crazy1cmc Posted May 14, 2018 Posted May 14, 2018 Hello My name is Collin. I am 25 years old and married. We have had 2 children and live in utah. I have been trying to start blacksmithing for several years now. How ever my dead end seems to be an anvil. on another note i am actually currently looking for a master black smith that would be willing to take me on as an apprentice. I am talking the old fashioned apprentice as much as possible. I know it is a long shot if i hope to find someone here but you never know. Out side that I like to believe i am an ok guy. Quote
Daswulf Posted May 14, 2018 Posted May 14, 2018 Hi Collin, welcome aboard. Many beginners get hung up on an anvil. Just know you don't need the anvil looking anvil to get started. Have a read through that to get some ideas. Much of blacksmithing is improvising to get a job done. The more you read here on the forums, the more possibilities open up. Quote
ThomasPowers Posted May 14, 2018 Posted May 14, 2018 Take a moment and think: The London Pattern anvil has been used in a relatively small part of the world for about 200 years. The "chunk of steel", (or even wrought iron), anvil has been used for more than 2000 years all over the world. Most of the famous swords, armour, tools, grill work were not made using London pattern anvils. So why are you getting hung up searching for a London pattern anvil? As usual I will direct you to this example of a great improvised anvil: http://www.marco-borromei.com/fork.html disclaimer: I am the Thomas thanked. Quote
JHCC Posted May 14, 2018 Posted May 14, 2018 Welcome aboard, Collin. If you haven't yet, please READ THIS FIRST!!! In particular, there have been a number of discussions about exploring "old fashioned apprenticeships"; the TL;DR version is "Don't bother; they don't exist." With a wife and two kids, the last thing you want to do is commit yourself to long hours and no pay. Quote
Frosty Posted May 14, 2018 Posted May 14, 2018 Welcome aboard Collin, glad to have you. If you'll put your general location in the header you might be surprised how many of the gang live within visiting distance. An anvil is whatever you use to hammer hot steel on. PERIOD. Some things are better than others, preferably it's hard and reasonably heavy but almost anything will do, I've used a block of fire wood but I was straightening a bent log tong. I have a wood block in the shop for truing up forgings. I've used a smooth boulder and a potato sized rock for a hammer the camp fire for heat. I've used a camp fire a lot, I used to be a field guy and lived in the bush a lot. Don't let the lack of a piece of iron and steel of a particular shape stop you, the shape isn't important. Guys tend to turn their noses up at the thought of a RR rail anvil but it makes a fine anvil, especially if you have enough to mount it on end and grind some of the truly useful tools in the web and flange. Charles' thread on anvils is a treasure. Don't make the mistake of cutting and grinding RR rail to look like a London Pattern anvil it tends to take most of the necessary rigidity out of the piece. Frosty The Lucky. Quote
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