small anvil

[jack620]

I think I need a small anvil. Currently whenever I need to belt something with a hammer I tend to place the object on my vice jaws, which can't doing them any good. The sort of jobs I'm talking about are driving roll pins out or in, making punch marks for drilling holes, hammering pieces of thin metal into shape to make a bracket, etc. I won't be doing any blacksmithing. Would this be suitable for the job?

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/22LB-Blacksmith-Anvil-Steel-Anvil-10kg-Solid-Heat-Treated-Round-Horn-Metal-Work/352954069335?_trkparms=aid%3D1110006%26algo%3DHOMESPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D228432%26meid%3D916438f20ab24f28975cff94b39115ef%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D12%26mehot%3Dlo%26sd%3D332553046125%26itm%3D352954069335%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D0%26pg%3D2047675%26algv%3DSimplAMLv5PairwiseWebWithoutBoostBBEV2b&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851

[BobL]

If $$ are tight, for light work such as your'e indicating there are other budget solutions like pieces of rail line or RSJ that you might want to look into.
However, as soon as any hammering is involved a proper heat treated anvil becomes worth while and it ideally should be as heavy as possible.

The anvil in your link is $5.90/lb.
For just $70 more 66lb budget anvils are available for half that $/lb
eg https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/66-LB-Blacksmith-Anvil-Steel-Anvil-30kg-Solid-Heat-Treated-Round-Horn-Metal-Work/352879067574?_trkparms=aid%3D1110006%26algo%3DHOMESPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20200520130048%26meid%3Df0f28a967b0b4ea69c1d0a3044956f61%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D12%26mehot%3Dco%26sd%3D352954069335%26itm%3D352879067574%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D0%26pg%3D2047675%26algv%3DSimplAMLv5PairwiseWebWithBBEV2bDemotion%26brand%3DVEVOR&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851

Above those weights the $/lb increases with 110lb budget level anvils up around the $4+ mark.

Even though most of these smaller/budget level anvils won't have the rebound of a proper anvil, $3/lb is still a good price for a new anvil.
The price of used anvils has more than doubled in the last few years and I believe decent ones are now in the $6-8/lb range.
New quality anvils cost a lot more than this $10+/lb

[jack620]

Thanks Bob,
I saw the 66lb anvil. Due to space limitations the anvil will need to be moveable from the bench to the floor and back again. 66lb is too much for me to lift these days.

[BobL]

Thanks Bob,
I saw the 66lb anvil. Due to space limitations the anvil will need to be moveable from the bench to the floor and back again. 66lb is too much for me to lift these days.

Fair enough. A trip to a scrap merchant for a bit of RSJ might still be worth while.

An aside, using even small anvil on most benches is problematic in terms of height and bounce. A low steel stand or a stump would be a better surface to work on.

[DSEL74]

Someone on the forum I think actually put me on to this idea for my first Blacksmithing anvil. Go to you local waterjet cutter and ask to buy the scrap metal slug (hole) from a suitable sized piece of bizalloy, duraflex etc. I got a 70kg block for $70. even though I have proper anvils these days I still have it and use it for certain Work.

[jack620]

I got a 70kg block for $70.

Thanks. Would you mind letting me know where you got it? We're both in Melbourne, so hopefully it's no too far from me.

[BobL]

Someone on the forum I think actually put me on to this idea for my first Blacksmithing anvil. Go to you local waterjet cutter and ask to buy the scrap metal slug (hole) from a suitable sized piece of bizalloy, duraflex etc. I got a 70kg block for $70. even though I have proper anvils these days I still have it and use it for certain Work.

One of our local steel merchants every now and then has stacks of slugs in the scrap pile. One time there was a stack of biz alloy slugs that were over 100kg each. I would have bought one if I had room in my shed.

[jack620]

So there's a few grades of Bisalloy. Which one(s) are suitable for an anvil? I'm assuming the Wear steel, but assuming has got me into trouble before.

https://www.bisalloy.com.au/

[BobL]

So there's a few grades of Bisalloy. Which one(s) are suitable for an anvil? I'm assuming the Wear steel, but assuming has got me into trouble before.

https://www.bisalloy.com.au/

If you go via the scrap bins of a steel merchant chances are you might not have a choice and have to accept what you can get. Most stuff here in WA is wear type stuff for big mining hoppers and tanks. It won't make much difference what you end up as weight for weight it should all be at least as good as a cheap anvil and chances are it will be better.

As an indication of how hard it is, the two large round discs on my grinder turntable stand below are bisalloy slugs.
The slugs were cheap, from memory about $10 each, but if I had known how hard they were I might not have bought them.
There's a third plate that rides on the top of the bearings as the moveable part of the turntable).
The large ball bearings are bolted down onto the turntable baseplate using 3/16" bolts. I snapped 2 (cheap), 3/16" taps threading the holes and wore out a third.

388178

[DSEL74]

It was about 5yrs back so I can’t actually remember the name but it was in Bayswater.
a quick google and I’d Say it was either

Melbourne Waterjet Cutting & Tile Cutting - Tomlinson
Water jet cutting service · 3/58 Barry St


Waterjet Solutions
Water jet cutting service · 31 London Drv



Found the old thread here:THIS is the info
https://metalworkforums.com/f65/t187177-steel-block/latest/post1796828#post1796828

Further down the thread it has photos of the blocks and what actual steel grade it was, The big block which will be my anvil is K1045 aka Duraflex.

Good chance between the three that you find something suitable.

[franco]

Jack,

Did you check out the link in my post on the other recent thread about small anvils? If not, hear it is:
https://www.magnetics.net.au/product-category/blacksmith-welding/anvil/

I have been tossing up whether to buy one of the smaller ones myself for the same requirements as yours. The freight might be a killer though.

Frank.

[jack620]

Jack,
The freight might be a killer though.


Hi Frank,
Have you seen this one?
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/22LB-Anvil-Blacksmith-Cast-Iron-Single-Horn-10KG-Professional-Farrier-Tools/332553046125?hash=item4d6db4c86d:g:TdYAAOSwEmxfFUFm&frcectupt=true

It appears to be exactly the same as the one in your link. More expensive, but freight is cheap at $17.
It even has a kangaroo cast into it, but I seriously doubt it's made in Oz. :)

[franco]

Hi Chris,

Yes, I saw that one. It is cast iron, the Brisbane one is cast steel according to the ad. I suspect the steel one might be more durable, but don't know this. I also suspect that a cheap, light C I anvil might be prone to chipping on the edges, but don't know this either. I would be interested to hear from one of our blacksmiths of the advantages and disadvantages of each type, bearing in mind that these are both small, and won't be subjected to prolonged heavy use.

I already have a short piece of 63 lb. rail mounted on a stump which I use, but someone tried to cut a rough V shaped horn on it with oxy and made a real mess of it. I'm still debating whether to persevere with this and grind some sort of shape into the horn, a major job, or buy one of the little cheapies which at least looks like an anvil!

Frank.

[jack620]

It is cast iron, the Brisbane one is cast steel according to the ad.

Hi Frank,
the eBay ad headline says cast iron, but the description says cast steel. So I dunno which it is, but given they look to be exactly the same shape, I suspect they come out of the same factory.

[jack620]

freight might be a killer though.

Franco,
I just ordered a 10kg one online. He quoted me $47 freight over the phone, but when I ordered it online freight was $31.10. Go figure.

https://www.magnetics.net.au/shop/cast-steel-anvil-10kg/