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Laminated striking anvil


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I know this is a silly question but it's been driving me crazy lately and I'm about ready to pull the trigger on the idea but decided to get input first. I have this wild idea that I could use multiple pieces of plate and stacked them in a fire with some kind of brazing material (brass, bronze, copper, etc) in between the layers and the welded the perimeter with deep v for penetration. I'm thinking about .75" plate would be adequate in three layers. 

I know it's better to have a solid piece but I have yet to source a solid slab as yet. If anyone wants to shoot my plan full of holes, by all means, fire away. I don't want to waste too much time and effort if it's a definite waste. If it's 'maybe' a waste of time I might do it anyway. 

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To whomever moved the post, I'm sorry I didn't post in the anvils etc section to begin with. I didn't think it was the proper place but I guess I was wrong. Thank you for helping. :)

(Btw there is no intention to be obnoxious or disrespectful in my above comment, I was being sincere. I know it's hard to tell sometimes with written words, some people can't tell when I use spoken words either lol.)

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Most striking anvils are made out of low carbon or alloy and have little or no rebound. C1018 or 4140 type stuff.  Stacking the plates and just welding them on the outside should be more than sufficient.  No need to try to bond them together like people try to do with homemade anvils that their looking to get rebound out of.

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I was aware there was little rebound due to the lack of mass on a striking anvil. I just thought that the better bond from brazing would be more ideal then just welding the perimeter. The plate I'm looking at I don't have the specs for but I'm assuming it's just A36 since it's what we're using at work to scab thing together when they break. (For some reason the company doesn't want to fix properly.)

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A portable hole would get you somthing to forge hardy tools on, sorce a scrap of heavy wall square od round tubing, and a piece of 1+ plate, depending on the tubing 4"+ square

Even 1"x3" bar welded into a 4"square would do . Other things sertainly come to mind, I have 3, 1" thick block off plates for oil/gas pipes in my stash as well. 

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I have thought about a portable hole, I'll probably build one but not right now. I'm looking at the striking and bill for when I have a helper punching larger holes and larger drifting jobs than what I want to do on my little Fisher. I'd hate someone too get carried away with a big hammer and damage my anvil because of a missed swing. 

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Isn't what a portable hole is? I mean a heavy duty portible hole not only holds anvil tooling, but has a large hole for punching or drifting over...who says a striking anvil has to be a 2"x4"x12" peice of fork tine? Like a post anvil a 4x4 peice of 2" welded over a 28" peice of heavy wall square dose the same job..

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Sorry, Charles, I was at work and got distracted while typing my last response and didn't reread it before submitting. I also plan to do some things like smallish axes and again don't want my anvil injured. 

Since I see no objections to my wild idea I'll get myself some plate and put it to use. I'll also look in my resource pile at the hous and see if I have what I need for the portable hole. I might as well make one of those while I'm in tool building mode. 

Thank you guys for your help. 

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Perimeter weld and stand on edge, don't lay flat. 

As to sources for homemade anvils:

Rental yards

Heavy equipment repair/rental

Fab shops

Hydraulic shops

Heavy construction companies

Look for; forklift forks, bucket pins, heavy plates, axles, shafts, hydraulic rams, hydraulic breaker points, dozer/scraper blades, etc...

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13 hours ago, BIGGUNDOCTOR said:

Perimeter weld and stand on edge, don't lay flat. 

I'd definitely go that route (on edge) for a post anvil or anything needing real rebound. However I'm needing the wider surface which is why I was asking about brazing it together to better join the core of the plates together. 

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