Anyone into old anvils?.....

[Mikej]

It is sad to see a good anvil that has been beaten to death by an uncaring owner. Anvils are intended to be used to form "hot work" which means metal heated to red-hot temperature. Beating cold steel into shape is a good way to damage the edges of the working surface, and hammer blows that directly contact the working surface can also damage it.

I have a piece of large railroad rail that has been made into an anvil. It has served me well, and I love using it.

Every guy, gal(?) that is any kind of do-it-yourselfer should have a short piece of rail-road rail around. Just because, you'll need it at some point.

I enjoy heating and beating from time to time . In all seriousness, I'd love a cool old anvil. Until then, this Chinese one works just fine

View attachment 1848925

Is that really a piece of your work? Fascinating!. I like watching "Forged in Fire" from time to time.

 

[2Wheels4Ever]

Every guy, gal(?) that is any kind of do-it-yourselfer should have a short piece of rail-road rail around. Just because, you'll need it at some point.

Is that really a piece of your work? Fascinating!. I like watching "Forged in Fire" from time to time.

Yep, I've been making knives for a while now.

View: https://youtube.com/shorts/XliWN40Ut18?si=zJCJHZgtDBWZ5ABe

 

[Mikej]

Yep, I've been making knives for a while now.

View: https://youtube.com/shorts/XliWN40Ut18?si=zJCJHZgtDBWZ5ABe

Oh, nice touch! Looked like that "tail" was really difficult to do. Not so much I guess.

 

[Mark W.]

Back when I was a full time Knifemaker I used to go to the last saw mill in Silverton and wheel and deal with one of the saw engineers for worn out L6 Circular blades and chunks of bandsaw blade. I used the material in my cheap camp knives as the material made a great blade if properly heat treated which I could do at home so much less overhead to make a knife.

Anyway about the time the mill was closing up shop I stopped by and got offered one of the two SAW Anvils they had in the shop. This is a 80lb chunk of steel that is approx 8x10x8 with a very slightly domed square top. They used this along with a pivot point to pound the set out of the teeth prior to sharpening. Its in very good condition. Not so great for bending round things or general Blacksmithing. But for a Knifemaker its about perfect. I have it setting on a stand made from 2x6" cut offs standing on end. I think I gave about a buck a pound on it and wouldn't let it go for 3 times that now.

They are actually one of the harder Anvils to find as they were only used in Saw sharpening shops at Saw mills. I have only ever seen 1 other in a museum.

 

[P7M13]

I have a Chinese anvil, use it a few times per year. Its horn is too broad, so I'm making a light one out of railroad track.

 

[Grumpy 1]

Pics would be way cool, just saying

 

[Caveman Jim]

Pics would be way cool, just saying

Anvil porn, right?

 

[Grumpy 1]

Anvil porn, right?

Hammer Time

 

[lucusloc]

You can join the anvil club for $150 at Harbor Freight… 65# anvil with excellent reviews.

Here's a selfie while using mine…

View attachment 1848953


OK, it's not really a selfie.

You do need to be careful with cheap anvils. The casting quality can leave a lot to be desired and there can be a lot of bondo filling voids under the paint. That is more than just a cosmetic issue as those voids can cause cracking in addition to causing poor performance (which may or may not be something you notice, depending on your skill level). Harbor freight anvils are a lottery. Bring a little sharp pick and scrape the surface to look for defects, and only buy the ones that do not have soft spots.

Pics would be way cool, just saying

 

[yukster]

Kind of reminds me when we would light off M80s as kids and find inventive things to do with them. We lit one and put a quart-size cooking pot over it. The explosion launched the pot about 50-60 feet in the air and the pot had a round bottom after that. Haha.

 

[Mikej]

Kind of reminds me when we would light off M80s as kids and find inventive things to do with them. We lit one and put a quart-size cooking pot over it. The explosion launched the pot about 50-60 feet in the air and the pot had a round bottom after that. Haha.

All we ever did was a hole in an opened soup can with a Zebra/Black Cat in it, with soup can in a tuna can with water. Never played with M80s. Being in Utah we had to drive to Wyoming to get fire crackers and Bottle rockets. That was plenty for me and my friends. Though later on we did dink around with Potassium Nitrate and sugar.

 

[P7M13]

Lookie what I just found at Habitat for Humanity - $28.
Weighs about 60#, zero binding on the full jaw travel - just looks ugly.
It will mount on a 32×32×1-1/4 steel plate.

 

[L84Cabo]

You can join the anvil club for $150 at Harbor Freight… 65# anvil with excellent reviews.

Here's a selfie while using mine…

View attachment 1848953


OK, it's not really a selfie.

See, I just love that you savages are such supportive...enablers!

WOLVERINES!

 

[Alexx1401]

Kind of reminds me when we would light off M80s as kids and find inventive things to do with them. We lit one and put a quart-size cooking pot over it. The explosion launched the pot about 50-60 feet in the air and the pot had a round bottom after that. Haha.

When I was a kid soda still came in 2QT glass bottles. Those M-80's had the fuse in the middle and were made to perfectly fit like a cork in those glass bottles. So slide a bottle up both sides of the fuse and you had an impressive grenade. It was amazing none of us ever got badly hurt as the glass really flew when those things went off.

 

[The Heretic]

I plan to have some. I think I have one small one in the shop. I plan to get more and larger, but not right away (after I move and setup a new shop).

A couple good anvils and vises are very useful.

There are some decent YT vids about good & poor anvils and how to tell the difference, including some restoration vids where the anvil top is reconditioned (milled/etc.) and tested (a steel ball and/or hammer bounce).

 

[Flopsweat]

I collect these. GF hates them but I tell her not to worry - it's just a little vice.

 

[Provincial]

I collect these. GF hates them but I tell her not to worry - it's just a little vice.

View attachment 1849634

It's a start:

 

[Mikej]

It's a start:

View attachment 1849893

That's one strong shelf!

 

[bcp]

Anyone into old anvils?....

I tried, but have never found any access panels, screws, joints, vents, doors, or other entry way on any anvil I've examined.



Bruce

 

[Flopsweat]