Trying to commercially make an anvil

[njanvilman]

Judging from the responses, I'd imagine cutting a slab that just fit a flat rate box would go over real well.

As long as it does not go over the weight requirement.  I think for most it is 75 lbs.

[Eddie Mullins]

I'll add another vote for Swage blocks!

 

I also would vote for a beefier sweet spot. The anvil I have now is a 70 LB london pattern and works great for lots of things. I like it better than some larger anvils I have used, but I can't do real heavy work on it. For that I have a stiking anvil in the works, maybe something of that design would be desirable as well.

[VaughnT]

"Judging from the responses, I'd imagine cutting a slab that just fit a flat rate box would go over real well."

 

Nah!  Simple slabs are boring and fairly easy to come by locally.  While not everyone has a scrap yard handy, most have access to a metal-working shop and can get simple drops.  Getting a larger or more aesthetically-pleasing shape, however, is very uncommon.  And anvils like I showed above are nearly non-existent.

[ThomasPowers]

Actually Steve Parker has been making, heat treating and selling anvils like the second one up there.  I have one and it's a key part of my medieval smithy demo kit and I've seen some other pretty ones at his table at Quad-State

[the iron dwarf]

VaughnT I have been asked in the past to make things like your block anvils but have considered it hard to make them look 'not machine made' for reenactor friends, I have learned a few things from the resources here that may make it more possible though.

I wonder how newly made they should look and things like that, how much wear and patina to add to to leave to the user to add by using them

[ThomasPowers]

I think Steve just forges them out of 5" 4140 (4340?) stock using large powerhammers no sign of machining save for the dressed face and no tool marks on it!

[the iron dwarf]

I might have to see how far my power hammer will go, it is only small and I have not yet found its limits.

11 kg hammer weight

100 to 120 kg total machine weight

60 kg anvil weight

and a 1 hp motor that has never yet been above 35% load.

 

will see if I can get it 100% load before something breaks

[Rashelle]

You could simply cut into rectangles, put a 1" hardy hole at one end, put legs on them (or go without or with slots cut for people to mount on stumps themselves) and make striking anvils also. I know of a couple people who's be interested with or without legs. Cheaper to ship without legs and people could weld or have welded on their own legs. With legs on you could make them be like the striking anvils Brian Brazeal uses. Quick easy use for the steel. I also like the idea of the double horn post anvil and swage blocks.

[VaughnT]

Dwarf, I see a lot of folks that want that air of "age" on a piece and can understand where they're coming from.  They see an old gate and love the look that a hundred years of weather has given it - obviously they don't want to wait a hundred years for a new gate to settle in.

 

I use a lot of the "cold blue and bleach" method to age knives and small things, but it wouldn't give you the look of pitting that the first anvil had.  For that, I'd use reverse electrolysis to really chew up the surface.  With the working face of the anvil set down on the bottom of the plastic pail, it should be safe from damage.

 

I wouldn't bother trying to mushroom the top unless the customer specifically requested it.  The might like the look, but if they're not an experienced smith the curve could give them fits and they'll complain because they don't know how to work with it.

 

Thomas, I'll look up Steve's anvils.  I've been looking for a chunk of metal that I could turn into a stump anvil like that; buying something ready-made would be nice.

[the iron dwarf]

VaughnT I was thinking on the first of the two anvils to get a block and machine the slot in the side, maybe even drilling the pritchel.

then forging all the faces except the bottom to lose the flat sides, straight lines and sharp corners look of modern steel and only slightly mushrooming the top leaving most nearly flat, then electrolysis to add some pitting over the texture it has and lastly hammering on the top to polish it up a bit.

[VaughnT]

D, that sounds like a good game plan.  The big work is in creating the slight taper so it doesn't look like a block.  This magnifies the look of the mushroomed top, too, so you don't need to do it as much.  I'd definitely want the pritchel and clean-out slot as this makes it look like an intentionally-made tool, aside from actually being functional.

 

Texturing the sides for that antique look is as simple as a slow drive down a country road!  Did this once with a piece dragging behind my car; dirt and gravel works a charm!  :)  

[the iron dwarf]

going to check some scrapyard steel in a couple of hours, will start taking a small hammer and a center punch with me to help identify steels.

you can tell a bit by the ring and how hard it is to  dent an edge or how far a punch goes in

[Everything Mac]

I'm late to the game on this one but I concur with what has been said,

A style similar to the Nimba anvils would be excellent. I'd definitely ditch the cutting table and elongate the horn slightly so you can make it nice and round.

Either way, keep it up. If you can produce them I've no doubt they will sell well. I'd quite like a decent square block anvil myself.

All the best
Andy