+Darwinpasta According to Wikipedia, a deadfall trap should use a deadfall at least 5 times heavier than the intended prey. As long as the roadrunner in question weighs less than 10 pounds, it should work smashingly. ;)
I've been a professional blacksmith for over 30 years and I would buy one of these if I wanted to set up a brass/copper workstation, it is not intended for working steel. That said, if this is what is in your budget go ahead and buy it, make work, gain skill, enjoy and suffer. In a little while you will have a bigger budget if you actually hate yourself enough to become a smith.
I never would buy it, I went and played by the railroad tracks.. and found a nice piece of good steel.
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Exactly what I did (not HF, but still a cast iron anvil). I bought a 9# and 25# and combined were under $100 including shipping. I work copper and bronze, mostly, with occasional small pieces of mild steel. After a little finishing work, it was a far better investment for the tiny studio shop I tinker in. Having an non-healing broken neck makes lifting anything more than 25# impossible. At least I can do something with these smaller, cheaper anvils. Railroad tracks damage the face of my finishing hammers, they are too hard.
This definitely wasnt designed for a career blacksmith, but it works well for weekend warriors like myself. I dont want to pay 1000 for something I'll hardly lose. That's why harbor freight is good and works for everyone besides contractors
The point here is you can go to scrap yards and buy a nice size ASO for 30 cents a pound. And actually anchor the thing down where it don't budge for accuracy.
I'm no Blacksmith but I did grow up in my Dad's steel fabrication shop and have spent more time than most working red hot steel on an anvil and I was thinking the same thing.
My first time in HF I walked in behind a young father and his 5ish yr old daughter who said "I love how it smells in here!" To which her father replied, "Yep, just like China."
There's something nostalgic and familiar about the aroma of a Harbor Freight. Chinesium, grease, and moth balls... The stuff memories and cheap tape/cardboard are made out of.
Well for me Tractor Supply smells better but my really favorite places feed stores like Co-op and building supply stores. I grew up working in Sawmills back in early 70s and cut a lot of logs and worked at a cotton gin / Farm Store. I guess that's why I like those smells. But come to think of it a damn leather shop is great to! When I was just a little Feller we'd go in have to get a new collar some new lines for the horse or mule and I love the smell of that down leather!
im currently making a sword, how long would it take to get no etches on the blade xD, im actually making a 3 foot sword that i call its style "sledge blade" because theres only about 7 inches of the blade made at the moment and that leaves room for hand movement up to over halfway the piece, and you hold it by two hands, two at the bottom when swinging down and one at bottom and one at the middle when pulling up, i might buy from the horror fright some time soon so i can have my own anvil, but ill weld lawn mower blades on it and fill in the holes and broach one for a hardy tool (most likely either a ball top or chisel, idk if there is a ball topped one but i want one so i can give things a good spherical dent or give them a hammered look.)
Too much work for something that will be scrap after a couple days of work . Go to an industrial surplus/scrap yard and find an offcut from a large bar of steel , 4"X4"X4: or thereabouts . Case harden the face and it will last for years .
Your going to have to preheat the anvil and mig or stick 6010 problem is it's a heatsink big time. Oh and it fits in your oven but take the paint of first and clean the spot of the weld.
Was wondering if anyone had done this. Its a super cheap anvil and with a coupon probably even cheaper. How is it holding up so far with the harden plate?
I’m a locksmith. We stamp a lot of keys with our logo, “Do Not Duplicate”, numbers, etc. We’ve been using a piece of quality steel to stamp on, but had to wear ear plugs due to the loud ringing. We got one of these after seeing this video; problem solved! It has no ring whatsoever, and since we’re only stamping brass, it seems to be holding up pretty well. If you hit it with the hammer itself, it leaves a slight dent; so it’s pretty much useless for forming steel. Great for our purpose though.
Did you scrapping on the side and I bought one of these anvils just to have a little chunk of steel that I can beat the hell out of when I break stuff apart works good for my purpose but you're right I would not try to form any steel on this I'd left dents in this thing left right and sideways
I don't have the large one like you, but I do have a the small one with the stubby horn. For Christmas I made about a dozen leaf bottle openers to give as gifts. Even after inheriting my grandfather's anvil, I still use my harbor freight anvil because of the sharp edges. Yes it's a peice of shit for an anvil, but it's what I got started on. For a 16 year old who doesn't have much money, it's better than nothing.
im 15 and i was literally just looking for a cheap little anvil to continue my little sword project with, and i like finding people like me out there who do other projects but can actually get the things needed for them,(time to go on a rant again, HOORAY!ikr, but anyway) right now i have been really set back by a shitty computer place that scrapped my good pc with no concern for me needs and said they would give me one that was as good as or better than that one and straight up gave me a 3.1 ghz processor pc when my old one was 3.4 ghz. thats technically theft if you ask me, i should actually sue them because my dad is the best lawyer in the state (as he tells me but i doubt it and i would probably try it anyway) because of that but its been over a year and i think my mom told me that they went out of business a while back, but anyway, im saving up for a gaming pc that i am searching around amazon for parts for it and it has come up with a total of around just over $400 and ive saved up for about $300 for it so far, and with my dad (for some reason with out me asking) giving me money for my grades, it shouldnt be very long until i finally get it, but this anvil should be very cheap considering how bad its made, and i could possibly just go over to our friend's house and ask to use one of his belt sanders to flatten out the surface and horn, and then wire wheel the paint off and polish it with my dremmel. and yes, i completely agree with you, it is a LOT better than nothing, and if you know the right people, it can be MUCH better than that, (dont ask about the name, its an inside joke with me and my friends.)
Weld a harder steel plate on top and be rather satisfied. I also think working hotter steel glowing bright yellow is easier to work. I know it was said that bright Sunlight was mentioned, but it still looked cooler after a few taps.
A couple summers ago very dry... I intentionally used my chop saw and angle grinder where their sparks would hit dry leaves, wood, rags NOTHING ever happened. I fn showered those things over and over just to se if anything at all would light up, smoulder etc nothing eber happened.
I set our yard on fire once with grinding sparks... It was about 15-20 ft away from my railroad rail anvil, as I was working on profiling the horn or grinding some other part of it. The grass was very dry and by the time I put it out with a 2x10 I had a charred area of about 4 feet by 4 feet. That was a scary moment for me.
@@drumtwo4seven I set a machine cover I had near my grinding area on fire with sparks from an angle grinder. Now it's covered with a fire proof blanket!
These Chinese tools...epitomized by Harbor Freight....are a mixed bag. Some are a great value and do what they are intended to do fairly well. Others are completely useless right out of the box. The only way to know which are which is for someone to test them, so Thank You!
@@Mote78 yes, but my ac manifold gauges, vacuum pump etc.. have saved me so much $$ now. . Even had the seals in my CP impact, finally give out and bought the earthquake, to get me by until I could swap the seals. Seal kit's not been opened in over a year, and the earthquake is still ripping crusty nuts & bolts. . Some diamonds in the rough @ HF.
Debt Miner True that some items are a value like the Pittsburg wrenches but some tools are of waste of money and my time trying it out unsuccessfully and buying a replacement. Two screw extractor kits and couldn’t remove one screw. An oscillating cutting-tool broke during the first job, a variable rotary tool stopped working with only about 20 hours use, so buyer beware.
@@Mote78 I agree. I put my $$ into tools that I absolutely need to rely on.. HF are simply those purchases where it's not the end of the world if it fails. I could live without working ac.. I could grab a breaker bar if my impact failed. . Fact that they've lasted, is just pretty damn awesome. . Plus, I use their tools on my peg board, as my communal, never see that wrench again, set.
Screw extraction kits are generally crap regardless of where you get them. I have personally seen a Makita oscillating tool break after limited use due to how they are made and function (tremendous stress and force in a small and complex system especially if it meets resistance from the side). Rotary tools like a Dremel are not going to do well from Harbor Freight as they are too small, and their cheap build is only made worse by that fact. Besides, Dremel brand rotary tools are already quite affordable as they are available in almost any price point.
