Veyser253 Posted October 28, 2020 Share Posted October 28, 2020 I’ve been reading posts here for about a year. Thought I’d finally join. Took a little blacksmithing class, made a knife out of a horseshoe....well a letter opener anyway. Now I’m hooked. Got a question about a hardened steel block I picked up to use for a anvil. It’s 18 in by 15 in by 6 in wide. Weighs about 550 lbs. Will this work alright or should I keep looking for a real anvil. The only thing it doesn’t have is a horn. I was thinking of using a piece of rr track for that. Thing is I got the block for 40.00 and the rr track for 20 and real anvils that size are more then my budget can take. If you all think it will be sufficient to start. I’ll put more work into it. Build a forge. Take more classes. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George N. M. Posted October 28, 2020 Share Posted October 28, 2020 Dear Veyser: Welcome aboard. 2 things: Read "Read this first" up in the blue banner at the top of the page and please post your location. If you are close to other smiths it will be a great help if you can meet in person. An hour spent with an experienced smith is worth many on your own. I know, I taught myself and there are still things I probably still do do bass ackwards after 40 years because I had to figure everything out by myself from books or my own mistakes. I'd say that your block of steel should work well for awhile. To some degree it will depend on how hard or soft it is. Good anvils generally have a hardened face which means if you miss a blow you won't make much of a mark on the anvil. A horn is nice to have but not necessary for a lot of work. You can just put a piece of pipe in a vice if you need a curved work surface. You got a good price on it too. Just make sure you mount it to the correct height for you. That is usually around the height of your knuckles or an inch or 2 lower so that when you swing a hammer the face of the hammer is parallel to the face of the anvil when it hits the work. Others will have more advice. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veyser253 Posted October 28, 2020 Author Share Posted October 28, 2020 Ok sounds like it will do. It has good rebound and I beat on a piece of mild steel bar I had cold and it didn’t leave any marks on the surface. Only hard part will be putting it on a stand. Nothing to attach to. Probably gonna get one of those magnetic lifting things and use that and my engine hoist. I was gonna use my gas torch to heat up the steel but that’s not very efficient. Oh well I’m ready to get started. I found a place in Seattle that’s holding classes but their not cheap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George N. M. Posted October 28, 2020 Share Posted October 28, 2020 If you build up a stand from either steel or wood you can just put a lip around the bottom of the block of steel to keep it from moving sideways. something that heavy isn't going to move much in use. If it were me I would think about using 4x4s or 6x6s to build up a solid base. 550 pounds needs a lot of support. Be very careful moving it. Something that big can do a lot of damage if it gets away from you. Also, make sure it is exactly where you want it when you set it down. You don't want to have to move it again. As mentioned in another post, there are a number of smiths in your area and you can get a lot of help from the NWBA. Also, there are some good videos on you tube. There are also some very poor ones. I suggest the ones from our own Jennifer at JLP Services and the ones from Black Bear Forge. There are others and you can usually tell which ones really know what they are doing. If you are shown something on video or in person do it yourself as soon as possible. It will set it in your mind much better than just remembering. Muscle memory lasts a lot longer than mental memory. It is like riding a bike when you haven't for years. the muscle memory comes right back. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted October 28, 2020 Share Posted October 28, 2020 They have been using anvils of that configuration but lighter in weight for over 3000 years, the London pattern is more like 300 years old. Take a look at the anvils used by master swordsmiths in Japan for forging Katanas; do you consider their work any good? TLDR: No it will not be all right, it will be SUPERB as long as it hasn't been hardened to brittle, in which case be careful around the edges! Lifting is a problem. Do you have anything you can use a come-a-long on SAFELY? My shop has a steel beam across the front just for lifting purposes; lifted two 400# steel pressure vessel "bells" on it this month. I do a lot of 2"x12" and rollers to move heavy items in my dirt floored shop. You should be able to weld some lifting hooks to it TREATING IT LIKE YOU WERE WELDING HIGH CARBON STEEL! to help. Or even grind some indents on the corners so you can safely snug some chain to it for lifting. My 469# Fisher has two hardy holes so I got four burley friends with some sections of pipe through the hardy holes to move it into my shop... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veyser253 Posted October 28, 2020 Author Share Posted October 28, 2020 Yeah right now it’s on a small pallet. I ordered a 800Lb magnetic lifting eye. That and my lift should do it. I need to find the perfect place for it in my one car garage sized shop. Don’t want to have to move it again. I had to put in a winch and pull system to store my table saw when I don’t use it. It’s hanging in the rafters. I’m collecting the parts to build a gas forge. Just need to buy or build the burners. I’ve been watching videos on utube about smithing and have become very good at........watching videos on utube lol. I’m thinking about building a leanto next to my shop to set up the anvil and forge. We’ll see what happens. First I need to get that block of steel out of my truck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buzzkill Posted October 28, 2020 Share Posted October 28, 2020 If you're wanting to get started beating hot steel quickly and cheaply I recommend reading through several of the threads at the top of this page: https://www.iforgeiron.com/forum/267-jabod-just-a-box-of-dirt/ Those will work well for charcoal and can be easily modified to work well with coal. It will cost a bit more and take a bit more time to build or buy a propane forge. Each fuel type has benefits and drawbacks, as with most other things in life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLAG Posted October 28, 2020 Share Posted October 28, 2020 Mr. Veyser, George N.M., has suggested two reliable forge video authors. Namely, JLP services Inc. and Black Bear Forge. They are both excellent. And there is an I Forge list of reliable video authors that are good too. Try the pinned article called "A collection of blacksmithing links on u tube" for many more. I suggest that you stick to the smiths in that thread. Utube allows anyone to add videos, and many of them are error riddled junk. Some desperately dangerous. (e.g. how about plaster of Paris lined gas forges!) (Yikes). Good luck with the thread. It's an embarrassment of riches. Oh yes, welcome to the group. SLAG. