Anvil...Forge...

[Janger]

Where do you buy an Anvil? There are some on Amazon.ca. Kijiji has a few but far between. Some farrier and blacksmithing shops have them but they tend to be pretty pricey. Like $2500 pricey from the Edmonton Black Smith Shop. I guess I should say I'm being a cheap bastard and want one for cheap... as usual...

Some guys on the internet have made some out of railroad track and welded on a truck spring on top. Where would I get 18" of railroad track?

So I made this crude thing out of 1/2" plate, I've been banging away on it. It kinda works.

I've been using my Mexican Chimney fireplace out in the yard with charcoal as a forge. It kinda works, but it does not really get hot enough I don't think. What about a forge? Where do I get one of those? Also cheap bastard cheap.? There are propane ones? Can I make something?

 

[kylemp]

Where do you buy an Anvil? There are some on Amazon.ca. Kijiji has a few but far between. Some farrier and blacksmithing shops have them but they tend to be pretty pricey. Like $2500 pricey from the Edmonton Black Smith Shop. I guess I should say I'm being a cheap bastard and want one for cheap... as usual...

Some guys on the internet have made some out of railroad track and welded on a truck spring on top. Where would I get 18" of railroad track?

So I made this crude thing out of 1/2" plate, I've been banging away on it. It kinda works.

I've been using my Mexican Chimney fireplace out in the yard with charcoal as a forge. It kinda works, but it does not really get hot enough I don't think. What about a forge? Where do I get one of those? Also cheap bastard cheap.? There are propane ones? Can I make something?

I know a few people who have forges, I dont think they are hard to make.. send me an email and I will find someone to talk to you about building one if you are interested. Might even know someone who would sell one of their propane ones..

 

[EricB]

You can do propane or nat. gas forges, if you want a coal forge you need a blower. Using the coals as they are will heat the material up, but forcing oxygen through them will heat them to the level you're hoping for. A lot of guys have made them with a brake-drum, some black-pipe, and a blow-drier. That's probably be the cheapest way to go.

I'm no expert on anvils, but I was told that for a used anvil $2/lbs. is pretty good.

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[Janger]

$2 a pound I could see but they are more like $7 a pound in Alberta.

 

[kylemp]

Well, the other option is to get a torch and drive around until you see a train..

Check with Federal Metals, they might be able to help you out.

 

[EricB]

Yeah, most you see are way too much. I saw about $6/lbs for one that was so beat it was barely recognizable. Broke horn, all edges chipped off, etc.
If you know anyone who does hard-plating I've heard of guys hard-plating the top of an anvil or what they'll use for an anvil, then milling/grinding it flat. But again, I don't know much, not sure if that's best or not.

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[Janger]

I saw that busted anvil too crazy. I also saw a thread somewhere on plating railroad track with a truck spring and then a hardening tempering process. Flattening like you suggest on a mill. Looks cheap but crude.

 

[EricB]

Yeah, that should work too, hard-plating would just look cleaner I think. Plus it would be easier to keep features like the Hardy hole.

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[Alexander]

I have acess to an unlimited amount of railway track. Please don't ask how. You would have to pay me to cut it because there is nothing I want to do less than cutting 100lb/foot rail but I'll do it for the cost of my time.

 

[Janger]

!!!

 

[EricB]

Hey, new best-friend...

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[Matt_b_m]

Hi Guys, the mention of a forge caught my eye.
I'm no blacksmith, that's for sure, but I have seen a forge built from an old truck rim. I do mean a large truck, one piece, thick old metal. The bolt holes were plated over and the center hole was adapted for a piece of 2" pipe, plated over with a drilled plate to keep the coals from dropping down. The wheel was mounted upside down on three legs at a good working height, and being upside down allowed for a good bed of coal. The pipe was extended to the ground and out away from the heat, to which a small 115v blower, (reminded me of a hair dryer with the element disconnected) was used to drive air. Not pretty, but it made horse shoes like nobody's business.... Just a few thoughts to maybe get someone inspired. I'm not sure of the availability of coal, but it is mined heavily in the Crowsnest... never know you might be able to find a seam close to the surface and bring a bucket or two home....

