cckemm Posted July 15, 2008 Share Posted July 15, 2008 Some beginner questions. 1. Can i use a hunk of steel I-beam as a starter anvil? I have been looking but haven't been able to find an anvil yet, but I do have a hunk of I-beam that looks promising. I don't remember off the top of my head how heavy the beam is but it took us about 8 guys to get a 12' piece of it off the truck when it came here. 2. Will be using anthracite coal (sorry have a strip mine within sight of my home, would be stupid to pay for coal when i can walk over the bank and pick it up) Is there a best size of coal to use? I can get anywhere from rice up to the big hunks of handfire coal. From looking at pictures it seems they are using somewhere around pea or nut coal size for soft coal. 3. We have very high quality coal here, do I need to try to coke it before moving it to the center of the fire? Thats all for the moment, am sure I will have more stupid questions later. Thanks, Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabre Posted July 15, 2008 Share Posted July 15, 2008 1) yes it will work fine and i would try to hammer mostly in the middle where its strongest 2)coal the size of yor fist is a good size to use maby smaller. 3)no you start the fire and let it coke and burn itself. can someone back me up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FieryFurnace Posted July 15, 2008 Share Posted July 15, 2008 First, they are not stupid questions! I asked some of the same ones. The I-beam will work. If it's thinner near the edges then stay near the middle. If it's over a quarter of an inch thick then that's great. One thing you might consider is getting it cut to look like an anvil. Clarification...get a horn cut out on one end. . A hardy hole would be good too. (A square hole in the anvil) I'd stick with coal about the size of gravel. If it's too dusty then little bitty pieces of REAL hot dust tend to fly out and land on you hand. (I think that they have homing devices built in that automatically lock on target...your hands, arms, legs, face, etc.) I haven't done this yet, but I do not suggest wearing sandals when you forge!!! I NEVER try to worry about coking. I have enough to worry about...flying bits of coal, steel catapulting out of the pot, what I'm making, what am I going to do next, where's my hammer, not that hammer-the other one, now my steel is cold 'cause my hammer was missing, so on and so forth. Good luck! And keep the questions coming! If I can answer them ,it makes me feel smart!!! (Frosty will probably be playing with that one!!!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted July 15, 2008 Share Posted July 15, 2008 Oh come on Dave. Would I give you a hard time? I'd say the guys have it right enough so far. Bituminous is better than anthracite generally speaking. There are exceptions but generally the softer coal cokes better which means you burn less coal getting the fire ready to work. I don't use coal too often but I like it from about 3/4" down to coarse sand size. I mix the remaining fines with water to pack the outside of the mound. Then again I tend to coke up a batch when I start so I don't have to breath smoke all day. there're other guys with a lot more experience using coal than I do though and I'm sure you'll hear from them. An "I" beam will work but keep your eyes open for a piece of RR rail if you don't find an anvil first. Generally speaking the thicker the steel the better an anvil it'll make. More rebound and less deflection under the hammer. Of course if it took 8 guys to lift 12', it's some pretty darned heavy duty "I" beam and will probably make a dandy field expedient anvil. More later or as you ask. Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finnr Posted July 15, 2008 Share Posted July 15, 2008 Chris: fill out our profile so we have an idea where you are, from there someone may be able to help with your quest for an anvil. The answers you have gotten so far are all pretty well right on. This is a real friendly bunch here. Feel free to ask away. Finnr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welder19 Posted July 15, 2008 Share Posted July 15, 2008 Welcome, Any nice heavy chunk of steel will substitute for an anvil, your coal will work fine, probably just get more clinker from it, and a mix of pea is what I prefer if using anthricite, but it is probably just a matter of preference. Remember, there is no stupid questions, just stupid answers, there is nothing wrong with not knowing something and having to ask, everyone who knows something had to learn it once also. welder19 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cckemm Posted July 15, 2008 Author Share Posted July 15, 2008 Thanks for all the replies, I will be working on putting together the parts for a small forge and see where it goes from there. