MadHammerForge Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 I received a Harbor Freight anvil for my birthday and was wondering if it would work as a real anvil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rainbows Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 You could use it but it won't work well and won't last long. Working anvils are cast steel, forged steel or a steel plate with a cast iron body with the common theme being a more durable steel face. You might be able to make use of the horn for shaping metal but most other chunks of steel of a comparable weight will be better for forging. If you have the 15lb version then it won't be much good at all. That is as much use as a doorstop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadHammerForge Posted February 8, 2015 Author Share Posted February 8, 2015 Ok I have the 55 pound version ill just use it until I can a steel anvil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njanvilman Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 Make sure that all the steel you hammer is glowing. Hammering cold steel on this anvil will quickly degrade it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arftist Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 You could use it but it won't work well and won't last long. Working anvils are cast steel, forged steel or a steel plate with a cast iron body with the common theme being a more durable steel face. You might be able to make use of the horn for shaping metal but most other chunks of steel of a comparable weight will be better for forging. If you have the 15lb version then it won't be much good at all. That is as much use as a doorstop. You forgot the most common of all, wrought iron with a tool steel top plate welded on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rainbows Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 In my defense that comes under forged steel sort of. My own anvil is wrought iron with a steel face. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arftist Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 I received a Harbor Freight anvil for my birthday and was wondering if it would work as a real anvil. It could; '?do=embed' frameborder='0' data-embedContent>> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 If you are looking to do some modifications, just attach a steel plate to the top of it. Do this before the top gets dented, and dinged so it is still flat. I am thinking a few flat head allen bolts torqued down, and then welding the heads to the plate would work. Through bolts may also work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arftist Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 I need to ask, is there a way to connect a steel plate to the top of the ASO without bolts ? I'd like to try forge brazing it but I am not going to buy a throw away anvil to experiment. I was thinking something like Biggun Dr, earlier as well. With a very thick tool plate and as many good bolts as possible it would certainly be an improvement over 55 lbs of cast iron. To be fair, Quenchcrack mentioned this years ago. If one were to bother I would advise 2" thick (at least) forklift tine., under the principle of "more is better" bearing in mind that the top plate isn't fused to the anvil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arftist Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 I need to ask, is there a way to connect a steel plate to the top of the ASO without bolts ? Sorry, the better answer is yes, it could be welded. The link I posted above is to a thread about welding a tool steel top to a cast iron anvil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 But welding cast iron is also not for the beginner. I was thinking brazing, but not sure if the braze would take the pounding. A forklift tine is what I was thinking too. I mentioned bolting because a lot of people either have , or know someone with a drill press. Or an even easier method is to find a big chunk of scrap steel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wroughton Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 It's a door stop. I think someone suggested using it for setting small rivets and such. Large RR track is always the best first option for being without anvil. I say this because it seems like the easiest to find. Start forging.....then search for bigger blocks of steel to upgrade. Scrap yards, large equipment shops, OLD fab shops. For all of those suggestions....the older and more run down the better. Big block of steel + large dimension pipe or tubing filled and tamped with earth or gravel, and a big brake drum welded together and you are off to the races. Scrap is in the tank right now so it's a good time to look. Don't go dressed as Gandalf or a blacksmith of olde. You won't impress these people. The big flat one is my first and possibly my fav. It's about 170lbs and 4" thick. AR plate or T1, I can't remember. The rebound would amaze most. The other is mild steel I believe. Pretty soft but has a great rebound too and it doesn't mar my hammers. Great for detail work with different radiuses on each edge. I probably went too long without a proper anvil to be a dyed in the wool advocate. Now I have the real deal all over but don't use as much as my shop made models. Only when I need to use a spring swage or cutoff tool usually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 Another option before you use it is to just return it. Harbor Freight is pretty good about returns. I realize that you may think this is somewhat