first anvil

[flanagan]

I have looked for an anvil everywhere and nothing but ASO near me so far, but I did find a three feet long 5" round 4140 (slight rust on the outer layer, and it has been stored just laying outside on other metal pieces. 

So i was wondering if anyone has used a stock this long and stood it on end to use as a striking face.

I plan on grinding a small flat edge on two sides and round two sides and figure a way to harden the face (crazy heavy) this will still leave a 4" striking face thinking of concrete platform and using a larger radius pipe filled  filled with sand around the round stock.

any ideas on worth the effort ?

TYIA

[JHCC]

That's a great find! Rough calculation, that's about 200 lbs, yes?

There are some good threads here on IFI about stands for block anvils and post anvils and also about how (and how much) to radius the edges of your anvil. The most important parts of the former are stability and proper working height (you want the face to be about the height of your wrist as you're standing comfortably), and the most important thing for the latter is that there be no sharp corners, which will cause cold shuts.

Take a look at this thread and this one for some inspiration.

[Daswulf]

Sounds like a good plan Flanagan. Doubt you need the concrete but some stable base. The sand around it in a larger Dia. pipe sounds good. Or you could bracket it to a sturdy stand. 

Many people have used such style of anvil and even smaller top surface area and less mass under it with success. 

 

[flanagan]

JHCC thanks for the threads im looking at them now.

 

 

Daswulf  thanks for the encouragement 

[Charles R. Stevens]

You may have to sink it 6" or so ( be pending on your hight) or have it cut off and mount the drop round up as a drawing die. I honestly wouldn't get to exited about square edges, just round over the edges and find something else for a square edge, like a pick head or solid 2" draw bar. Hardening isn't a priority either, it will more than likely form a steam jacket. Tho a water cooled aluminum quench block works well. 

[Lou L]

I wouldn't bother heat treating it.  Odds are your heat treat will not get much more hardness out of it because it's not easy to do.  With a chunk of steel that big you could simply grind off mis-hits and marks if it gets too marred.  The 4140 will be plenty tough I think as is.

There are so many great ways to set it up.  Do a search for "post anvil" and iforgeiron on google and you will find pics and discussions.  I know JHCC already hooked you up but I figured I'd teach you to fish  

Just a google images search for post anvil will be good too.  Just ignore the concrete ones.  Enough of the curmudgeons here have pointed out that concrete doesn't do well in that application.  You could add rebar and design it all fancy but, in the end, you've made something near permanent.  What happens when you get a traditional anvil and you have this amazing chunk of tool steel cemented in place?

[Kevin Olson]

Wow. 3 feet of mass under the striking surface. Yup. That will work just fine. 

[ThomasPowers]

And someday it might make a great anvil for a treadle hammer!