Building a bladesmith anvil?

[Will52100]

I've tried a post anvil and while it works and has it's uses, it's only 4"x4" square. Very solid but I'm wanting something with a larger face, say about 5"x10" give or take. I've tried finding a sawyer's anvil but nothing like that around here.

I have been thinking, I know dangerous, about welding a face of 1 1/2" or 2" thick 1045 on to a mild steel body. Got the idea from watching a youtube video of a kid making a small anvil. Basically use 3/8" or 1/2" square bar as a spacer in the center and fill with welding rod out to the edge. I'm wondering if I should heat treat before and just take my time welding so as not to loose the temper on the 1045, or to weld then heat treat in the coal forge and use a butt load of water to quench.

Or is this a bad idea? A bladesmith anvil like this is something I've been wanting for probably 15 years now, not a must have, just a want to have.

Thoughts on construction?

Thanks

 

[VaughnT]

The face plate on old anvils was never more than about 3/8" thick. Using a thicker plate won't do you any real good, but it will cost a whole lot more than buying a large chunk of mild steel.

Using stand-offs to create a gap between the body and plate is a solid idea and has been used successfully by a lot of people. You can mitigate the risk of ruining the heat treat of the face by setting things upside down so the faceplate is resting firmly against the welding bench. A sheet of copper between the bench and plate will help draw the heat away, too.

Most people go the opposite way and since heat rises and there's not much to draw the heat away from the plate except the open air.... you can see how it might impact the HT.

If you go slow and switch sides regularly, you'll keep the heat down and minimize warping.

 

[Will52100]

That's one reason I was thinking a thicker plate, so I could quench it and the welding wouldn't draw too much temper out. Of course if I did go that rout I'd warm it in the oven to probably 300 deg. F. I hadn't thought about flipping it upside down, but that's a good idea. I've got other stuff to do first, so it's a back burner idea, but I'll probably have to give it a try wether it works or not.

 

[Will52100]

Managed to do a small scale test, used a piece of 3/4" x 2" x 3" 4140 and a hunk of 1" mild steel. Used a 1/2" cold rolled for the separator, think I'd be better off with 3/8" square bar. Anyway, kinda figured, but you can hang up saving the temper on anything under an inch thick and plan on heat treating after quench. I did a water quench and with hardness files it tested somewhere around 48 rockwell. Which is strange as my post anvil I made from 4"x4" x12" 4140 test out about 55 rockwell. Of course I used a large trash can of super quench to do it and heated it in the forge, the test piece I used water and heated in my oven.

Anyway, I'm thinking the project is on hold until or unless I figure out something that will harden to a higher degree for a face plate. I did hear about welding A2 for a faceplate, but haven't seen anything other than a mention on youtube about it. If I could weld A2 on without it cracking that would would be great as it'll air harden, might need a water quench to cool fast enough with that much mass though.