disrespectful to the one who gave it to you, but an explanation of a soft anvil is not the right type of anvil for the type of work you want to do should work. Use the refund to buy a big chunk of scrap(s) that will work for you, and some other tools. This should be a better option than to have them see their gift($) end up all beat up in a short time. Their money should be better spent if they really want to see you begin smithing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 I was given a cast iron ASO years ago and was going to try silver soldering a steel plate on it but it's been back burnered so long . . . Silver solder is WAY more than strong enough to take anything a human can do to it with a sledge hammer, it's how the carbides are stuck to the teeth in earth auger drill bits. If a 453 Detroit Diesel being stalled out repeatedly grinding through frozen boulders won't break the braze/silver solder join it's good enough for an anvil face. I've just never gotten that darned roundtit. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 As I recall Patrick tried the mill flat and bolt a steel plate on an anvil; I don't recall him being real happy with it afterwards... Patrick???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njanvilman Posted February 11, 2015 Share Posted February 11, 2015 I would return it and use the $$ for a real anvil. You might want to add your location. It would help others help you. If you were local to NJ, I would give you a hunk of RR track to get you started. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickOHH Posted February 11, 2015 Share Posted February 11, 2015 im with them, return it, explain why you did, and you appreciate the thought behind the present but it will not last very long as an anvil and hit some scrapyards/salvage yards and find yourself a nice hunk of steel to use, big sledge hammer heads, rr track, i beam on end with a thick plate welded on it, theres someone in the tailgating section selling a large peice of steel. all will work better and take muc more abuse, may just have to grind some blemishes every once in while or look into heat treating it, but even un treated steel will work better and last much longer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadHammerForge Posted February 11, 2015 Author Share Posted February 11, 2015 Does anyone know if you could round the horn or would it even be worth it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njanvilman Posted February 11, 2015 Share Posted February 11, 2015 Anything, even cast iron ASO could be modified for you needs. I would use a small 4 1/2" offhand grinder; start with the hard grinding wheel for rough shaping, then use various grit flap disc wheels. I would do this outside, with a dust mask. The cast iron tends to grind with a gray/black dust. It will take some time. Do NOT try to heat and forge it to shape. Cast iron will not forge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadHammerForge Posted February 11, 2015 Author Share Posted February 11, 2015 If you were dumb enough to stick something that big in a forge fire. How would you even get it out of the forge with out burning yourself Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swedefiddle Posted February 11, 2015 Share Posted February 11, 2015 Mad - The lesson is - To work large objects, you need appropriate tools. If you are mad enough to try working a large object without large enough tools, The Darwin Award might be granted :) :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swedefiddle Posted February 11, 2015 Share Posted February 11, 2015 Mad - I just noticed your haven't filled out your Profile Location. Where on the third rock from the sun, do you cast a shadow?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njanvilman Posted February 11, 2015 Share Posted February 11, 2015 If you were dumb enough to stick something that big in a forge fire. How would you even get it out of the forge with out burning yourself How do you think all Hay Budden, PW, Trenton, Arm and Hammer, and all other forged anvils were made. They just had a very large heating forge, and the appropriate tools to handle the anvil and parts. Gantry cranes over the fire that swung the anvil over to the hammer. There is a way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSW Posted February 11, 2015 Share Posted February 11, 2015 If you were dumb enough to stick something that big in a forge fire. How would you even get it out of the forge with out burning yourself There have been a number of posts here in the past that showed vidoes of industrial forgings that make a 500lb anvil look tiny. Items that come out of an industrial "forge" that weigh in the multi ton range. Just like anything else big and heavy, you just have to have the right tools and equipment to handle them. Cranes and hoists, huge grabbers or "tongs", fork lifts and so on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted February 11, 2015 Share Posted February 11, 2015 Nowadays you have "tongs on wheels" (sort of like heavy duty modified forklifts) to move hot stuff from forge to powerhammers/presses; way back they used jib cranes with chains, large groups of people with large tongs---I've seen 10' long tongs sized for large stock that were used in industrial settings. Please remember that that HF cast iron horn is intrinsically weak. You may want to put the time/effort in modifying it on a chunk of steel and use that when you need a better shaped horn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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