SteelDigger25 Posted November 8, 2017 Share Posted November 8, 2017 Would a 10x10 dirt tamper mounted on a good solid base be sufficient to use as an anvil until I can upgrade? Any info or advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasent Posted November 8, 2017 Share Posted November 8, 2017 Most hand tampers I've used were cast iron. Got a pic? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteelDigger25 Posted November 8, 2017 Author Share Posted November 8, 2017 No not at this moment. So cast iron is a no go? I thought it may have been forged steel but I could be mistaken. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted November 8, 2017 Share Posted November 8, 2017 Try a sledge hammer head. If your looking at a tool you can use as a n anvil. Next look fore a heavy drop from a machine shop or a large pin from a dozen or track hoe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteelDigger25 Posted November 8, 2017 Author Share Posted November 8, 2017 Ok I will go check around some shops in my area. Thanks for the info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted November 8, 2017 Share Posted November 8, 2017 Check out flea markets, junk shops, and scrapyards, which take a little more work, but are often much more affordable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted November 8, 2017 Share Posted November 8, 2017 these are all effective anvils Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteelDigger25 Posted November 8, 2017 Author Share Posted November 8, 2017 I work in the steel industry so I'm in machine shops ect. All day so I'll reach out to some of my customers. Awesome, thanks Charles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted November 8, 2017 Share Posted November 8, 2017 Don't forget, the machine shop routinely generates sizable drops as well. They may even have an anvil they are tired of tripping over. need help on the forge end? We have that covered too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteelDigger25 Posted November 8, 2017 Author Share Posted November 8, 2017 I'm working on the forge, I'm going to go with the 55 gallon solid fuel to start with. If I have questions I'll definitely reach out to you. Thanks for all the help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted November 8, 2017 Share Posted November 8, 2017 Might I suggest a sidblast 55 style. I belive it to be more versatile, and if you use a double acting bed/raft inflator pump very controllable and quiet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteelDigger25 Posted November 8, 2017 Author Share Posted November 8, 2017 That' what I've got I've just been using a hair dryer so far but was actually looking at the air mattress pumps just yesterday. What is a good refractory mix? I've just been using fire brick so I'm losing a lot of heat. I saw quite a few different compounds but I want one that's proven and effective. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted November 8, 2017 Share Posted November 8, 2017 Honestly keep the fire small, a good Adobe soil is as good as anything else and cheep! Charcoal likes little fires and small tuyere (3/4-1" ID) so 3/4 schedual 40 pipe works well and the end of the pump hose fits right in. Soft coal works just fine in a small sideblast as well, hard coal will not like the manual bed pump, I use an electric one but I add a "T" and a valve. I tryed the valve in line but it just made the pump louder, but by using to control the waste ait out of the "T" it's a bit quieter, This might help you make some improvements. As charcoal suffers from fire spread, we can't use it to bank the fire like we use coal, so we sculpted banks to contain it. A small forge like this will happily heat 1" stock, and with patience heat it to welding temps. For a coal forge, fill the pan with dirt (about 6" and form a bowl about 6-8" across) you then have an inch or two of coal on the hearth and mounded up above and around the hot spot (1" above the hearth) for charcoal fill the pan with 8" of dirt and sculpt a back wall, I suggest using the trench shaped bowl in the illustrations. This uses less fuel with the sender of the fire at hearth hight. It will asso burn coal just fine, nut unless you add a 1" rim keeping extra fuel on the table will be a chalange note, extra charcoal on the table will ignite, waisting fuel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted November 8, 2017 Share Posted November 8, 2017 Fork lift tines make good anvils; find the damaged and scrapped ones to get them cheap! see http://www.marco-borromei.com/fork.html for one example and yes I am that Thomas mentioned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteelDigger25 Posted November 8, 2017 Author Share Posted November 8, 2017 I just got a 12"x3"x24" chunk of solid steel from the scrap yard. Weighs 227lbs for 100$. I think it' going to be perfect just got to mount it on something now after I go back and pick it up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted November 8, 2017 Share Posted November 8, 2017 So a 3"x12" inch face is plenty! And a couple