Daswulf Posted August 7, 2016 Share Posted August 7, 2016 5 hours ago, JHCC said: Well, I was looking at those serrated edges, and inspiration struck. I like him JHCC. Some scrap just wants to be something else and have a new life. BigGunDoctor, Halloween is coming, you could cut jack-o-lantern faces in them and give them a little spray paint job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elciteeve Posted August 10, 2016 Share Posted August 10, 2016 Well as this is my first post it might already be obvious I'm new to IFI. I've been researching how to get set up forging for a while now and my first real find (or at least I hope it is) followed me home so I figured I'd give a shout out and see if this is actually worth keeping. I plan on having this chunk of metal be my learning anvil (ASO I think it's called?) Metal type is unknown although it's magnetic. weighs about 40lbs according to my bathroom scale. Measures 8" high by 3.5" square. What do you guys think, will this get me started? I was hoping for something bigger, but this was free, how could I say no? I'll be looking at a used railroad turned anvil this weekend that I might be able to get for cheap if this won't work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted August 11, 2016 Share Posted August 11, 2016 That's not an ASO, that's an anvil. As long as it has a decent rebound, put it on a stand and use it in good health. Plenty of good blades are made on just such block anvils. An ASO is what we call a cast iron lump that is shaped like an anvil, but isn't good for anything more than a doorstop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 11, 2016 Share Posted August 11, 2016 looks great, use it vertically of course it's an anvil (ASO refers to something that looks somewhat like a london pattern anvil but is made from cast iron an so will dent even when you hammer hot steel on it---so not an anvil.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted August 11, 2016 Share Posted August 11, 2016 Welcome aboard, glad to have you. Nope, that's an anvil a fine one. If, when you find another anvil that suits what you need this one will make an excellent bench anvil for those fiddly little jobs you need close to your eyes. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elciteeve Posted August 11, 2016 Share Posted August 11, 2016 Thanks for the welcome all! I can't wait to get my shop set up! I'll post some pics when I do. Should be in the next month if everything goes smoothly. My wife and I are buying a house and I will finally have a garage (AKA my very own shop) where I can start doing all the things I can't in an apartment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted August 12, 2016 Share Posted August 12, 2016 Heat a corner to bright red/yellow and then quench with water. Then test with a file. If it gets hard, great. Get a fire going and harden the top surface. If not , you know to only hit hot steel on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lionel h Posted August 13, 2016 Share Posted August 13, 2016 Just got this sisco supreme yesterday the post vises i got a while back. I had to buy the sisco got it for 300 U.S. With a hardy bending tool Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted August 13, 2016 Share Posted August 13, 2016 Nice scores. Am I reading correctly and that's a 195lb. Swedish cast steel anvil? Approx $150/lb? I take it back that isn't a nice score, it's a killer of a deal! You lucky dog you. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted August 14, 2016 Author Share Posted August 14, 2016 Outside of a garage I found their scrap pile. I stopped by Friday and ask if I could have some select pieces for use. The fellow said "take what you want." I had the wife's car so I had to be selective. (grin) First thing I grabbed was a 15 inch fly wheel and a piece of plate steel 13-1/2 x 14 x 1-3/8 which turned out to be 1-1/2 inches thick. I needed a base for a stand I wanted to build and they both were heavy. Then I grabbed the 13 inch and 15-1/2 inch rings (clutch parts) the 7/8 inch drive linkage, the 3-1/2 x 27 x 1/2 inch flatbar, the 9 inch x 14 inch long piece of stainless pipe, 2 pieces of 8 x 10 x 5/8 inch plate, 6 short and 3 long 3/4 inch bolts, and a 12 ton clevis. To make the clevis work I need a piece of 1-1/4 inch round bar. The long 3/4 inch bolts have a domed head that I think will work well as a small domed head anvil stake, or drift a hole and make it a small hammer. As long as I was in deep scrap anyway, I stopped at another garage and ask to look into their scrap bin. "Sure, take what you want" so I dug out 2 coil springs, 2 brake drums (with sloped sides), and 3 axles. That was just two stops on the way home on a Friday. You MUST build a relationship if they are kind enough to give you the good scrap. Now to make some things as a thank you or take them some cookies or donuts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 14, 2016 Share Posted August 14, 2016 Make a bottle opened from a nonplated wrench---that goes over big with mechanics! I was at the fleamarket today and bout two more welding bottle valve caps that I make wind bells from (US$5 for 2) and a set of tempering tongs---someone had welded on some steel cross bars on a nice set of pull offs they parallel just about right for small blades (under 1/4" thick); got them for $6 Turned down a bunch of $5 hammers and a $5 hotcut; did pick up a medium to small old hickory butcher knife for $1; been sharpening it trading heats with my student and I think it;s about ready to prove itself in on the watermelon we bought at the fleamarket as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lloe01 Posted August 15, 2016 Share Posted August 15, 2016 Get the cable, too! Make Damascus with it. That cable sells for about $10 per foot of 1-inch thick cable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted August 15, 2016 Author Share Posted August 15, 2016 There was two types of cable, about 10 feet of aluminum at 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 inch diameter and maybe 200 feet of wire rope that maybe 3/4 or larger in diameter. I could not lift it much less put it in the trunk of the car. Like I said you have to be selective when gathering resources, and know the limitations of the vehicle and the wife. When you pull into the drive way with the back seat tied to the roof of the wife's car, she will surely ask (read demand to know) why. Saying that you did not want to get the upholstery dirty from the dirty, greasy wire rope cable, and it was the only way to get the cable into the back seat of her car, is NOT an acceptable answer. You have to gather resources when you find them as someone is going to come along as soon as you pull out and grab the items you wanted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted August 15, 2016 Share Posted August 15, 2016 On 14/04/2016 at 5:53 AM, starbits said: 8 hours ago, lloe01 said: Get the cable, too! Make Damascus with it. That cable sells for about $10 per foot of 1-inch thick cable. Is this stuff I found in the scrap any good for Damascus? Most of the cable I find is galvanised and I'm not putting that near the forge. This looks clean enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
