markh Posted April 14, 2008 Share Posted April 14, 2008 If I were to buy a Euroanvil and have extra pritchel holes drilled to resemble Hofi's set-up, would it be possible? Would the anvil be so hard that no machine shop wouod accept? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MooseRidge Posted April 14, 2008 Share Posted April 14, 2008 While some shops might accept the challenge, not sure what it may do to the surface of the anvil itself.... Also, the paired pritchel holes are not usually setup up where they decrease in size as does Hofi's... Mine has a larger variance in the hole sizes, but MIGHT be able to put one in the middle.... but not two.... Just my $.02 cents worth.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted April 14, 2008 Share Posted April 14, 2008 I certainly wouldn't do it Mark. It's much easier, more versatile and most importantly safe for the anvil to make a bolster plate. It can be made to fit in the hardy hole or the vise or simply to rest on the anvil and punch over the hardy hole. Drilling holes in your anvil is in my opinion a BAD idea. Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted April 14, 2008 Share Posted April 14, 2008 A neat method of making a multiuse bolster plate is to take a circle of heavy steel that is a bit larger in radius than the distance from the pritchel hole to the far side of the hardy hole and drill/rivit a piece of round stock in the middle that will fit your pritchel hole and then drill a series of different sized holes around but not on the edge where they will fit over the hardy hole, Give them some in between space too. You now have a bolster that can be rotated to place the size needed over the hardy hole for punching. When one side becomes messed up. Drill out the pen and flip the plate. Stamping the hole sizes is a grace note; but don't stamp them so close that they will transfer---on the side of the plate is a good place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MooseRidge Posted April 14, 2008 Share Posted April 14, 2008 BP0149 Spinning Bolster Plate*-*I Forge Iron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Leppo Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 I have scored centerlines accross each hole in my bolster plate (not the spinning type) The idea being that I can locate and align the hole with the punch better when the hole is covered with the workpiece. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
primtechsmith Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 You know I have seen a cool idea of a guy using bolts with different sized holes drilled into them that slip into his pritchel to change the size around to what he needs... Not really sure the details on his process but it seemed to work pretty good. Peyton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philip in china Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 If you are determined to do it it can be done. Try using a TC masonry bit (yes a masonry bit) and lubricate with water. Just as you start saying philip in china on IFI doesn't know what he is talking about, it will suddenly start to cut and will go through very quickly. Waiting for the chorus of "You can't do that"- well I have, several times. Not on anvils but on steel a good deal harder designed to resist drilling! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D Ravizza Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 Philip is right. Dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete46 Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 Was It Hard To Get, Expensive Or Even Hard To Set Up Just Like You Like It? Then Don't You Mess Up That Anvil! Go To An Art Gallery & Tear Up Some Paintings! Heathen!!!!!!!!!!:( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 Holy thread resurrection Batman! (sorry) I decided to drill a pritchel in my poor broken anvil, a few inches from where the heel broke off at the old pritchel and hardy (Before I bought it) I used a 1/4 inch bit thinking pilot drill, and let's see how hard this hardened face really is. Went through like hardwood, all the way. So I took an almost new 1/2 inch bit and tried chasing the hole. As soon as the point was ll the way in, it stopped drilling. Couldn't get anything with chalk, gypsum, oil, water. Went and bought a bit like Philip in China suggested. Was a Bosch diamond ground hammer drill masonry bit. Went through like chilled BUTTER! It drilled so fast I couldn't believe what I was seeing! The bit ate through the work hardened and hardened face layer when I was lining up and tapped the trigger. The rest of the hole took what seemed about 3 seconds. Thanks for the good advice Philip! Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philip in china Posted October 19, 2009 Share Posted October 19, 2009 Glad to be of service. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philip in china Posted October 19, 2009 Share Posted October 19, 2009 Hey Pete 46, I happened to be reading this thread and saw what you said about go to an art gallery and rip up some paintings. Here I have a wood burning stove. At present I am using oil paintings in it and they make very good kindling! Each year when the art students leave there is always a load of old canvases to be got rid of and it would be a shame to waste them. I might not rate much as a blacksmith but as an art critic I am unbeatable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted October 19, 2009 Share Posted October 19, 2009 An anvil is a tool; as a tool it is perfectly allowable to modify it to suit yourself---they certainly did so 100+ years ago! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted October 19, 2009 Share Posted October 19, 2009 If my anvil were intact I would have looked into making a bolster plate. I like that idea. I have tried punching on wood, and using larger holes I have like weight lifting plates and the pin hole on a hitch (receiver style). I made such a mess in my attempts at punching. There is another thread about pritchel hole tools. They look like a good idea in my case. As far as drilling on a new or good anvil goes, I would think long and hard about it, but if the benefit was there, and the risk of weakening the tool to the point of damage low, I would drill. Heck, I thought long and hard about drilling on my damaged anvil! Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Leppo Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 Perhaps those who have problems punching; it's not the size of the prichtel hole, but the punching procedure. (perhaps not) For me, Hot punching is much different than cold punching, it's not like the "metal muncher" or turret punch we use for hot-rolled angle or sheet metal respectively, (cold processes) where the hole in the die is set up with very tight clearance to the punch, depending on the thickness. At home on my anvil, I can make any size hole that I have a punch for (the hole is typically slightly smaller than the punch diameter when finished). The prichtel hole is for clearing the slug out, only. The hole is created first by punching from both sides. This creates a hole that goes thru the material, with a slug jammed in, which gets cleared lastly. I believe I could do this over the hardy hole if required. This may or may not make sense, and you may or may not want to try it. I can see that if you were punching many holes of the same size, you may want to use a different, faster procedure. Do a search here on "punching" to get more details (and opinions). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Thompson Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 I agree with Goatman. If the temp is correct the slug will shear out cleanly, if the steel is too hot then a bulge forms around the hole in the gap between the punch and the edges of the pritchel hole. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Leppo Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 I Forge Iron - BP1054 Punching Holes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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