I wouldn't suggest a guy starting out to even look at anvils, the prices are ridiculous atm. I tell people to head down to a machine shop and ask around for a some 4 inch steel plate cuttings, or scrap chucks of steel plate thick heavy still. Usually cost like 30 cents a pound. a 12x12x4 in. chunk would work for months and months/years before ever needing to look at an anvil.
I like your advice...I might do that--I am in the process of gathering up what I need to set up my own forge and man---the price for new and old anvils is a big sting!! At this point---till I get going, get my skills up, figure out what the hell I am going to concentrate on making--I just cannot bring myself at this point to spend the big bucks it takes to get any sort of worthwhile anvil these days----I am going to get a gas forge--I take classes from a blacksmith whose shop is just a few miles from Majestic Forges--the people who make the gas forges that they use on Forged In Fire and used to use on the original version of Myth Busters. They don't charge as much for their gas forges as do others and they give my teacher's students a nice discount--he uses them at his school. I also do hope to find a coal forge and blower for a decent price---for some reason though--I just find it hard to pop for what is being asked for anvils these days---I am just for the time being at least--going to follow your advise and get such a piece of metal that you suggest---thanks for posting!!
I used to teach mobile blacksmithing classes. Fortunately for me, my wife is a manager at H.F. and I had her bring me home a half a dozen of these anvils. I worked the shape of the horn and faced the top surface. For absolute beginning students it was an economical way for me to get people working who otherwise would not have had the chance. These anvils are cheap for a reason but they serve a purpose. If you have a mobile service of some type and just need something to beat on, like a bumper anvil, etc. Then it's fine. The best thing to do with these is to buy a 3/8" plate of tool steel and weld it to the top, creating a new, hard work surface. You then have a decent beater anvil for a decent price.
You will spend just about as much on materials, consumables, and time by modifying this anvil with a tool steel face as you would by just buying a decent 70lb anvil like an NC tools Knifemaker's anvil.
As a pensioner on a very fixed income, I believe I and others in a like position owe you a debt of thanks. Reading prior comments I see some would rather continue on blindly, I, on the other hand, will save my shekels and buy something worthy of my dollar as you have eloquently shown the less expensive Harbour Freight model to be unworthy. Mike
If you look up s site called anvilfire they tested the rebound on this anvil. It performed worse than a concrete floor. Better option if a real anvil isn't in the budget is to use a small block of 1 inch think steel bolted to something heavyike a tree stump. I did that before I saved up and bought a Peter wright. It isn't ideal but it will work better than cast iron. I've seen some that actually broke under normal use.
Having your anvil compared to a concrete floor is a very blunt evaluation that Harbour Freight ought to be ashamed of enough to pull the damned things. Mike
here's an article on the cast iron boat anchors. www.anvilfire.com/index.php?bodyName=/21centbs/anvils/grizzly_and_ASO.htm&titleName=Grizzly%20and%20Chinese%20ASOs%20:%20anvilfire.com
I would have to say that a cast iron anvil is better than a steel plate on a wood stump because rebound doesn't affect forging, while flex of a plate does. When you want an anvil to do as much work as possible, that means it should be as heavy and immobile as possible. A simple steel plate doesn't have the mass or rigidity to compare, but it will probably hold up and deform less. (A 2" x 5" x 14" block as a striking anvil is thick enough and heavy enough to not lose energy in flexing...)
I hope that you don't mind, DH94, but I'm back with more questions. Is that a flux-core MIG you used to make the base for the HF anvil? It's also been a few years since I first stopped by, so I'd like to ask you again about your Irwin Record vise. Do you still find that you prefer the "fixed" type vise you mentioned back in '18? If you still prefer such a vise, would you mind recommending the make and model of the vise you like? I'd also like to ask you what you fabricated your welding table out of? Did you simply procure a sheet of mild steel for this purpose? Have a great night.
That is the lowest end harbor freight flux core welder. Not the best welder in the world, but it does the job under the right conditions. I would recommend using name brand wire such as Lincoln Electric though. I'm not sure what welding table you are referring to, since I don't have one, but I do use a 2'x2' piece of overpriced sheet steel from Lowe's as a "table" just to prevent weld spatter and flux from damaging the concrete patio I weld over top of. I don't really have a specific recommendation for a vise, I just suggest for a blacksmith to have a fixed or dynamic jaw on their vise, rather than a plumber's vise. I don't much care for the phrase "they don't make em like they used to..." because it often doesn't hold up to scrutiny. Vises are one of the items where the phrase actually applies. Most production vises today are cast iron, which is not ideal for such a tool, whereas a lot of old vises were steel or cast steel. So if you can find a steel vise, that is what you want. I think Yost might still make a steel vise in the higher end line, but keep in mind that it's gonna be closer to $300-500 for a new production steel vise with 5-6" jaws. If you can find an old vise in good working condition for a good price, I would recommend that over a production vise. Just be sure to do a bit of research about the maker and the material if you can before pulling the trigger. As for my vise specifically, it's still going, and generally works fine for my use, but I am hesitant to do much blacksmithing type work in it due to the material of the vise and because the jaw rotates if it is struck anywhere but straight down in the center of the jaw. The set screw just isn't enough to keep it in place. But with a lighter use case, it works quite well and it pretty versatile due to being able to rotate the jaw.
I guarantee that it was in fact at a forging heat. Steel glows because it is producing light through a process called incandescence. It doesn't actually change colour. So imagine taking an incandescent light bulb outside and trying to illuminate your yard in the middle of the day... Will you notice your yard getting brighter? Or is the sun rather bright, and overpowers your incandescent light source as if it isn't there? It was the middle of the day, right at the door of my shop, and through a camera. You will never be able to determine the temperature of steel by looking at it in those conditions. Observe: th-cam.com/video/gm2OwG9jTp0/w-d-xo.html
Harbor F’s stuff is not intended for “professional” use. It is, at best, for the occasional user, one time use, or something to get by on until the next best thing comes along. It’s often judged by the wrong standards, it is what it is.
Bill Greathouse The welds he’s making with that unit which is the same model that I own are way better than what I’m currently doing with the same thing
What would it take to get a slab of steel from the scrap yard and weld it to the top of the anvil. The old fashioned way. Nearly all the old cast iron anvils had a slab of steel welded on top.
There is no such thing as "the old cast iron anvils with a welded steel face". Old anvils were not grey cast iron of unknown carbon content, and the cost of welding tool steel to a block of cast iron would outweigh the cost of making a cast steel anvil or a wrought anvil with a forge-welded face.
dope video man... i have a small HF anvil that was gifted to me a few days ago... been hammering some silver on it... already had to finish the surface twice... picked up a 10" railroad track today... i'm so glad i picked it up instead of the bigger anvil at HF... a lot of negative comments here... i make videos too... everyone's a pro at everything these days... LMAO...
Maybe not a Pro. This ASO was what I started on. Bit of advice. You will get so used to the dead thud working on cast iron that the first thing that will happen when you get to hammer on a tool steel anvil is to jerk your head back before you cross peen your forehead!
Apparently you are striking the anvil rather than the workpiece or you are "tapping" between strikes. That's in quotes because you're actually hammering on the anvil trying to bounce the hammer back up. Good anvils don't have to have amazing rebound.
Michael Cason this guy is trying to make a profit I’d be making swords for me and my friends it’s just an ok anvil it’s like the “great value” version doesn’t mean it as trash as this guy says
If you have no idea what you are doing, then this anvil would be even more dangerous. It's not about what you think you can get by with for a personal project vs professional work, it's about a tool that no one should buy because it won't just dent, but also chip and possibly crack and break apart which is very dangerous.
I honestly just wish there were more of a smooth gradient in price for anvils. The 55lb Horror Fright anvil is 60 bucks, but the 70lb anvil you showed was 260ish. For a lot of people, 260 is a portion of their income that could see them homelss. :( would be nice to see maybe like a 45-50lb anvil for 100 bucks or so, even if its a block of cast iron with a 1/2" hardend steel slab bolted to the top and ground smooth. I was honestly looking at biting the bullet and getting the horror fright anvil, but that pitting, just from setting down the hammer, that's a huge turnoff.
