Looking for an anvil

In reply to Stampie :

It's really easy to set up a forge for coal or propane, the biggest thing is cost, if you're on a budget I'd definitely suggest coal.

Now I've got some weird idea for 3D printing an anvil, using hot isostatic pressing to give it strength, then hammerforming crude tools and horseshoes and other things with it.  Some sort of really decadent use of technology in order to be anachronistic.

In reply to Toyman01 :

That is a nice forge you've got there, mine is also a homemade 55 gallon drum and brake rodor one, I didn't even add that extra bit you have there for coal.

• You guys are right, I'll probably have to make one and use that, at least for now, but forklift teins would work really well for face plates and supportive prices as it is high carbon steel.

Forklift tines would be perfect. Even better than rail iron because of the width and flatness.

Toyman01 said:

Keith Tanner said:

Anymore? There was a golden era when anvils were widely available? I must admit I'm not up on the anvil market.

I found one here in town for $125 and another couple in Denver for that range. Huh. Interesting.

 

This guy is asking $1200. I would call this one junk due to the severe deck chipping. 

 

Another severely abused one and small at 60#. $250. 

 

This is mine. It's in fair shape at best and close to 200 years old. It was $400 and I thought it was a good deal. 

If you can buy decent ones for under $200, send them to me, I'll split the profit with you. 

Funny thing is that at least one of the ads claims that you could easily flip them for a maaaaassive profit. He just bought them but they’re not going to work for him. 

So, umm, mister seller, why don’t you take that profit? Or maybe it’s not really there...

Deleted because im a doofus

Will this work?

In reply to Keith Tanner :

As beat up as those two are, they are overpriced. If they were in good shape that would be a different story. Much like cars, condition is everything.

Shadeux said:

In reply to ebonyandivory :

70 lbs. via USPS for $19.99. Just saying...

That's much less than I expected.

In reply to Brett_Murphy :

This was a obscure attempt at humor using Lord Percy Percy.  

Hackaday put up a good article on shopping for anvils last year:

https://hackaday.com/2019/04/10/blacksmithing-for-the-uninitiated-lets-talk-about-anvils/

They had a picture of a railroad-rail anvil towards the bottom. Looks like it would be fairly practical to make one with a grinder and Sawzall (or have one cut on a milling machine).

Holy Carp they're expensive!  If you find a beater anvil, can the top be milled flat again or is the thing case hardened?

In reply to 914Driver :

Some of them have a forge welded steel deck on a cast body. If you mill them, the deck is gone or greatly reduced. Some of them are completely forged, some cast. I have read of people weld filling the edges and grinding them back square. There are very mixed reviews on how well that works. The edges are used often which is why they are frequently beat up. A good anvil has a measurably rebound. From what I have read, anything that changes the anvil, changes the rebound. Including the heat from welding. 

My anvil has around a 75% rebound. So a dropped hammer rebounds about 75% of the distance dropped. When you are swinging a hammer for hours on end, getting some back from rebound is an huge help. 

Here's one for $2300..

so cheap

https://minneapolis.craigslist.org/csw/tls/d/excelsior-blacksmith-300-lb-fischer/7045919312.html

can buy brand new for cheaper..

https://piehtoolco.com/contents/en-us/p8911.html

looks like forged in fire ruined the market..  I've been wanting to take this up for 20 years, but I'll just wait until the latest craze dies down.  

Christopher, You might want to take a trip down to Maryland Metals. Anything outside the building there, they sell by the pound. Look for something thick, and take the passenger seat out of your Miata before you go. ;)

Well crap, this now seems mildly interesting.  Any pics of a forklift-tine-based anvil?  

In reply to NorseDave :

here's one made out of forklift forks.

What size of work are you looking to do? A farrier's anvil will handle knife making duty. It'll do horse shoes as well, obviously. Prices on those are generally less expensive than on a 100+ pound one.

I've been looking too but i need a good horn for reshaping cones on motorcycle exhaust.  They seem to hold their value like a Toyota truck.

$600 and up on my Craig's list

44Dwarf said:

They seem to hold there value like a Toyota truck.

Isn't the truck expensive because they're said to be as reliable as an...

Look in rural areas for farmers that have one they don't use any more.  Go for 50 lbs. plus.

We always had a couple around because we did our own horse shoeing.

Ransom said:

44Dwarf said:

They seem to hold there value like a Toyota truck.

Isn't the truck expensive because they're said to be as reliable as an...

All but the frame.  

When my dad was cleaning out my grandparents place my only request was my grandfathers anvil. It was fun lifting it out of the  trunk of my moms Sebring convertible. It's a beast.

Late to the Party,  but interestingly enough "The Boot" at The Glen, was originally referred to, as "The Anvil". I found it referred to that in a race broadcast from the 70's a week or so ago, then looked at a track map, flipped it upside down and damn if it doesn't look just like an Anvil!