Hi there,

Northern tools & equipment is having a really good deal on a 60lb anvil.
The reviews are very mixed though.

My link

It would be my first anvil and i am some what on a budget.
I would not be doing heavy work on it just yet.
Is it better then a modified rail road rail?

Thanks for your answers
Patrick

My advice would be to sit on your wallet and keep looking. Cast iron instead of steel, no hardy or pritchel hole. Pretty limited to what you would be able to do with it.

Your rail iron will do for quite a while till you find a beauty.

Another fine example of an ASO! (anvil shaped object)
Rob's advice is worth considering

I have one of these anvils acting as a lawn gnome helper. When I told my parents I was starting to blacksmith a few years ago, they ordered one for me and had it delivered to my house. It's funny since they are in ND and they had northern tool deliver it to my house, which is two blocks away from one of their shipping centers. Luckily, I already had picked up my Nimba. The northern tool anvil is cast iron, had a huge casting seam down the face, and little or no rebound. I ground the face flat and set it outside, and sometimes I let my boys bang around on it with copper to be like daddy.

that is scrap metal... keep lookin geta used good anvil..even if it costs more it will be worth it.. and a good used anvil you can resell if you decide you dont need it anymore .that cast iron ------ will never be worth anything ..

Patrick; you would be better off just getting a hunk of steel from a scrap yard and using it as an anvil.

I have used a cast iron anvil---a 220 pounder and it dented under cherry red spring steel when I was trying to pound out a blade!

A chunk of fork lift tine may very well suit you better than the RR rail and may be found cheap if it's damaged and you make sure they know that it will *NOT* be re-used for lifting---a liability concern!

I had a 55 pounder from Habor Fraight and it dented with a bright orange RR spike. This pic is before I evar used it.

I agree with rob if you plan to use the anvil for hot work. But the ASO's work well for cold work. Bending, folding, and riveting is what it does perfectly. I wish I still had mine because I am hesitant to drill rivet half spheres into my hot work anvil. It all depends on what you need it for.

I agree with rob if you plan to use the anvil for hot work. But the ASO's work well for cold work. Bending, folding, and riveting is what it does perfectly. I wish I still had mine because I am hesitant to drill rivet half spheres into my hot work anvil. It all depends on what you need it for.

Need to just make up a hardy block and drill the rivit halves in the block. Best of both worlds.
Ken.

Drill holes in....wha? I'm with Ken!