notownkid Posted August 15, 2016 Share Posted August 15, 2016 11 hours ago, Glenn said: is NOT an acceptable answer Oh so right! A number of years ago now I was a competitive shooter in a couple different disciplines, we use to joke we kept a little book on excuses we would use for a bad shot, bad day any reason why we lost or did something unusual. Not a bad idea to have one for explaining to the wife why something followed you home esp.in her car. This way you will not use the same excuse too often, plan ahead. The route to Dinner passes by the little woman. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted August 15, 2016 Share Posted August 15, 2016 18 hours ago, Glenn said: You MUST build a relationship if they are kind enough to give you the good scrap. Now to make some things as a thank you or take them some cookies or donuts. Ain't that the truth. I made my mechanic a bottle opener from one of the first pieces he gave me, and now they call me if they have some scrap they think I'd like. That's how I got my last two coil springs and a set of torsion bars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted August 16, 2016 Author Share Posted August 16, 2016 In reference to the 12 TON clevis needing a pin to make it work. I built a box thinking bolt or round bar for a clevis pin. Funny how when you have an axle in your hand moving it from point a to point b the brain kicks into gear, axles ARE round bar. Do you cut an axle that size with a hacksaw, hot saw, or hot cut, or just leave it a little long? LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Cochran Posted August 16, 2016 Share Posted August 16, 2016 Use a TP hacksaw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 16, 2016 Share Posted August 16, 2016 Well TP uses a cutting disk on a large industrial angle grinder... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Cochran Posted August 17, 2016 Share Posted August 17, 2016 That works too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted August 19, 2016 Share Posted August 19, 2016 Well, this DIDN'T follow me home: a nice pair of professional-grade pruning shears that I found on the shoulder of I-76 outside Philadelphia. As you can see, they were too big for my suitcase. Rather than get in more trouble with the TSA, I gave them to the maintenance guy in my hotel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 19, 2016 Share Posted August 19, 2016 Ah yes back in the good old days, I once had a 90# carry on bag filled with scrap metal---found an old cabin dump up in the rockies. They weighed your suitcases but not your carry on....nowadays no such possibilities! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted August 19, 2016 Share Posted August 19, 2016 I'm waiting to see if I get another "we looked in your bag" note from the TSA on account of the scrap I did bring home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
natenaaron Posted August 19, 2016 Share Posted August 19, 2016 On 8/10/2016 at 4:56 PM, Elciteeve said: Well as this is my first post it might already be obvious I'm new to IFI. I've been researching how to get set up forging for a while now and my first real find (or at least I hope it is) followed me home so I figured I'd give a shout out and see if this is actually worth keeping. I plan on having this chunk of metal be my learning anvil (ASO I think it's called?) Metal type is unknown although it's magnetic. weighs about 40lbs according to my bathroom scale. Measures 8" high by 3.5" square. What do you guys think, will this get me started? I was hoping for something bigger, but this was free, how could I say no? I'll be looking at a used railroad turned anvil this weekend that I might be able to get for cheap if this won't work. That thing is going to bounce all over the place. Figure out a way to secure it to your stump or whatever. Mine is 80 pounds, barely missed my foot and gouged a 1/2 inch deep pit in my concrete floor as I was pounding out some metal. Once you have it secured. Have fun. I have a RR track anvil as well and I keep going to the chunk O' steel. More real estate on top. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gergely Posted August 20, 2016 Share Posted August 20, 2016 We went to visit my parents last week, and what else to do in an other town as go for scrap hunting. On the way back from the scrapyard where was almost no good stuff I found a place of "old wares". I can't find better words to describe it: it's a hoarder's yard where theorethically everything's for sale. At first he wouldn't let me in but somehow as we talked we got into inner paths. Literary only paths led through the piles of rusting or rotting stuff. A real long time and about a hundred yards later I noticed something under a pile of plows and furrows. There lied an old looking grate, its bars attached with oddly shaped rivets. An other couple hours later I had this 28x28" wrought iron grate on my mother's biciyle, paid the same as I'd found it at a scrapyard. It's made from 20 pieces of 3/4" square bars - here in Hungary it's one of the sure signs of wrought iron, otherwise there is no inch-sized stock anywhere. It's a beauty with the 100 rivets in it. I really can't figure anything about its age other then it may be pre 20th century based on its material. But the town where it was lying is a medieval one with a still standing fort, so who knows... it could be real old Anyways I don't want to disassemle it, because I totally fell in love with its proportions and texture, hehe. Bests Gergely Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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