 

[Kris Jensen]

My knife maker buddy uses chunks of old rail way rails for an anvil

 

[Johnwa]

For a propane forge take a look at Ron Riells site www.abana.org/ronreil/minifor1.shtml

 

[Kris Jensen]

For a propane forge take a look at Ron Riells site www.abana.org/ronreil/minifor1.shtml

That is one slick looking forge

 

[Jyman]

Hey Janger,

If your still looking for a chunk of railway track I think I might still have a chunk, but I would have to look and see, and I think it's about 6-12 inchs long.

Jon

 

[Mike S]

Hey folks, just joined your forums here.

I'm not a pro or anything, but I am an amateur blacksmith and I'd like to throw some information at you guys.


First, trying to get a used anvil in Alberta is a fool's errand. There are antiquers who will drive up the price for even marginally useful anvils to insanely high prices. Unless you know someone who has one and hasn't told anyone else about it yet, forget it. Same with tongs and tooling.

Second, railroad anvils aren't really great either, all the mass (which is what you want for hammer work) is along the top in a narrow strip. So, if you have to use a bit of rail because that's all you have, mount it *vertically* as this puts all the mass right under your hammer and is much, much more efficient. Cut a stump or a solid piece of wood in an L shape, and take a section of rail, say 70cm or so long, and bolt/spike it into the wood. Weld a big solid plate to the end where you want to strike it. You can drill your hardy and pritchel holes into this plate before welding. Keep another piece of horizontally mounted rail handy so you can straighten out bars and such as well, since your working anvil face is going to be fairly small.

I bought a new anvil from a company called Nimba, they're out of Seattle in the US. Good company, their anvils are expensive, but a better deal than what you will get from a used one here. They have three sizes, I went with the 120 pounder and it has served me very well for the last 8-9 years.



I made a cheap charcoal forge out of a big stainless bowl from princess auto, some 2" black iron pipe, and some refractory cement that I got from some insulation company down in the foothills industrial. I wish I could remember their name, but it doesn't matter much. You can get decent firebricks from Canadian tire, look in their repair section at the back, with all the fireplace gaskets and replacement stove/oven elements. For the air supply I used a bathroom ventilation fan connected to one of those noma outdoor Christmas light remote controls, worked just fine. Liked to throw sparks though, but that's unavoidable with charcoal.

Later I bought a two burner gas forge from Chile, good people and good products. Worth buying.


I'm part of the Southern Alberta Blacksmith's Guild, so if anyone is interested in the hobby please let me know, I'd be happy to give you more information.

 

[Jyman]

Mike S,

You make some good points, yes farrier tools and anvils go for crazy money here in Alberta and people will just walk away with them if they aren't bolted down, I know Because I keep all my farrier tools and my anvil locked up at all times, even when I'm shoeing a horse or trimming feet people are always looking at my tools.

Now for the railway track if I was mounting it I would cut the bottom upright off and weld some bolts to the bottom and bolt it to a bench, and maybe fly cut the top to give a little bigger of a flat surface. But that would reduce the mass.

I have a twin burner propane forge that my dad passed down to me and it works great and is very portable but it was close to $800 new and that was 20 years ago. I didn't know there was blacksmithing guild, mind you I haven't gone out looking for the guild.

 

[Mike S]

Yeah we don't have much of an online presence. We meet the second Saturday of every month, generally at our workshop in Pioneer Acres, just north of Irricana.

We run the shop during the shows in the spring and summer. Always a good time.

Here's a link to an article someone did on vertical rail anvil making:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Railway-Line-Anvil/

I would make the wood roughly as tall as the bit of rail I was using, just to have a little table nearby to hang tools off of. And make the rail as long as possible, the more mass you have directly under your hammer the more efficient it will be.

 

[Janger]

Wow lots of great info here! Welcome Mike and Jyman! I read all this and have to read it again. What about grizzly anvils on Amazon $130 or cliff carol anvils $300usd?

Is the black smith society meeting in December 12? Put up an ad on here somewhere....