My first hot-cut Hardy

[mcb]

Started out with about 4-inches of 1-1/4-inch diameter 4137.  Tapered one end and then upset it directly into the hardy hole on my anvil.  That got the anvil pretty hot after doing that several times to get an upset collar.  I was hoping for a more pronounced collar but I think this will work pretty good for my projects.  I forged the cutting edge down to about 1/8 thick and then did the rest with grinder.  I quench it and then tempered it in a 450 deg oven (two 2-hour soaks).  A file bite into it about as well as a cheap big-box store ax head so I think it's tempered down enough to not be too brittle for use.

Here is the finish hot-cut next to the stock it was cut from.  This is right after quench but before temper and final sharpening.

Finish hot-cut in the Hardy of my little anvil.  It's probably a bit bigger than it should be for my little ~90lb anvil but too big is probably better than too small.

[picker77]

Looks great to me, MCB. Like you, I made my first hot cut tool today for my little 100 lb Kohlswa. It has a nice big collar (but it should, since it's welded up from 1/2" solid bar, lol). The blade was the business end of an old wide blade masonry/brick chisel. I shortened the cutting edge some, cut off most of the 8" shank, and welded the remaining blade a 7/8" hardy stub. I didn't bother to heat treat it afterwards, I was careful not to overheat it while cutting/grinding/welding and it's still pretty hard. If it proves too soft I'll torch it up and quench it later.

Roll Tide (except vs my Sooners)!

[CrazyGoatLady]

Nice work Picker. I'll add to that "Hook 'em Horns" 

[Frosty]

Nice looking hardy Picker, well done. How do you like working on your Kohlswa? 

Frosty The Lucky.

[picker77]

Thanks, CGL - I fear the Horns are going to be more and more of a problem for us in the near future. Kind of like Lincoln Riley, Tom Herman seems to have the knack! Looking forward to the Red River War, and in fact the Big 12 is going to be a lot of fun to watch this season, with UT, OU, OSU, Iowa State, and now Les Miles joining the fray. Should be fun!

Thanks for the nice words, Frosty. And you were right about Kohlswa cast anvils. I love this little anvil. The poor thing's face has been abused around much of it's edge, but it is has such a responsive feel under the hammer that it's a pleasure to use. It's sort of weird, it almost feels like it's helping me swing the hammer. The big rebound and oversize sweet spot for such a small anvil were surprising. I haven't had it happen, but I would certainly not want to miss my mark and have the hammer pay a return visit. The Swedes used some truly impressive cast metal in these anvils. I can see now why you are a Kohlswa fan, and I've joined the club. Assuming similar physical condition, I wouldn't trade it for anything else I've seen (except a bigger and nicer condition Kohlswa) and I'm very happy to have found it for a reasonable price.

[CrazyGoatLady]

I know he cleaned it up real nice. I saw that one listed before he bought it and it wasn't near that pretty

I was posting at the same time you were. I wouldn't mind having your anvil. One of the most miserable days ever was when we were at the State fair of Texas several years back. It was cold and rainy and the Longhorns got beat by the Sooners by 54-3 I think it was. The gloating by the OK fans was maddening! Haha but I'm not a huge football fan and I like my Oklahoma friends here on IFI. 

[Frosty]

Ayup, you're ruined now Picker, once you've worked a cast Swedish Steel anvil nothing less seems worth lighting a fire for. Mine is a Soderfors but the secret is the vanadium rich iron ore mined in the region.

Frosty The Lucky.

[CrazyGoatLady]

I hope I can find me a soderfors one of these days. Ohio seems the place to get stuff from. Just for giggles, I looked up blacksmithing stuff in Ohio on craigslist. A guy had a peddinghaus # 12 nearly new, but wanted what you'd pay for a new one. But he had 250# soderfors in immaculate condition that he wanted  $800.00 for. If I could have made a flying trip, believe me I would have

[Chris Williams]

That is incredible... The only Sodorfors I have seen near me was $600 for a beat up 120ish pounder.  

[CrazyGoatLady]

I got to thinking. That price might have been a little higher than that. I looked at so many anvils before I bought one. But I do remember it was good enough to make me seriously wish I was there. I paid not too far off of that for the 100# Emerson

[picker77]

Frosty might be right, maybe it's Sweden's native iron ore. Whatever it is, it works for me! Hard to explain that lively feeling of "springiness" when striking it, but it's there. Of course I haven't actually hammered on many anvils, so maybe they all feel that good, but for some reason I doubt it. I wonder if Kohlswa and Sodorfors are the only two Swedish cast anvils?

CGL, it works both ways, Texas has handed us our rears a few times, too! That's what makes that annual game so much fun. It's a great rivalry, and the gloating and razzing is part of it. I really miss the old days when OU and Nebraska played on national TV every Thanksgiving Day. It was great to eat about 10 lb of turkey and then stagger into the den and turn on the OU-Nebraska game. A great tradition died when Nebraska moved to the Big 10.

[Frosty]

There are a number of Swedish anvils, Soderfors is a foundry that cast anvils as a sideline and cast a number of other brands. 

Oh YEAH I know how delightfully my Soderfors' recoil feels and yes, it's hitting the work from the under side too. A large part of that is the homogeneous high carbon steel and how deeply the face is hardened.

Frosty The Lucky.

[CrazyGoatLady]

Picker, trust me. My Vulcan didn't feel anything like a cast steel anvil. Mine is not Swedish, but I sure love it