My anvil??

[Fly]

I,m like many new comers in this venture I though I need a anvil & the search started about 4 years ago. No way I was going to

pay $700 or more for a 100 lb or bigger steel anvil. I went to sales, actions looked every where & zero. If I found a haft way deal 

it was across the US some wear. I came very close to buying one of those cast steel china made ones. In fact I did order it putting it on 

my debit card. Then as I alway do went to YouTube & found this guy addressing new guy. It turned out he was addressing this topic. He

 was saying you do not need a good anvil or even a anvil at all to get started. Then he was giving all these examples of things people beat

hot metal into things I thought could only be made but on a anvil  . Then I remember this huge hunk of steel I picked up years ago at the metal 

scrap thinking I might have a use for it some day! I went out to my shop, wow. We are talking 6” thick x12” x8” . I went in

& canceled my order. This thing has a very good rebound. Maybe not a English Peter wright but I bet it’s better than that china one. I plan 

to machine me up a horn & shape it to the way I want. Bore a 2” hole in the end of the block & turn a interference fit on the mating end of 

the horn, press it in & weld it on. I think I gave maybe $15 to $20 for that hunk of steel way back then? 

[Latticino]

Might want to consider something like this:

[TWISTEDWILLOW]

Sounds awesome!

Do you have any pictures of it? 

Flea markets, junk stores, auctions and estate sales are always really high on anvils, 

you gotta around the farms an barns, we have a lot of anvils in our area that can be had at reasonable prices but ya gotta hunt for em,

[ThomasPowers]

And remember for over 3000 years an anvil was pretty much a cube-ish hunk of metal; the london pattern anvil has only been around about 300 years.   

[George N. M.]

Fly, the best way to acquire an anvil is the TPAAT (Thomas Powers Anvil Acquisition Technique) which is basically to ask every living human you encounter if they know where you could get an anvil.  It also works for other things like tongs and hammers.

You can use various round things, like pipe, held in a vise in lieu of a horn which would be easier than what you are thinking about.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

[Fly]

Ya I do need to get the word out. As Billy said I do live in a farm community.  My problem the people that live by 

me are not farmers. This will serve me for now and my plan is finish my forge and start making tools & to work with. 
I still have much to do but I will get there for sure.  Fly

[Charles R. Stevens]

I agree with the masses, stand her up tall and use the 6x8 end. As an anvil. If you have access to a mag-drill you can add a hardy hole fairly easaly. A bick isn’t a difficult project build and mount to a separate stump. 
If your really want to weld on a horn start with a 3” square hunk and mill a 1” slot in one end and deadly chanfer the edges so as to get full 1” welds. Thus a horn and a hardy hole
 

[ThomasPowers]

Your problem is that you don't understand the words "every living human you encounter"  There were more anvils in cities than in the country you know and people who are not farmers are more likely to want to get rid of an anvil they happen to have.  Last nice anvil I "found" belonged to a 92 year old lady in our church; she was happy to see it go to a good home.   

One of my students lived in LA and was amazed to find out there was a good sized PW anvil lurking in the family.   People often complain about the price of anvils and then tell me that they are only hunting places where folks are trying to sell anvils for the most money they can get.  Like saying wedding rings are too expensive and they had  searched both Cartier's and Tiffany's...

[TWISTEDWILLOW]

Silly Thomas he lives in my territory! 

there most assuredly are more anvils out here than in the cities!….

That’s cause there ain’t no cities round here! Bhahaha  

Seriously though there ain’t a ol barn within a hundred miles of my house in any direction that ain’t got grandpas beat up 100 pound anvil in it settin next to a 4” post vise an a rusty rivet forge with the handle rotted off,

but…. That bein said Good luck finding a cone mandrel, swage block or 500 pound anvil because farmer John’s grandpa wasn’t gonna spring for that kinda stuff!

I swear everyone of them ordered the cheapest basic kit that the mail order catalogs had to offer! lol

[Charles R. Stevens]

Here in the central part of the state the meth head scrapers have sold them to be melted down in china. 
many that have survived are at forged in fire inspired prices

[Scott NC]

  The magnet operator at the scrapyard back home had a deal with the owners.  He paid such and such amount for what came in that he wanted to keep.  I'm thinking it was below going scrap value.   Not many anvils and such got by him.  There was always things of interest in a small pile next to his excavotor.  Fun guy to talk to on a slow day.