Nick O Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 The question I am going to ask has to do with the anvils hardy hole. My anvil is 187lb and when I upset material in the hardy or pritchel hole the anvils heel gets vary hot. I've tried cooling the part that is not being upseted but the heel still gets vary hot. Every time I have to take out the steel it is untouchable about 3/4in on any one of the four sides of the hardy hole but right of now I am using a garden hose or ice cubes to cool it every heat. I don't know if there is a solution to this but I thought it was at least worth asking. Nick O Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 That is not the correct use for either hole. Use an upsetting block , or header next time. I have also upset parts in my post vise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ethan the blacksmith Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 You need a striking anvil! That's just what there designed for! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick O Posted December 31, 2015 Author Share Posted December 31, 2015 17 minutes ago, Ethan the blacksmith said: You need a striking anvil! That's just what there designed for! I have been looking for something to use as that or some one selling one 20 minutes ago, BIGGUNDOCTOR said: That is not the correct use for either hole. Use an upsetting block , or header next time. I have also upset parts in my post vise. If this is the wrong way to do this then why do I see smiths on internet and demos doing the same thing I am doing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ethan the blacksmith Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 My personal opinion is that there is nothing wrong with doing that.i used to upset stuff in my petter wright all the time! however, in the long run,if you want to be upsetting lots, it is worth building a striking anvil. there is a thread I started recently called striking anvil, it will answer most of your questions. Ethan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick O Posted December 31, 2015 Author Share Posted December 31, 2015 5 hours ago, Ethan the blacksmith said: My personal opinion is that there is nothing wrong with doing that.i used to upset stuff in my petter wright all the time! however, in the long run,if you want to be upsetting lots, it is worth building a striking anvil. there is a thread I started recently called striking anvil, it will answer most of your questions. Ethan thanks for the information Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Olson Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 If you can't hold your hand on it for 1 maybe 2 seconds it around 140degrees. That's not hot. If you drip some water on and it sizzles then your above 300 and that's not good . I doubt it would get to that temp because the heat is going to absorb away and down into anvil. Mine has a 1 1/4 hardy and I was making a cupping tool out of 5 inches of 1 1/4 and once it was upset and prepped enough to not fall through I left the whole thing above red and started banging. After 45 minutes the heat traveled down into the waist and around the hardy water would only boil but not sizzle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John McPherson Posted January 1, 2016 Share Posted January 1, 2016 You seem to think that there is something WRONG with the anvil getting hot. It just means that you are making something bigger than a flyswatter. Many production smiths will preheat the face of the anvil by laying a block of red hot steel on it while they lay out the tools for the day. One old time smith would put the kettle on the face of the 500 pound anvil to boil up tea at lunch. If the shop master could walk by anytime of the day and hold his calloused palm on your anvil for more than a second, you were lolly-gagging. Now, banging iron that is too cold into the hardy hole, or using sledge hammers on anything in the hardy or pritchel hole, now THAT is asking for trouble. Heavy work should only be performed over the waist, or in a big swage block on a heavy duty stand, or on a purpose made striking anvil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Bill Posted January 1, 2016 Share Posted January 1, 2016 Anvils in America, p. 121 gives Peter Wright's 1912 view on the subject. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 1, 2016 Share Posted January 1, 2016 As long as you are below the draw temperature of the anvils face you are A-OK. And the draw temperature is considerably hotter than boiling water! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick O Posted January 2, 2016 Author Share Posted January 2, 2016 On 12/31/2015 at 4:54 PM, Kevin_Olson said: If you can't hold your hand on it for 1 maybe 2 seconds it around 140degrees. That's not hot. If you drip some water on and it sizzles then your above 300 and that's not good . I doubt it would get to that temp because the heat is going to absorb away and down into anvil. Mine has a 1 1/4 hardy and I was making a cupping tool out of 5 inches of 1 1/4 and once it was upset and prepped enough to not fall through I left the whole thing above red and started banging. After 45 minutes the heat traveled down into the waist and around the hardy water would only boil but not sizzle. ok thanks for the info mine will tend to steam off don't know if it has ever sizzled before 13 hours ago, John McPherson said: You seem to think that there is something WRONG with the anvil getting hot. It just means that you are making something bigger than a flyswatter. Many production smiths will preheat the face of the anvil by laying a block of red hot steel on it while they lay out the tools for the day. One old time smith would put the kettle on the face of the 500 pound anvil to boil up tea at lunch. If the shop master could walk by anytime of the day and hold his calloused palm on your anvil for more than a second, you were lolly-gagging. Now, banging iron that is too cold into the hardy hole, or using sledge hammers on anything in the hardy or pritchel hole, now THAT is asking for trouble. Heavy work should only be performed over the waist, or in a big swage block on a heavy duty stand, or on a purpose made striking anvil. ok thanks for the info I usually use a 4lb hammer and are swage blocks made of cast iron or steel and if steel would it be heat treated to a certain hardness 12 hours ago, Randy Bill said: Anvils in America, p. 121 gives Peter Wright's 1912 view on the subject. thanks ill have to give it a look 8 hours ago, ThomasPowers said: As long as you are below the draw temperature of the anvils face you are A-OK. And the draw temperature is considerably hotter than boiling water! thanks for the info Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John McPherson Posted January 2, 2016 Share Posted January 2, 2016 There are several grades of cast iron, and various heat treatments can be applied to them. Most every city, or even large town, used to have a foundry up until the 1970's. OSHA and stricter anti-pollution laws made them unprofitable in the US, and they were some of the first businesses to off-shore. Industrial swage blocks, platen tables (and old US anvils like Fisher and Vulcan) were made out of a superior grade of cast iron than current bargain basement consumer imports. Yes you can break chunks or corners off of a big industrial swage block with a missed blow with a big sledge hammer, no, it is not easy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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