Newb making a anvil and scored some steel, think it will work?

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b_rogers

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Sep 25, 2011
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Im totally new to all this, so if this stuff won't work let me know. I have access to more steel than I could ever transport to my shop.

I forgot I have a customer who owns a HUGE scrap steel business, so today I went and grabbed a few things to hopefully make a decent starter anvil. I also found some 5" wide 5/16 thick band saw type blades, grabbed one of those as well, maybe it can be made into a sword or something..

I found this tall piece of I beam, thinking I could make the stand from it, the steel is about 1" thick and its 36" tall roughly with 12" top and bottom
image-12.jpg


I grabbed a section of railroad track and a big slab of steel 3" thick and 8" wide. VERY heavy and flat. Im thinking thats what i want to use as the hammering surface.
image-11.jpg


Anything else I can grab that may be better? Suggestions? cautions? I can go back and get basically anything i can carry for free
Thanks in advance..
Brent
 
Looks like a good score! IMHO the rr track will make the best anvil (I have used one for years) if it isn't work hardened from use,you may find someone who will heat treat it for you.
 
Stand up that slab on end. Use the 3"x8" surface as your anvil face such that the majority of the mass is below it. Cut, grind, file the face flat. Sink it in a bucket or barrel of reinfored concrete so that the face is at a comfortable work height for you. Google Tim Lively to see what can be done on a mild steel "junk" post type anvil. My 2 ¢ anywho.
 
stevomiller said:
Stand up that slab on end. Use the 3"x8" surface as your anvil face such that the majority of the mass is below it. Cut, grind, file the face flat. Sink it in a bucket or barrel of reinfored concrete so that the face is at a comfortable work height for you. Google Tim Lively to see what can be done on a mild steel "junk" post type anvil. My 2 ¢ anywho.
Click to expand...

Thats one of the options I was looking at. I don't know if this is a indicator of hardness or anything, but that 3 foot 3x8 slab rings like a bell and is VERY high pitched even when you barely clink something on it. The railroad track has a much lower pitch when struck and nowhere near as loud..

Thanks for the tips!
 
brent,

that thick piece of steel looks exactly like my bladesmithing anvil! I do have a 250lb blacksmith anvil. but for hammering blades, I use the rectangular anvil. I built a tall box, about 30" by 24" width/lenght, by about 3 foot tall out of 2x4's and 3/4" plywood, and filled it with concrete, while concrete was setting up, I set the steel into it on edge with about 3" sticking up and let it harden for a week. weighs about 400lbs if I remember right, and is much quieter than blacksmith anvil. has 4 square edges for forging right down to the edge. works really well.
 
joe444 said:
brent,

that thick piece of steel looks exactly like my bladesmithing anvil! I do have a 250lb blacksmith anvil. but for hammering blades, I use the rectangular anvil. I built a tall box, about 30" by 24" width/lenght, by about 3 foot tall out of 2x4's and 3/4" plywood, and filled it with concrete, while concrete was setting up, I set the steel into it on edge with about 3" sticking up and let it harden for a week. weighs about 400lbs if I remember right, and is much quieter than blacksmith anvil. has 4 square edges for forging right down to the edge. works really well.
Click to expand...

Think you could post a picture of that. Sounds pretty sweet.
 
I also say stand the 3"x8" on end and use it.

Use the 36" piece of I beam to make a post vise stand. It might be a little tall. But workable.
 
here is some pics of my bladesmith anvil

anvilresized.jpganvil faceresized.jpg

I made this one on the large side. but it doesnt move when I forge. it was also heavy enough to mount my post-vice to. I added a smaller piece of 3" plate to the side to use as a cutting plate, it doesnt accept hardies, but you can cut on the cutting plate, and bend by holding blade at an angle contacting both pieces of steel. I do have to replace the top part of the conrete every couple years. and it is quiet! hardly any ring at all, which is nice on the ears.

the cutting plate is hard to see in relation to the anvil, but it sits abouts 2" lower than the face of the anvil
 
joe444 said:
here is some pics of my bladesmith anvil

View attachment 251297View attachment 251298

I made this one on the large side. but it doesnt move when I forge. it was also heavy enough to mount my post-vice to. I added a smaller piece of 3" plate to the side to use as a cutting plate, it doesnt accept hardies, but you can cut on the cutting plate, and bend by holding blade at an angle contacting both pieces of steel. I do have to replace the top part of the conrete every couple years. and it is quiet! hardly any ring at all, which is nice on the ears.

the cutting plate is hard to see in relation to the anvil, but it sits abouts 2" lower than the face of the anvil
Click to expand...

