How hard can you hit.

[Agita]

Hope this should go here

So I have a 110# anvil I bought when I first started into blacksmithing. Happens to be a probably crappy to very crappy anvil from harbor freight.They apparantly stopped making it a few years ago.



I can't really afford what I want so of course I'll use this as long as I can.

My question is I'm upsetting some hardie tools and a stake now sooooo... how hard do you think I can hit the tail without breaking it.
Using a 6# hammer to pound on the end to upset just as if I had a nice swage block (something Else I would love to have)

Any other methods of forming hardie tools without using the one on the anvil?

THANKS

[thecelticforge]

You can use almost anything to upset with. I often times use a chunk of mild steel that is 8x8x3. It has not dished out on me very much in the 4 years that I have had it. I place it on oak logs of different heights to make hammering easier. I have also used the side and the tip of my anvil horn. I think I have even used the concrete slab.

[John B]

My question is I'm upsetting some hardie tools and a stake now sooooo... how hard do you think I can hit the tail without breaking it.
Using a 6# hammer to pound on the end to upset just as if I had a nice swage block (something Else I would love to have)

Any other methods of forming hardie tools without using the one on the anvil?

THANKS

So long as your metal is at a decent forging heat, I can see no problem using that anvil, and there is no rule as to how many heats to take, you don't have to make it in one wallop.

As for other methods, there are many, if you want to, fabricate one, many years ago I made one by welding a short piece of flat spring steel off an old leaf spring, that had a cutting edge ground on it, To a piece of round MS bar about 3" diameter by 1" long, and then welded on a shank, a piece of square section hollow tube that fitted into the hardie hole, it was only a quick temporary lash up, but it is still in use today.

or you could start off with material that is larger than the hardie hole and draw it down to a taper to fit, or forge base down to parallel to fit, and then forge weld a collar around it,

Or if the stock you are using is smaller than the hardie hole, just forge weld a suitable size collar around it, then forge to fit the hardie hole

or forge out your hardie on a longish piece of steel the same width or larger than your hardie hole, then fold it back on itself and forge to suit the size of the hardie hole, then bend the unworked end at right angles to stop the hardie falling through the hardie hole, forge(forgeweld) this new folded shank to fit the hole

Or use oversize material and use a butcher to form a shoulder then side set, then forge it down, it is only a large tenon after all

[pkrankow]

I made a bolster block out of some 1x3 mild. I drilled a pattern then cold chiseled and filed to square to match my old anvil, which was CI. I now have a "band file" for if I ever decide to do this again.

You can forge to shape and grind to fit too.

You can break out the welder and weld a collar onto a piece of square that is appropriate.

Phil

[Agita]

I'm doing it just like this b e a utfull video here.

http://www.youtube.com/user/MarkAspery#p/u/12/pxTdbC5MLRQ
http://www.youtube.com/user/MarkAspery#p/u/12/pxTdbC5MLRQ

only thing is I don't have a swage block.

I also thought of welding a collar to the stake.

Might take that Idea of a 3x8x8 piece of steel. Wonder If I could weld a square to hold it in the hardie.

[Dragons lair]

Hope this should go here

So I have a 110# anvil I bought when I first started into blacksmithing. Happens to be a probably crappy to very crappy anvil from harbor freight.They apparantly stopped making it a few years ago.



I can't really afford what I want so of course I'll use this as long as I can.

My question is I'm upsetting some hardie tools and a stake now sooooo... how hard do you think I can hit the tail without breaking it.
Using a 6# hammer to pound on the end to upset just as if I had a nice swage block (something Else I would love to have)

Any other methods of forming hardie tools without using the one on the anvil?

THANKS

One of the best cast russians harbor freight ever had. Later ones had the diagonal hardy(were the crappy ones)
Ken.

[monstermetal]

One of the best cast russians harbor freight ever had. Later ones had the diagonal hardy(were the crappy ones)
Ken.

I wouldn't be scared to land a good solid blow with a 10 pound hammer if the steel was hot... If you miss and land a full force blow right on the tip of the tail... well I dont know what would happen... but I wouldn't want to do that to even the best of anvils (or especial the best of anvils)

[pkrankow]

That is a neat video. The end of the video is making a swage block, very similar to what I did.
Phil

[Agita]

That vid is mark
http://www.iforgeiron.com/user/3586-mark-aspery/

All credit to him


I love seeing stuff like that. great for learning.