51 Papy Posted September 1, 2018 Share Posted September 1, 2018 Been working on this post anvil for a couple years (bottom pic) I found a club here locally that meets once a month and need a travel anvil. I like the rebound (about 90%) and the price (free) of the current post anvil but I would like to have straight edge(s) for set down and a hardy hole and pritchel. I was looking at this on you tube without the horn using about 14" of the remaining hammer bit approximately 100 lbs. I'm thinking of sinking it into a recess in 2x12 for a base. Any thoughts? Something you'd do different? Punt and spend $500 ish US? Video removed due to religious content. Image of the finished anvil below. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted September 1, 2018 Share Posted September 1, 2018 You have already ground a strait radi on on side, grind a sharper on on the other Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
51 Papy Posted September 1, 2018 Author Share Posted September 1, 2018 Charles The post shown is 200ish lbs and has another 150 lbs of sand in the base. Starting this with a 14" length of the same hammer bit. It is round and 5.5" across. Also have a 3x4x.75" piece for the tail with 1/2" for gussets. Nothing has been built. If I understood your comment you would grind parallel edges straight and sharper. I am toying with cutting a step inline with the tail along one side. Couple of inches in length should be enough for the work I do now. What about the hardy and pritchel? I use a holdfast and a guillotine on an ASO but the ASO is miserable to work on after working on the post. As this is a travel anvil weight is an issue but so is shop space. There were several anvils and forges set up at the last meeting inside the hosts shop. My goal is to have a travel anvil that will replace ( in my shop)the ASO and my first anvil that you said I "over thought". By the way you were 150% correct! Thanks for the help and oppinions! Papy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted September 1, 2018 Share Posted September 1, 2018 If you want a hardy hole attached to the anvil you can weld a piece of square tubing to one side. Or as another member did, pieces of 1" square, spaced 1" apart and capped with a piece of plate, I believe he used 1/2" plate. With a hardy hole it's easy to make pritchel or similar bolster plates that drop in the hardy hole, saving you a lot of work for a much more versatile tool. Try not to paint yourself in a corner making a horn for this anvil, you can make various size / shape bics for the hardy hole. Heck, the radius you've already ground is as close to a horn as I use. I don't know how long it's been since I wrapped something around the horn other than demonstrating for a student who hadn't yet mastered how to true rings, scrolls, etc. on the face. That's just my style not a comment about anybody else's. I believe Charles' suggestion for a smaller radius on another edge is to provide a good spot to set shoulders, you can't set a sharp shoulder, say for tongs, on the one you have now and if you do it on a crisp edge it'll make a cold shut and weak tongs. Make sense? Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
51 Papy Posted September 1, 2018 Author Share Posted September 1, 2018 Frosty Makes complete sense. I have no plans to put any type of a horn on either post. I will weld at least a hardy hole onto the travel anvil as a portable hole the size I need may not be available. Charles and Frosty thank you for your thoughts and oppinions! Moderator. Sorry about that. Thanks for leaving the picture up. Papy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted September 2, 2018 Share Posted September 2, 2018 Welding on that breaker bit might be a bear. But as Jerry suggests a piece of heavy wall square tubing and a piece of 1x1/2” bar wrapped around it makes a hardy hole. After that tooling gives you a brick, or a sholder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
51 Papy Posted September 2, 2018 Author Share Posted September 2, 2018 Charles I'm going to give welding a try. Worst that can happen is some more cutting and grinding and then warping the tubing on. I'll have some slices to experiment with. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted September 2, 2018 Share Posted September 2, 2018 One assumes it’s medium carbon or beter so pre heat is a must. The other option is 4 pieces of 1x3 welded together to make a realy heavy hallow tube and use it as a stand alone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
51 Papy Posted September 3, 2018 Author Share Posted September 3, 2018 A buddy that is a trained welder said the same thing. To bad he's two states away. He also wanted to know if it was an air hardening metal. Got a project to finish for the better half tomorrow. Maybe I can throw a cut off in the forge and figure out how it is hardened. It may come to some kind of an improvised hardy hole. The Marine's say it best " adapt and overcome". Thanks Charles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted September 3, 2018 Share Posted September 3, 2018 I'd be more worried about auto quenching and the worst thing that could happen is nasty HAZ cracking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted September 3, 2018 Share Posted September 3, 2018 A portable hole (hardy that is) is a darned handy piece of equipment for the shop. You can move it around where you need it. They make a fine helper to hold long stock on the anvil while you work on it and looky there! the anvil makes a fine helper for long stock you're working in a bottom tool: Hardy, Fuller, Swage, Bending forks, etc. etc. It's a gander sauce thing you know. Don't get in a rush, the only thing getting in a hurry does is make your mistakes permanent more quickly. Take your time and think things through, we'll help. Of course we've been known to give folk a kick in the pants to get them off the pot too. It's how we are. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
51 Papy Posted September 3, 2018 Author Share Posted September 3, 2018 Frosty I agree and have a portable hole in my shop. When I started I was using an ASO with a 3/4" hardy. All my bottom tools are 3/4". No problems yet. If I ever buy a "normal" anvil I'll retool or build a sleeve for the less often used tools. All that being said, I am wanting to join a blacksmithing club and will have to have an anvil I can move and carry. I'm not over the hill but not far from retirement age either. Space seems to be limited at these meetings so pulling in a lot of equipment may not be an option. 3/4" hardys are not std ( that's those mistakes becoming permanent thing darn it). The end game is to have a travel anvil that can go to club meetings once a month and replace the ASO and the RR track ( another permanent mistake made before I found this site) in the home shop. That's why I want a hardy and pritchel on this one. May not get what I want but it's worth a try. Like Thomas said the HAZ crack may be chasing my weld. I have a test piece to try to weld already set up. Advise so far has been pre-heat, back bevel ( both sides ) to 1/8" (piece being welded on) , shim with a piece of 16 gauge sheet (ends only), root weld with 6011, fillet with 7018, mechanically brush between each pass and cool slowly. Thanks for the feed back! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted September 3, 2018 Share Posted September 3, 2018 I still have 5 years between me and retirement; but Saturday I went with my Mother to buy engineered wood flooring as it was on sale but limited to 12 boxes per person. We each got our limit and I got to load them on the cart and then in my pickup and when back at her house from the pickup into her front hall. My sister's CLH was there and got roped into helping. He's about 30; I managed to unload 16 boxes to his 8 and hadn't broken a sweat to his panting. Spends all his time playing videogames... A "light" travel anvil is a good thing; don't want to mess up our backs this close to the finish line! Mine is a 91# A&H. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
51 Papy Posted September 3, 2018 Author Share Posted September 3, 2018 Thomas I have this chunk figured at about 100 lbs before squaring the face. The wife is at the age that bathroom scales are not allowed in the house so I'll have to scale it at the plant. I did get the chance to check it this morning and it is water hardening. Oil did almost nothing to it. Funny about those kids. I'll pitch an 80# bag of mortar over may shoulder and haul it out of the plant when the boys are busy loading trucks. They tell me I'm crazy or to old to do that. It's a great thing to work the body...bad thing when you work it so hard you tear it up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted September 3, 2018 Share Posted September 3, 2018 I get that when I teach at the University and I chew out the college kids for bad lifting practices and then lift something much heavier. (but correctly!) The back never forgets and never forgives. Which is also why I'm building up a series of travel anvils between 90 and 125 pounds... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
51 Papy Posted September 3, 2018 Author Share Posted September 3, 2018 You only get one shot. Wish I had realized that 40 years ago and put some hearing protection on. I wear protection now along with some plastic that costs the same as a used car. Planners, table saws and chainsaws it's my own fault. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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