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Which anvil?
- Thread starter YuriM
- Start date
They had half a dozen of the pieces at the time I picked mine up. As bladsmth rightly noted, the price was around $0.14/lb. Though if you're located on Long Island as your profile says, you have about 5 hours worth of driving to get up here; I live in the Binghamton area. I would think it would be easier to find a piece more locally. I don't know, though. This is my first time looking for anvil-sized scrap, so maybe I lucked out. Let me know if you're interested anyway
Mike, if you're still following this thread: you mentioned that a rounded edge is handy... Do you just mean an edge that's been smoothed slightly (as by a few passes with an angle grinder), or something with an actual radius to it?
- Joined
- Feb 4, 2005
- Messages
- 834
Something with an actual radius to it, Yuri. I got mine milled (friend with the right tools) but only 3/8" radius... bigger would be better.
If you follow Stacey's recommendation for tub and position of anvil in it, put the radiused edge towards the long side of the tub so you can use both front corners. I'm building a post anvil base so I can get all the way around and stand close everywhere.
I've broken the other top corners very slightly but may have to do more... the are still pretty sharp.
Mike
I was thinking about sticking the piece in a 5 gallon bucket, as I have several old ones lying around. That would give me all-around access, though not, I guess, a handy surface to put hot things onto, as Stacy mentioned. My workspace is floored with concrete, however, so I think that should be alright.
Now a question about anvil height: I'm guessing I want the business surface of the anvil to be about 2.5 feet of the ground. That way, if I'm holding a hammer in my hand with my elbow extended and the hammer perpendicular to my body, the face of the hammer would be on the anvil surface. Am I thinking in the right direction?
- Joined
- Feb 4, 2005
- Messages
- 834
A little taller than that, Yuri. Someone will come along and line you out better than I can.
Mike
Mike
- Joined
- Nov 7, 2007
- Messages
- 451
I'm new to forging, but this is the advice I was given: Everyone is different, so the general rule is to take a measurment. While standing, make a closed fist with your arm at your side. Measure from you knuckle to the floor. This should be about where you would want the face of your anvil to be.
This is about 2.5 ft for me. I guess I've short legs... or long arms
I've done the ball bearing rebound test, as per anvilfire.com's procedure. Dropped from 10" high, a 1" ball bearing bounced about 45-50% of the way back. Based on the chart they have at http://www.anvilfire.com/index.php?bodyName=/FAQs/anvil-5.htm, this is about the performance of a piece of heavy railroad track, or an old, lower quality anvil... i.e. perfect for me.
I've also decided not to cut the cylindrical stud off the end. I'm thinking about placing the piece stud downwards onto a couple of bricks in a bucket (the stud will go BETWEEN the bricks), and then filling the bucket with cement. This will boost it up to the right height