Micah Burgin Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 While an eight-pound anvil sounds anything but ideal to me, at a cost of 0 dollars, it's hard to beat. We've got an old sledgehammer, and I don't even need to take off the head to use it like this, so I was wondering: Could it work? The edges are somewhat rounded, but I'm mainly looking at knife-making anyhow so the need for a horn is minimal, and my friend has a real anvil (Problem is, 45 minute drive away...) so if I ever do need one, I have access to one. But I want some professional opinions before spending a few hours jury-rigging and perfecting it: Could it work? And somewhat more importantly, yes, the sledgehammer in question is very good quality and does have rebound (Figure that that's important) and a hickory handle, so I could even mount it standing up as long as I avoid that and get a somewhat larger anvil face. Projects I'm looking at are some sheath knives, a set of tongs, and maybe (Far in the future) an axe head of some sort. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 Double posted? To answere. Your question, yes it will work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Micah Burgin Posted November 16, 2015 Author Share Posted November 16, 2015 Only posted it once, strange. Thanks for the help! Could a mod/admin delete the extra one? Site must have thought I double clicked post or something weird like that, only one posting was intended... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 Happens to us all, lol. We all trip over our fingers (and toungs) at times Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 yes though of course the bigger the sledge the better! I like a 20#'r (haven't found a 32 pounder real cheap yet...) There is a youtube of a kukri maker using a sledge head for an anvil---but note he has *thousands* of hours of experience using it. I have a small cube anvil with a spike on the bottom for mounting in a stump---weighs about 25 pounds and was based on historical examples dating from roman, viking, medieval, spanish colonial, French and Indian War, etc times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 Micah, there was a video posted on here a while back of people forging knives using a sledge hammer head mounted in the ground. Sure it can work for you. Best thing would be to give it a go and see how it works for you. It takes practice to get good at things so get started and you can improve your skills, and equipment, as you go. 16 minutes ago, Charles R. Stevens said: Happens to us all, lol. We all trip over our fingers (and toungs) at times Charles, you've been spelling better lately. You feeling ok? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 wordprossesor and IFI are getting along better, lol. Thanks for asking (-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Micah Burgin Posted November 16, 2015 Author Share Posted November 16, 2015 8 minutes ago, ThomasPowers said: yes though of course the bigger the sledge the better! I like a 20#'r (haven't found a 32 pounder real cheap yet...) There is a youtube of a kukri maker using a sledge head for an anvil---but note he has *thousands* of hours of experience using it. I have a small cube anvil with a spike on the bottom for mountain in a stump---weighs about 25 pounds and was based on historical examples dating from roman, viking, medieval, spanish colonial, French and Indian War, etc times. ooh, that gives me an idea. If that's the case with sledges, and the spike anvil is a thing,. I have an eight pound splitting maul which we don't use at all. I could grind it down a bit so it's less likely to split the log upon repeated hits, and it should work fine. And I'll look at bigger sledges at Harbor freight, the steel for their hand tool heads is surprisingly good Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 A 4"+ drop from a scrap yard works aswell. The first anvils didnt have tool steel faces, they were just lumps of iron. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Micah Burgin Posted November 16, 2015 Author Share Posted November 16, 2015 1 minute ago, Charles R. Stevens said: A 4"+ drop from a scrap yard works aswell. The first anvils didnt have tool steel faces, they were just lumps of iron. True, though doesn't wrought iron (Original anvil stock) work harden well, or am I remembering things wrong? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 So dose most steel, thats the principle behind braneiling Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Micah Burgin Posted November 16, 2015 Author Share Posted November 16, 2015 Just now, Charles R. Stevens said: So dose most steel, thats the principle behind braneiling Oooh, the possibilities. So, there's a type of stainless steel (T304) that has an interesting property of not responding to heat treating but work hardening incredibly well. Could make good anvil faces. But theory and reality and their incredible disparities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 Kiss, college kid, kiss. This is iron age tech, tho their are handforged peices of titanium in orbit and on the moon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Micah Burgin Posted November 16, 2015 Author Share Posted November 16, 2015 I know, I know. And not even college yet, still down in the dumps of high school! Only two more years till I move on to the next money sink, eh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 Ah, to be 16 and know it all again! Fair warning, you will most likely find yourself woefuly unprpared for math and science in college. But you strike me as to smart for your own good. Lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Micah Burgin Posted November 16, 2015 Author Share Posted November 16, 2015 Ah yes, I very much am, too much information not enough exprience. And I found myself woefully underprepared for polynomials last year, College is going to be heck on earth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 The wonders of our modern education system. I know old guys in here that were doing calc in 8th, and my grndmother came from a one room school in Norge Ok, spanked my butt in math everytime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Micah Burgin Posted November 16, 2015 Author Share Posted November 16, 2015 Yeah I'm actually homeschooled, probably getting something closer to what you guys had. For example, I'm doing my lit in the background (Or rather, suffering) and have chemistry open to study from earlier, it's all ready to happen whenever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 I have a student who decided to switch from History/Philosophy to metallurgy in college this year. I asked him how good his calc was as that's generally the gating item for success in that field in college. Remember what I tell folks---a 1000 hours using a $0 improvised set up will make you a far better smith than 0 hours using a $1000 set up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 TP is one of the smiths I recomend you listen to, we can get you set up cheep, and show you how to do dangerus things in relitive safty. If Frosty can reforge a bent set of log tongs with a canp fire, a clae hammer and a wooden stump, I think a sledge head, a 2# cross pein and a box of dirt will serve you well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Micah Burgin Posted November 16, 2015 Author Share Posted November 16, 2015 12 minutes ago, ThomasPowers said: I have a student who decided to switch from History/Philosophy to metallurgy in college this year. I asked him how good his calc was as that's generally the gating item for success in that field in college. Remember what I tell folks---a 1000 hours using a $0 improvised set up will make you a far better smith than 0 hours using a $1000 set up! I think that quote is one of my new favorites! And yeah, so far, spent $0 on it and forged about 3-4 hours. Nothing useful really came out other than a drifted hole which saved me a couple bucks instead of ruining a drill bit, so I'd say I've broke even so far! And of course, all else failing, I have many logs that could be anvils too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 May I commend to your attention http://www.marco-borromei.com/fork.html (and yes I am the Thomas mentioned and have the other one too! ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jumbojak Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 A 12lb metal handled splitting maul worked well for me at the start. Find a stump with from a tree that was slightly rotten in the core that you can drive the handle through and use that to secure everything down. the flat(ish) surface you get is a bit bigger than a hammer head and you can pull it out to use the bit of the maul as a hot cut when you need one. Also, Thomas Powers is definately one of the folks you listen to. Charles too. I've been hard headed about a few of his recommendations but he has been right in the end every single time for me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Micah Burgin Posted November 16, 2015 Author Share Posted November 16, 2015 Thanks guys! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 Black smits, hard headded?! Parish the thought Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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