My dad and I went to a metal working shop looking for something we could use as an anvil. We ended up buying a 12in x 12in steel slab 1in thick. We still havent figured out how we are going to set it up. Any ideas on how we can set it up? Also, the slab gets scratched by a file so i dont know if its hardened. If someone could help me, i have multiple questions and could use the help. thank you

it will probably be mild steel so wont be able to be hardened much if at all, but there is nothing stopping you using it.

you want as much mass under your hammer as possible and as mostly the active part of an anvil is about the same size as the face of the hammer you are using standing it on edge may be the best thing.

you will find that even with this tiny area to work on you can do many things

thank you very much ill be sure to try that.

Is it possible to round an edge of the slab and use that for curving?

yes you can do that with a file or grinder, though you dont need to have a curved edge to do that, one thing we show newbies early in demos is making a scroll on the edge of the anvil without using the horn at all.

place metal so it sticks out slightly over the edge and hit it just beyond the edge, move it a little further and do it again, repeat until you are done.

the beginners anvil is just a couple of blocks of mild steel with an added horn

I like to start the bend as above and then flip it over and hit the end towards me with the back resting on the anvil---helps to set the tongs holding the metal against your hip area so it doesn't give as much as you are hitting the metal towards you.

As for the anvil, look up bending forks, then drill a couple of holes in the slab and drop in some rod sections to use as a bending fork.

Would it be worth it to cut the slab and weld the pieces together in a shape that would be easier to work on?

 

No!

Actually, Alec Steele recommends learning Blacksmithing on a mild steel anvil/block. This way you don't need to worry about messing up your tool or a nice anvil.

We are brainstorming ideas for a base to elevate the anvil

Any tips on how to muffle the ringing of the slab?

Turn it on edge.

The steel tripod stand will go a long way to damping the ring, it's a resonance thing though a magnet or two on the sides wouldn't hurt.

Is that your anvil John? I'd love to give one a try, I know I've used a lot more basic.

Frosty The Lucky.

Nope, that is Brian Brazeal's die anvil. I started making one for myself, but have not finished and mounted it yet. It sits there, in the UFO* pile, mocking me.

*Un-Finished Objects, a term common to many crafts, both male and female oriented.

On 3/16/2016 at 8:12 PM, John McPherson said:

Turn it on edge.

 

I really would love to make one of these. What kind of steel is that? 4130? or some sort of mild steel?

some sort of mild steel .

What are some bases we could make to hold the slab on its side without having to cut into it.

We have cement and some CMUs at hand.

3 hours ago, Danthony said:

What are some bases we could make to hold the slab on its side without having to cut into it.

We have cement and some CMUs at hand.

You want to lay it on it''s side and lose all that beautiful depth of rebound?  I don't think it'd make a lot of difference what you mounted it on in that case it wouldn't be much for an anvil. Most anything just so long as it couldn't fall on anybody.

If by side you mean an edge then I vote for the tripod. Concrete isn't so resistant to impact shock and on edge that plate will be conducting a much higher PSI to the stand than a London pattern anvil. The pic above on one patterned on Brian Brazeal's anvil gets my vote. The anvil has a very high utility and that stand will take most of the ear damaging ring out.

Frosty The Lucky.