I used to wrestle, but now that my shoulder and knee are busted, I'm looking to get into blacksmithing, but I lack a decent anvil. I've got a piece of RR maybe 8 inches long, which is fine for hammering on, but I'm looking for tips on how to maybe mount it to something a little heavier. I also have a couple of hammers, one 2# ball-peen and a 4# blacksmith's hammer. The ball-peen's face is fine, but the 4# one is brand new and hasn't really been dressed or used. It's left pretty deep gouges in the metal. Any tips, comments, or advice would be awesome and greatly appreciated.

1 put your general location in your profile---hard for someone to say: "Hey I'm going to the scrapyard tomorrow morning and we could pick up a nice chunk of steel to use as an anvil if you meet me there" without knowing if you are even on the same continent.

And yes I am going to the scrapyard tomorrow morning in Polvadera NM, USA.

2 dress the new hammer

There is a lot of information about anvils and how to mount them etc. in the anvils section right below this one...alittle time looking in there mayhelp.

Any tips on how to dress a hammer properly?

To properly dress your hammer you need to know wheather the occasion if formal, semi-formal or casual. For formal occasions you can't go wrong with a Tux, semi-formal I would recommend a blue blazer, gray slacks, a pastel shirt and striped tie, casual.... bluejeans and maybe a western shirt with mother of peral snaps.

Otherwise, you will need a grinder or a belt sander to round off the edges so they don't leave marks. polish it up nicely because what ever is on the hammer face will end up on what you hammered.

A good mill file can dress a hammer in reasonable time. A belt sander or belt grinder is considerably quicker and easier. Don't worry about a mirror polish unless you are doing cold work. A smooth finish with no significant visual blemishes that feels smooth to your hand is all you need.

Phil

what kind of grit could I expect to use on this if I have a belt sander?

I would think 120 grit or 150 would do nicely

Thanks, woody