capnroo Posted September 16, 2013 Share Posted September 16, 2013 I don't have money to spare to buy an anvil, so I figured I would build one out of scrapped parts and such. the piece of metal on top weighs about 50-60lbs, and the bottom piece weighs about 20-25lbs. If I offset it like in the picture before welding, the big hole in the bottom piece should be nice for bending hooks, or prybars, etc. what do ya think? and show me your homemade anvils! cheers! this is a prybar I used the big hole to bend :) (it looks really bad, because it is. but I'm just beginning, and teaching myself. so yea.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capnroo Posted September 16, 2013 Author Share Posted September 16, 2013 I didnt even look above at the pinned post by Glenn. Im sorry for the similar thread. it can be deleted if I made anyone mad. sorry, glenn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigred1o1 Posted September 16, 2013 Share Posted September 16, 2013 this seems like a good one to keep on its own there are a lot of inventive people out there and I think the idea of reminding people that many things can be used as anvils Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capnroo Posted September 16, 2013 Author Share Posted September 16, 2013 thanks, man. I like the fact that this setup will be very versatile. If I come across a specific need, I will be able to mount things to it through the ends of the bottom piece. I thought it was pretty nifty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan C Posted September 16, 2013 Share Posted September 16, 2013 Looks good to me, especially for knife making and smaller items. You might want to consider the advantage of a square or rectangular hardy hole vs. a round one which would allow an inserted tool to turn. When you make a stand, I'd use steel and fill the legs with sand to add weight and decrease vibration/noise. Here's my 1st anvil which I still sometimes use, less though now that I'm making more hardy tools out of jackhammer bits to fit my main anvil's hardy hole. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capnroo Posted September 16, 2013 Author Share Posted September 16, 2013 craven, thanks for the suggestion. I haven't gotten around to thinking about my anvil's stand yet. I didnt think about a sand filled container. interesting. If you'll notice the rectangular slotted section in the 2nd pic on the bottom 'part' of what will be my anvil, I was thinking that I could build a jig with a hardie hole that would slip into the slot so that it is removable. good idea? Also, the top face is about 8-10inches wide by about 20-26inches long. it should definitely work until I've gotten off my feet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan C Posted September 16, 2013 Share Posted September 16, 2013 I'm not following you on the slotted section unless you mean the bottom part being turned sideways to what the picture shows. I would want a permanent, solid hardie hole and would weld one for a standard size like 1" square. As useful as hardies can be, I would search the forum on Brian Brazeal striker anvil and incorporate that into the design. You might even get to the point where you don't even feel the need to buy a regular anvil, though going from my RR track anvil to a 190" PW was like night & day because of the difference in weight and rebound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThorsHammer82 Posted September 16, 2013 Share Posted September 16, 2013 Not so much homemade, but more repurposed. http://www.iforgeiron.com/gallery/image/37487-it-followed-me-home-anvil-type-item/ http://www.iforgeiron.com/gallery/image/37486-it-followed-me-home-post-anvil/ I've got the first one mounted and cleaned up a bit. The post is still waiting to determine exactly what it will be used for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Keyes Posted September 16, 2013 Share Posted September 16, 2013 Here is mine. First is my main anvil, it's a 4140 post 5 x 6.5 x 29. It sits in a piece of tube that is welded to 200 lbs of plate and held by some wooden wedges. The second is another of the 4140 blocks on it's side. It has 2 receivers welded to the ends that hold a variety of tools. I am re-designing the forging space right now. My intent is to move the tooling anvil onto the plate with the post anvil, at right angles, and opposite it will go a homemade swedge block (built out of a 200 lb chunk of I beam) to use as a hardy hole. The 4th side might get a vice or a real swedge block. One thing to think about with bedding an anvil in sand. When you hit the anvil, it will move and sand will get underneath it. Over time the anvil will get taller and taller. I read about this happening in the Anvils Ring with the anvil of a big power hammer. Geoff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capnroo Posted September 16, 2013 Author Share Posted September 16, 2013 craven- thanks. i looked up the brazeal striker and it was really neat. thor- cool stuff, man. that giant metal post looks like it would be one awesome base or something! Geoff- thanks for the sand info. also, those look like some really nice anvil setups! my top plate is tool steel i think. i might check it on the hardness tester at work, might not. doesnt really matter, i think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted September 16, 2013 Share Posted September 16, 2013 Looking at what you have, I'd consider mounting the big peice in end, and using the large diameter axle as a bick. The large peice of link can steadily find a great use, say as a bolster plate and hardy tool plate. Roof stuff. Thor, what the heck is it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capnroo Posted September 16, 2013 Author Share Posted September 16, 2013 Charles, in Glenn's pinned post above, Thor says both of those pieces came from a rock quarry? And I just now welded the pieces together and found a stand. Gonna post pics tomorrow. Even without the anvil attached to my stand it doesn't budge when I hammer on a cold piece of metal. I figure all together it'll probably weigh about 150lbs. Gonna get the stand sawed at work tomorrow. Will post pics tomorrow too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted September 16, 2013 Share Posted September 16, 2013 Worst comes to worst there's always a grinder ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThorsHammer82 Posted September 17, 2013 Share