I was honestly expecting to see the anvil fall over on you from the stand. I'm thinking of getting into this for free time, but I have a piece of railroad. What would be a good way to bolt ot down to something, or? I also have a huge piece of I beam I thought about using.
The I-beam would not be a good option. If you have a railroad rail, then you have a better anvil than this one. There are a few ways to anchor a railroad rail to a stand. If you have a stump, then you can use lag bolts or nails or even railroad spikes. With a metallic stand you can fabricate different types of clamping devices. But with either one, I think it is best to cut or drill a few anchor points for a bolt or lag bolt to go through and hold onto the anvil. I couldn't drill through mine because it is too hard, but i got around that by cutting/grinding notches into the sides on the base which I can fit a bolt through.
@DragonHide94 Great video sir. I have a older HF 65 lb. cast anvil that I bought about 16 years ago. The base or foot of mine looks more like a traditional anvil same shape otherwise. I have made some modifications to it over the years. I reshaped the horn and beefed it up by splitting a piece of schedule 40 steam pipe and forming it to the horn and welding it on. I also welded 1/2 in. steel plates to the top and base to as well as putting a pritchel hole in it off to side of my Hardy hole. And made my anvil stand of 4 X 16 in. Douglas fir joists I cut up and through bolted together. I noticed your stand looked a little tipsy when you were striking. Has it ever tipped over?
Certainly not shocked by the results by any means. And, mind you, I haven't exactly seen HF marketing this to actual smiths of any kind - rightfully so(err, 'not so'...?) of course. But, we all know what this really is though, right? It's the same as most of the bigger, heavier stuff in HF - it's extremely [affordable...] equipment that a farmer can run out and pick up real quick on short notice to fix a problem. This is meant for a farm shop, to put something on when you need to beat the shit outta it. Or for a metallic work surface, breaking sheet metal on the edges, or shaping sheet metal on the horn. What it isn't is a high end tool, a skilled tradesman's tool, let alone an 'artisans'. What it is is a big cast iron problem solver, for doing on what needs done, a surface upon which various parts, tools, raw materials are beaten on(I swear there's a masturbation joke here...). Not a bad product by HF(when used the way that probably 97% of customers use it as described above); rather, those that are wanting to perform craftsman/artisan/[insert snobby artsy fartsy word or phrase of preference] style work - wannabe 'Forged in Fire'ers("...but, deep down inside - aren't we all?!") - need to stop being cheapskates if they want greater than cheapskate level quality, that's the real lesson here! Great video, I have always wondered how rough those things were. Was about as expected though, a big ol' piece of fabricating iron, but certainly not a nice piece of forging steel. I bet all those farmers and ranch hands are happy with it though, lol
Peterbiltknifeguy 2 I guess that means I should have some massive dents in my railroad rail anvil from my 4lb hammer then... But surface damage, deformation, and dents have nothing to do with hammer weight relative to anvil weight. It has everything to do with surface are of impact point and the hardness of both interacting objects. If I had a 3"x3"x1/2" hardened steel plate that weighs 2lbs bolted to a stump and took a swing at it with my 4 pounder, I would not make a mark on the plate. Anvil:Hammer ratios have nothing to do with damaging an anvil, these ratios are about one mass being able to move a different mass. A 3lbs hammer can move a 30lbs anvil at least several inches with each strike. But a 300 lbs anvil? It may not move at all. But if that 300lbs anvil were made of the same cast iron as this harbor freight doorstop, it would dent just as badly with the same size hammer if not more because it won't move around and bounce like this one was.
I'm not crying or whining about anything. I'm being logical and rational about a product I paid money for, while also logically debunking a misconception about anvil weight relative to hammer weight. I have dropped a 1 inch ball bearing from 12 inches above the surface and even that left small dents despite being a ratio of over 100:1 and only using gravity to accelerate the "hammer" over a very short distance. This anvil could weigh 10'000 pounds and it would still dent under exactly the same use.
It is an Irwin Record, and I believe it is the 5inch machinist vise. For a blacksmith or for heavy use, I have found the rotating jaws to be somewhat annoying. Even when the set screw is cranked down and the jaws are tight, they will rotate when hammering on a workpiece. I would recommend the 6 inch fixed vise instead.
Most cast iron is grey cast iron. That's what this is, but most other types are not going to make a good anvil either. Cast Ductile Iron is the only one I know of and it is used by TFS in their anvils. The main difference is a nodularizing element is added such as magnesium which causes the excess carbon to form spherical nodules rather than graphite flakes. This makes it tougher and stronger, while also allowing to actually be heat treated.
I actually have this exact NC anvil and I can recommend it. Of course, being a new factory anvil it will need some dressing but that isn't a big problem. Just be aware threat the horn is a little soft and debuts rather easily. The face is amazing though.
This is a pretty great video. Unfortunately I already purchased one of those anvils. But I’m still happy with it because it helps me start learning how to blacksmith relatively cheaply. I know railroad track anvils are better for similar price but the amount that I’d pay in shipping wouldn’t make them worth it for me. I look at the harbor freight anvil as a stepping stone to better my skill before moving on to better tools that I wouldn’t want to mess up.
We needed six anvils for open forge meets and chose the (~$60, 55-lb) Harbor Freight anvils. Why? Price, primarily, but partly weight -- for portability. A comparable weight high-quality anvil would be roughly 6 times the price. But also because these anvils would be used primarily by newbies -- who can't be trusted with an expensive anvil. The HF anvils really ARE laughably bad. "Anvil-shaped objects" is one description. The face is so soft that it can be cut with a file (NOT a good sign). But this and other defects can be ameliorated by the use of hardy tools. Get a length of 7/8" square stock -- which fits the hardy hole of this anvil -- and weld it on to whatever you need. Take a 4" square plate of decent steel, weld on a hardy stem, and you have a forging surface for those time when you need a good, true, flat surface with square edges, or edges rounded to your purpose. Bottom line: Not a bad anvil for a newbie. Not worth considering for anyone trying to make money off the craft.
I know it's crap, but could anything be done to fix it? Would welding say a piece of 3/4" to 1" thick hardened steel to the top it work or would simply hardfacing it with a welder help??
The question isn't actually whether or not it can be fixed. The real question is whether it is cost effective to fix it. Welding tool steel is difficult. The rapid heating and cooling causes the steel to harden which stresses the metal and the weld which causes the weld to fail. Carbon content is the thing which makes it harder, so multiply the carbon content by 2-7 times and you get cast iron and it's inherent problems. It is soft, and can't be hardened, but it is also very brittle. Welding cast iron requires a lot of skill to do so properly and tools that are capable of welding it. If you can weld cast iron then the next question is about your facing material. If you use plate steel, how much will that cost? How will you machine or cut a Hardy hole into the plate if it is hardened? If you decide to use hard facing electrodes, how much will that cost? Then we ask about consumables. How will you preheat the anvil? Will you use a propane burner and if so how much fuel will you use? If you weld a plate to the face, how much electricity and and welding consumables, and time will you use? If you are using hard facing electrodes, how much do those cost and how much more time are you going to spend covering the whole face with welds, grinding out the gaps, and refacing it, all before having to dress it again before using it? The simplest option is taking the anvil to a welding or fabrication shop and having them do it. But I imagine they will charge you at least 1-2 hours of shoptime on top of materials which is at least $150-250 which makes this anvil $210-310 and only the main face has been fixed. The horn is still useless and prone to breaking off and the feet/mounting holes are in the same boat. Can you fix it? Yes. But is it worth it to fix it? Hell no, it isn't.
As a kid, in the 1950s, I grew up on a ranch along the Colorado River. My mom would take my older brother and me to Buena Park, CA to visit grandma. We'd go to Knott's Berry Farm (there was no Disneyland yet) and always managed to stop by the knife maker and watch him make knives out of worn out files. The process fascinated me...
Back when Knott's had a stand on the corner Of Beach Av ( ? been a long time) selling fresh fruit and preserves . First time I rode my bike from Pomona to the beach in '61 it was still there . And buffalo on the ranch near Newport .
