Structural Steel I-Beams as Avnils - advice please

cmd

cmd

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Feb 7, 2004
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My growing fixation on knifemaking and searching the forums has had me on the lookout for Anvil-Like-Objects for some time now.

I have just been given a few nice end cut scraps of structural steel I-beams. Nice may be a relative term since they were in a scrap heap but they look pretty useful to me.

Your advice is most welcome. Please tell me how to make the most out of them in the forging of knives.

Pictures to follow soon, and the extras will be given to other folks here needing something to pound on (shipping not included).

Chris
 
There were 5 that I came back with, here they are.

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I'm not sure but i dont think those would have enough mass for an anvil as-is, maybe cut them in half (between the top and bottom of the "I") and wedge into a stump?
 
Try it. It looks better than my RR rail anvil.

Maybe cut one apart and weld to the ends of the flat sides to shore it up a bit.

Pam
 
Not rigid enough. Welding a plate on each side of the 'I' and one on top would do it.
 
my first anvil was a piece of I beam about 9" square on the surface. I had it bolted to a stump of white birch. It was so light I had to chase it around my charcoal forge. It worked fine to get me started. I banged out a few knives until I got a Harbor Freight 55lb for about $75.00.
 
Box it in with thick metal plates on all sides then add another thicker piece on the top. That should work. If you want to get creative, you could fill it with sand before you box it in. This should increase the weight and make it more stable. -Just my 2 cents.
 
While the "I" beams are any plunderer/scavenger's treasure, you'll be happier and learn forging better and quicker with more mass beneath your hammer. The RxR track will work more efficiently and a solid block of steel even better.
But....use what you got until something better comes along.
 
These are gonna vibrate like hell when hit. They ARE, however, great as bases for homemade machinery! I built my belt grinder on a chunk of I-beam.
-Mark
 
That poor truck...hope you at least cleaned it out after you got those home...

Sorry nothing helpful to add just noticed that was the back of your SUV you were photographing in...
 
Seems like I saw something similar a while back, where they had added a plate of steel to each side (parallel to the web, welded to each flange) and then filled the "gap" with concrete to add mass. Added an extra plate on top. And the whole thing was bolted down to a bucket of concrete. Kind of a home job, but no vibrations.
 
Spent the weekend looking for someone who would let me on their scrap yard. I found one, quite a haul out of town. Have to make a day of it. I called just about every steel supplier and found only one who would let me have drops. Its a haul also though south of town near the airport. Anvil hunting hasn't been easy so far.
 
Gawker said:
That poor truck...hope you at least cleaned it out after you got those home...

Sorry nothing helpful to add just noticed that was the back of your SUV you were photographing in...
Click to expand...

My '97 Tahoe has seen much worse than this, like when Ella (she's the rottie in my avatar) got car sick. 150K miles and still going strong.

Daniel Koster said:
Seems like I saw something similar a while back, where they had added a plate of steel to each side (parallel to the web, welded to each flange) and then filled the "gap" with concrete to add mass. Added an extra plate on top. And the whole thing was bolted down to a bucket of concrete. Kind of a home job, but no vibrations.
Click to expand...

Thank you Daniel, that sounds like a good idea.

At first I was considering one of the iron anvils at Norther Tool, but there is so much talk about ones like them being nothing more than expensive door stops that thick pieces of steel seemed to be a better option.
 
That one is sweet, and certainly all I would need for quite a while. Years even. I'm still on the hunt and having fun doing it too. No finds yet though.
 
I think its time for you guys to ask yourselves: "What do I value most? My time, or my money?"

If you say money, then by all means have fun making an anvil. Some actually come out pretty nice. If you would rather make knives, then give Dan at Old World Anvils a call. Even his cheap ones are made with way more quality than the best Chinese anvil, and they are reasonably-priced too. If you do the math, you may wind up spending less for a suitable premade anvil than all the running around and burning gasoline looking for materials to make one.

I do mean all this in the friendliest way, so please don't take offense. :D Unless you have an inside deal with a scrapyard, you'll probably benefit from a real anvil. Nothing moves steel like a good anvil! Ask Nick Wheeler how much easier it was when he finally upgraded his Centurion. I had the Centurion, and can truthfully say it was the best anvil I ever used.
 
What I would like to have is an 8"x12" (top-face) "stump" type anvil. One edge squared, one edge beveled, one rounded (small radius) and the last one also rounded (larger radius)....and at least 8-12" tall. (buried into a bucket of cement)

I have an anvil that's "good enough" for knifemaking, and I wouldn't want the above stump anvil all by itself, but as a supplement. Just my 0.02 (YMMV).
 
Wise words from Mr. Higgy :)

Not in offense, but if you guys took all this time you've been searching for "anvil-like objects" you could probably find an actual anvil. :)

Don't get me wrong, they are NOT easy to find if you look for a used one. But if you put a want ad in your local paper, you'll get calls. Gotta' seperate the wheat from the chaff, but hey, that's life ;)

If you're serious about forging, buying a new one is money well spent.

The only way those I-beams would work for forging is if you did like Dan Koster mentioned. But I would mount it to a solid base of 2X4's or 4X4's or plywood or even a stump. I've seen some on buckets of concrete and it doesn't work super hot.

If you are bound and determined to stick with something that's heavy and not an anvil, think MASS MASS MASS MASS!!!

You want a lot of steel under your hammer!!!!! Otherwise the energy from your blows will just go everywhere.

And Jeff is correct! I used (and still have) a Hercules 110 lb. anvil for like 5 years, then jumped to a Centurion, and shortly after went with a 450 lb. Gladiator. This was $2,000 that I have ZERO regrets on spending. But unless you're full-time, or a blacksmith, or compensating for something, a 450 lb. is sure not NECESSARY :D

If you go over to Don Fogg's forum, do a search for a steak anvil, Don made one up that would work 100 times better than the I-beam, and it was simple/cheap.

Happy Hammering :D

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Nick, you don't happen to have a foto of you carrying that one around like you did the Centurion, do you? :D That's a neat hunk of steel.
 
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