Posted September 17, 2013 Looking at what you have, I'd consider mounting the big peice in end, and using the large diameter axle as a bick. The large peice of link can steadily find a great use, say as a bolster plate and hardy tool plate. Roof stuff. Thor, what the heck is it? yup. my main anvil is a rock anvil. It's actually only half of one. but it's cast steel that the rocks are thrown at at high speed and they shatter on impact. The post is actually the Tip of the rock breaker. basically a jack hammer on steroids. It goes on an excavator and it is used to make rocks that are to big for the other excavators/trucks to move into manageable sizes. I can't remember how many lbs of force it can put into the rocks but it's more that 100,000 psi if I remember right. I'll do some more research and let you know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSW Posted September 17, 2013 Share Posted September 17, 2013 Thor the term for your " rock breaker " is a hydro hammer. Does my heavy table count? We've heated and beat a ton of stuff on it over the years. 1 1/2" thick top makes a great pounding surface and the fact it weighs in at just about 1.5 ton means it doesn't move at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThorsHammer82 Posted September 17, 2013 Share Posted September 17, 2013 without knowing the exact hammer it came off of and based on a rough guess of the diameter at 6-7" it's either a 12000 lb or 15000 lb model so it's somewhere in the 75,000-180,000 range. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted September 17, 2013 Share Posted September 17, 2013 That crusher bit would make a dandy post anvil all by itself! I priced some new/used ones as a possible source for ready-made bladesmithing anvils..... wow, are they are expensive! Your example is worn down to the nub, hence why it was thrown out, but you don't get much better a piece of steel for an anvil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobody Special Posted September 17, 2013 Share Posted September 17, 2013 Well, I've got a perfectly good anvil. No homemade jobbies, but if you wanna count all the things I've beat metal on, there's: Rocks - Large, igneous, and plenty of 'em in the backyard RR track - Got a bit, and it's convenient sometime when you want a bend a certain way Worthless engine block - cast iron, but better than nuttin', and some unique shapes. Vise - Bench vise has a little table and horn on the back, why not? Doesn't take a beating, but okay for little stuff. Logs - Used 'em for swaging, bending, like 'em sometimes for punching. Nice when you don't want to put hammer marks in the work Hammerhead - weld a spike onto a broken sledge, and gotta kinda of a stake anvil.....ish. guess you could use one that's not broken. Usual cautions about whacking a hammer with a hammer. Basically, whatever fits the purpose and the shape I needed at the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capnroo Posted September 17, 2013 Author Share Posted September 17, 2013 I have two stands that Im thinking of using. I actually like the wider one because its shorter and a little stouter. may have to weld some feet on the bottom for added support, but I think Ill be ok. its either way, they are stout and heavy. the wider base is below Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThorsHammer82 Posted September 17, 2013 Share Posted September 17, 2013 That crusher bit would make a dandy post anvil all by itself! I priced some new/used ones as a possible source for ready-made bladesmithing anvils..... wow, are they are expensive! Your example is worn down to the nub, hence why it was thrown out, but you don't get much better a piece of steel for an anvil. It's either going to be a post anvil of a power hammer anvil. Haven't decided yet. I got it because it's broken. The one on the machine now isn't much longer than this one. It still has the radiused curve on the edge that you wouldn't find on one that was beaten to complete crap. I'm actually REALLY lucky that he was willing to give these pieces up because in order to get new bits and anvils for the rock crusher and hydro hammers he needs to send the worn out ones back so they can be melted down for use in the new ones. If you compair the rock anvil to a new one it is REALLy worn down but I'm not complaining because it works great for me. I picked them both up, along with quite a bit of other metal from a local rock quarry for free. everything except the rock anvil and bit were scrap metal to him anyway. It's good to make friends with the right people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted September 17, 2013 Share Posted September 17, 2013 This is the 75 lb chunk of I beam I worked on for a year or so before I found my Peter Wright. drilled a pritchel hole, took an angle grinder to on edge to make an notch for bending. At one point I clamped a jackhammer bit to the web to make a sort of horn. Now it stands on end and holds up my slack tub. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capnroo Posted September 17, 2013 Author Share Posted September 17, 2013 nice, Micheal. I didn't think about I-Beam when I was gathering materials. this may sound newbish, but i havent learned the lingo yet... whats a slack tub? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted September 17, 2013 Share Posted September 17, 2013 Slack tub is the bucket of water you use to cool the metal and your fire using a sprinkler can or a cloth mop (mostly on charcoal) I beam can be as springy as RR track, the thicker the webs the better, mine was close to an inch thick on the center web and I tried to stay over that part when hammering. Farther out along the face you get a lot of noise and spring that sucks the energy out of your strike. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capnroo Posted September 17, 2013 Author Share Posted September 17, 2013 ha. I would have known if you had said water tub. thanks for the jargon lesson. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodge Posted September 22, 2013 Share Posted September 22, 2013 So if you run a CNC shape cutter, do you simply cut a square block? No, you covertly get the programmer guy to write you an ASO program :D It is mild steel; corten actually, but the rebound isn't that bad. I would guess 80% or better of a "real" anvil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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