Aebe mac Gill If you go in the old main entrance (by the chicken restaurant) you'll see the Eucalyptus just north of the entrance has a fork that none of the other trees have. My grandfather, who owned the property back around 1910, planted the trees as a windbreak. My dad was plowing the field and tied the horse to the tree and sat down to eat his lunch. While he was away, the horse chewed off the top of the tree. It developed two trunks. I don't suppose the trees are still there after over 100 years. Dad leased some of the property to Walter and Cordelia Knott, to grow what was called a "Truck Farm." Mr. Boysen, a mutual friend, had developed a new berry plant and wanted Walter to plant a few bushes. He didn't have an official name for his "invention" so Walter said, "Call them Boysenberries!" Dad said Boysen kind of scoffed but registered the name anyway. If you do a search for Anaheim, or Orange County, and Sam Coughran (my dad) you should find something of interest. You might try William Henry Coughran, my grandpa. My mom was Miss Halloween, or Miss Orange County, or something like that, around 1935, or so (Margaret Inskeep).
Go to a metal scrap yard or find pieces of train track you can have sawed down to length . Take 2 pieces of train rail and weld them wheel side to wheel side with a good penetrating welding rod . I have 2 old German anvils which are both aprox. 200 pounds each . Old anvils will usually cost about 1 $ per pound at an auction . A guy can make a train track anvil which weighs 75 pounds for an easy $25 bucks or free depending on what machines and welders he has . Anything less than 75 pounds is a waste of time . Cast iron for an anvil is a joke . Your cast iron anvil is moving around like a $20 hooker . Make a table from scrap oak and fill it full of 200 pounds of cement . Thanks for your video .
If you have found old anvils for $1/pound, then you are by far the exception rather than the rule. The stand wobbles because I didn't pay enough attention to the legs on the rear to ensure that they had a wide enough stance. It has since been improved, but remember that I did not intend to use it as my main anvil. It needed to be shorter than normal (striking anvil height) and easy to move due to my limited shop space.
Where are you buying those old anvils for a dollar a pound? I'd like to have a couple of that price. Around here s*** you can't touch them hardly for under $10 a pound
I got lots of railway track and a steel junk yard.. was thinking of a 3 piece anvil.. 2 flat down and one center flat up .. bolt both ends ,weld and fill with lead Just a few uncertainties, rod? 6010,7010 or 7018 Is the base of track the same as the rail and should I put a 4010 top on or tool steel or something different? Thanks for any opinions
I'm not quite sure from your explanation how you have the pieces oriented, but I will say that a railroad rail is pretty good for an anvil with the rail side (where the train would contact it) as the anvil face. I can also say that as far as I am aware, railroad rail is monosteel of 1055 or equivalent steel, or even 5160 for new production rail (At least, that's what I've heard). As for welding, I'm not very experienced with welding, nor am I even "knowledgeable" from an internet or TH-cam commando perspective.
@@DragonHide94 I have 2 sides with railway side up and a peice in the middle with the flat bottom facing me like a anvil And I've welded things on track with wire feed and it breaks like cast , I'm thinking it cooled to fast or just not enough heat I've used my rail way but I'm looking for a flat without grinding it down .. short cuts lol
They have many tools that are absolutely worth the money, then some which fall a little short, and then some which just fail. I'm not sure which category this anvil falls within, but it's not in the first category.
I was kinda hoping you were going to give the harbor freight anvil a green light as long as you dress the face, horn, edge, etc. I'm poor but totally willing to dress the anvil. Instead you SHOWED why it's not worth even its super low price point. Thank you! I guess I'll just keep saving. Cheers!
H.F's old 100# anvil was of much better quality ( not much better but better than the boat anchor you bought) I have had mine for 7 or 8 years and it does what I need it to.
Any large chunk of mild steel will do. 2 inch thick by 4-5 inch wide rectangular bar makes a good striking anvil. 2-3 inch thick plate would be good. It you can find an off cut in a scrapyard or a drop from a local machine shop/fabrication shop of 3 inch diameter round or square bar or larger (maybe 4 or 6 inch square) that could work as a post anvil, stump anvil, or block anvil. The main use of an anvil is accomplished by the face directly over waist. If you can replicate that center of mass and make it so it doesn't move during use, you will have a good anvil. But use mild steel as a minimum, anything softer is too soft and will readily deform during use.
Otherwise, the heaviest gauge of railroad rail you can find will also do quite well. use an angle grinder to flatten the face and dress the anvil, and use a grinding disk to cut bolt notches into the base for mounting to a stand or stump. Here's a clip of my main anvil in use (railroad rail with welded steel stand). th-cam.com/video/s3j5xOJSoqU/w-d-xo.html
I added a hardened face to my harbor freight anvil and have never had a problem with it in everyday use !! Just build your own anvil if you want a good unit or add a hardened face to your harbor freight unit it will last a lifetime !!! I have been a Field and Industrial Service tech and Electronics tech for over 40 years most of you do not have a clue !!!
Nothing like putting lipstick on a pig. The hardened surface on a soft base like iron will cause a failure in the hardened plate once the underlying iron becomes too soft. One day that plate will explode when you hit it. Then we will see how knows what. Those who claim to be knowledgeable are never quite what they claim to be. Im just a dumb country boy. My question is....why not just use the hardened plate?
Rick is more correct than you are, because you apparently don't know that cast iron is not iron, nor are you aware that forge welding a tool steel face to a low carbon steel or wrought iron body has been a common practice for at least several centuries. The difference in this case is not the softness of the body but rather the brittleness of the body. Grey cast iron is not good for making anvils, nor any part of one due to how delicate it is in regards to impact, stress, and micro fracturing. If any part of a modified cast iron anvil fails, it will be the welds (cast iron is a bitch to weld) or the cast iron itself, and it will not be the steel face.
I don't need a Harbor Freight anvil anyhow but I need a good 20 foot pole. Is it fiberglass? I have a nice antique 10 foot pole that works well for not touching most things but sometimes I feel a need to maintain a greater distance between myself and the object I am not touching. It's a safety issue. On second thought I suppose I could not touch it twice with the 10 footer and achieve the same effect as the 20 foot pole. Let me know what you think in the comments below.
I think I know her. I had the wrong kind of a pole back then. It wasn't fiberglass and was a lot shorter than 10 foot. I'm am supporting a medical clinic now. The doctor is happy anyhow. Love is blind! If you ain't going in to it, you will be sooner or later!
I don’t know why I watched and enjoyed this video. I have no need for an anvil. I don’t do anything with tools. I couldn’t build a box if I wanted to. My wife built barn doors and got rid of the blinds for our sliding glass doors. She does plumbing. I watch tv. She is handy.
Yes, but the cost of the plate and heat treating the plate, welding the plate to the anvil, as well as the tools, consumables, and time required to do so pushes the anvil well into the $150-200 price range and still does nothing to make the horn more useful or the feet more durable (the feet are known to break off). If you want to do that, go for it. I just think there are better options, especially when you start talking about modifications.
David Meale I didn't pay enough attention to the rear legs when welding them to the base and now they're too close together (not enough stability), but that really is the only problem it has. Fairly big problem but the only problem.
I'm fairly certain the stand has nothing to do with how shitty the anvil is. I doubt it was made to be the best stand in the world, simply made for a 13 minute video to show people how bad harbor freight anvils are.
+xXxchipperchopperxXx It's definitely not the best stand, but you're right. What I observed was unrelated to the stand and likely would have been worse if the stand and anvil were not moving at all.
We don’t have HB in the U.K., but from what I’ve seen on YT it seems a very mixed bag. I don’t know if you mentioned the price? How does it compared to the £500+ you'd pay for a decent 150lb smithies anvil? Is it value for its price point?
I guess my question would be how difficult would it be to self hard face the working surfaces of that anvil? Or, would that be more expensive than just buying a better anvil?
I have a feeling that hard facing it, or welding a plate onto it would cost enough in time and money, along with needing a powerful enough welder and the tooling to preheat it, it would end up being more cost effective to buy a better anvil. I also don't know how much a professional would charge to hard face it or weld a plate onto it, but I would assume $100 minimum.
DragonHide94 That is a surprise as I've heard so much about those not having enough power to weld much of any thing and you have to move up to the 125 amp or higher. I would have to have a wire welder to mess around with in my piddling in my old age. Do you have any feed problems with the wire ? Thanks so much for the reply.
