Christian N Posted July 29, 2017 Share Posted July 29, 2017 So I have acees to some 1-2" thick 6"wide steel bars. Would I be able to cut off about a foot, set that like 1/2" to 1" deep into cement on it's flat side leaving the 6"x12" face up and use that as an anvil and also set a 7/8" square pipe vertically to act as a hardy? Im very new to all of this and just trying to think of why this set up would be worse than say a 1' segment of RR track? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the iron dwarf Posted July 29, 2017 Share Posted July 29, 2017 the cement will break up very soon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted July 29, 2017 Share Posted July 29, 2017 A 2" bar, 6" wide 32" long would be nice as an anvil, strap it to the side of a 2' stump and go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 29, 2017 Share Posted July 29, 2017 you judge the suitability of improvised anvils by how much steel is between the hammer face and the ground in a single unbroken piece. So your suggestion is 2" CRS's suggestion to mount the piece vertically would be 32" 32 >> 2! Now other things do come into play with regards to mass; but even on London Pattern Anvils we judge the "Sweet Spot" to be the section of the face that has iron/steel all the way down to the base of the anvil and is where any heavy work should be done and is the place where your hammer blows are most efficient. Now if you could find a single piece at 4"x6"x32" you would have a very good anvil indeed weighing over 200 pounds! (and you still would mount it vertically!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted July 29, 2017 Share Posted July 29, 2017 2 hours ago, Charles R. Stevens said: A 2" bar, 6" wide 32" long would be nice as an anvil, strap it to the side of a 2' stump and go. Charles forgot to say, stand it ON END. It'd weigh about 108lbs. and all under the hammer. A big flat area isn't all that useful in most cases. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted July 29, 2017 Share Posted July 29, 2017 Thank you Jerry. Tho if you have the material a striking anvil and a post anvil together would be nice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian N Posted July 30, 2017 Author Share Posted July 30, 2017 so a 2"x6" surface wouldnt be too small? i feel like that doesnt give me enough space...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 30, 2017 Share Posted July 30, 2017 How big is your hammer face? What are you planning to forge? Can you tell us how we are supposed to know what YOU want to do?????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian N Posted July 30, 2017 Author Share Posted July 30, 2017 right sorry haha, well im just thinking for a hobby starting with small knives. I met a guy in school at a mech engineering assembly who had made a pretty sick kukri machette. So nothing huge but maybe 6" to 18" blades. that sort of thing. but everything makes a ton of sense, sorry I dont mean to come off as challenging any of you at all. so thanks for all your posts! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 30, 2017 Share Posted July 30, 2017 may I commend to your attention: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxLpbgT3HFg pay close attention to the anvil this professional knife forger is using. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian N Posted July 30, 2017 Author Share Posted July 30, 2017 so just like a sledge hammer head right? that would be around 2-3 inches diameter right? and then set in concrete it looks like. so would i want to make sure that the base of the hammer head is in contact with the ground? or would it be alright to just stick it in like a bucket of quickcrete of plent of cement beneath it? I guess i could put the base on top of a smaller steel bar beneath it all so that it doesnt crack my concrete basement floor... would that work? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted July 30, 2017 Share Posted July 30, 2017 A rail road rail on end gives you a 3"X1 1/2" and that's just fine. So your 6"x2" gives you even more real-estate. No rule says you can't have more than one anvil. I have 3 plus a few in the build stage Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 30, 2017 Share Posted July 30, 2017 I prefer bedding in wood to concrete and the stump size can put it at a convenient height to work on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted July 30, 2017 Share Posted July 30, 2017 Sounds like he has access to more, getting fancy with a transformer anvil may be to much. Put o post in a stump and get to work, then you can build a striking anvil or portable hole from their. