Cheap little Anvil.

[brennivs - tony drake]

Since there has been a lot of threads on hammering I came across a little anvil for £30 weighing 11.5 kg.
http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/produ ... path/vices
It has a good size bed on it and the weight is not too bad could be useful for those little jobs
Regards Brennivs

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

I have a 4.5kg one, draper tho, and good for little things, but I will need abigger one sometime...thanks for the pointer! Looks just like that one though.

[richsc]

Harbor freight sells three sizes of small anvils, such as this 55 pound one.

[Gobae]

Yes, you may be able to do some work with these.

But anyone considering doing more blacksmithing work should be aware that many of these (especially Harbor Freight) gets them from multiple suppliers so getting a decent one can be a crap shoot. Typically they have rather soft faces that mar/wear easily.

[brennivs - tony drake]

Thanks for that Richsc and Gobae,but you are right about the bed might be too soft but I will have a look at it when I pop in the store. I thought it would be just a nice size to do jobs on that would save the dinning room table and a ear bashing into the bargain :lol: :lol:
Here is a site for some serious gear
http://www.anvils.co.uk/index.htm
There catologue is great D
Regards Brennivs

[Matt Lukes]

My anvil is one of these cast steel types and while 'real' blacksmiths call them ASO's (anvil-shaped objects), the truth is that anvils with a tool steel face are only a couple of hundred years old- for THOUSANDS of years smiths just used lumps of iron/steel, so technically, one of these cast anvils is rather more appropriate for making ancient stuff Mine's got all kinds of little dents and scars on the face, but I just take an angle grinder with a sanding disc and smooth it out some (removing very little metal really) and it's much better. And, of course, the relatively light weight makes it considerably more portable...

[P. Clodius Secundus]

I have pretty much all the gear to start a smithy, including an antique 150 pound anvil, crank bellows, etc. Years ago my dad bought much of the contents of a blacksmith/farrier works. Some day I hope to get it set up and start learning. Add it to the list of really cool things to do... In college I helped on a dig for Clark University and Old Sturbridge Village. We excavated a burned down smithy and relocated and restored the Smith's (Ezra Bixby) house to the Village. One of the most useful modern pieces in our workshop is a section of old railroad track. The top is handy for rounding over long sections of sheet metal for rocker panels and such like. Inverted, the wide, flat, bottom makes a nice long straight surface. I haven't tried making any swords, but I bet would work great for that purpose.

[Gobae]

the truth is that anvils with a tool steel face are only a couple of hundred years old- for THOUSANDS of years smiths just used lumps of iron/steel, so technically, one of these cast anvils is rather more appropriate for making ancient stuff

Well, that's kinda true, but cast anvils don't really start showing up until the last 500 years or so. Even then the decent casters learned to "chill" the face of the anvil to make it harder than the body. Despite this, cast anvils were still second to wrought anvils because of constant issue with bad castings. This is where "blacksmith's tale" of determining anvil quality by its ring came into being. A decent cast anvil with a chilled face would ring nicely, but flawed castings would either "buzz" or thud.

[brennivs - tony drake]

Thats true you always know a good hit by the tune it plays ( ? cry: The ringing keeps a even pace on your hammering
Regards Brennivs

[xoalin]

If you need a cheap anvil try a section of Rail Road track, or some other hard steel.

Used a cheap cast anvil once...never again. Due to the lack of "bounce" it required more work and effort to form things. Not to mention the surface degraded quickly, which marred what you were working on.

[Gaius Octavius Drusus]

Avete Omnes:

I have a section of railroad rail that I got for next to nothing at a local scrap yard. I fastend the rail section to a piece of 2x4, then I bolted the 2 x 4 to a lenght of 16" square timber. This arrangement is as solid as the proverbial rock

Vale:

Gaius Octavius Drusus

[afmayer]

Greg wrote:
"Due to the lack of "bounce" it required more work and effort to form things. "

More of the mass under the hammer is the better.

Try Anvilfire.com for articles on making one.
http://www.anvilfire.com/21centbs/anvil ... anvils.htm
especially:
http://www.anvilfire.com/FAQs/RR-rail_anvils.htm

Andy

[brennivs - tony drake]

Excellent Afmayer D I made one from a rail hammer and put on a gauge plate bed and horn.
Regards Brennivs

[Wes]

I have a smaller anvil, I made a brass "face" that fits when I want to try and not mar my copper work. I laminated 4 pieces of 1/4 inch brass together. Works quite nice.