Welding spring steel. PLS HELP!

[Brewny]

So basically, I am just beginning blacksmithing and I am making a makeshift anvil. I really don't have enough money to buy a real anvil but I'm trying to make one. I have a big truck spring steel leaf (I don't really know what a thing of spring steel is called. What I'm saying is I have a big thing of thick spring steel). I am going to use it to make the top of a striking anvil, but the steel is a bit small on the width. I want it to have more surface area so I can have a more enjoyable time forging. What I want to do is have a shop weld two plates for me (I don't have a welder) so I can use it. Before I just take it to them, I want to know if spring steel will actually weld to each other. Will the welds stay? I would also like to weld a mild steel elbow onto the steel so I can pin it to a log. Will the mild steel actually weld to it? Thanks!

 

- Brewny

BTW - The spring steel is SUPER hard. I tried one normalizing cycle on a plate of it and I still could barely make a dent with my HSS drill bits. Should I use carbide drill bits for spring steel? Also, am I in the right topic? I don't want to get in trouble for being in the wrong one.

 

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

What you are proposing will not make a very good anvil, not enough mass. I suggest reading through this thread for better ideas.

https://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/52308-a-collection-of-improvised-anvils/

 

[tanglediver]

Welding spring steel in a hardened state will likely yield less than optimum results. I tried welding two scrap leaves together on the edges. We have an abundance of leaf springs. I used no preheat, no normalizing of any kind, I just hauled off and hit them good and hot with the Millermatic 200 and 'it seemed to stick'. That is, until I dropped them on the scrap heap and my pretty looking welds all cracked up like graham crackers. 

Most striking anvils I have heard of seem to be topped with mild steel, so as to avoid chipping. Sure it will mushroom eventually, but mild steel is easy to fix. 

Good luck! 

[Frosty]

Welding leaf spring to a block of mild steel is unnecessary if you paid enough to make it work. It can be done but not easily.

Take a look through the improvised anvil thread for a bunch of options for making anvils. Those are REAL anvils, don't fall into the trap of thinking London Pattern are the only "real" anvils, there are many shape in common use.  There are anvils everywhere if you don't think there is only one "real" anvil shape. Don't sweat it it's a common mistake and if you're patient what you're looking for will come your way.

Frosty The Lucky.

[Brewny]

Thanks for all the support! I will look into it!

 

[ThomasPowers]

Stop by my shop, I always have a chunk or two of steel I picked up at the scrapyard to be used as an improvised anvil!

Not to make a proper face plate you need to do a full penetration weld: space the plate off the body and weld in the slot until there is 100% weld between the two pieces---usually have to grind out the space when you go to do the other side.)   The price of having this done is usually more than the price of buying a new good anvil.

[caotropheus]

Brewny,

Take a look at this video I published on Youtube. I tried to use leaf spring as a top plate of an anvil but steel composition showed me why my decision was wrong. Leaf spring, most probably 5160 is almost unweldable as part of an anvil.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkQgx7GqU4M&list=PLxAZAWFQq-PWxctDvqAQJ-7rCpB6WK_WO&ab_channel=caotropheus

I improvised and built several anvils throughout the years (take a look at my youtube channel), I have a real anvil 200 kg, but the anvil I use the most is a chisel from an hydraulic breaker I secured upright with a stand.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLsgFjkBQtg&ab_channel=caotropheus