New Blacksmith

[gabha_gaelach]

I am wanting to take up blacksmithing and I don't have alot of money but I am looking for a cheap anvil are there any cheap anvils out there. I was looking at a Grizzly 55 lb iron anvil. I was wondering if there are any cheap kinds out there that I could buy or if there are any specs and materials they should be made of.

[Marksnagel]

Cheap can also be free or really inexpensive if you are willing to overlook the fact that your anvil has no horn or hardy hole or pritchel hole or name on the side.

 

I started out with a piece of railroad rail then a train coupler knuckle, then an anvil. I still use the rail and knuckle.

 

Do not limit yourself to an "anvil". There are many things out there that will serve as an anvil. Forklift fork. Any heavy piece of steel that has some mass to it. Go to a scrap yard and talk to them. Let them know what you are looking for and they may help you out. Come bearing gifts like a little something from the forge.

 

Where are you located. Please put your general location in your profile. There may be someone here that is near enough to help you out.

 

Mark <><

[ThomasPowers]

Cast Iron is NOT an anvil it's an ASO "anvil shaped object"  and will cost way more than getting a big hunk of steel at a scrapyard.

 

My local scrapyard charges me 20 cents US a pound.  Look at the cost of the ASO and figure out how big a scrap piece you could buy!

 

Note that through out history *most* anvils did not have a horn or a hardy hole---take a look at traditional japanese sword smithing anvils (National Geographic "Living Treasures of Japan" has a nice scene in it).  Just a nice rectangular solid anvil and they do fairly decent smithing on it most folks agree.

 

So go right over that-away to the scrap yard and tell them that the fellow in the red hat with the horns sent you!

[jmccustomknives]

You should post your location, you'd be suprised at what might turn up.  My first good working "anvil" was made from a RR track.  Part of blacksmithing is being able to problem solve.  That means thinking outside the "box".  Good luck.

[Frosty]

Welcome aboard, glad to have you. Put your general location in the header and we'll stop bugging you, that ad you might be surprised at how many IFI folk live within visiting distance.

 

I spent I don't know how many years forging on whatever heavy hunk of something hard was handy. I was often silly happy if I had a piece of steel to forge on. I made a Rail anvil but that was in the last few years before I located a "real" anvil. It isn't the tools that does the work, without a skilled hand they're just highly refined dirt.

 

It's common for folk just getting into a craft to think they need all the "right" or "real" tools but it isn't true. It's common to have your sights set on the perfect tools without knowing what you really need. I think most of us have been there, I know I have.

 

If you ca hook up with a knowledgeable smith or club and learn from them. Even watching will save you much MUCH time on the learning curve, every hour working with a smith will save you days, weeks or even months learning on your own. I've done that too, I always learn something watching another forge, even the don't do THAT experiences are valuable, maybe the most valuable.

 

Frosty The Lucky.