It's supposed to weld up to 1/8 inch stock, and it seems to do that fairly well. There was a time I thought I was having feeding issues, but I was using an extension cord and the welder was basically sputtering and made a very rough weld. Without the extension cord and plugged directly into an outlet (the best would be a dedicated breaker which I don't have) it seemed to be back to normal.
I've forged five blades on the same anvil during winter months. During the summer I use it as an anchor for my sailboat and havent had many complaints either way.
here is what i did to my HF anvil. i welded old lawnmower blades to the top of it and then used a belt sander to make it flat. now i have a proper dent proof anvil.since you like to make cutting things why not try your hand at making a machete out of a lawnmower blade.
If I'm being honest, I haven't had the best luck with forging lawnmower blades. Generally they are thin enough and so wide that they fold over too easily and stress the center section of the steel. Maybe someday I will, but I'll also need a few lawnmower blades to find their way into my hands...
i have a few and i havent tried using them yet because 1. i dont have the time, 2. i dont have coal for my brake drum "coal pit", and 3. i have no anvil yet. but i do go to a forge council every once in a while, ive made a knife and a machete out of a big old piece of half inch rebar, and im currently working on a 3 foot sword, im workin my way up the ranks at the moment, im mainly a melee specialist in weaponry, kinda recreational i guess, but its a fun hobby, i could probably buy a HF anvil and do the same thing you did, i would just need to fill in the holes and probably broach one for a hardy tool, i have one that has pointy spikes instead of a straight edge so i could probably use that for something.
@@aebemacgill never seen a cracked lawnmower blade and i have been straightening them and sharpening them for 40 years. i straighten them with no heat whatsoever. if they were cracked wouldn't it show up when i welded them or sanded them? i guess they could get work hardened like train rails but not from cutting grass. anyway i am still using the anvil with no dents and no cracks. if you think the lawnmower blades are not tough try drilling a hole in one.i have seen the ends break off from hitting rocks in the country from when the glaciers came through but not a shattered type crack.
That's a good anvil you're just using it wrong everybody knows Harbor Freight tools are acme tools rebranded. This anvil is clearly meant to drop on road runners.
Were your tests meant to simulate overkill or misuse/abuse? You can't hammer cold steel on something then say it's bad because you've dented it. These harbor freight anvils are just fine for when you need to bend something back into place or fix one of your other tools that just needs a little percussive maintenance. The only time they're horrible is when you're trying to do something on them that they're not really meant for. If you want to use one instead of buying a real anvil then weld something harder to the face.
Normal use. The work piece was hot enough but as I have explained at least 5 times now, the ambient sunlight where I set this anvil makes it look cold. It was not. But it's not just the work piece, it was also setting the hammer down on the anvil or tapping the anvil between strikes that cause the most deformation. That is entirely normal use only made worse by hot steel at a full orange heat denting the surface. If you are going to modify the face by welding mild steel or tool steel to the face, you might as well put that time, energy, and money toward a real anvil like the NC standard anvil. It's a 70 lbs cast steel anvil for $270.
DragonHide94 there's a big difference between $60ish and $270. If a person doesn't have the $300+ after state taxes(NC) and shipping then the hf anvil with a steel plate will do just fine. These anvils still aren't meant for this kind of work, they're just something hard to put on your bench or table so you're not hammering other metal on a wood top. Also to anybody that wants to get into smithing for cheap there's a guy on eBay that sells railroad track for $1/lb and he cuts them to fit in a flat rate box. IIRC his name was Igor.
If you are planning to weld a steel plate to the top of a cast iron anvil (meaning you have a welder capable of welding something this thick, can properly prepare it and preheat it and anneal it after, and have the time to do it. As well as consumables like fuel for heating, welding electrodes and shielding gas, grinding disks for prepping and then cleaning the welds...) or pay someone to do it, you're already going to be at least half way to a $300 anvil.
So you have at least a $500 welder, you have a propane burner or a large enough fire pit to pile coals up around it for preheating as well as a way to manipulate it after heating, you have grinders and abrasives to chamfer and prep the weld area, you have at least $5-10 of welding electrodes and/or shielding gas, you have a dedicated 220v power source in a location where it is safe to weld and forge, you have the knowledge and skills to weld cast iron, you have a steel plate anywhere from $10-50 depending on the thickness and alloy.... My point is, if you have all those tools, if you have the means of welding modifying this anvil, I believe you would be better off saving a bit more and buying something far more durable, far better made, and even heavier. Something a lot of people overlook when they suggest welding a plate to the face is the you haven't improved the horn or the base. The horn is still just as soft and brittle, and the feet are in even more danger. I cannot recommend this anvil considering how soft it is and the likelihood that it could break. If it breaks, you are out $60 (not including what you put into modifying it) which could have gone toward a better tool.
How much more does the CAST STEEL anvil than the CAST IRON ANVIL? Is not that a little like comparing apples and oranges? Cast iron is quite a bit softer than Cast STEEL
How much more "what" does a cast steel anvil than a cast iron? I don't know what you are asking. I would also like to point out that the "apples to oranges, vs apples to apples" comparison is not legitimate because they are all fruit. Comparing apples to bulldogs or quarks to drinking goblets is a better representation of comparing two incomparable things. I don't mean that to discredit your opinion or comment, I just want you and everyone to have better tools with which to argue your point.
Most likely the edged tool because of how thin it is compared to a thick, wide, well supported material. However, it has a lot to do with the hardness of both interacting objects: if the anvil is very hard and the axe is soft, the anvil will likely survive without much of a scratch while the axe leaves with a massively deformed and rolled edge. If the axe is hard and the anvil is soft, then the anvil will have a scar while the axe will survive or have a chipped edge based on it's geometry and heat treatment. If they are both hard, they will probably both experience damage, but the axe will suffer more.
When it comes to the target consumer for their items, its perfect. Someone who is learning, or wont use a tool but 2 or 3 times a year. I honestly think its rediculious to review these as a professional, and just say its crap. If youre learning, youre not going to drop 1k or more for the tools. Harbor freight is great for beginers in just about everything. You get what you pay for. If youre new to welding and cant spend 700 on a machine for professionals, go for it. I love harbor freight. They have given me a chance to learn things I never imagined, at a fair price.
For forging at least, sometimes it's better to just get a chunk of scrap steel or railroad if you can find it. I am the person that's learning on a budget but I've found that it can be cheaper and sometimes better to just use a piece of scrap. This anvil would work for learning but so would a piece of round stock
I tend to work steel down into colder heats than I should, but this was poor lighting through a camera, so it was still at a medium to low forging heat, but still a forging heat nonetheless. The anvil shouldn't deform from such use. I'm glad the video helped.
Cast iron cannot be heat treated because it has far too much carbon. Welding cast iron is difficult and time consuming because it has too much carbon. A tool steel plate for the surface would likely cost more than the anvil, especially if you consider the cost of cutting/machining a Hardie hole into it and heat treating the top plate. It would also only fix the face, leaving the rest of the anvil just as soft and brittle as before. It's not worth the cost.
TheMicroTrak It is not cast steel for a number of reasons, not the least of which are the words "Rugged Cast Iron Anvil" all over the title and product description. I'm also not sure which you meant, but, cast iron is likely to shatter, cast steel may shatter and chip, but only if it is hardened. And of the two, cast steel can be hardened.
Christopher newton said: "Depends on the alloy of the cast iron " SIGH. Iron is an element. There is nothing mixed or alloyed with it. It is "Fe" on the Periodic Table of Elements. If you alloy anything with it, you have made some sort of Steel. That is the definition of "steel." Iron alloyed with some other elements. Commonly used elements alloyed with Iron to make various steels are Carbon, Molybdenum, and Chrome. On the other hand, any merchant can say his product is "Cast Iron" even though it is steel, and 999 out of 1000 people will let them slide on the misuse of the word "Iron" because most people don't know, or care about the difference. Him saying it and folks ignoring it doesn't make it so.
