4140 anvil

D

DukeHarley

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Apr 11, 2014
Messages
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Ok so I have a big block of 4140 (2.5x4x8) that I squared up in the mill. I'd like to try to make this into an anvil to mess around with forging until I can purchase a proper anvil. Now if I have the welder here at work flame harden this will it be good enough to use to bang around on to work on my forging skills. Any info on how I should go about this would be appreciated.

Jay
 
This is my current anvil in progress I still need to flatten the face a bit and bolt it to a stump. Its a 3x3x30 piece of mystery steel with a 3/8'' piece of leaf spring forge welded on top and a 'hardy loop' welded on the side. Adding the leaf and hardening the piece increased the rebound substantially so I think hardening the face of your piece would be a great idea. Otherwise I don't see any problems if you secure it to something to prevent it bouncing around.
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[/url]20161104_143114[1] by t m, on Flickr[/IMG]
 
4140 with a 45 - 50 RC face would make an excellent anvil substitute I think.
 
If that is 2.5X4X8 inches, the "big block" weighs 22 pounds. That will work as-is as a bench top cutlers anvil for peening rivets and stuff, but not as a regular shaping/forging anvil. You need 75 pounds minimum, and 100+ pounds is a good starter weight.

A piece of 4140 that is 4X4X24" weighs about 108 pounds. Set on end like velferd's anvil it makes a good post anvil.
 
Stacy, I was planning on having the welder weld it to a 4x4x12" piece of Diemate steel we have at work. I was planning on laying the 4x4x12 on its side and laying the 4140 piece on it and welding along all 4 edges giving me a 4x8 work surface. I believe this should be enough mass/weight. This would be done prior to flame hardening of course.

Good idea or not?

Jay
 
Good Metals Co has Diemate but that's just A36 construction steel. That's not for an anvil surface .But they also have 4140 which is the good stuff !
Laying 4140 on top of A36 and welding the edges has been used for along time .
 
I'm calculating an additional 54 lbs from your A36 block for a total weight of 76lb. If you can double up the A36 I think you'd be happier.
 
Yes, a larger plate would help. If you got two of those A36 blocks, it would greatly improve things.

Remember, the mass below the anvil face is largely what counts. If the anvil is only 6.5" thick, that is less mass under the hammer than if it was 8" thick. Place the smaller block on the 4X12 face of the A36 and have the anvil face be 2.5X8". This will place most of the mass below the hammer. A 2.5X8" anvil face is plenty big enough for any knife. If you can get a second 4X4X12 plate, weld it on the bottom of the other. That would put 2.5X8X12" under the face - 68 pounds. The whole anvil would weigh 130 pounds.
 
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