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I Forge Iron

Primitive Anvil


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A few weeks back I did an 4 day intensive on primitive blacksmith-ing. Absolutely fell in love with it. I have spent the last several weeks gathering tools and items to start hammering. Now I seem to be stumped with the anvil. At the intensive we used all manner of items, RR track, steel bricks, cast off dies, axles  etc. I am having the darnedest time trying to locate something for starting. I plan on starting out with small objects and working my way up. Any helpful input would be welcomed  

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Broken fork lift tines---explain you want to make an anvil out of it and would be happy if they cut it in pieces (so it couldn't get reused---liability).  Forklifts are found *everywhere* in the USA these days

 

http://www.marco-borromei.com/fork.html

 

One of a large number of ways to do it!  (as I recall they ended up with a 100#+ anvil for US$25 and yes I am the Thomas mentioned---I still have the mate to that tine in my scrap pile---but I carried it out of the forest by myself---see I'm dumber that I appear on the net!

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Hey Bo, you took an intensive primitive smithing course didn't you? How about a smooth boulder? I recommend a mafic or ultramafic boulder, they're dense and fine grained and have been serving as anvils for thousands of years. limestone and marble work but granite is more popular as is basalt but give me a nice ultra mafic like hornblend. I have a really nice car hood size dornic (Big boulder) by the driveway you're welcome to use. It has to stay but you're welcome to use it.

 

Seriously, a nice smooth boulder serves well, I've used them. Believe it or not, turn out some nice products and you'll be able to buy a "real" anvil in no time. Lots of people place a lot of mystique in primitive forged products.

 

Frosty The Lucky.

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A boulder as an anvil would be considered primitive, chunks of discarded surplus steel I would consider post industrial blacksmithing.  

 

Right you are, It'd be a post apocalyptic, primitive redux anvil. Who was it did all those zombie blades? We need an expert here.

 

Frosty The Lucky.

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Broken fork lift tines---explain you want to make an anvil out of it and would be happy if they cut it in pieces (so it couldn't get reused---liability).  Forklifts are found *everywhere* in the USA these days

 

http://www.marco-borromei.com/fork.html

 

One of a large number of ways to do it!  (as I recall they ended up with a 100#+ anvil for US$25 and yes I am the Thomas mentioned---I still have the mate to that tine in my scrap pile---but I carried it out of the forest by myself---see I'm dumber that I appear on the net!

Great Idea Thomas, Thanks

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Welcome Bo.

 

There are a couple of Carolina anvil and blacksmith tool dealers that regularly post on craigslist, the one closest to you would be in Denver, NC. Not sure about Virginia.

 

The local Triad area chapter of NCABANA meets at the Dixie Classic Fairgrounds, 9am 3rd Saturday every month. Mooresville and Raleigh are on different schedules.  http://www.ibiblio.org/nc-abana/

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Welcome Bo.

 

There are a couple of Carolina anvil and blacksmith tool dealers that regularly post on craigslist, the one closest to you would be in Denver, NC. Not sure about Virginia.

 

The local Triad area chapter of NCABANA meets at the Dixie Classic Fairgrounds, 9am 3rd Saturday every month. Mooresville and Raleigh are on different schedules.  http://www.ibiblio.org/nc-abana/

Thanks John, I joined NCABANA a few months back, just have not been able to make it to a meeting yet. Looking forward to it though. I have read all the past issues of the spark.

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