I-beam, scuba tank: Anvil, forge body?

Robert_Phelps

Robert_Phelps

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Nov 29, 2005
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I asked my dad to help me get together some things so I can start hammering out my blades. He has friends who weld/work on cars, so I thought he might be able to help me.
So far, he's come across a section of I-beam that he thought might could work for an anvil. He also bought some old, used scuba tanks (for diving purposes) and he said if one didn't work, he'd have it cut for me. I was wondering though if a cut scuba tank would work for a dragon's breath or similar type forge?

Thanks for the help,
-Robert
 
You can use a small piece of rail road track,Makes a fair anvil
you can buy a block 14" long 12"x 12" with a 4 1/2 "hole in the center
for your forge .You will have to bore a hole into the side .I have been useing mine now for 3 years . High temp refractory Tom Cartwright 636-677-2200
 
Where do you get railroad track? Also, I heard that it has to be flattened? I live in a city where we still use our railroads, so I don't know how much old rail we have floating around.:confused:
 
Also, is that like a giant one-brick forge? Mine has hot spots and cool spots like nobody's business. I want something that can do a bowie or possibly a machette /short sword type length (for when I'm better), and has relatively stable temps throughout
 
Be careful of the scuba tank if its a steel tank changes are its galvanized and can give off some pretty dangerous fumes unless you get all the coating off.
 
Arn't steel ones the older ones? what if it's aluminum, or whatever else they're made from?

And again, can a I-beam not be used?
(If not, where to get RR track?)
 
Hey Blue Dragon,
As far as the tanks go, Steel ones aren't necessary old. In fact a lot of the older ones I've seen were aluminum. Make sure you have it examined pretty closely, the need to be visually checked once a year and hydro-checked every 5 years I believe to inspect for cracks. I think having a cracked one and heating it up as a forge could be quite dangerous. There's got to be a reason it was retired. Other than that I can't see any reason why it might not work.

Lagarto
 
lagarto said:
Hey Blue Dragon,
As far as the tanks go, Steel ones aren't necessary old. In fact a lot of the older ones I've seen were aluminum. Make sure you have it examined pretty closely, the need to be visually checked once a year and hydro-checked every 5 years I believe to inspect for cracks. I think having a cracked one and heating it up as a forge could be quite dangerous. There's got to be a reason it was retired. Other than that I can't see any reason why it might not work.

Lagarto
Click to expand...

The inspections are if they are used as scuba tanks. If used for a forge they will be cut/drilled and not suitable for diving. The first tanks were steel then came cheaper Al ones. The aluminum ones tend to last 15-20 years before failing an inspection and being decommisioned. Steel ones go a lot longer. If the tanks are Al, they will have too low a melting point to be used as a forge body. The steel ones may work. There should be a manufacturer on them somewhere (look on the neck) whom you can contact and ask what it is made of. Personally as I prefer charcoal, I'd cut the tank longitudanally, line it, put a side blast air source and go from there.


An I-beam should work as a makeshift anvil. The requirements for an anvil are heat-proof, able to withstand hammer blows and the heaver the better. Large stones were used for centuries before iron production developed to the point iron/steel ones were available. If I was to try an I-beam, I'd cut holes in one side to anchor the beam to some log or similar stand and use the other side for the hammering surface.

You will also need something to use for tongs and some hammers. For knives some sort of quench tank (top cut off a scuba tank should work for that) and quenchant.
 
Thanks. Yea, my great-uncle was going to drill it for me. I think I'll wait till I can find a different type of metal cylinder to use. He's also supposed to like, secretly have my grandfather's old anvil, but he won't admit it.
 
Blue Dragon, look for an old Oxygen cylinder at the local scrap metal yard. I got one for $10.00 and I'll get two forges out of it. If you want a smaller forge try a Medium size fire extinguisher. They're steel and you can sometimes get them for free at the "dump" in your town.

If you live in a town where there's a working railroad you should be able to find all kinds of track and probably a coupling. (See Wayne Goddard's book $50 Knife Shop)

Our tracks were pulled up a few years ago and they all disappeared, but I was lucky enough to find a box car with the couplers intact at my father's former employer. I just asked for a coupling and now I have the beginning of an anvil. (Need to find a base.)

The stuff is out there, just use a little imagination.
 
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