So i bought this anvil

[m31desantis]

http://www.grizzly.com/products/55-lb-Anvil/G8147

 

Iits grizzlys 55lb anvil,

 

I know its really light but its all i could afford... i decided to see what i would be dealing with in terms of shock absorbtion and hit it a few times with my hammer...

 

 

The dents were surprizing at first... I easily took the blue off of the horn too...

 

 

First timer here... this could be totally normal idk... but the dents are very noticle to touch and sight... i can upload if needed

[jmccustomknives]

I think you boght yourself an ASO (anvil shaped object) <_< .  Being cast iron it is always going to be soft :( .  You'll be wanting to get something better, soon. :o

[SoCal Dave]

I have seen these anvils advertised before but have never worked on one.  It sounds like they are more designed for jewelry, or small craft work than for blacksmithing mild steel.  Use it but try to avoid having your hammer hit the anvil directly.  You can never have enough anvils.  Over the next 20 to 30 years you will have many anvils for different purposes and this one may be just perfect for a project then.  Good luck.  

[5starhobo (blake)]

I had an ASO for a while and then finally got me a brooks cast steel. MAN can i tell the difference!!!!  Cast iron will crack and is very soft. I found that a piece of railroad track mounted down to a stump at proper hight works better than an ASO. But i would recommend finding an actual anvil soon. Even a good piece of solid steel will work. a good 4"x 4"x 12" solid piece of steel will work great! It doesn't have to be any kind of special steel, mild steel works fine.  Even though an ASO may not be great, still use it and start working! Welcome to the addiction. :)

[macbruce]

Just make sure you work your iron HOT and it will work after a fashion till something better comes along....I made the same mistake 40 years ago so don't let it stop your forging ahead with this fascinating art/craft whatever...... B) 

[ThomasPowers]

Now go down to the local scrap yard and ask what's the biggest hunk of steel I could buy for the same amount of money as the ASO.  My scrapyard sells to me at 20 cents a pound.  A big hunk of real steel makes a better anvil than an ASO

[eseemann]

M31, did you get this shipped or did you pick it up? If you picked it up I would suggest seeing if they will take it back. What Zip code do you live it? Harbor Freight sells the same ASO and you can get the 20% coupon from Facebook. Still an ASO but you save a few bucks. I use a section of large gauge railroad rail. The chunk I use is around 18 inches and 60/odd pounds. 

[David R.]

My first anvil was an ALO. It was given to me. It was about 100 lbs. with a good surface but was dead as a doornail. I used it for some time and didn't know any better till I got invited to work in a shop with a different anvil. One of my friends heard me complain about my dead anvil and showed up at an event I was at with a beautiful old Peter Wright in his truck. I told him I probably couldn't afford it. He loaned it to me for as he said, "as long as you will use it"! It's a great old anvil and even with a good bit of wear is a lot better than my ALO was. I recently found a very nice Hay Budden 170# and traded my ALO towards it.
The ALO had about zero rebound, the PW about 60-75%, I swear that HB has almost 100% ! What a difference it makes in effort required in forging!

[m31desantis]

Well, thanks for all the help guys, i think i might do that 4x4 of of centaurforge... but for now... i will work my ASO untill i get something better, if i have any more questions ill let you know... I fire up the forge tommorow

[K. Bryan Morgan]

If I were going to do a 4x4x4 anvil I would use the Old World Anvil.  http://www.oldworldanvils.com/anvils/4x4.html

 

This is 4140 steel and is easy to set into  nice big stump.  Look around their site.  You may find something more to your wallets abilities. 

[Quarry Dog]

Glad to have you M31.  I've got to say that there is one positive side to your ASO...The fact that it's not a small block of granite, they really like shoot rocks at you when you miss with the hammer, I've tried it.

 

Unfortunately, your anvil is most definitely a cast iron ASO.  Two things make me say this:

1. You can see the casting line right up the middle of the picture in the advertisement.  This could mean cast iron, or cast steel, if it weren't for the next bit of evidence.
2. It actually says cast iron in the advertisement description.  I marked it in bold, and italics, and underlined it.

 

These classically-designed anvils have always had a special place in the shops of blacksmiths, farriers and ironworkers - yet they are quickly becoming a mainstay for any craftsman who demands a solid surface for fabricating architectural details, artwork and other custom metalwork. Perfect for flattening or forming a wide range of metals, these brawny cast iron anvils are carefully milled and polished to provide exceptionally smooth working surfaces. Each anvil includes a square hardy hole and built-in notches for secure bench attachment. These handsomely finished anvils are a welcome addition to any workshop.

 

   As long as you take care not to mis-strike and make sure to work your metal as hot as it will allow, that ASO can last you a long time. There are a couple of downsides to it though.  The first concern is that it will start showing it's age very quickly.  The next, and possibly more important, is that it will not give you the same return on your efforts as an actual anvil would.  What I mean by that is that when you strike a piece of metal on an actual anvil, it rebounds back into your work from the other side, thus working it from two sides at once, almost doubling the amount of work produced and bouncing your hammer back up for the next strike.  Your ASO will only absorb the impact that you impart upon your work.  Not only will it refuse to rebound, it will actually take some of your initial impact away from your work.  This effect will rapidly tire you out.  Also, it will refuse to bounce your hammer back up, thus making you lift your hammer up after every blow.  These combined effects will quickly tax you.  In other words, that ASO will work you to death for the same results that even a piece of railroad track stood up vertically/on end would give you(I hear that's actually a very good arrangement).  It may be enough to spoil your view of blacksmithing and make you think that it's all hard work, and absolutely no fun.  A proper anvil would give you a much better idea of what it could be like.

  Ask around about an anvil whenever it seems like it might fit into conversations.  You never know who might have/know someone that has an anvil.  I've found 2 when I wasn't really looking.  I found the first by asking my favorite bartender if she had any leads, and she put me in contact with a farrier, who put me in contact with a welding shop, that was selling an anvil for one of their customers.  I just recently ran into that farrier again, and repaid him with a beer.  The second I found by just asking the guy that was drilling my well about what kind of steel his 4 inch drill rods were made of, and then we got talking about steel, and then anvils, and he just happens to be holding one in a trailer on the lot that he stores his drilling truck at, just for me, since I'm running out of room in the garage.  Funny thing is that anvils are supposed to be extremely hard to find over here in California.  Even if you cant find a proper anvil, any massive piece of steel would work reasonably well.  Anvils used to be made out of solid wrought iron, without a tool steel faceplate.  Their face was even softer than mild steel.  Both of these substances would serve you better than an ASO.

 

I hope I've been helpful.