I am new to these forums and new to blacksmithing in general.I have read enough to be dangerous but need to start doing . I have a lot of conventional weldng/shop equipment but no basic blacksmith tools. Here is my question. I dissassembled a large crane mounted over a railroad track for unloading very heavy objects. I kept the hook. I don't have a weight on it but1000# or better i am sure. When standing upside down it acually has a pretty good sized flat area before it goes to the hook end and can be made very stable . Does any body know what type of steel a hook like this would typically be made of? While I am prowling around looking for a decent anvil is there any thing wrong or unsafe with using it as one ( I realize it will not enhance my work but I am just trying to get a feel right now anyway). Thanks for any reply.

Sounds like a good idea to me. Use the point as a bick, then have a flat behind that. Yep. Sounds like an anvil. Should be made of steel, and work pretty well for ya. Post us a picture of it, maybe we could help more, knowing the exact shape.

By the way, welcome aboard IFI. Clue us in to your location by going to the User Control panel to put in your locale.

Also, how about an intro in the Introduce yourself section of the forum.

A pic would be nice to see what you're talking about. I may have missed it, but how's the rebound on it?

It is quite possibly that it is forged steel or at least cast. One of the items I picked up at the scrap yard last visit was a large hook, it has the words; Forged in USA, right on the side of the hook.

I think your 1000# + crane hook would make a great anvil substitute.

I would think that any hook that large would need to be forged, considering the likely mass of the load its supposed to be raising

Almost undoubtably forged and probably not mild steel.

It'll make a fine anvil, I'd take it home in a heartbeat.

Frosty

I know a man in Indiana that used to forge hooks like that and that big.

Should make a great anvil and even after you get a real anvil the different shapes and radiususses will still come in handy. Besides that you need some neat things like that just layin around to keep the neighbors thinkin' :D

fixiehorse
Go to the top of the forum page and click on user cp
click on edit profile
go to the bottom of the page, enter your location, and save

We would like to know where in the world your located.

put that hook somewhere that it will NOT fall over and be happy with your new anvil. The thing will have more curves than a country road through the mountains, and each is useful as a swage. Use it to your advantage.

Thanks for your replies. There is a large block of pullies this thing is attached to right now. It takes a backhoe to lift, but when i get it seperated and mounted I will take a picure of it and post it.(this assumes my kids can teach me how)

fixiehorse, if part of your original question was, do I need a real anvil, it sounds like you really, really have an anvil. There's nothing so special about the London pattern anvil that that's what you have to have.

Pulleys as well? More swages. this just gets better and better.

As has been stated, it's not an anvil substitute, it's an anvil! (And a darn sight better than a cast iron ASO!)

Get good with it and get some publicity and you will find new folk trying to find crane hooks so they can do smithing just like you!

I can just see it now, in order to make a "proper" s-hook you first need to locate a 1000 pound crane hook. Not too many years ago it was said that the construction crane was the national bird, so I guess they shouldn't be too difficult to locate.

I can just see it now, in order to make a "proper" s-hook you first need to locate a 1000 pound crane hook.

And not too long after that, smiths on web sites, forums (fora?) lists and chats all over the planet will be arguing over which way it should point.

Frosty

hold it .......Im channeling a Feng shui master.....flat side up :p

Yes can't wait to see a picture of this!

fixiehorse you live really close to me
and nice find on the crane hook it will serve as a great anvil

A buddy of mine reworks the large steel eye pieces from cranes ( like a huge eye bolt)

Until they are shapel like a pair of steer horns with a vertical shaft.
He uses it for getting into the dome of helmets.

4140 steel at the least.With the liability issues the hook is way over built for what it is rated to lift. Chad