1aretea Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 Hello, I've been looking for used anvil but no luck. Don't want to pay new prices, either. I'm thinking about making one, with the thickest plate steel I can scrounge up. I like the Nimba style, probally 200 lbs. or so. Asseblying plans are to burn the plates to shape, nice deep bevel (for welding) and mill the surface to make flat for a tight fit. I will hard face the top and sides, not sure about the horn.? Any tips I need to know about and is Mangnese the proper rod for hard facing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warren Nakkela Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 What would it cost to bring a pattern to a steel foundry and have an anvil cast? Warren Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy k Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 (edited) Warren - That topic has been discussed before and does not warrent the time and energy for 1 or 2 due to the costs of set-up and heat treating. It would be cheaper to just buy one from a supplier that sells new anvils. Take a look at this thread (post #13): http://www.iforgeiron.com/forum/f7/new-colonial-anvil-2797/ -JK Edited February 15, 2009 by jeremy k Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peacock Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 The big expense is the patteren. last one I had anything to do with was a270 # double horn. patteren cost $5,000. Most foundries we talked to would not consider it if their patteren maker did not do the work, unless the patteren had been tested even then often times they will modify the patteren to their specs. This also carries a hefty charge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warren Nakkela Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 I have known some foundry people for years, the owners and operators, and when I next see them I will ask. Warren Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evfreek Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 Hi. I made two anvils because I will not pay the prices on the used market just on principle. You mentioned a deep bevel for a good pen weld. Have you ever done this before? It is no fun, or maybe I should say it is not as fun as blacksmithing. First, you have to make the weld prep. You can do this with a grinder, a cutting torch or a carbon arc gouge. Neither is fun, and the carbon arc cannot be run in your backyard. Then, you have to do a huge multi-pass weld. It will use a lot of rod, and after 4 hours of chipping every pass, you will start to annoy the neighbors. Zap, zapppp, zappp, buzzzzzz, sputter, zapp, buzzzzzzz, ..., tink, tink, tink, tink, zap, zapppp, buzzzzzzz, etc. You get the point. One complaint I got is that the listener always knew what was coming next, a buzz or a tink. OMG I think he is going to start chipping again . Anyway, the second one turned out really good, and I love it. I just saw a fabricated anvil for sale for about $6 per pound, and nobody was ridiculing the price. I think that a fabricated anvil is just as good as a used slightly beat up London pattern anvil, and can be made for about $1 to $3 per pound of material plus maybe 20 to 50 hours of hard unpleasant labor. I think its worth it since I hate passing the coin to the smirking anvil reseller. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tech413 Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 Do you have any pictures of the anvils that you have made? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shane Stegmeier Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 I would suggest an air needle descaler, and a honking big welder, with some honking big rods... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Dean Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 I built my own anvil and I probably wouldn't do it agan. It took about 80 hours, 60+ pounds of rod and killed 1 angle grinder. Total weight is about 230 pounds and is a really nice hunk of iron to work on however i didn't make a horn on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisB Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 Anvil and stand all in one. Nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Keppler Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 I've been thinking about the feasibility of getting a chunk of plate steel flame cut into a ASO and then finish grinding the horn and having a harden steel plate professionally welded on. I was thinking about using hot rolled mild steel for the body and horn because i have access to some large scrap or if i had to buy it new it would be cheaper. If i did not use mild steel i would try to use something like 4140 with no plate welded and then figure out some way to heat treat. Think this would work? Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisB Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 1aretea, It's going to depend on what you can "scrounge" vs what you'll have to pay for. Try hitting a steel supplier for drops in the 5" or larger range. Get a 3ft piece and cap it with some decent steel (S7, 4140) and you'll have a nice anvil. Just weld it to a 1" plate base. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragons lair Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 At my shop rate of $50.00 per hour an 80 hr anvil would be $4,000 plus mtl, rod and electric. In the last yr have found and bought a 100lb vulcan 150lb trenton 142lb H-B 88lb H-B 141lb mouse hole and a 60lb vulcan Lowest price $35 highest $250 Anvils are out there if you look. Time invested in my 35lb RR track with square hardy pritchel hole step and horn ( first anvil) would be about $2000. Time is money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junksmith Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 (edited) I went to my local scrap yard and happened upon a bottom die for an old drop hammer. At least that's what my local welder thinks it is. Then I found a gear pinion, cut it to length with my gas torch and welded a several-layer bezel to hold it on. I'm still looking for a "real" anvil that I can afford, but this is serviceable for now. It took about 2 weekends at a total cost of about $75 in scrap steel at (220 pounds @.35 per pound). You have to be really open-minded about what materials you might be able to use. I was lucky to find a forged and hardened block of steel to start with. Edited February 16, 2009 by Junksmith photo didn't load Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MLMartin Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 (edited) I have also gone the route of welding up heavy plate and blocks to make an anvil, near 200lb, if i were on the clock it would have been well over a few thousand to make it. but i did it in free time over about a year, few hours here few there and so on, all the parts i believe there were 20 in total were beveled to a point for full penetration, and as said before, a huge pain in the butt, lots of chipping lots welding, i dont have a needle scaller, wish i did, would have saved lots of time, and i only had a little 220 stick welder at the time, so i was only useing little 1/8 inch rods, if you have a good size mig welder this will save lots of time, or a big stick welder where you can fun 1/4 inch rods, but this is pretty intense . in the end i came out with an anvil thats decently nice, but could be better, if i was to go it again i would have used a different hard facing rod. the rods will set you back an easy 300 or more to cover a face thats something like 4inch by 18inch. seem to be best in layers to, medium hardness then heavy hardness on top. have not worked on the thing in a while, why it can be called done and used just fine as is, i still plan to grind down the face and dress the hardy hole more. this process is very very slow and makes a great deal of noise, and huge amounts of dust. ovcorse this is just how it all worked out for me, many people will do it different ways, different results, but no matter how you do it, if done right it will be a great deal of work. if you find my gallery on this site you can see some of the steps to making my anvil, sorry not totaly in order just my thoughs o yess and about the time i finished making this beast, i found a 500lb with broken hardy hole for 500$ but otherwise the rest of the anvil was in great condition, so i bought it and now i hardly use the anvil i made at all, funny huu. Edited February 17, 2009 by Mlmartin15 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evfreek Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 Do you have any pictures of the anvils that you have made? Sorry, I don't have any pictures. But it looks like the anvils that others have posted. Doesn't really look like a real anvil. The horn has a full pen weld, and it works great. I have bent metal cold over it. The folks saying that at shop rates, the anvils are super expensive, are absolutely correct. I think one has to pick one's battles. The funny thing is that I spent about a year looking for anvils with no luck. As soon as I fabricated the two, someone offered to lend me his Peter Wright indefinitely. Too late. Anyway, the Peter Wright had almost no good edges (broken out all the way through the steel top), and was not really that useful for drawing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ralphy Posted February 18, 2009 Share Posted February 18, 2009 I made my first one while I was at work out of 1"and 1 1/2" plate it looks crude but I've beat on it for a couple years and it still all togather. I got a 300# Vulcan anvil now, but the first one is still on the floor close by. I've seen portable ones made from R/R track, I had one along time ago, good for wacking light metal or sheet metal. good luck to ya. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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