November 30, 20178 yr When I bought my anvil 6 months ago, the guy had a 4 foot tall mandrel shaped wood cone. He called it a blacksmith's anvil, but I would think there would have been scorched marks on it if it was used with hot metal. Anyone ever heard of a wood mandrel being used? Could it have covered with sheet metal at one time? Weird thing to see. I wish I'd gotten a picture of it, but at the time I was distracted by digging through his buckets of hammers and tongs.
November 30, 20178 yr Without scorch marks, I'd guess that it was a moldmaker's pattern, used for making cast iron mandrels. Just a guess.
November 30, 20178 yr I was at a friends forge and he had a cast iron mandrel and it was hollow inside. The wood might fit inside a similar type mandrel. Im not sure I don't know much about mandrels.
November 30, 20178 yr No reason for a wooden core in a cast iron mandrel. I'm voting with perhaps a pattern for casting them.
November 30, 20178 yr Author Thanks all. That makes a lot of sense. If I return there for more tools I'll let the guy know that it might be.
November 30, 20178 yr Take a look at the surface. If it has been used for cold work, that will have left marks from hammers and workpieces.
November 30, 20178 yr Author My recollection of the surface was that it was quite smooth and unblemished like something was over it to protect it. I'll for sure grab a picture next time I'm there. Something else I noticed while there is that it didn't have the cut slot running up the side to give clearance for tongs. He's a picker on the side so he's always getting blacksmith tools in. I plan on visiting him again in December to see what he has picked. While on the subject of mandrels, I see a lot of experienced smiths have them in their shops but they seem to be off to the side and unused for the most part. How many experienced smiths here use their mandrels regularly? I can see that they'd greatly help in making rings of all sizes.
November 30, 20178 yr How many mechanics use their Whitworth socket set every day? But when you need it!
December 1, 20178 yr Author ThomasPowers you make a great point. I have several tools that fit that category. From what I've read so far, blacksmiths of old made tools for jobs that they kept in the rack but may have only used a few times in their career. That's part of what I think is great about forging.....need a tool-make a tool!
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