stovestoker Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 If you were going to build an anvil out of material found in a scrap yard, what would you use? For example, I found some fork lift tines today. Would they make a good anvil? Should I be looking for something to make a post anvil? Do I stick with rr track? What pieces parts should you look for and how would you put them together? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arftist Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 How big were then tines? Forklift tines would make a great post anvil. What do you forge? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulKrzysz Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 This is what I came up with when I was playing around with the idea. Large forklift tine, at least 2.5'' in width as the main body. For either horns a square of material would be cut on the diagonal, deeply chamfered, and welded to the main body. The hardy might give you trouble with this design The base is really just for style, you could go with something much simpler if you wanted to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmccustomknives Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 I've made both. The RR track anvil I had flipped upside down and boxed in the edges. The large forging surface was great, stand and all it weighed 150lbs. Then I made a post anvil from forklift tines. It weighs close to 300lbs. I didn't have room in my shop for both so I had to get rid of lighter one. I miss it. Rebound performance was about the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caotropheus Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 I had a similar idea. Actually I made an anvil out of steel I found at the scrap yard '?do=embed' frameborder='0' data-embedContent>> but it is big and bolted to the ground. And I want to make one more, smaller, portable with square face, like a stake anvil. Something like this From top to bottom, 1 - a bit of leaf sping 30 mm thick (you can notice it is cracked), 2 - shaft from some gear box, 750 mm long 65 mm diametre, 3 - shaft from other gear box, 200 mm long, 110 mm diameter at the thickest 80 mm at the thinnest, 4 - mild steel towing pin, 80 mm diameter 200 mm long. I have one other bit of steel to make the "square" horn face and round stock for the bottom peg (not pictured). I am thinking on making full penetration welds with 7018 and reinforce everything with gussets just to be on the safe side. I estimate final weight of the project will be between 50 kg and 60 kg. It will be a long term project not to build in a single go, but once in a while. The main idea is to weld little bits at a time to keep original temper of the different components. I will grind the round horn. Hope I will manage to acomplish this project Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stovestoker Posted March 30, 2014 Author Share Posted March 30, 2014 Out of the box thinking with scrap yard parts is exactly what I am looking for. Hope this thread keeps going. The tines are 3 feet in length on the bottom skids. About 18 inches from the L to where they are attached to the frame. Not super big but the uper supports are 1.5 inches thick. I will be forging knives, meat turners and bottle openers. Working my way up to gate hinges and fineals (sp?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the iron dwarf Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 a tooth from an excavator bucket can make a ready made horn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arftist Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 Out of the box thinking with scrap yard parts is exactly what I am looking for. Hope this thread keeps going. The tines are 3 feet in length on the bottom skids. About 18 inches from the L to where they are attached to the frame. Not super big but the uper supports are 1.5 inches thick. I will be forging knives, meat turners and bottle openers. Working my way up to gate hinges and fineals (sp?) There is at least one thread here on making a post anvil from a fork. They are very effective since almost all the mass is under the blow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stovestoker Posted March 30, 2014 Author Share Posted March 30, 2014 I have a post anvil that I think works pretty well. I would like something along the lines of an english anvile. Narrow long face, and a horn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 Yes, search for forklift and see what comes up. Should be several posts regarding forks as anvils. I posted what alloys some companies use for the tines, and it should be under scrap metal info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 What you planning to do where that shape would be optimal for you? One of the joys of making your own is that you can make it to suit your work! The London pattern was not handed down from on high but sort of grew up as a "swiss army knife anvil" With lots of tweaks to help you do a lot of different stuff but not optimized for any of it. (Now I love my SAKs and until recently carried them all around the world; but if I wanted to cut down a tree I wouldn't use a SAK saw and if I wanted to skin out an elk I wouldn't use the blade, etc...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MOONY Posted April 1, 2014 Share Posted April 1, 2014 all good as long as you enjoy it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ichudov Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 You can make a lot of money buying scrap steel stock (plates, bars and rounds) and tubing, and welding and forging them to make blacksmith items. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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