keeping anvil warm

[bsiler]

Did a search but didn't find much. In cold weather how do or do you keep your anvil warm over night or until the next time you use it.
Most times I only have a couple of hours to play. My shop isn't heated so my anvil is quite cold and it takes awhile to get it warmed up
by placing big pieces of hot metal on it and uses a little extra coal.

Just wondering if there is a good way (cheap) to keep it warm.

Billy

[zampilot]

In the winter I use a propane forge in the garage, my anvil is in front of it, a bit higher and a foot away. leaves enough room to put stuff in the forge and it heats the anvil. I let it run about 10 minutes or so on low before using. Keeps the anvil warm enough. BUT I have not tried it at below zero temps, dont think I will!

[Mainely,Bob]

If you are the type who can plan ahead(that aint me) you can throw an electric blanket(from Goodwill) over it and plug the blanket into a timer.
The few times I tried this I ended up not going out to the shop and even went out of town for a few days once.
Gotta go before SWMBO sees this and deducts the electric bill from my allowance. :o

[rustyshackleford]

Finding an old electric iron has been proposed by a number of users here. You can also heat a chunk of metal with large thermal mass and let it cool off on the anvil face (somewhat like zampilot's method)

[ThomasPowers]

Keeping things warm that only see intermittent use is often a waste of energy.
A timer and an electric iron would be a good way to go especially if you can set a stop time as well as a start time on it.

Me I usually heat a slab of steel as the propane forge is warming up and place on the anvil. I often have a non-critical project to work on while waiting for the forge, anvil and tools to come up to good working temps.

[CurlyGeorge]

I too use a heavy piece a plate that I heat in the forge and then lay on the anvil to preheat it. I don't like the idea of leaving an iron or something plugged in while I'm not around. My luck, it would really heat the place up!! :blink:

[eric sprado]

Small addition to thread: I heat a piece of iron in propane forge,lay it on anvil AND put a couple of firebricks on top. Keeps heat going in to anvil instead of the room.

[edge9001]

I have a couple of jackhammer bitsI put in the forge as it is heating up. I put them IN my anvil, with it being a RR coupler those holes really come in handy ...lol

[bsiler]

Thanks for all the replys.
Yeah, I don't think would I really what to leave something plugged in my shop. Likes been said, Might be to much Heat.
I guess heating up big pieces of metal seems the way and from you fellows the most popular way.
I just get in to big of a hurry sometimes.

Thanks
Billy

[Marcus Hopfinger]

You may also want to check out this thread My link

[ThomasPowers]

well my shop it could catch the anvil stump on fire and still do no damage to it save for smoke...

[joshua.M]

newbie question here, what is the point of heating the anvil

[MattBower]

A cold anvil sucks heat out of the work very quickly.

[ThomasPowers]

Think about working on a knife blade that's often made from alloys with a limited forging range---hitting it "too cold" can ruin the blade; now with an icy anvil you might get *1* hammer blow with each heat cycle; however you still get the scale losses, decarburization and possible grain growth with each heat cycle. A warm anvil can make the job *much* faster!

Also *very* cold anvils are more prone to damage. I have a friend who knocked the heel off the family anvil, (he was third generation using it IIRC), when it was quite cold and he wanted to do a "quick job".

[bsiler]

Marcus,
Thanks for the link. I remember reading some of it but I had forgotten about it.

Billy

[viking-sword]

I wonder if using a heated vehicle battery blanket or even an oil pan pad would work and still be safe enough to leave over night with no worries?

[pip]

put on a pan of boiling water 2 hours before hand them make a hook