Islander 113 there are different grades of cast iron Islander. Go to the American Foundry Society for more information as to how wrong your statement is
christopher newton said: "Go to the American Foundry Society for more information as to how wrong your statement is" SIGH. I didn't make one false or erroneous remark so you can't point to anything I said that was wrong. The AFS using the wrong word habitually doesn't make them correct. It makes them part of the problem.
You're not gonna get a video of that from me, because it requires a powerful welder running on 240v power, preheating of the "anvil" as well as reheating after welding the plate, and the cost of the tool steel face, consumables, and time which could easily total $200 for the project not including the original cost of the anvil. It's not worth it when the only thing it fixes is the face. The horn is still unusable and likely to break off and the base hasn't been modified either. The feet are the most at risk of breaking off, but most people don't think about them and how important they are.
Once tried to start a forge in my back hard without my mum knowing considering I was 12 and when she saw me I got the biggest back hand of my life I strait whent from one side o the carport to the other clutching my head.
Just go to your local machine shop and ask about heavy plate or rod. Often times they will have heavy duty pieces that just get scrapped due to an error in the milling process but they will work wonders for an anvil. I am currently working on a 300lb striking anvil made from an industrial press plate. Cost a grand total of 80 bucks for the press plate. Another plus with anvil shaped objects is you can make whatever you want and don't have to go with what you are given. Give a local machine shop a shot.
We have the same anvils in the UK and they are normally advertised "not for hot forging" great video mate, I've heat treated a few cheap axes with good results and had thought about getting one of these and attempting hardening, are they definitely iron or just a low grade steel?
Just wondering if you'd tested it, there is a video of someone hardfacing one of these that made me think it might not have been iron because it's bastard to get a weld to stick to. Did you see the water jet channel where they cut one of these in half and found a massive pocket of bondo plugging up a void?
I have a steel Russian harbor freight anvil that is odd shaped but rings like a bell. Chinese is a no go. If you find a Russian 50kg anvil it is actually nice.
The Chinese anvils make a great starter base to work from , add a hardened face to the anvil and if you knew anything about working with steel you would know that !!!!
And don't insult ANYONE in the comments of my videos. It completely invalidates your opinion. "If you knew anything about working with steel..." You would know that this kind of cheap cast iron is very brittle and everyone working with one is taking a chance of it breaking, with or without a steel plate welded to it. And if you are settling for a $50 anvil, you likely won't have a welder capable of welding a 1/2 inch plate on to the anvil.
Lindsey Zacek they really arnt all that,expensive and I've done some projects I really should have used a bigger anvil for and it stood up to the task. If you get a chance grab one. Got mine off amazon if you are interested.
I thought the video answered the question quite well sure the stand wasnt great but who cares the video was about if the harbor freight anvil was junk ... it is. As for the anvil suggestion I thought it was nice . Most people say o you shouldnt buy this and never offer any alternatives. I thought the anvil you suggested was a nice looking anvil and I will be looking at that manufacturers offerings. Thank you
You're Welcome, and thank you as well. There aren't too many anvil manufacturers anymore, and most people don't talk about them. If you do and up getting an NC Anvil, or any others, let me know what you think of it!
Agreed Jack! Heck I bet if the stand was more solid, it would have been even more to the anvil's demise. haha! Glad I found this video though. Almost picked this up the other day, but I'll stick with starting out with a good ole piece of track I got from CL. Until then I will be in search of an ASO of decent steel quality. Funny to think back in the day these cast iron anvils were all they had to work on until they figured out the hardened steel plate.
I'm not quite sure what you mean by "back in the day", but cast iron anvil are more or less a modern innovation. Old anvils were wrought iron, wrought with a steel face, or all steel. Back then, they were more often forged rather than straight up cast, painted, and shipped out. Wrought anvil are far better than cast iron due to their rebound and durability (cast iron doesn't play well with cracks and fractures), but they develop "sway" with use. That's where the face starts to dip down where its used most.
Oh, okay. I understand now. I thought cast was superior. Thanks for clearing that up. But would you recommend my piece of track over this? It's about 11 inches long and old and well rolled over on one edge, which I am not complaining about, cause I kind of like that' if I don't intend on grinding a horn shape on the end. I must ask, if you have the time; What type of steel in your opinion that I could come across easily is a good one to use for an ASO?
I guess I shouldn't ask for ASOs exactly, but a decent steel or something I can keep my eye out for that will get me by until I find something better than the piece of track.
Dave Frey three legs will not rock on a surface. It will always stay flat. Sit on a three legged stool..vs a four leg one. I promise you the four leg will not sit flat...
Chris Bridges -- did you see the Tom Sellek commerical where he sits on a three legged stool? ( I used to teach new pool players the inportance of a three position stance (Both feet on the floor and hand on the table ensuring stability.) So... I should drive on only 3 wheels?
From watching smithing videos and Forged In Fire, I get the idea that you can always use that soft cast iron of the HF anvil as a spine of a knife. Quite a few knives actually. But i am definetly no expert. Need to drag out the anvil we have around here and start doing those things History Channel said not to try at home. Have a feeling i'll be learning with wood/coal and an old BBQ pit. We have an abundance of these nasty trees called Trees Of Heaven, oh gosh they stink, but we don't cook with it or burn it for warmth. Side tracked... Any tips for starting out like that?
I used to work at a Chase Pitkins in Rochester and I can tell you numerous horror stories about Harbor Freight! There is a reason their junk is so cheap; It's cheap junk! Their portable electric drills were junk and down right dangerous, their table saws were worse, their hammers and pry bars broke when you used them! Just a lot of imported junk!
I worked at Chase Pitkin, lifetime warranties are a joke. When your job depends upon your tools, you can't tolerate a tool breaking when you're 20 miles from a store and you need to get the job done yesterday. The contractors who shopped at our store wanted dependable tools that did the job day after day. Home users have no such requirements, and bought on price only, and brought back crappy tools made in China and India.
It could, but because a knife maker tends to work mostly with high carbon/tool steels, it would be even more important to have a harder Anvil face as the blades being forged are tougher and harder to move and shape while at heat. That means it will dent and deform the face even more. Those dents will leave marks in your workpiece which will have to be ground or filed out. A knife maker who forges knives really doesn't need a "traditional" anvil, and can make do rather effectively with a block anvil or stump anvil. Not to be confused with "stake anvils", a stump Anvil is as simple as a long bar of steel buried in the ground like a post. Railroad rail can be used as such when turned up on it's end. The working surface is not very large but it has a lot of mass below it. Otherwise a railroad rail with the top of the rail ground flat will work. And any heavy block of steel will do nicely as well.
If you can find off cuts of heavy plate (2-4 inches thick) or heavy bar at least 3 inch round or square (2"x4" rectangular bar is good) you can fashion a useful anvil from that and it will be a bit harder and a lot tougher than cast iron. Find a scrap yard and call ahead to see what stuff they will actually part with (my local scrapper hoards the good stuff like several hundred feet of RR Rail) and how much they charge.
The square hole in an anvil's face is known as the Hardie or Hardy hole. It is used mainly for holding tooling such as a cutting hardie which is the most common tool and is sometimes know simply as a hardie, but swaging tools, spring swages, fullers, guillotine tools and more are also used. It can also be used for punching and drifting holes through stock. Another hole you may find is called a Pritchel hole and is the smaller round hole found on most anvils along with the hardie hole. The Pritchel hole is used for punching through stock, but can also be used for a tool called a holdfast which is used to clamp a workpiece to the anvil so both hands are free to perform more advanced operations or for chisel and punch work.
Thank you ,I have this added to my playlist for those that ask
"Can I use a harbor freight anvil"
This is what I will comment with
James Ball Thanks!
"Can I use a Harbor Freight Anvil?"
Yes you can...They make a great boat anchor, just run a cable through the hardy hole.
It may also be a good counterweight for a heavy hatch.
@@bearsbugs glory-hole??
@@jamessouza7065 lmao
The real question is... is the HF anvil good enough to squish a roadrunner? Asking for a friend.
+Darwinpasta According to Wikipedia, a deadfall trap should use a deadfall at least 5 times heavier than the intended prey. As long as the roadrunner in question weighs less than 10 pounds, it should work smashingly. ;)
If I come across a roadrunner that weighs more than ten pounds, I'm not getting anywhere near it!