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Leppo Posted July 15, 2008 Share Posted July 15, 2008 Cckemm where exactly in east central pa do you live? You can send me a private message if you like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 15, 2008 Share Posted July 15, 2008 I beam is LOUD as an anvil; try to find a big chunk of steak off a dozer or other piece of mining equipment if you can. It will work better than an I beam as the mass is concentrated under the hammer. A large ripper tooth would work. I have used the busted knuckle off a a train car coupler before---it has a curved part and a flat part and worked well. Coke is what does the work, like cooking with wood properly---you cook with the embers not the raw wood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt87 Posted July 15, 2008 Share Posted July 15, 2008 There is an article around here somewhere called 'hard coal' were someone (forget who) documents his use of rice-size anthracite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blafen Posted July 15, 2008 Share Posted July 15, 2008 you might want to try what i dd when i needed an anvil , chopped a tree down and set a 3 foot stump in concrete and put an iron abnd around thetop to prevent it from splitting and drilled a few holes in it, one hole was 1 inch around and held a variety of "hardy" tools i made from old cast iron weights and the other holes held an old sledgehammer head which could stand up to some pretty rough forging, it was quiet as well. if you do want to use the i-beam go ahead i have used them before but it was a PITA because i had a light chunk that would bounce all over the place, perhaps you should consider welding plates on the sides to close up the channels and give the edges moe support. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cckemm Posted July 15, 2008 Author Share Posted July 15, 2008 this is definitely not a light piece of I beam I am looking to use, at the very outside edges of the I it has to be about 3/8" thick. I was working on ideas today on how to roll the one end into a horn. I am pretty sure I can do it, just not sure i can get it hot enough with the OA torch. I have been asking people for the last few weeks if anybody knows where I can get an anvil and may have hit gold today, we have to go check to see if it is still where it was left or if a scrapper got a hold of it. I did find a nice cross pein hammer head in one of the drawers of my truck today, must have been in there for 10 years or more, no idea where I got it from but all I have to do is make a handle for it and I got a nice hammer to start with. This head is probably 50+ years old, I love old tools In response to the query where East Central is for me, I am rather close to Pottsville, about an hour away from Reading or Harrisburg, sit about right in the middle of the two. Right at the bottom of the Anthracite coal belt here in Schuylkill county. Like I said I can see the strip mine from my back yard, the old pit, reclaimed quite a while ago actually came right up to my back yard. Another coke question: you make coke by getting the coal hot but giving it no or little air so it outgasses correct? Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flaming S Forge Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 Hello to all fellow blacksmiths. This is my first post in this forum. From your location, Chris, you live fairly close to me in Schuylkill County. The coal you have access to is more than likely anthracite since that what is mined here. I use pea size anthracite most of the time myself, but have a special forge built that I can use the stoker size rice coal with good results. Antracite does not form coke like the soft coal. What I get is clinkers and plain ash. I have used corn kernals one day as an experiment and it got hot enough to turn a railroad spike to a nice yellow heat. Problem with corn, it has gone up in price to the point that I plan to stick with coal. If you are looking to buy some soft coal locally, Blaschak Coal in Ravine, Pa has a load it yourself pile there just for the local blacksmiths. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cckemm Posted July 16, 2008 Author Share Posted July 16, 2008 Born and raised in Pine Grove out by Flat Hill. Could not find a house I could afford so soon before our wedding, ended up in Heckscherville and been here ever since. Funny didn't really know there was anybody blacksmithing down home, or I might have ended up at their shop to learn. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Leppo Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 I suggest you check out the PABA. It seems like a pretty active group. A little far for me to travel, but right in your neighborhood.PABA Home Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FieryFurnace Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 I'd try to cut it down a bit before heating to make a horn. If you cut up from the bottom you will be able to bend the steel all of the way around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 Rather than using O-A to heat it why not use a ground forge? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cckemm Posted July 16, 2008 Author Share Posted July 16, 2008 Well since I will have the OA torch out just to cut a piece off of the beam, and it is well within my skill lvl to use the torch to heat it and bend it.....Think that would be the easiest option for me. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francis Trez Cole Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 the best advice I was ever given was "Just get started" What ever dose not work Just dont do it again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 I forged the the first couple of years on a big 75 lb chunk of I-beam. Drilled a pritchel hole and ground a notch for bending. For a horn I c-clamped a big jackhammer bit to the center web of the I Beam. Worked OK, actually. Once I got real anvil though (104#PW)the difference in the rebound was amazing. Michael Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finnr Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 it may not be cosmetic but that sure looks functional. Use what you have until you find what you want. Finnr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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