I also remember on my inlaws mobile home that they had pipe heaters under the trailer. It was a strip that went on exposed pipes under the trailer. Kept them from freezing. Might look into that too. May work in a box cozy like Sam said. Instead of a light bulb maybe the pipe strips.

http://www.heatersplus.com/pipes.htm

I do not know about this company but a quick google search came up with these. Some just wrap around the pipe which could probably be used on an anvil.

It's a thought. Or not.

Mark<><

Sam, that wouldn't be David Robertson would it? Very nice guy, I haven't met face to face, but he is always willing to answer my questions when he gets a few minutes away from the shop.

I love that idea of using a light bulb to heat the space around an anvil all night. Another suggestion I have heard that could easily be adapted is using a light bulb (100w) to keep your slack tub from icing over. The same concept of an insulated cover with the light bulb as the heat source could be used.

No not David Robertson - I don't think I've ever met him ... but then again I'm horrible with names and I have a memory like a seive ...

The idea for the anvil "easy-bake oven" comes from Darrell Markewitz.

slack tub freezing, is there any reason you wouldnt use a saline slack tub. i have read about using brine. it wouldnt freeze

At 19F below zero even brine will freeze unless it has a really really high salt content. Over time the salt will settle to the lower levels of the tank and the top level will freeze.

Mark<><

What do you do that you need a slack tub so much you're willing to pay all the time to keep it un-frozen?

I've used a magnetic oil pan heater but unless I throw a blanket over the anvil it isn't enough. However, a little fiberglass insulation does the trick nicely to the point I put it on a timer so it's not drawing elec all night. Once I'm ready to get started I stick the heater on my propane tank.

Frosty the Lucky.

At 19F below zero even brine will freeze unless it has a really really high salt content. Over time the salt will settle to the lower levels of the tank and the top level will freeze.

Mark<><

Go to the feed store and get a bucket heater. So that if it does freeze you can knock a hole it the ice with a hammer ( I use an estwing shingling hatchet in the horses water.) submerge the bucket heater and in a little while your slack tube will be ice free.

Again---what are you doing that you need that much slackage all the time?

Again---what are you doing that you need that much slackage all the time?

I'm thinking he just needs a LOT more slack than normal folk Thomas.

Frosty the Lucky.

I'm thinking he just needs a LOT more slack than normal folk Thomas.

Frosty the Lucky.

Haha. Good one.


I too am wondering why people would bother keeping a slack tube plugged in all winter. Just get a galvanized bucket and dump it out at the end of the day. Problem solved and the electricity saved would pay for 1000s of gallons of water.

What was the origonal question that Zampilot raised?

"Might I destroy my anvil."?

Realizing that this topic has taken a sharp turn to the side, Stew, would a bubbler system like in a fish tank work for your slack tub. Some marinas in cold areas have a bubler system around boats in the water that keeps the water stirred up.
You would still wind up with cold water just not frozen over.

This might work for someone in a little warmer climate than yours maybe.

Again, there goes my brain without any lubricant.

Mark<><

Reckon you are right. Hate to cool off a set of tongs and hear them go "thunk" on top of the water.

Stay warm!

Funny last Sunday we had 8 people forging on 2 gas forges from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm (class I taught) and we were able to cool our tongs in a 5 gallon bucket of water---of course the outside temps weren't that cold. (Actually it was hot!)

Do what you want! I'm just suggesting that perhaps you could rethink how things could be modified. Electricity may not be a big part of overhead---*but* every penny saved on overhead automatically goes to profit! Savings in room can be handy too.

As for tangents; sometimes folk ask specific questions "can I do this with that" when what they should be asking is "is this what I need to be doing in the first place?"

