Ok call me crazy but I was thinking of making my own anvil. I have 2 now one peter wright and a vulcan. The vulan is an ok anvil made of cast iron and a steel face, I can buy a piece of steel and could pour over 100 lbs of cast iron into a green sand mould. Maybe if there are any old timers out there who know how to bond the 2 or point me in the right direction that would be great. I know people have want posted about getting an aso and putting a face on it but I want to start from scratch. People were doing this a long time before I was born and I know it can be done and that I can do it with just a little more info.                               Thanks from the crazy smith

Start with a patent search for Fisher anvils and possibly a couple others. You can probably patent search on Vulcan too since the process was slightly different, but I don't know the names or company. Fisher did it first.

Search here on IFI for posts from NJAnvilman who is the curator of the Fisher & Norris factory museum.

Phil

Just last week this topic was presented... Current thread with the exact same question...

http://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/31053-any-details-on-how-the-plate-was-welded-to-fisher-norris-anvils/

I believe you place the steel plate into the mold and then poor in your iron. The two sould form a strong bond. I may be wrong about this however. Your best bet is to fi.d out how other anvile makers do it.

Why invent the wheel? It is already invented. Find a corner of your workshop that is comfortable to sit in, Bang your head against the wall until you have had enough. Learn from your headache!! :) :)

 

Neil

Ok call me crazy but I was thinking of making my own anvil. I have 2 now one peter wright and a vulcan. The vulan is an ok anvil made of cast iron and a steel face, I can buy a piece of steel and could pour over 100 lbs of cast iron into a green sand mould. Maybe if there are any old timers out there who know how to bond the 2 or point me in the right direction that would be great. I know people have want posted about getting an aso and putting a face on it but I want to start from scratch. People were doing this a long time before I was born and I know it can be done and that I can do it with just a little more info.                               Thanks from the crazy smith

 

Could you post some pictures of the things you have done so far? I would be interested in some pics of the last few 100lb cast iron pours. No disrespect meant. just want to see your bonafides.

There is some info on the other thread. Do you have access to a large cupola. It sounds like you will be participating in an artists group pour. Forgive us for the assumptions, but your post is short on details. Sometimes, the raw material used to charge is selected based on its ease of processing, and may be surprisingly weak in an anvil application.

The saddest thing I saw was a fisher top welded back on with nickel rod. About $300 each in consumables and labor, and the top popped off. The owner said that he couldn't face a re repair. You think it could not happen to you? I am not that brave.

To Bob I havent poured since I left my old shop and moved into my garage at home but I have a stack of 55 gallon drums and could whip up a batch of refractory to build a cupola. I have been talking to some local artists who want to make large castings so a big cupola is most likely going to be built soon which is why I was thinking of pouring my own anvil. Phil thanks for a point in the right direction

Generally we say "yes it can be done but you will probably end up spending several times the cost of buying a good one".

 

So give that you want to go ahead---DO IT!

 

Perhaps work on some smaller experiments to heat the face plate to welding and place in the mold and wash the cast iron over it to get the bond.  Couple of years and several thousand dollars and we may all be proud to say---"I remember when..."