Dan Crabtree Posted July 9, 2005 Share Posted July 9, 2005 I noticed alot of talk around the boards about newbie anvils, and we all know about the section of RR track anvil but what are some more unique anvil ideas. I was thinking tractor weights. Ive got one that I found, havent used it as an anvil it just sits below my peter wright if I need to use it for something, havent figured out what yet but it might have some use so might as well take up space lol The one I have is steel, about 2 1/2 inches think I dont think it would be HC or anything but they are very easy to come across. And hey, if ya have access to a welder try to get ahold of three or four of em. Weld em all together and then using hardening rods on the surface, I think this would make a great anvil, but for the guy starting out with a hole in the ground and a cheap hammer this would work just proped up with some kind of wooden stand. Also, A section of a Semi truck axle. They are 2 inches thick or so, great for making hammers, they are pretty tough steel and If a base was made for a good section this would work fairly good i think. RR track anvil (advanced version) Im joking about the advanced part but I came up with this for a friend of mine who needed an anvil and couldnt find one so he ventured over to my shop, we took a 3 ft section of track, a 1/4 thick plate about 3 inches wide and a foot long, and a section of angle iron, I put the angle Iron in the forge and curled it up and brought it to a point for the horn, I left the back three inches of the angle iron unchanged so it could be welded on. The angle Iron was pretty heavy stuff, Then Welded that onto the track, The back three inches of the beak can be used as a cutting hardie being as its still a sharp angle, The heel was the plate that I punched through with a round punch for a pritchel hole and a square hole punched through with a RR spike, this was so he could use RR spikes as a hardie shank, Welded that on, and your done, Quick project, only takes about 2 hours and you have a functional anvil, also if your working where you can make as big a mess as you want, coat the thinner part of the RR track with clay, It will deaden the sound alot so you dont tear up your ears, I tried a chain and all that other stuff but the clay seemed the most effective, but its pretty messy. Wow ive been talking for awhile, but I hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWooldridge Posted July 9, 2005 Share Posted July 9, 2005 Mass is the key...under the hammer. Ever notice the difference hammering out on the end of a good anvil's horn? More harmonics and less rebound for the hammer. The primary problem with rail track is the thin section of web that joins top and base. With this in mind, look for anything that is blocky or has its bulk under the work surface. A big piece of shaft mounted on end works well. I think the truck axle idea is a good one and so are the tractor weights but I would not go to the trouble of adding hard surface rod - just tack them together as you suggest and use it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 Turn that Rail Road track up on it's end. 3 feet of rr track can weigh 100 pounds or more and on end, all that weight is directly under the work. The tarrget area looks a llittle small at first, but you get used to it quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry V Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 Look for a section of crane rail, if you can find it. "Face" is generally flatter, its harder and stouter than RR rail. I've used a chunk for a few years when teaching as an "extra" student anvil...had more than 1 real blacksmith like it well enough to offer to trade a "real" anvil for it. One of these lifetimes, I'll agree to the swap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oakwoodforge Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 Since I have been experimenting with this mess of trailer hitch balls, I have been thinking up many uses for them. how about a $8.00 newbie anvil ? all you need to make it is a 4" angle grinder and a Steel trailer hitch ball. When you buy these new they have a flat face on top , grind it down a little more to remove the stamping on top, then grind a point on the shaft. drive point first into a stump for mass, you might predrill to keep the stump from splitting . or you could take a 2" receiver 4" drop mount, flip it upside down mount the modifed hitch ball to it. Drill holes in the square tube and bolt to bench/stump whatever. The round tapers make good forming surfaces for s-hooks and things like that. Mounted to a stump you would have plenty of mass for working anything from making tongs, chisels , punches, knife blades-whatever. It is kind of a small working surface but it will teach you good hammer control. The best part is you can buy one anywhere for almost nothing. 8) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cross Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 Well , I have 2 peter wrights,124# and 180#, the 124 is the primary anvil in the shop as it is in the best condition,the other I use for its mass. Newbie anvil,I dont want to brag about luck but my brother hauls scrap and he stopped by on Fri to let me look thru his load. A wonderful load of heavy melt. The most manageable pieces I could toss out of the trailer were 4x8x23 inch. One will be used as an upsetting block, and the other I will play with. I am thinking that I will try to make an anvil similar to the Brazel brothers,that I have seen pictures of. At 208 lbs it will make a nice anvil. Gotta love living near a steel town. Just a note on mass being the big thing for an effective anvil, we have to remember that a large anvil can be a good heat sink when working lighter material,sucks the heat right out of hot iron in the morning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hazmat83 Posted December 5, 2013 Share Posted December 5, 2013 I found 4 of these weights (think they came from a basketball goal) they're 7 1/2"x 5 3/4"x 3" and 32#each not sure how I should go about makin them into am anvil. but its gonna happen. I beat on one with a crappy hammer here at work. just to see how hard it was. don't know why I wouldn't know what to look for, I smacked the crap out of it a couple of times. no dents or dings and the hammer had what was to my knowledge a good rebound. any advice would be greatly appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metalmark Posted December 24, 2013 Share Posted December 24, 2013 Why do people put chains around an anvil and I have also seen a lot with magnets in the side ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted December 24, 2013 Share Posted December 24, 2013 To dampen the vibrations and kill or reduce the ring. They also use silicone to glue them to the anvil stand or stump. The best I have found is to bed the anvil in 2-3 inches of sand. It dampens the vibrations and kills / reduces the ring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metalmark Posted December 25, 2013 Share Posted December 25, 2013 But buy putting it on a soft surface don't you lose some of the energy transfer int the anvil because the substrate gives in . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yves Posted December 25, 2013 Share Posted December 25, 2013 My anvil is on sand, a steel box full of sand. After a very short time of forging, the sand settles and becomes a hard mass. It does not give in at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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