To comment on the cover with a light for the slack tub that someone mentioned. I learned about that idea from David Robertson. He has a half barrel slack tub that he puts a piece of plywood that a light fixure is attached to that sits on top of the tank. The light bulb I think he said was only 4 watts. Its just enough to keep the area right under the light melted, then as he works and quenches metal it melts more of the ice. The reason he does it is that the water holds a bit of pressure and if you just melt through the ice with a hot bar the water can shoot out like a geyser. I've never seen it myself. He figured out that it cost him $3/month. After all the hassel I went through last winter with my slack tub I'd be willing to spend $3/month to avoid it.


As for the original question. I have a piece of 1/4" sheet that I bent to cover the anvil face the same as a cutting plate. Just heat it up to orange and let it sit on the anvil for 5 or 10 minutes. Seems to work for me.

you should see what the cold concrete floor in my shop does to my KNEES!

You work on your knees in your shop?

Frosty the Lucky.

Don't get me started about knees. My right knee has been locked at an angle for 2 weeks. I can barely walk. I had so much time set for the forge these last few weeks when I can get outside and forge.... Grrrrrr ... I'm more than alittle upset over it.

Oh well, thats the way it goes sometimes. Gotta take the bad with the good.

Stewart, -15f is nothing. Try -50f, and no, I don't forge that cold. About 20f is as low as I'll go.

That stinks Bryan! Sounds like we kept you standing around the shop too long at the get together.

The meeting yesterday went pretty darned well, Mark made a hammer head and demoed nails. I did the shop tests for steel demo and Vince forged a ram's head from too large stock.

Falki did me proud and won the club's unanimous vote as shop dog extraodinair. Nothing scared him, he kept out from under foot, made friends with everyone and when a bunch of us stepped up close to the anvil to see what Mark was doing he stood up to take a close look too. Heck, this morning Deb was walking him and he insisted on checking the shop to see if any of his new friends were out there.

Our next meeting is at Kevin's in Talkeetna Jan 29th. 10:00am.

Take care of that knee eh?

Frosty the Lucky.

Sounds like you guys had a great time. Wish I could have been there. I seriously need to make a nail header.

I sure like Falki. Great puppy you have there. I just love the way he looks.

I'll sure try and make the January meeting.

I guess we kinda got off topic here.

I get a piece of plate up to black heat and lay it on the anvil. By the time I get all my piddling done and get ready go start working the anvil face is warm enough and won't suck the heat out of my stock. Also the gas forge has warmed the shop up just a tad by then too.

But like I said, if its 20f or so. I don't forge. My bones sure don't like that.

But like I said, if its 20f or so. I don't forge. My bones sure don't like that.

Is that outside temperature or shop temperature?

Phil

Is that outside temperature or shop temperature?

Phil

Thats shop temp for sure. If I can get it that warm then I'm fine. But it the outside temp it too low its a lost cause. I do like to forge but I won't risk frost bite over it.

Thats shop temp for sure. If I can get it that warm then I'm fine. But it the outside temp it too low its a lost cause. I do like to forge but I won't risk frost bite over it.

Definately shop temp Phil. If you pay attention to some of my sillier moments you'll notice I kid folk about what they THINK of as cold. You'll NEVER catch me kidding Bryan or Jake about cold, well not in the same way that is. Compared to interior Alaska, living here so close to Cook Inlet I'm in a banana belt.

Frosty the Lucky.

One thing I have learned at Pennsic was that I can forge small items sitting down.

I also once rigged up a 1 firebrick forge so I could forge nails for my mastermyr chest in the basement when the weather was too bad outside in OH.

(OTOH there was one SCA campout I had my forge at where I was getting bruised from the hail bouncing off my anvil and hitting me and we were both under my forge tarp at that time!)

I also once rigged up a 1 firebrick forge so I could forge nails for my mastermyr chest in the basement when the weather was too bad outside in OH.

I was thinking about doing something similar as well.

Frosty, I hadn't heard it called the banana belt before.
Kodiak was nice. Nice in the summer and not snot freezin cold in the winter. Warm sea currents, Mmmmmmmm. I miss Kodiak :(