Jeremy Cable Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 Hello everyone, I'm New to the forums and To blacksmithing in general. I've always wanted to try my hand at it and finally got me a forge setup (Lively Model). Well after searching for an anvil since before i began assembling my forge I came up with something at the local salvage yard and wanted to get some opinions on how to mount this thing. They had some nice forklift forks also but opted to try this instead since I lack a welder or knowledge to weld them for that matter. Its main porpuse will be Bladesmithing and some tools here and there so i figured I would save myself a few hundred bucks and get this for 10 bucks. Thought about concrete in a bucket and burying just past the hole but i wanted to see if any of you pros out there had any better ideas for it..Feels like it weighs about 60-70 lbs. Jeremy Cable Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 Welcome aboard Jeremy glad to have ya. That will make a dandy anvil! Mounting it doesn't have to lock it into one shape to use either. If you cut a wood block or make a built up wood stand from stacked 2"x6", etc. you can mount it by making a rim to set it in. This way you can use any of the sides or either end. Radius off a couple edges on the long side with different radius or a gradient one. The ends will make excellent dishing dies or a end swage. If you radius the inside edge of one end of the hole you can work sheet steel in it without cutting the stock. This'll let you make ladles, bowls and similar, it's how I make hollow forms. I'm not sure what I'd use a sharp edged hole for but it's better to have one and not need it than need one and not have it. That's one of my prime philosophies of life. <grin> To make good use of the smoothed hole for dishing you'll want a turning hammer for heavier stock and a dishing hammer for lighter, a dishing mallet for light weight or non-ferrous stock. I make my mallets from garage/yard sale baseball bats. Please don't make me SAY wooden ones. Okay? Making tongs, fire tending tools, nails and such are excellent learning projects. Nails may seem monotonous but they'll teach you fine work and consistency while polishing your hammer control and aim. It's all good. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knots Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 Nice scrounge ! It looks to me like it might be a die that was part of a big tube bender kit. If so it is very likely heat treated which is very good. If it were mine I would look for a piece of round bar that was a good fit for the hole and Insert for use as a horn. At 60 - 70pounds Just find yourself a stump, rout a recess in the top to fit your new "anvil" and forge away. If a router is not available picture frame the stump top with 1 x 2's to fit . Improvements can be made later. You might want to weld some bolt down tabs on it sometime in the future but for now it is just important to get to work so keep it simple and make adjustments as needed, when needed. That "anvil" is plenty large enough to do some serious work on. Have at it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy Cable Posted May 5, 2012 Author Share Posted May 5, 2012 Wow thats some good advice, I didn't think about using it in multiple ways, thanks for opening up my newbie brain lol. Yea I planned on making a set of tongs with a couple peices of 24" rebar for my first project. Thanks guys :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim McCoy Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 Finding a suitable stump or building a stand out of 2x lumber both will work. Whatever you use for your stand allow yourself to have to (2)holes to set the iron into. One for vertical use and the other for horizontal and the edge mods suggested by Frosty - ditto. Fine piece of iron to learn on and user friendly on moving it around. Great find!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy Cable Posted May 6, 2012 Author Share Posted May 6, 2012 Here is what i made for it today, Its 2x6s in the center, and 2x8s on each side. I added a 2x6 spacer for when working on the flat side or the hole side and added a brace and a piece on the end to mount my vise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsoldat Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 With the right tabs welded on it would make a beauty of bolster plate base. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 Well done, Jeremy. You've got a doozy of an anvil and, now, a great anvil stand. Are you planning on putting the stand on legs or leave it on the ground? I'd be tempted to leave it on the ground to eliminate a lot of bounce that legs might give, but.... Now get to making something out of that rebar you mentioned! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy Cable Posted May 6, 2012 Author Share Posted May 6, 2012 just got off work and got dinner made, gonna eat and head outside to fire it all up. Im not planned on putting it on legs right now because i need it mobile and easily storable at night, Still living in a rented house with a tiny front yard. But once i finally close on the house im buying i may try to figure out how to set it up better in the workshop[p in the back of the garage there. WIsh banks didnt take so long to get a clear title on a property :sigh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 The stand looks pretty good, not quite what I had in mind but I just can't get anybody else to receive my brain waves. Are you wearing an aluminum foil cap or what? You'll probably want it much higher but you have to work where you are so do what works and it'll work for you. I like the piece of round rod inserted in the hole as a horn suggestion. Seems I thought of that but got carried away on a different track. Oh well, story of my life. <grin> Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 Wit a 'drop in" set up you can easily move the anvil and stand separately. Much easier than having to lift it off the ground! I would suggest building one of vertically laminated 2xX pieces---old waterbed frame have wide lumber and get discarded fairly frequently and can even be nailed one layer to the next. I put a set of big handles on my movable "stumps" so they can be carried easily and you can hand tools on the handles if you want in use. (You can forge your handles as an early project too. I used commercial ones found cheap at the fleamarket as they fold flat and I load everything in the truck fairly frequently to demo or teach and the extra room saved helps.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy Cable Posted May 8, 2012 Author Share Posted May 8, 2012 Yea i would have liked to have it vertical, but for now my forge is sitting on the bar ground, so im working low right now. Hopefully all that will change very soon :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bentiron1946 Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 Nice hunk of iron! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.