Thank you guys for all the info, I'm starting to read up on basic forging/blacksmith stuff. I have tried to hammer on some hot steel before and just managed to make small dents, lol. Any good sites you guys can steer me towards that will help me avoid asking you guys a million questions? Theres a hammer-in coming up soon and I will go bug the crap out of those guys as well. :)
 
b_rogers said:
Thank you guys for all the info, I'm starting to read up on basic forging/blacksmith stuff. I have tried to hammer on some hot steel before and just managed to make small dents, lol. Any good sites you guys can steer me towards that will help me avoid asking you guys a million questions? Theres a hammer-in coming up soon and I will go bug the crap out of those guys as well. :)
Click to expand...

No worries. The stickies at the top have tons of info. Also, the search function works pretty well. Some books that helped me with basic knowledge to build on were Wayne Goddard's $50 Knifeshop, and The Wonder of Knifemaking.
I think they lay a decent foundation and I think books help with leading in a different way than a computer screen.
 
http://www.iforgeiron.com/

b_rogers said:
Thank you guys for all the info, I'm starting to read up on basic forging/blacksmith stuff. I have tried to hammer on some hot steel before and just managed to make small dents, lol. Any good sites you guys can steer me towards that will help me avoid asking you guys a million questions? Theres a hammer-in coming up soon and I will go bug the crap out of those guys as well. :)
Click to expand...
 
Thanks Bryan, I am sifting through the stickies again. I mainly ask that because sometimes folks with experience in a area have super links that can help majorly without tons of searching.

Say if you asked me about building correct early AR/M16's such as the 601,602,605 etc or night vision DIY sites, I could steer you to five sites with the best info out there that you wouldn't find without extensive searching and dumb luck.

Appreciate everyones help
 
Anvilfire.com has great resources for beginner black/bladesmiths.

Youtube has a lot of knifemaking and forging videos.

The fact that your 3x8 slab of steel rings loudly may or may not be a good sign. What matters is will it rebound a hammer. Set that thing on end and see if it'll bounce a hammer back at you when struck a fairly light flat blow.
 
Salem Straub said:
Anvilfire.com has great resources for beginner black/bladesmiths.

Youtube has a lot of knifemaking and forging videos.

The fact that your 3x8 slab of steel rings loudly may or may not be a good sign. What matters is will it rebound a hammer. Set that thing on end and see if it'll bounce a hammer back at you when struck a fairly light flat blow.
Click to expand...


I will try that tomorrow, thank you. Should I place the slab on a concrete floor for this test?
 
"I also found some 5" wide 5/16 thick band saw type blades"

Truthfully, this comment caught my eye more than the anvil subject. Care to share the wealth? ;) :)
 
Salem, the slab doesn't bounce near as much as the railroad track does.

I'm a bit embarrased on the blade comment. After rinsing all the dirt off and looking closer it is a slat off of a water jet table that has been cut so much it appeared to be a blade. Oops.

But I did see some that was 1/8 inch thick and flexible that was very shiny and new looking among the 30 foot tall pile of steel

I'm gonna go back today and grab some, I'll post some pics.
 
That's what I'd expect. But, you could make an anvil out of both and try both, see what you prefer over time. Rebound really helps not wear your arm out. And, your hammer blows will have more effect.
 
Heres how I set it up temporarily next to my fire pit. Im usually on my knees anyway when heating something up. I will make a more permanent fixture at normal height once I get a proper forge. Should work to play around, its very solid feeling.
image-13.jpg
 
Heres my first time using a hammer, i had some old file cutoffs laying around. I ran out of coal but was getting the hang of thinning, upsetting, flattening and beveling. I have feeling the belt grinder is gonna get a little less use..

I noticed that near the tip i had a peice about to come off due to a crack that ran along the file grooves.
IMG_4927-1.jpg
 
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