Mhayes93 Posted April 15, 2016 Share Posted April 15, 2016 Hey everyone, so I wanted to start getting into blacksmithing for a hobby so I went online and found some metal from a guy on Craigslist. He literally gave it to me for free and has an extra forge he will sell to me for $75. Done deal! Now I just need an anvil, the problem is anvils are hard to come by in central California... My question is this.. Should I pick up a harbor freight cast iron anvil for $65 (55 pound) to get me started? I could go the railroad track route as there are a couple up for sale however they don't have a horn and I really want a horn. Would this work for the time being so I can get hammering or should I not even consider it? Thanks a ton! -Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted April 15, 2016 Share Posted April 15, 2016 forget the cast iron anvil at HF. you are better off with the RR track stood on end to get you started until you find something better. starting out, you can learn many basics without an anvil horn.also there are ways to substitute an "anvil" horn. some searching on this website can get you Many answers. Charles R. Stevens has even ground a horn onto a RR track anvil if i remember right. just dont waste money on a cast iron anvil. it wont hold up to any kind of heavy forging. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted April 15, 2016 Share Posted April 15, 2016 You are in the central California, you should be able to find better pieces than a RR track anvil with all of the farming , and construction equipment in the area. If you have a scrap yard near see if they sell to the public. Scrap prices are in the gutter right now so you should be able to buy a 200# chunk for around $50. You need a chunk of steel, not cast iron. Items like forklift forks, large heavy equipment pins, big axles, thick plate, etc. All of these make better anvils than RR track in my opinion because they are a more compact and solid mass of steel. Heavy equipment repair shops, yards that rent forklifts and construction equipment, welding shops, fabrication shops, big wrecking yards that handle trucks and busses, heavy construction companies, businesses that have big mixers/crushers/etc will have what you are looking for. Counterweights for tractors and cranes are usually cast iron, but I have seen some newer ones that were torched out of steel plate. First thing you need to do is to learn how to tell the difference between the two when they are just laying around. Then you need to learn to tell the difference between a casting part line (bad), and a forging part line (excellent). The central CA is pretty big - I grew up in Fairfield - so depending on where you are, there may be some groups or other members that could help you get started. Why do you insist on a horn? Since you are starting out you probably don't realize that horns were missing from anvils for most of their history. They didn't appear until a around couple of hundred years ago. I rarely use the horns on my anvils, and do all of my scroll work, and curves on the flat top surface. Did you buy the forge yet? If not what kind does he have? If it is a brake drum forge, you can build a better design for less. The forge is the easy part to make. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mhayes93 Posted April 15, 2016 Author Share Posted April 15, 2016 Thanks for all the information! I will be looking around for a good substitute for an anvil now that I have some good information to look for. And yes you were correct, I didn't realize the horn was relatively new and figured it would be a good add. For the forge, it is a farrier forge. The thing about living in the city is I have to be careful about smoke etc. So gas forge is probably the best I am going to get. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted April 15, 2016 Share Posted April 15, 2016 No, the problem is you have an incorrect view of what an anvil is. For over 2000 years the anvil has mainly been more of a rectangular solid of wrought iron and/or steel. For about 200 years it's looked like a london pattern anvil and that in a rather limited part of the earth. may I commend to your attention: http://www.marco-borromei.com/fork.html Fork lift tines work better than RR track and are probably more easily sourced where you are at *especially* if you explain what you want to use it for and ask for a damaged one and are happy if they cut it in two---to make sure it can't go back on a forklift and so to lower their liability. Gas is great but a charcoal forge is simple to build, charcoal will work in a farrier forge, charcoal is simple to source and anyplace that allows charcoal grills should allow a farrier forge burning charcoal! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mhayes93 Posted April 15, 2016 Author Share Posted April 15, 2016 There is a junk yard in my town so I might run by there tomorrow and see what I can find. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anachronist58 Posted April 16, 2016 Share Posted April 16, 2016 Anvil. Anvil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted April 16, 2016 Share Posted April 16, 2016 Those'll work though I try to find a finer grained boulder. Availability is the issue of course. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mhayes93 Posted April 16, 2016 Author Share Posted April 16, 2016 So I ended up getting a nice size piece of railroad track. Local scrap yard just gave it to me, they liked what I was doing with it. Awesome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted April 16, 2016 Share Posted April 16, 2016 I certainly hope you bring them a box of doughnuts *soon*! A scrap yard that likes what you are doing is a resource NOT to be taken lightly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mhayes93 Posted April 16, 2016 Author Share Posted April 16, 2016 Good idea, I will make sure to bring him some! Great guy and definitely will be back for more stuff! He has quite a bit of brake drums and tons of iron. *edit* I will post pictures once I am done with my fixing up on it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted April 16, 2016 Share Posted April 16, 2016 Be sure you bring him and his crew a thank you and a few pictures of other things you're looking for. Don't get too carried away though you aren't going to need many brake drums. Say ONE maybe? Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted April 17, 2016 Share Posted April 17, 2016 Brake rotors make better forges. Now if you want to make a forge look into the side blast 55 forge here on the forums. A side blast is a lot easier to fab up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted April 17, 2016 Share Posted April 17, 2016 I second the side blast, and the 55 side blast in perticar. Brake rotor and brake drum forges are a PITA to set up in comparison. And side blasts burn coal, coke and charcoal with equal aplumb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted April 17, 2016 Share Posted April 17, 2016 A side blast will also burn manure, wood and corn with far fewer and less severe management problems than a bottom blast. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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