ThomasPowers Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 Besides a full penetration weld, not just a perimeter one; what counts is the amount of steel from the top to the bottom and it looks like most of that has NO steel under the top. So you spent time effort and materials making something you could have done MUCH MUCH better on using the materials you have already. Fairly common mistakes when folks try to copy a design not knowing which elements are important and which are cosmetic. Now can it be used?---Shoot yah! It could have just been done better to start. Here's a picture of a style of anvil that has been in continuous use for several thousand years: You will note solid metal from top to bottom. I did make a stake anvil to go with it to deal with jobs where a horn can help. (It's the leftmost one.) You can see solid blocks of steel to make more anvils from around the stake anvil's base. Take one of those and do a full-pen weld with a chunk of that tine for a face with just a little overhang for a heel and you would have a better anvil in my opinion. (The chunks are 4" thick and 8" sq.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pnut Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 The face plate standing up would have been a good Anvil on its own. I'd consider taking it off and using the horn on a separate stand but that's just my opinion. Pnut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mario the Millwright Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 I love getting my ego put back in check ;) Seeing as I was pretty proud of it I think I will still beat on it for a while. Lessons learned the hard way always stick. On the bright side, that forklift tine was from a set so I still have another one to play with. Note to self : Now that I am a member do some reading before doing a project with lot of unnecessary work with substandard results. cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 3 minutes ago, Mario the Millwright said: I still have another one to play with. Check this out: http://www.marco-borromei.com/fork.html And don't get discouraged! How much you learn from your mistakes matters more than the fact that you made them in the first place! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted October 30, 2019 Author Share Posted October 30, 2019 Well one can place a piece of round stock between the pieces so you can reach in to weld the pieces full thickness. Lots of work but you welders are a stubborn lot. Honestly tho a large fork can become a lot of tools. One only need an anvil the size of your hammer tho a bit more room helps to straiten stock. You can build a post and strike anvil, a post anvil and a bic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pnut Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 A year ago I would have done the same thing with a forklift tine. The more metal under your hammer the better. I use a piece of thirty inch RR track standing vertical so I have as much mass under each hammer blow as possible with what I have. Don't get discouraged. Remember it's supposed to be fun. Pnut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 Funny I still have the other tine to the one Marco used in my scrap pile as well. Your fab work looked good; just the design I had issues with. That would make a very nice silver smithing/jewelry anvil as it stands---they get a lot lighter use. Note too that that is a rather common way to go---there is a fellow on CL out my way selling "ASOs" made from I beam. 90%+ of the face floating on nothing and LOUD LOUD LOUD! (Wants way too much for them too.) Think of it as buying a car designed by someone who's never driven one vs buying one designed by a professional driver with 30 years experience. Any chance of visiting other smiths and trying out their equipment to see what works best for your uses? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Griffin Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 I've posted this before. This is 2 pieces of fork lift tine welded together about 20" long. Lots of mass under the hammer. As good as any London pattern. Mounted 4" deep in the stump on a 1" bed of sand wedged all around so it doesn't move. The stump is 4" in the ground. The smaller piece is rounded on top for a fuller. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
671jungle Posted November 10, 2019 Share Posted November 10, 2019 120lbs= six 6”x6”x12” mild steel plate tacked together then full pen arc weld at the top. This is not my work. I bought from local online for $75. So far all I’ve done is radius the edges and give it a small fullering area. Came with elm stand and retracting casters. It’ll do for now. It did last owner(bladesmith) for two years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted November 10, 2019 Author Share Posted November 10, 2019 If it works for you that’s all that really maters. Ideally we like to see solid mass and full depth welds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
671jungle Posted November 10, 2019 Share Posted November 10, 2019 12 hours ago, Charles R. Stevens said: Ideally we like to see solid mass and full depth welds. Agreed. It saves me from spending $300+ on an ideal chunk of 4140 for now and is somewhat of an upgrade from the rail anvil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pnut Posted November 10, 2019 Share Posted November 10, 2019 Have you seen the hammer in the thread titled power hammer build, that was posted by Ted Ewert iirc. I think the way he fabricated his tup would be a good way make an Anvil out of smaller stock. Pnut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyBones Posted November 16, 2019 Share Posted November 16, 2019 I used this for a while till i got my mousehole. It is the arm off of one of our old racks we used. These came from the old inground air/hydraulic that were replced with the new above ground electric lifts. 2 1/2' long, 10" wide, and 2" thick. Not sure of material but it worked like a charm. Little small on the top there, but turned on side was good. The bottom looks like the top would fit in like a puzzle piece. So i could almost use it a a swage also. Still use it today when i need the sharp corner or something odd shaped that just does not want to sit flat on my anvil. Oh it ways around 80# or so. And before leaving the shop. There was a total of 8 of them. You can see the bottom a little better here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted November 16, 2019 Author Share Posted November 16, 2019 Looks like a striking anvil to me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyBones Posted November 17, 2019 Share Posted November 17, 2019 A little on the tall side, but that was my idea when i mounted it like it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted November 18, 2019 Author Share Posted November 18, 2019 Often one forgets that on a long post anvil one can dangle the stock down the side to straiten Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pnut Posted November 18, 2019 Share Posted November 18, 2019 I use the flange or the web to straighten stock with the RR rail. Pnut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rojo Pedro Posted November 25, 2019 Share Posted November 25, 2019 Heres mine. 95# at .35 cents per pound. Use it for cutting and striking Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pnut Posted November 25, 2019 Share Posted November 25, 2019 Looks like it'll do the job. Good price too. Pnut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted November 25, 2019 Share Posted November 25, 2019 You might chisel a cradle in the log so you can use it on the side as well for a great drawing aid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cleave Posted November 25, 2019 Share Posted November 25, 2019 Here's my new RR track anvil, installed to supplement the Fischer Norris 1886 60 lb anvil, with really beat edges. The RR track gives me some nice crisp edges for bending and drawing. RR track was purchased from an antique store for $30, about scrap price. Probably weights 130 lb for 38". Center web is about 3/4". I ground a fuller onto one section of it. Its secured to an old utility pole section about 5' long, buried in very rock soil. I added a 3/4" hole through the web near the top for bending and such. The RR track anvil is very solid under the hammer and a very useful addition. (For you safety advisors, the Fischer horn was blunted long before my time, so not an imminent danger to the apprentices climbing on it). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
671jungle Posted November 27, 2019 Share Posted November 27, 2019 On 10/30/2019 at 2:44 PM, Randy Griffin said: 2 pieces of fork lift tine A pair will be coming home with me on Monday. Finally a more than decent anvil, and for free too! I will be sure to bring some doughnuts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Griffin Posted November 27, 2019 Share Posted November 27, 2019 I used the two upright pieces because there was no wear on that part. Pick up several cutting discs for your side grinder. If you are going to weld the two together, clamp them together really tight. You don't want even a small gap when finished. You can clean the top with the grinder but I used a file and small belt sander to get it flat. Good luck. I love mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piteog Posted December 28, 2019 Share Posted December 28, 2019 Just getting started with my home setup, I'm grateful for Charles R Stevens posts on better usage of rail. I've got an almost 2 ft section of crane rail that i think weighed about 110# that I've got upright. I'm planning on getting some chain to see if it can silence it some, the rail rings a fair bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted December 28, 2019 Share Posted December 28, 2019 Welcome aboard... please keep us posted on your progress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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