+Darwinpasta I agree!
Darwinpasta No! I always go with Acme anvils. They whistle when they fall and leave a uniform dust cloud when the hit the desert floor.
They rebound really well against telephone wires, and whistle as they fall.
I've been a professional blacksmith for over 30 years and I would buy one of these if I wanted to set up a brass/copper workstation, it is not intended for working steel. That said, if this is what is in your budget go ahead and buy it, make work, gain skill, enjoy and suffer. In a little while you will have a bigger budget if you actually hate yourself enough to become a smith.
Hahahaha
I never would buy it, I went and played by the railroad tracks.. and found a nice piece of good steel.
Exactly what I did (not HF, but still a cast iron anvil). I bought a 9# and 25# and combined were under $100 including shipping. I work copper and bronze, mostly, with occasional small pieces of mild steel. After a little finishing work, it was a far better investment for the tiny studio shop I tinker in. Having an non-healing broken neck makes lifting anything more than 25# impossible. At least I can do something with these smaller, cheaper anvils.
Railroad tracks damage the face of my finishing hammers, they are too hard.
Norman Campbell LMAO 😂
Oh I hate myself I hate myself a lot so i love blacksmithing and forging
This definitely wasnt designed for a career blacksmith, but it works well for weekend warriors like myself. I dont want to pay 1000 for something I'll hardly lose. That's why harbor freight is good and works for everyone besides contractors
Some of their tools are real winners to
Same reason why I use a harbor freight miter saw lol
The point here is you can go to scrap yards and buy a nice size ASO for 30 cents a pound. And actually anchor the thing down where it don't budge for accuracy.
@@DragonHide94 Cast iron is also dirty as hell and stinky when machined. All that extra carbon turns your coolant black.
@k k
When I first started forging I got a Harbor Freight Anvil and it lasted for a while.
I don't think the Anvil is the most noticeable problem here...lol
FLYAGI what else is
@@Tubs428 the stand it is on
True
I couldn't even get past the welds to know this guy's opinion is worthless lol
@@suzabakingbaked7975 Welder bought and trained at harbor frieght
The wobble of that stand would make me really nervous.
Not a good base ...
Doesn't matter.
I'm no Blacksmith but I did grow up in my Dad's steel fabrication shop and have spent more time than most working red hot steel on an anvil and I was thinking the same thing.
My first time in HF I walked in behind a young father and his 5ish yr old daughter who said "I love how it smells in here!" To which her father replied, "Yep, just like China."
There's something nostalgic and familiar about the aroma of a Harbor Freight. Chinesium, grease, and moth balls... The stuff memories and cheap tape/cardboard are made out of.
Exactly lol. we have a HF store ten minutes from our house..I'm always in there lol.
Well for me Tractor Supply smells better but my really favorite places feed stores like Co-op and building supply stores. I grew up working in Sawmills back in early 70s and cut a lot of logs and worked at a cotton gin / Farm Store. I guess that's why I like those smells. But come to think of it a damn leather shop is great to! When I was just a little Feller we'd go in have to get a new collar some new lines for the horse or mule and I love the smell of that down leather!
Sawmill gravy
I was there......I ate Chinese before I came to HF.......I farted.
I work for Harbor Freight and I can guarantee that it's the finest Chinesium they have to offer XD.
So you're calling Hung Lo Charlie on this one? Negative for skookum
Manbun Myname needs love, but great for light duty work. You won't be making swords though, by any means.
Shawn C --- "Chinesium" cute!
im currently making a sword, how long would it take to get no etches on the blade xD, im actually making a 3 foot sword that i call its style "sledge blade" because theres only about 7 inches of the blade made at the moment and that leaves room for hand movement up to over halfway the piece, and you hold it by two hands, two at the bottom when swinging down and one at bottom and one at the middle when pulling up, i might buy from the horror fright some time soon so i can have my own anvil, but ill weld lawn mower blades on it and fill in the holes and broach one for a hardy tool (most likely either a ball top or chisel, idk if there is a ball topped one but i want one so i can give things a good spherical dent or give them a hammered look.)
Too much work for something that will be scrap after a couple days of work . Go to an industrial surplus/scrap yard and find an offcut from a large bar of steel , 4"X4"X4: or thereabouts . Case harden the face and it will last for years .
I welded a 2" hardened steel plate on mine, works pretty decent, thinking about adding another layer for weight.
I've heard Cast Iron is very difficult to weld, especially when welding it to steel.
I'm not sure that thing is cast iron. It looks way too soft.
NordboDK What else do you think it might be?
Your going to have to preheat the anvil and mig or stick 6010 problem is it's a heatsink big time. Oh and it fits in your oven but take the paint of first and clean the spot of the weld.
Was wondering if anyone had done this. Its a super cheap anvil and with a coupon probably even cheaper.
How is it holding up so far with the harden plate?
I’m a locksmith. We stamp a lot of keys with our logo, “Do Not Duplicate”, numbers, etc. We’ve been using a piece of quality steel to stamp on, but had to wear ear plugs due to the loud ringing. We got one of these after seeing this video; problem solved! It has no ring whatsoever, and since we’re only stamping brass, it seems to be holding up pretty well. If you hit it with the hammer itself, it leaves a slight dent; so it’s pretty much useless for forming steel. Great for our purpose though.
That sounds like a much better purpose than forging steel on it. I'm glad you found an application where it shines!
Did you scrapping on the side and I bought one of these anvils just to have a little chunk of steel that I can beat the hell out of when I break stuff apart works good for my purpose but you're right I would not try to form any steel on this I'd left dents in this thing left right and sideways
I don't have the large one like you, but I do have a the small one with the stubby horn. For Christmas I made about a dozen leaf bottle openers to give as gifts. Even after inheriting my grandfather's anvil, I still use my harbor freight anvil because of the sharp edges. Yes it's a peice of shit for an anvil, but it's what I got started on. For a 16 year old who doesn't have much money, it's better than nothing.
im 15 and i was literally just looking for a cheap little anvil to continue my little sword project with, and i like finding people like me out there who do other projects but can actually get the things needed for them,(time to go on a rant again, HOORAY!ikr, but anyway) right now i have been really set back by a shitty computer place that scrapped my good pc with no concern for me needs and said they would give me one that was as good as or better than that one and straight up gave me a 3.1 ghz processor pc when my old one was 3.4 ghz. thats technically theft if you ask me, i should actually sue them because my dad is the best lawyer in the state (as he tells me but i doubt it and i would probably try it anyway) because of that but its been over a year and i think my mom told me that they went out of business a while back, but anyway, im saving up for a gaming pc that i am searching around amazon for parts for it and it has come up with a total of around just over $400 and ive saved up for about $300 for it so far, and with my dad (for some reason with out me asking) giving me money for my grades, it shouldnt be very long until i finally get it, but this anvil should be very cheap considering how bad its made, and i could possibly just go over to our friend's house and ask to use one of his belt sanders to flatten out the surface and horn, and then wire wheel the paint off and polish it with my dremmel. and yes, i completely agree with you, it is a LOT better than nothing, and if you know the right people, it can be MUCH better than that,
(dont ask about the name, its an inside joke with me and my friends.)
Shrek Daddy has
lol im 15 and use this anvil for foring too, we cant all afford $300 anvils
@@dongadder8073 i know right he give a "good alternative" that cost about $200 more. ill stick with my little blue boy for now
Weld a harder steel plate on top and be rather satisfied. I also think working hotter steel glowing bright yellow is easier to work. I know it was said that bright Sunlight was mentioned, but it still looked cooler after a few taps.
Right
Definitely wasn't a a working temp
It was almost in direct sunlight. It was a working temp.
10:53 yall know that theres aliens leavin crop circles in your yard right?
4:54 Your grinder is shooting sparks towards 3 propane tanks.
Remember Kids: "Don't try this at home".
If that were a problem, we wouldn't have propane tanks in our shops.