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted October 29, 2020 Share Posted October 29, 2020 Now THAT'S an anvil! Might I recommend you mount it on end? It'll give you a 6" x 15" anvil face and an easier stand to build. You'll want the face between knuckle and wrist height for general hand smithing and using my preferred height for the purposes of conversation. Yours WILL be what fits YOU so don't make your stand to fit me. Okay? If we stand it on end 18" up I'd only need to hold it about 13" off the ground to make my 31" anvil height. The local building supply sells short rems from lumber and timbers for pretty reasonable. It's where I bought the 6" x 12" to make my power hammer foot. Cutting 4" x 12" or 6" x 12" into 13" lengths I can screw and glue them into a solid end grain block with plenty of overlap in all directions to make vertical sections to sandwich that beautiful anvil of yours between. Give the sandwich slices say 10" and it's not tipping over and out. If you like welding it'd be easier to build from steel ad probably quieter. It'd be easy to make a hardy hole on a steel stand as well though a portable hole has a lot going for it over one connected to the anvil or stand. I wouldn't mount it laying flat, I've never needed anything 15" x 18" to forge on, ever. If I need something wider than my anvil's 4.5" width I lay it lengthwise on the face. I straighten on a birch block with a wooden mallet. (that started life as a baseball bat.) Today must be look at my really outstanding improvised anvil day! This is the second I've seen and the day's young. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veyser Posted October 29, 2020 Share Posted October 29, 2020 Well.....first try getting out of the truck....not so good. All I managed to do was tip it over...shoot.. now I have a 550 lb pancake that is no longer on the pallet aaaaannnnd still in the bed of my xxxxx truck!!!. So I gotta re-think this process. The magnetic lifting eye won't be here til nov 5th. I guess I could back up real fast slam on the brakes and hope it doesn't destroy my tailgate and bumper although I don't think I can build up enough speed to do it. No not really..... just a little frustrated right now. Gonna look at it tomorrow. I might weld a eye on it. Use a lever and fulcrum to lift it up enough to get a chain around it. I have access to a mag drill I could drill a couple of 3/4 in holes in it and weld round stock for a handle. We'll see. Thanks for letting me vent. I'll let yuall know how it goes (-:《 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George N. M. Posted October 29, 2020 Share Posted October 29, 2020 Veyser: When moving that hunk of steel, particularly by yourself,remember that the pyramids were built with simple machines, levers, rollers, inclined planes, and skids. I have moved similar sized pieces of stone by levering it up onto several rollers (3" diameter pieces of fence posts) and pushing it with my wife and son moving the rollers from the back to the front. It needs to move slowly but it works surprisingly well. As I said previously, be careful! "By hammer and hand all arts do stands" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted October 29, 2020 Share Posted October 29, 2020 Rollers and cribbing are two important shop tools people often don't think of. Using them I have loaded a powerhammer into my pickup all by myself; though I did use a come-a-long for the starting lay-down.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veyser253 Posted October 31, 2020 Author Share Posted October 31, 2020 Oh yay I got that big block of steel out of my truck and back on the pallet on a dolly. Didn't wreck anything. Turns out my ability to measure was impaired. Its 20x14x5 hardend steel block 400 lbs. I also bought a mill from the fabrication shop. I'd practice building a stand for the anvil by building a stand for the mill. Almost done. My shops a little crowded thinking about putting the anvil and eventually the forge outside under a lean-to. I think I'd like to build a metal stand for the anvil. probably better if its gonna live outside. Plus I want to kind of steam punk it up. Give it a riveted look. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted October 31, 2020 Share Posted October 31, 2020 Pretty nice job o the stand. When you make one for the anvil turn the angle iron over on the spreaders so you can lay a piece of screen or expanded metal in it for a cool down shelf.. Of course a plywood shelf is handy too but it's nice to have a safe place to toss: hot tongs, pieces of stock tools, etc. to cool gradually. Looks like a nice little mill. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted October 31, 2020 Share Posted October 31, 2020 Good job on the stand and getting the anvil & mill. I would mount the anvil on edge with the 14 in under the hammer & stock, it will have a very good sweet spot and plenty of surface to play around with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veyser253 Posted June 17, 2021 Author Share Posted June 17, 2021 this is the mill on the stand Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chloe Posted July 8, 2021 Share Posted July 8, 2021 That's an amazing anvil, how did you come across it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 8, 2021 Share Posted July 8, 2021 Look for die blocks from a drop forging business or a stamping business. Often D2, large/heavy, hardened. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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