anvils

Metalhead0483

Metalhead0483

Joined
Jan 17, 2008
Messages
539
Hey all, I've been doing quite a lot of forging recently and my poor little 60lb Vulcan just isn't cutting the mustard any more. So I'm hunting for a (comparatively) reasonably priced new anvil. The three I'm looking at right now are the 100lb TFS blacksmith ($580), the 100lb Emerson Traditional ($695), and the 105lb Scott tapered ($730). What I'd really like is a Nimba Titan, but at $975 plus shipping it's a bit out of reach for me.

Does anyone have any experience with any of those three? Or maybe there's another option I missed? I appreciate any suggestions.
 
Is the Vulcan too small in surface area, or in bad shape?
If it is in good shape, but too light, then just add a bunch of mass below it.

Get a piece of 1" thick steel plate about two inches larger than the anvil base ( 14X8 base = 16X10 plate). Weld four pieces of rebar on the plate to make legs of the heu=ight the anvil base needs to be. It will look like a table. Cast a base of concrete in a wash tub with the plate in the center. Make the concrete even with the plate. Set the anvil on it. It will act like a much heavier anvil. You can tack weld the anvil feet to the plate once things are done.
 
Little bit of both Stacy. If it were just the size I could probably make it work, but it looks like so many of those old Vulcans. Edges are all broken down. It really is time to move on...
 
Who needs a horn for bladesmithing? Not sure which crazy Canadian came up with this design, but for knifemaking it's awesome! I have mine bolted to a 6x6 cemented into the ground, it's rock solid.

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Atlas Knife Company said:
Who needs a horn for bladesmithing? Not sure which crazy Canadian came up with this design, but for knifemaking it's awesome! I have mine bolted to a 6x6 cemented into the ground, it's rock solid.

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This style works very well!

Don Fogg was the first smith I saw using one and that was 20 years ago.
 
For that sort of anvil I'd probably go for a chunk of 4140 round stock. Harden it before setting it in the stand.
I've made bench anvils from 4140, and it wouldn't be hard to make something as good as the best commercial anvils from a big piece of it
 
4340 would be a better choice for hardening in larger cross sections, 4140 begins to not thru-harden well over 3" thick. If you're lucky and keep an eye out on Ebay you may be able to get a "drop" of big 4340 for a deal, even luckier and it may already be hardened. A cutoff of large forklift tine is also a classic choice to set in crete for a post anvil, if you have scrap yards nearby that's something to look for. Also a worn-out excavator size hydraulic chipping bit would make a spectacular post anvil, they have one nice flat end and will weigh several hundred lbs. of good hard steel.
 
An old A2 or H13 dieblock could make for a pretty damn good anvil if you got your hands on one...
 
Put the vulcan up for sale and add that money to your anvil budget. Depending on where you are at you can get a reasonable price on one at blacksmith swap meets. By reasonable they are still expensive but a buddy of mine just bought one in the 150lb range for somewhere around 400$. Some jerkoff stole his so I think he got a discounted price from some friends but they are still far cheaper at those gatherings than the new ones you are quoting.

-Clint
 
Salem Straub said:
4340 would be a better choice for hardening in larger cross sections, 4140 begins to not thru-harden well over 3" thick. If you're lucky and keep an eye out on Ebay you may be able to get a "drop" of big 4340 for a deal, even luckier and it may already be hardened. A cutoff of large forklift tine is also a classic choice to set in crete for a post anvil, if you have scrap yards nearby that's something to look for. Also a worn-out excavator size hydraulic chipping bit would make a spectacular post anvil, they have one nice flat end and will weigh several hundred lbs. of good hard steel.
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Thanks Salem, that's a good call. I had heard about the forklift tines, but haven't ran across any yet. We don't have a lot for scrap yards up here unfortunately. I'm on ebay now and there are some reasonable options hanging around. The question is size. How big should it be? I'm going to be sinking it in concrete as it is, so how much material do I need?

Augus7us said:
Put the vulcan up for sale and add that money to your anvil budget. Depending on where you are at you can get a reasonable price on one at blacksmith swap meets. -Clint
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Yeah... Not so much up here in AK Clint. Anvils are like solid gold up here. I've never seen one in even halfway decent shape sell in the open (non direct person to person "good ol' boy" sale) for less than seven dollars a pound.
 
Take me fishing and I'll bring you a big old hunk of 4140 :D
 
Metalhead0483 said:
Yeah... Not so much up here in AK Clint. Anvils are like solid gold up here. I've never seen one in even halfway decent shape sell in the open (non direct person to person "good ol' boy" sale) for less than seven dollars a pound.
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Not sure if you are aware, but we have a Facebook group for blacksmithing and metalwork up here- Association of Alaskan Blacksmiths. The members usually give each other a significant discount on that sort of stuff just to ensure that the tool doesn't turn into a yard ornament or add to an antique shops collection. Just saw a 300 and some odd pound bridge anvil for about a dollar a pound. The guys usually just want to see the tools used as they were intended.
 
AlaskanHunter said:
Not sure if you are aware, but we have a Facebook group for blacksmithing and metalwork up here- Association of Alaskan Blacksmiths. The members usually give each other a significant discount on that sort of stuff just to ensure that the tool doesn't turn into a yard ornament or add to an antique shops collection. Just saw a 300 and some odd pound bridge anvil for about a dollar a pound. The guys usually just want to see the tools used as they were intended.
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No kidding... I'll go jump on there. Look for Nate Webb to join. That's me :)

Don Hanson III said:
If I needed an anvil, this is what I'd build or buy. The one in the foreground.

post-22306-1209607951.jpg
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Don, I've seen those, and they look really awesome, but I have yet to find a source for stock that big up here. I can get large round 4140 (no 4340 unfortunately Salem) from our local steel supplier, but it's horrendously expensive, and they don't do square stock at all.
 
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