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I Forge Iron

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Posted

I noticed the guys in the drop forge shop using NG torches to preheat (on cold mornings) the dies before forging.
Should a cold anvil be warmed before starting work? And if so anyone have suggestions on how?
Thanks
spiritrider

Posted

Yes. An anvil can break if hammered on cold. Usually the heel but I have heard of the horn breaking clean off! I have a 1" x 3" x 14" bar that I heat in the gasser while it is heating up. I let it get a dull cherry red and then lay it length wise on the face of the anvil. By the time I'm ready to forge, the anvil is warm enough to avoid possible breakage.

Posted

I preheat with a rod prior to forging. My reasoning was that the cold anvil draws out the heat of the work so fast I spend more time and energy keeping my iron hot than actually hammering.

I hadn't thought about breaking a cold anvil. Makes sense though. Glad I prewarm.

Mark<><

Posted

A cold anvil is like a cold woman, you just can’t get anything done (my apologies to all the women on this site). What I do is go into the forge and sit on the anvil while having my coffee in the morning until I can no longer feel my behind. Then I know I’m probably getting hemorrhoids. But the steel stays hot and the anvil is not going to break.

Posted

I also have a steel plate, (6"X6"X1"), that I heat to red and lay on the face of the anvil to preheat it. The anvil doesn't suck the heat out of my work quite so fast, that way, and, good point by Scott about breaking a cold anvil. :D

Posted

I have a friend that takes an electric clothes iron and places it on the anvil face first thing while setting up to work.

When we used to heat up a 400# Columbian we did it by hanging a paint can on horn and heel and makes a small kindling fire in each and keeping them fed until the anvil was nice and warm.

Posted

A cold anvil is like a cold woman, you just can’t get anything done (my apologies to all the women on this site). What I do is go into the forge and sit on the anvil while having my coffee in the morning until I can no longer feel my behind. Then I know I’m probably getting hemorrhoids. But the steel stays hot and the anvil is not going to break.

Best chuckle , no the only chuckle I've had all day! ....................thx...mb
Posted

I don't fear breaking the anvil, but having metal I am working go brittle because the cold anvil "quenched" it and it hardened is a PITA. Getting more than 2-3 hammer blows out of a heat is also nice. Now I live in an area that cold is typically in the lower 20's and the coldest is single digit negatives.

I need a large heating plate, but use whatever stock I have and heat it up and set it on a few times till it feels warmer than the air to my hand.

Ciladog, that's funny!

Phil

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