My starter anvil

Jesse Smith

Jesse Smith

Joined
Dec 2, 2013
Messages
163
I scored a 53 lb. benchtop machinist anvil off of ebay. It's 8x8x3. I was originally going to mount it on it's side to have a 8"x3" face, but a journeyman knife maker I know said I'd be happier with the 8x8 face.

Anyhow, here it is with the railroad tie base I made for it...
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Now I'm waiting on my Kaowool order and scrounging parts to build a blown forge.
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Looks good!

I'd argue against the journeyman smith if you were actually planning on drawing out larger billets, but for light shaping, tweaking, and straightening; you've got everything you could ever ask for... All in all, securing a steel mass to a larger mass (stand), to an even larger mass (earth) is the most effective means of a great anvil.

Are those lug holes countersunk into the plate? If so get some big lag bolts and sink that puppy into those RR ties... You'll turn a starter anvil into a keeper-forever anvil...

You can never have too many anvils, in spite of what my wife says.
 
your friend is most likely correct in his assessment. the reason he is correct is that it is probably not through hardened so if you where to turn it on edge part of it would be soft and deform under use.
 
Bill Burke said:
your friend is most likely correct in his assessment. the reason he is correct is that it is probably not through hardened so if you where to turn it on edge part of it would be soft and deform under use.
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That's something that would've never crossed my mind Mr. Burke! More legitimate reason behind that than the argument I had to offer.



How's the rebound Jesse?
 
That makes sense Mr. Burke. I actually wondered about that before I bought it but talked myself into deciding it was hardened through. LOL. No matter, I think it will work just fine the way it was meant to. Maybe I'll weld a short railroad track anvil to the shelf/cap next to the anvil if I find myself needing a narrower face.

The rebound seems nice in the middle, but has less toward the edges. Or at least that's what it seems like to me by tapping around on it with the hammer.
 
Jesse17 said:
That makes sense Mr. Burke. I actually wondered about that before I bought it but talked myself into deciding it was hardened through. LOL. No matter, I think it will work just fine the way it was meant to. Maybe I'll weld a short railroad track anvil to the shelf/cap next to the anvil if I find myself needing a narrower face.

The rebound seems nice in the middle, but has less toward the edges. Or at least that's what it seems like to me by tapping around on it with the hammer.
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The center mass will always have a sweet spot. Most manufactured anvils will actually have harder edges due to the edges being the further away from center mass... that's why dressing an anvil correctly is always a good idea, the edges are less likely to spall and chip.

Railroad tracks are awesome little post anvils...

This is probably one of the most ingenious little RR track anvils I've ever seen.

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Oh, I didn't know anything about dressing an anvil. I just Googled it and see it's something my anvil probably needs since it has very crisp edges. What's the best tool for this that won't mess up the HT of the anvil?
 
Jesse17 said:
Oh, I didn't know anything about dressing an anvil. I just Googled it and see it's something my anvil probably needs since it has very crisp edges. What's the best tool for this that won't mess up the HT of the anvil?
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I'd dress it with a flap-wheel, light passes, feathering it lightly as you approach your desired radius. I think the tapering radius is genius, but I also use my anvil for different hot work, not just for knives...

Before you have at it, I will say this, I've had the pleasure of catching and releasing a decent share of anvils over the past couple of years. I have heard this statement from more than one bladesmith; " I need an an anvil with nice sharp edges...". So, there is likely a counterargument to dressing an anvil. I personally don't see how this benefits their forging of a blade, but then again I haven't really been at this blade smithing for very long, so maybe there is another individual out there that can chime in with their point of view...

... You can also leave one side of the anvil sharp if you ever in need... just a thought...
 
crisp edges = crisp forged plunge lines. But a nice radius is good for a lot of things too.
 
I've been looking for an anvil for months now and just today found this little one in a junk store - 14 lbs. Not much, I know, but since I had nothing, I brought it home and will beat on it some later today or tomorrow. Anyone know anything about this little guy? It has no markings that I could find. Thanks.

 
Col Defender said:
I've been looking for an anvil for months now and just today found this little one in a junk store - 14 lbs. Not much, I know, but since I had nothing, I brought it home and will beat on it some later today or tomorrow. Anyone know anything about this little guy? It has no markings that I could find. Thanks.

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Looks like an anvil/vise combo without the vise...
 
That vise/anvil thingamabob will likely shatter under use. It's meant for very light work, like straightening nails or quick tap with the hammer. You'll probably have some limited success forging really hot 1/4" stock for hooks and such, but anything more than that will be a disaster in short order. I'd keep it for the horn and invest in a 20lb sledgehammer head for an anvil that you can forge on.

The sledgehammer is already hardened and tempered, just bury it half into the stump and go to work. It will be a night-and-day difference between the performance of the two anvils. You can turn out very nice knives and small work on a sledgehammer anvil.
 
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