undeer pounds is stout by about a factor of 2! over at Anvilfire.com there is a section on building anvils that show som modifications to be made to hunks of plate. Joc dosnt alow direct links, as he belives you are steeling bandwidth as aposed increasing his traffic. Esentualy buy cutting a notch out if one side you form a bit of a heal into wich you can drill a pritchel hole and you grind a radius on one end of the face to act as a horn/fuller. I think this is overrated, especially in a peice so large. You just can't move it to make cutting useful shapes in all 4 sides practical. A peice of 1" plate with a 1" square hole cut in it welded to a peice of heavy wall square tubing makes an exilent hardy hole, and one can make bolsters and other tooling to do the jobs of the odd shapes and bits on London patern anvils. Weld a round and square bick onto your portable hole and walla, a stout post anvil to accompany your masive anvil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteelDigger25 Posted November 8, 2017 Author Share Posted November 8, 2017 So you're saying add the 1" plate with the hardy hole cut into it and the pritchet hole to the 3" I just purchased? Or just use the one inch separate? I have to buy a torch but I think I'm tracking what you're saying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted November 8, 2017 Share Posted November 8, 2017 Build a seperate peice. One can pretty readily frill 4-3/16" holes in the corners, a 3/16-1/4" hole in the middle ,what ever size you need for a pilot) and then drill out the bulk with a 1" drill. A corse file 3/4" wide with the side teath ground off and a sharp cold chisel will make an hours work or so of squaring up the hole. Weld this to a peice of heavy wall square tubing as a stem to get it off the ground. Now you have a hardy hole, and one can make bolsters to punch holes over that will fit it. A cone welded to one side and a long perimid to the other make horns. walla, portable hole. And if you add the horns you have a workstation for all the fiddly bits and an anvil for the serious work. As you are working solo, make a fist and hangs your arm down at your side. Fist to ground is want you want for anvil and forge hight. Some signets first knuckle, but that's if you plan on regularly using a striker with a sledge and top tools, others suggest rist high, and for small work this is good. Fist is a good compromise, one can use a hand sledge and too tools, hand forge and use a sledge. If you need to get closer to the work, just bend your knees more Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteelDigger25 Posted November 8, 2017 Author Share Posted November 8, 2017 Ok perfect this has all been very helpful information. After I get it set-up and weld on my horn I'll post some pictures I was just looking over the plans from the site you mentioned before and that is exactly what I needed to know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted November 8, 2017 Share Posted November 8, 2017 Honestly that big chunk is great the way it is, radius the corners (I would suggest a 1/4" at one end tapering to 1" at the other) as sharp edges make places for cracks to form. This also gives you a fuller built right into the side of your anvil. As to welding on a horn, we don't know what that plate is, so welding to it could be iffy, but we know what that peice of heavy wall tubing we are going to weld out portable hole to is. That's were ai would weld on a horn. Get a budy to turn you a cone, then cut it off at an angle and weld it to the side of the portable hole. The angle lets you get that horizontal top that, tho unnesisary looks beter. Then as I sign ester you can weld a longinsh perimid On the other side. Bang. If you want to get even fancier drill a set of graduating holes in the top of that perimid (it becomes a square horn) As to the thanks, I apretiate it but I was where you are now once. I am just laying it forward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteelDigger25 Posted November 8, 2017 Author Share Posted November 8, 2017 Ok I'll send you a pic when I pick it up and before I do anything to I'll let you look it over because I know at one edge it has rounded corners already. I can just radius those edges I believe and it'll be a great starting point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted November 8, 2017 Share Posted November 8, 2017 Sounds like a plan. You can easaly turn scrolls with out a horn anyway, so a bick isn't top priority. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasent Posted November 8, 2017 Share Posted November 8, 2017 This is my block o steel. I love the bottom fuller! It's 3.5" X 12" X 24" just over 260 lbs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteelDigger25 Posted November 8, 2017 Author Share Posted November 8, 2017 Looks good. What do you have it mounted on? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasent Posted November 8, 2017 Share Posted November 8, 2017 It's set in a stump at the moment Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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