The Quick and Dirty on Anvils

What you need to know finding your first anvil.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• blacksmith
• forge
• purgatory
• ironworks
• anvil
• beginner
• learn

[SgtJesse]

It was suggested to me that I should get a cast iron anvil and weld a steel plate on to it. What are your thoughts?

[purgatoryironworks]

@SgtJesse

Negative Ghost Rider.

Going to be a waste of time, expensive rods, and effort. Most cast iron anvils (except for the SUPER poor mexico ones) already have a steel plate. Take the money you'd spend on rods and go to the scrapyard and buy a solid chunk of steel!

[alzathoth]

what are "cast steel" anvils like? are they any good?

princessautoDOTcom/workshop/ga­rage/vises-and-anvils/vises/34­30061-75-lb-cast-steel-anvil

[purgatoryironworks]

@alzathoth

Hmmm, I dont think thats cast steel, its molded like cast iron, ping test it in the store. If its steel, for 75 bucks, you cant go wrong

[quintin636]

I'm looking for a good anvil but I live in Holland and is it cheaper to buy one from Ruscha or the us?

[purgatoryironworks]

@quintin636

Plenty of good ones in Europe, no need to go stateside

[purgatoryironworks]

@Zoie3x8

Zoie, Whereas I appreciate you exuberance, I also understand that you have collected most of your information from tid bits rather than actual practice. I understand you wish to sound knowledgeable on the subject but one gets into dangerous territory when a person starts speaking beyond his or her range of experience. The process you described involves crucibles and highly specialized equipment.,is this really cheaper than buying an anvil?

[purgatoryironworks]

@MrThahey

yessir, good eye

[kickingbird2012]

@aeron159 hey a yr ago i got the small one it is 15lbs-20$.i beat the hell out lawn mower blades straightening the worst of them,and made lots of knives,i put it in my shop for pounding rivets,and brass pins on knife handles, ect...i went back to HF and got the bigger one it's 55lbs-45$.it works good for what it is.i was given a piece of rail track by an old knife maker and i beat all my real hard steel on it.but still use the 55lb cast for wider blades.like the man said on the vid,it will work.

[dougspair]

@dougspair OH..by the way, that's a JHM Basic, new over $400.

[dougspair]

Nice informative video you have here, thank you! Although I haven't done any yet, I hope to do some 'smithing' soon, and recently bought a nice Forged Steel 75# anvil for $200 from a place near here in Sacramento, Calif. Horseshoe Barn, a sort of old fashioned Ferriers and smithing supply store. We have a Harbor Fright too, but I don't buy anything there. A couple friends, older guys, I'm 64..so they are in their 80's, said "be prepared to spend $4-5 a pound for a good anvil."

[BBenefield1982]

It sort of bothers me that you instantly discount all cast iron anvils. MOST cast iron anvils are crap yes, but MOST cast iron anvils do not have steel faces. The cast iron anvils sold by HF, Grizzly etc do not have steel faces, they're just iron and are what are referred to as ASO's - Anvil Shaped Objects. Real anvils made from cast iron with steel faces are very good. Cast iron anvils wearing the Fisher, and Eagle Brand (later fishers) are GREAT! Even Vulcan are decent.

[aeron159]

great video very helpful

i found one of those harbor freight stores and sure enough i found anvils, actually i was there cus i was told i could get an angel grinder there for abut $15, but anyways i just happened to spot 2 anvils on display i just took a quick look at them but the small one was about $14 and a bigger one was about $32. i didnt check the weight but i would guess the small one was between 20-30 pounds. ill be going back to get one soon, ill let u know the weight and prices

[mikedelam]

I am using a Harbor Freight cast anvil. #55 for around $60. It's awful. The horn isn't round, it doesn't have a pritchel hole. It has MANY hammer face shaped dings in in and it's got a dip you can hold water in. I'm glad I started with it, I have not ruined a good anvil as a beginner.

[tibbs4204]

good info . i was given a 14inch piece of rail that my friends granfather had ,do you think i'll have any problems with the authorities.

[user240485]

I have heard of someone mentioning using a large sledge hammer head and embedding it in a trunk and using it that as a small anvil. What are your thoughts?

[twag0735]

would a few weights work ok? nailed to a board. i have some 25lb weights sitting around

[CemeterySunshine]

Thank you for the info. Your videos are great and they have the information I've been looking for that no one else takes the time review.