February 17, 201016 yr i was thinking of buying some 4140 as big a bit as i can afford and having it heat treated by a professional.how hard is hard enough for this type of anvil,any advice would be greatfull thanks mat.
February 17, 201016 yr Seems like alot of trouble and money to buy and HT a large piece when all you really need is a proper surface to hammer on. If it were me I`d look for or fab a base that would dampen vibration,like something from the scrap yard or even a sand filled base,and then fix a smaller piece of tool steel to that. Why do you feel you need a really large piece of HT solid tool steel?
February 17, 201016 yr If you really want that type of anvil you can purchase 4140 preheat treated for not very much more than standard 4140. I've purchased 4140 pre heat treated up to 10 inch diameter before but dont know how large of square or rectangule it is available in. It will only be around 40 rockwell though Mike
February 17, 201016 yr 4140 is NOT tool steel. It is generally defined as a machinery steel. It can be used for tools but is not a tool steel. A heavy block of any steel is infinately better than a small piece of hardened steel on top of a sand filled base. I think you have a good idea. Take a look at Brian Brazeals anvil before you buy the steel though, even if you dont want all the features his has, a curved section is a good idea. I would price out the prehardened 4140 vs hardening the block. You could weld a fabricated hardy hole to the side of the block before the heat treatment if you want.
February 17, 201016 yr If you want a hunk of steel to hammer on go to the scrap yard if they are scraper ‘poor blacksmith’ friendly look around. If you can’t find what you want ask the guys working there they can be real helpful, if you come up empty offer a reward and give them your phone#, they’ll come up with something. It will cost a whole lot less than new steel. If it’s too soft it’ll still last a while, and you can look for something better as you go.
February 17, 201016 yr Yup you might be able to run across a nice high alloy already hardened die chunk for scrap rate.
February 17, 201016 yr I may have mis-labeled the type of steel as tool steel.I was going under the assumption that most people(especially newer folks) feel if it`s heat treatable and you can successfully make tools out of it then it`s considered tool steel as opposed to mild steel. I may not have gotten my other point about the base(with or without sand) and scrap thing across as I had hoped as I see others restating what looks like the same idea with no problems.
February 17, 201016 yr 4140 and many other alloy steels can be "flame hardened" on one or two faces with an oxy/fuel rig in the sizes you are looking at. Problem is the size you want makes a used anvil look cheap if you have to buy new. Phil
February 17, 201016 yr The tool steel thing is a small thing but many steel suppliers that carry 4140 don't carry tool steels. If you call and tell them that you need tool steel they will tell you they don't carry tool steels. Better to use the proper terms from the start. If you can get a piece of secondary steel for much less money that is a good way to go. The 4140 or better yet 4340 would make a beter anvil than mild steel, but for most hobbiests a mild steel anvil will last a long time.
February 17, 201016 yr JN, Can you give some examples of things to look for at a scrap yard that may be made from 4340,4140 or other alloys that would come in a size and shape handy to use as an anvil?
February 17, 201016 yr I never mentioned a scrap yard. A couple of the steel suppliers I buy from sell "secondary" steel it is sometimes labeled ususally not. It is sometimes recycled steel, sometimes drops, somtimes leftover steel bought from fabricators, machine shops or bankruptcies. I have yet to find any of the scrap yards around here willing to sell to the public, although one of them owns one of the loscal steel yards that does sell some secondary steeel. I guess it is one of the disadvantages of living in a city that has 3 steel mills that buy thousands of tons of scrap.
March 4, 201016 yr Mat I used 4130ht (a little about my anvil here ) which I got from a forklift fork. Might I suggest you look at heavy equipment repair shops. They may even cut you a piece to length if you explain what you will be doing with it. PS. Seems the pics don't show easily, but if you look thru the ones I have you will see my anvil pics. DennisG
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