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian N Posted July 31, 2017 Author Share Posted July 31, 2017 So this is my new idea... what if I got the sledge hammer head, had it welded onto a 3"x3" steel bar, about 1-2ft long and then made a cement base for it? then I could have another square pipe welded to the side of the bar for hardy tools and it would stick up decently far w/o being too expensive... one other question: when you guys talk about strapping it too/sticking it in a large stump is that just to add mass/weight to the anvil to help it absorb shock? If I have easier access to quickcrete than I do to a large stump would that work just as well or should I really try to find a large block of heavy wood for the base? again thanks for answering all my quesions, hope im not annoying any of you! 14 hours ago, ThomasPowers said: I prefer bedding in wood to concrete and the stump size can put it at a convenient height to work on. Oh im sorry thomas, your response hadnt loaded for me quite yet. Search for a stump it is. Should I drill a hole into the center like a 3" hole and hammer/wedge the bar in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted July 31, 2017 Share Posted July 31, 2017 Welding tool steel requires heating it to about 500f and cooling it slowly, and welding an anvil requires welding the two pieces full with, not just around the parimiter. So you don't gain muck welding the sledge on the 3", but if you have 3" shaft or square a foot or more long you have an anvil, a 3" post is great! Cement and concrete will eventually crack and break up, I know because me and a 10# sledge have taken out a slab 0r two and a bunch of blobs around posts. A natural stump or one built up out of lumber is much more durable as are steal tripods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 31, 2017 Share Posted July 31, 2017 There are a number of ways to make the hole, drilling a hole just slightly undersized is one of the better ones. You don't want to make it too undersized as "wedging" is the standard way to split firewood....Choosing a wood that resists splitting can help a lot. Not knowing where you are at I can't suggest any local ones for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian N Posted July 31, 2017 Author Share Posted July 31, 2017 Right makes sense. Im in eastern Idaho, Ill look for stuff. So like if its a 3"cylindrical bar, like a 2-3/4" hole do you think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted July 31, 2017 Share Posted July 31, 2017 @Christian N, take a look at this video, which shows someone building a stand for an anvil with stock very similar to what you describe in your original post. If I were in your position, I would very seriously consider giving this a shot: it's easy to build, can be made with minimal investment in material (especially if you can scrounge scraps of 2x4 from a construction site -- with permission, of course!), and is stable and effective as a stand. I would recommend putting a couple of different radii on the different edges, rather than leaving them as sharp as in the video, but this is otherwise a very good design. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 31, 2017 Share Posted July 31, 2017 How much stress will your stump stand? How well seasoned is it? I'd go 2 7/8 myself; but we have *DRY* wood out here!. Re JHCC's suggestion: be sure when using dimensional lumber that the pieces *under* the anvil are all vertical and not stacked on their sides as each interface loses energy. His in the video is long enough that there is only *1* piece between it and the floor and so ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted July 31, 2017 Share Posted July 31, 2017 45 minutes ago, ThomasPowers said: His in the video is long enough that there is only *1* piece between it and the floor and so ok. The little bit of stall mat that he put at the bottom of the socket is also pretty unnecessary: without it, the end of the anvil will eventually dent the top surface of the bottom boards to match its own shape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted July 31, 2017 Share Posted July 31, 2017 3" will be fine if the stump is green, as it will shrink Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted July 31, 2017 Share Posted July 31, 2017 4 hours ago, Christian N said: Right makes sense. Im in eastern Idaho, Ill look for stuff. So like if its a 3"cylindrical bar, like a 2-3/4" hole do you think? If you go to your profile and add your location we wouldn't have to ask all the time and you might be surprised how many IFI members are close to you and like me have terrible memories about where someone is located. As far as the stand all the suggestions are right on. I made one from an old railroad tie that I picked up at a Lowe's garden center. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted August 1, 2017 Share Posted August 1, 2017 If you have access to a welder, a 3" OD shaft will fit in a 3" ID pipe, add 3 legs and feet and walla. If it is a bit loose use silicon, if it's not high enugh ad a bit of sand, if it's tight put the shaft in the freezer and the stand in the sun (you will probably never get it apart) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian N Posted August 1, 2017 Author Share Posted August 1, 2017 there are welding classes at my university that will weld small projects for free, as a matter of fact, i could probably check there for different scrap metals... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.