H beam for anvils?

C

cwhittington

Joined
Sep 6, 2002
Messages
106
A steel supply here has some 15" H beam that the owner bought to cut up for anvils- She says it's T1 steel and 1" thick web. Anyone try this for an anvil and how did it work? Is it hard enough? It would have a good work surface area and be easy to put hardy holes in (relatively) but I'm concerned about the hardness and whether the flanges could take being pounded on for a long time. Someone on another site mentioned that the ringing would be severe.
At 35 cents/lb it would be 100 bucks for a 17" section (thats how she's cutting it up)- seems to way too pricey to me but maybe not.
Any input appreciated...
 
Not sure how well it would hold up since I am not familiar with that steel. It could be used for a "banger", just something to beat on.

The ringing can be taken out by wrapping some heavy chain around it.

Hopefully someone else here can shed a little more light on this subject.
 
I don't know about the steel, we've got a peice of railroad track thats about an inch thick across the vertical peice of the I shape, that we use for cold bending/smackin the hell out of stuff here around the farm. Its held up to things like straightening a mower blade with a 14lb sledge hammer.
 
H beam is mild steel so it really won't be of much use for any continual blows.I think you would be unhappy with the results. Dave:)
 
The lady selling it says it's T1 steel, whatever T1 is.
I need to learn these different steel types.
She mihgt be jerken me around too.
Thanks for the input, I think I'll go with the 110 pounder at Harbor Freight for $85. Seems to me that whatever the beam is made of, it wouldn't have a hardened face anyway.
 
Just some support for your choice. I sure you would be happier with the 110lb anvil. I have made some sweet damascus on a 45 kilogram that would be about he size of 110lb. You can get a bit of anyting for the light tapping. I would try another scrap yard. Or a demolition site For a cheeper piece if you go with the steel.
I'm in Australia so maybe here things are a bit less restricted.
Scrap beam from a building sight may cost a carton of beer. I don't sugest for a moment that you do anything illegal. The site forman normally has the correct authority here to authorize the removal of scrap.
 
A friend of mine here tried some H beam and even tried to harden it. It didn't work out too well and he ended up with an anvil not too long afterwards.

Remember, usually if its been done and it worked, you would see H beams every where used for anvils. Bladesmiths are a pretty resourceful lot.

C Wilkins
 
C.L.- That's a good point- if H beam were any good it would be commonly used- and I've never seen it. Thanks
 
T-1 is a stuctural grade steel. They build cranes and stuff out of it.It's a bit stouter than the "run of the Mill":rolleyes (pun intended)

Mild steel will work for an anvil, it will work harden but not get as hard as a tool steel face anvil. Hence not as much rebound.

Now you can use a hard facing rod, but you still have the flex and harmonic prob.

H beam has a lousy rebound, the stuff flexes, and it is extremely noisy. If you add mass to the web, it helps. It makes better press frames than anvils.

If you are at the salvage look for some 4 to 6" round or sq. bar. You can make a descent anvil with this stuff. I have a small block anvil 12" tall and 4X6" face. works fine for blades, a little lighter than I want but easier to pack around than the 250Lber, for small blades just great. look for something like that. my.02
 
I think she's hoping to re-coup her costs on that H-Beam...

At $100 for a 17" section, she's looking to make $1000 off of a 15' length of steel that probably cost her $500-$750.

See if she can give you an ANSI equivalent, that will let you know if you could harden it to anything worthwhile.

Whereabouts are you? I've got some railroad track in the garage that I can send to you, if you're willing to pay shipping. Of course, if you have a Harbour Freight nearby, that 110 is looking like an awfully good option. I may pick one of those up, myself.

Good Luck!

:D
 
As someone else has said, T1 is a mild structural steel. I am a retired welder and have had plenty of occassions to work with this type of steel. I would,t try to use it for an anvil.
 
Thanks all for the info on H beam. I've got a rail anvil that works for now but I'm going to go for that Harbor Freight anvil. Unless my dad will give or loan my grandfathers old anvil to me- but I doubt that will happen. I'll have to be content with inherriting(sp?)that thing someday.
 
I don't know much about the H Beam, but I can give you a tip on finding a good used anvil. It is a pretty simple but time consuming approach. Just ask everybody and their brother (litterally) if they have one or know someone who might. Ask them to ask around for you too.

I did that and thre months later I had a 152 pound Hay Budden in excellent shape in the back of my truck. It took a while to find it, but for $75, I am not complaining.

You will be supprised how well the word of mouth thing still works. I got my little giant trip hammer the same way.

The guy I bought the anvil from works for the same company I do, but in a different facility. He also ended up giving me a Model 760 Burr King grinder. All I had to do was clean it up and plug it in.

Ask everybody and anybody, don't be shy. You will be amazed at how many prople don't even know what an anvil is. Just tell them the think that Wile. E. Cyote always got dropped on his head and their light will come on.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top