Strine,
I think he has one of those new Harbour Freight (or the like) anvils.
The horn on them isn't cone shaped but sort of flat and wide looking like duck bill

You got it. makes it a bit hard to give anything a rounded shaped on something that looks like a this.

I think I'll go with anon and break out the grinder and some then some sanding flaps. wish me luck :)

I'm actualy suprised he mentioned the grinder.........

Well you can make nice scrolls and hooks with out a horn.
It is easier to do so with a horn. But not required.

JimG:

Why are you surprised I mentioned the grinder?

Personally, I like them.

Ralph is right. You do not need a horn to make the bend. Make the reverse bend and close the loop, flip it over, and put the end with the loop over the anvil edge, lighly tap it down, push if forward slightly, another light tap down, etc., and the end will start to curve over. At some point you may want to flip it over and tap from the underside/end to complete the curve. No jig, no horn. However, I use the jig just cuz I am lazy.... :oops:

Howdy:

One of the Russian anvils I take it?? I got one a while back...had the same "problem" with the horn and a rough as a cob face but some angle grinder time solved both problems...

On the hooks..I always used two pair of scrolling pliers...Never had a problem.


JPH

JPH - You nailed it Looked like and old corn cob, seems the price was right to get me started.

Yea, and angle grinder and some time and it's looking pretty good.

Maybe it's just a matter of what you're used to, but it's very rare for me to want to use the horn for turning hooks, scrolls, etc... I almost always start the curve over the edge of the anvil (hammering down), and once I get the hot part bent to 90

You can certainly make a hook without a round horn, but, there are things that you can't do without a round horn, like turn an eye as an example.

You can't turn an eye without a round horn?

I guess I've never turned an eye then. Nor have the shipships in the video clip when they were forging the eyebolts for Bluenose II.

Scarf

Using the edge of the anvil make a 45

I'll turn you an eye (if you mean forge, weld and true the eye up) on a piece of railroad track. OR on the post vise. I'll do it as Steve O'Grady and I won't be anonymous about it either. I also will say that I ain't the master blacksmith hereabouts. I just try to make a living and that means fabricate, so be it. Matters not one cents worth to me. I know folks that are broke because they won't let a customer have their way. It all spends to me.

BW:

I think you will like that Russian anvil once you get it "domesticated"... They are not all that bad an anvil and for the $$$ they are pretty good. 100 times better than those cast iron Chinese "boat anchor" anvils.

I got one for a portabe for my demo's I do with the State and County museums. Works really well for small "demo stuff" like trammel hooks, flesh forks and other "neat stuff" that will impress folks that you can finsih is like 5 to 10 minutes.

As a shop anvil, 110# is a little on the light side for what I do but fo 90% of the folks starting out, these will work quite well.'

Now if you get a solid stand for it...You will be able to rock and roll with no problem...


Happy hammering!!

JPH

I was just talking about a plain ol' round eye, not welded. The kind you would typically find on the end of an eye bolt.

Yes, there are certainly more ways than one to do anything in blacksmithing, but there are some ways certainly better than others. I always try and keep my eyes and ears open to find them.

On the other hand, I'd have to say that forming it around the horn is probably quicker. But, I'm just a beginner myself.

B-WILLY; Don't be bashfull with the grinder.. Really get after it. In a days time you can change that duck into a unicorn. I give out after one side of mine. It makes a good conversation piece as is but it sure looks funnyier than all get out. I am going to sic my grandkids on the other side.

I cannot imagine who ever come up with a horn like that. The horn is supposed to be round. Some farriers like the flat topped horns. NOT ME...

Just make sure you never hit the anvil with your hammer or beat on cold steel on top of it. It will end up looking like a piece of tin-foil in a hail storm.GRIN

Sandpile

Phil,

G'head and post your name - we all know who ye be...anon-smith in a pig's eye. :mrgreen:

HWooldridge:

I wouldn't be "anonymous" anymore if I did that.

Phil Rosche