Harbor freight anvil

[Tin Falcon]

My first interest in metal working was blacksmithing . Mostly dreaming and reading. I do have a forge and anvil but have not done much with them. I have a 250 lb fisher but not at all portable.And it could use some restoration.
Last labor day weekend I took a smithing class and loved it. harbor freight has 55 lb anvils I just picked up one on close out for $49.00 . after a little research and playing around I find it is cast iron. the face was fly cut to a 250 finish yes rough and a considerable belly in the middle. I have been filing it to almost flat.
I have read several reviews on line the consensus has been that it is a poor anvil at best in its present factory new sate. mainly because it is cast iron. so what do i do now.

1) turn it into a usable small anvil by welding a piece of A2 tool steel to the top of it.
the downside here is a 4" x 9" piece of A-2 from speedy metals will run ............ you probably guessed it another $50.00
My fisher is a cast iron anvil with a steel face. So I know such things have been done . And I would probably want to do a good preheat on the anvil before welding. and maybe a post heat to prevent cooling too quickly by do not want to soften the tool steel. A wet rag one the face to keep cool maybe sounds steamy. Hmm what to do.
2) Use it to practice machine scraping and learning to make a surface near dead flat.
3) use it as raw stock and cut into pieces for making model engines.
the down side of 2 and 3 is I wanted a small portable usable decent anvil.
Options thoughts. ???

Tin

 

[Troutsqueezer]

Tin, I had a cast iron anvil from H.F. too. I cut it into many smaller pieces and it was a lot of work to do so. Now I have enough for a lifetime.

 

[Siddly]

Can you get a piece of railway track ? that's what I use as a small anvil

 

[Jeff02]

Just a thought, but I made this out of a piece of Rail road rail, tempered is best I could by putting the whole thing in a wood cook stove and getting it cherry red then quenching the top and the base was left to cool on its own. Has worked very well so far, and not a single divot on the face either. Not for heavy work but OK for small.

 

[Tin Falcon]

Trout; how was that cast iron to machine. seemst to file ok not particularly hard.
Also I have a usa Made horizontal band saw that cutts nicly throught 3 1/2 round durabar so I think would handle the anvil if I part it out so to speak .

Siddly and jeff the RRtrack anvil is certainly an option . I have seen it done at least in books I have. and yes enough in the garage for a couple of little anvils thans for the responses.
Tin

 

[Ed T]

I guess it depends a lot on what kind of work you are planning to do. If you're thinking of whacking on large pieces of red hot iron to make truck springs into sewing needles, then it probably won't last long. If your plans are less strenuous it might be OK at least for a while. Perhaps a middle ground would be to get the top flat and screw on a piece of 1/2 or 3/4" ordinary steel and see how that works out. If it works well then you're done. If not, you could try the tool steel or cut it up into little pieces.

 

[Herbiev]

Hi Tin. I have been blacksmithing for years now but my old anvil could do with a new face also. I was toying with the idea of getting some "hard facing " welding electrode sticks as used on the teeth of earth moving machinery, running several beads along the face and getting the surface ground flat by a suface grinder. I would rest the anvil in hot coals before welding. Just my 2c worth

 

[steamer]

Tin,

If scraping is in your project future...I would find a more user friendly subject to start on. A piece of bar stock would be a better bet, and far lighter to work with....there's enough to learn without dropping the undercarriage trying to do a mark up on an anvil.

Actually I like the idea of the Railroad track anvil! Thm:

Dave

 

[te_gui]

The problem with welding a tool steel face on your ASO (anvil shaped object) is you wont have full penetration under the top plate and it wont transfer the energy thru to the base. I realize you wont be swinging a big hammer at it, but those things are basically junk. Also the horn is so blunt and stubby its tough to draw or spread anything on. Your Fisher top was forge welded on, so full support under it. 250# is a fairly serious anvil, nice find. I started out with a big chunk of forklift fork which is 4140 or 15B30 steel, it was about 3.5 x 8 x 24" and after I surfaced the top on a mill, flatter then any antique anvil I could afford. I never hardened it beyond how it came, would have taken some serious BTUs and a big quench tank to accomplish that, but it took a fairly serious swing with a 2# hammer to mark the top. I'd look for a surpus chunk of quality steel and not waste any more time on the HF ASO

 

[Tin Falcon]

I have a couple of pieces of "Aircraft Quality " steel that I have salvaged IIRC 3 1/2 round stock .about a foot long . it cuts well on the band saw and machinines OK. I am thining 41XX .
I was debating trying to split a piece down the middle and welding a base on it. thoughts ? thanks for the Ideas and help guys.
Tin