A couple summers ago very dry... I intentionally used my chop saw and angle grinder where their sparks would hit dry leaves, wood, rags NOTHING ever happened. I fn showered those things over and over just to se if anything at all would light up, smoulder etc nothing eber happened.
I set our yard on fire once with grinding sparks... It was about 15-20 ft away from my railroad rail anvil, as I was working on profiling the horn or grinding some other part of it. The grass was very dry and by the time I put it out with a 2x10 I had a charred area of about 4 feet by 4 feet. That was a scary moment for me.
@@DragonHide94 I set my porch of fire the other day. Well smoldering anyway, but it was well on its way
@@drumtwo4seven I set a machine cover I had near my grinding area on fire with sparks from an angle grinder. Now it's covered with a fire proof blanket!
These Chinese tools...epitomized by Harbor Freight....are a mixed bag. Some are a great value and do what they are intended to do fairly well. Others are completely useless right out of the box. The only way to know which are which is for someone to test them, so Thank You!
John Shaft
HF screw extractor sets are totally worthless.
@@Mote78 yes, but my ac manifold gauges, vacuum pump etc.. have saved me so much $$ now. . Even had the seals in my CP impact, finally give out and bought the earthquake, to get me by until I could swap the seals. Seal kit's not been opened in over a year, and the earthquake is still ripping crusty nuts & bolts. . Some diamonds in the rough @ HF.
Debt Miner
True that some items are a value like the Pittsburg wrenches but some tools are of waste of money and my time trying it out unsuccessfully and buying a replacement. Two screw extractor kits and couldn’t remove one screw. An oscillating cutting-tool broke during the first job, a variable rotary tool stopped working with only about 20 hours use, so buyer beware.
@@Mote78 I agree. I put my $$ into tools that I absolutely need to rely on.. HF are simply those purchases where it's not the end of the world if it fails. I could live without working ac.. I could grab a breaker bar if my impact failed. . Fact that they've lasted, is just pretty damn awesome. . Plus, I use their tools on my peg board, as my communal, never see that wrench again, set.
Screw extraction kits are generally crap regardless of where you get them. I have personally seen a Makita oscillating tool break after limited use due to how they are made and function (tremendous stress and force in a small and complex system especially if it meets resistance from the side). Rotary tools like a Dremel are not going to do well from Harbor Freight as they are too small, and their cheap build is only made worse by that fact. Besides, Dremel brand rotary tools are already quite affordable as they are available in almost any price point.
The base of the anvil, it's the funniest thing I've seen
Love how it dances to a good beat. Lol
I wouldn't suggest a guy starting out to even look at anvils, the prices are ridiculous atm. I tell people to head down to a machine shop and ask around for a some 4 inch steel plate cuttings, or scrap chucks of steel plate thick heavy still. Usually cost like 30 cents a pound. a 12x12x4 in. chunk would work for months and months/years before ever needing to look at an anvil.
I like your advice...I might do that--I am in the process of gathering up what I need to set up my own forge and man---the price for new and old anvils is a big sting!! At this point---till I get going, get my skills up, figure out what the hell I am going to concentrate on making--I just cannot bring myself at this point to spend the big bucks it takes to get any sort of worthwhile anvil these days----I am going to get a gas forge--I take classes from a blacksmith whose shop is just a few miles from Majestic Forges--the people who make the gas forges that they use on Forged In Fire and used to use on the original version of Myth Busters. They don't charge as much for their gas forges as do others and they give my teacher's students a nice discount--he uses them at his school. I also do hope to find a coal forge and blower for a decent price---for some reason though--I just find it hard to pop for what is being asked for anvils these days---I am just for the time being at least--going to follow your advise and get such a piece of metal that you suggest---thanks for posting!!
My anvil is a quarter inch thick Hammer Mill blade bolted to a 2x4. Works great for small stuff.
I used to teach mobile blacksmithing classes. Fortunately for me, my wife is a manager at H.F. and I had her bring me home a
half a dozen of these anvils. I worked the shape of the horn and faced the top surface. For absolute beginning students it was
an economical way for me to get people working who otherwise would not have had the chance.
These anvils are cheap for a reason but they serve a purpose. If you have a mobile service of some type and just need something to
beat on, like a bumper anvil, etc. Then it's fine.
The best thing to do with these is to buy a 3/8" plate of tool steel and weld it to the top, creating a new, hard work surface. You then
have a decent beater anvil for a decent price.
Good idea, imma give that a try
You will spend just about as much on materials, consumables, and time by modifying this anvil with a tool steel face as you would by just buying a decent 70lb anvil like an NC tools Knifemaker's anvil.
As a pensioner on a very fixed income, I believe I and others in a like position owe you a debt of thanks. Reading prior comments I see some would rather continue on blindly, I, on the other hand, will save my shekels and buy something worthy of my dollar as you have eloquently shown the less expensive Harbour Freight model to be unworthy.
Mike
If you look up s site called anvilfire they tested the rebound on this anvil. It performed worse than a concrete floor. Better option if a real anvil isn't in the budget is to use a small block of 1 inch think steel bolted to something heavyike a tree stump. I did that before I saved up and bought a Peter wright. It isn't ideal but it will work better than cast iron. I've seen some that actually broke under normal use.
Having your anvil compared to a concrete floor is a very blunt evaluation that Harbour Freight ought to be ashamed of enough to pull the damned things.
Mike
here's an article on the cast iron boat anchors.
www.anvilfire.com/index.php?bodyName=/21centbs/anvils/grizzly_and_ASO.htm&titleName=Grizzly%20and%20Chinese%20ASOs%20:%20anvilfire.com
I would have to say that a cast iron anvil is better than a steel plate on a wood stump because rebound doesn't affect forging, while flex of a plate does. When you want an anvil to do as much work as possible, that means it should be as heavy and immobile as possible. A simple steel plate doesn't have the mass or rigidity to compare, but it will probably hold up and deform less. (A 2" x 5" x 14" block as a striking anvil is thick enough and heavy enough to not lose energy in flexing...)
Make your own anvil from train track . Even the UK has train track .
I hope that you don't mind, DH94, but I'm back with more questions. Is that a flux-core MIG you used to make the base for the HF anvil? It's also been a few years since I first stopped by, so I'd like to ask you again about your Irwin Record vise. Do you still find that you prefer the "fixed" type vise you mentioned back in '18? If you still prefer such a vise, would you mind recommending the make and model of the vise you like? I'd also like to ask you what you fabricated your welding table out of? Did you simply procure a sheet of mild steel for this purpose? Have a great night.
That is the lowest end harbor freight flux core welder. Not the best welder in the world, but it does the job under the right conditions. I would recommend using name brand wire such as Lincoln Electric though.
I'm not sure what welding table you are referring to, since I don't have one, but I do use a 2'x2' piece of overpriced sheet steel from Lowe's as a "table" just to prevent weld spatter and flux from damaging the concrete patio I weld over top of.
I don't really have a specific recommendation for a vise, I just suggest for a blacksmith to have a fixed or dynamic jaw on their vise, rather than a plumber's vise. I don't much care for the phrase "they don't make em like they used to..." because it often doesn't hold up to scrutiny. Vises are one of the items where the phrase actually applies. Most production vises today are cast iron, which is not ideal for such a tool, whereas a lot of old vises were steel or cast steel. So if you can find a steel vise, that is what you want. I think Yost might still make a steel vise in the higher end line, but keep in mind that it's gonna be closer to $300-500 for a new production steel vise with 5-6" jaws.
If you can find an old vise in good working condition for a good price, I would recommend that over a production vise. Just be sure to do a bit of research about the maker and the material if you can before pulling the trigger.
As for my vise specifically, it's still going, and generally works fine for my use, but I am hesitant to do much blacksmithing type work in it due to the material of the vise and because the jaw rotates if it is struck anywhere but straight down in the center of the jaw. The set screw just isn't enough to keep it in place. But with a lighter use case, it works quite well and it pretty versatile due to being able to rotate the jaw.
I just have to ask why are you forging when the steel isn't even up to the right temperature?
I guarantee that it was in fact at a forging heat. Steel glows because it is producing light through a process called incandescence. It doesn't actually change colour. So imagine taking an incandescent light bulb outside and trying to illuminate your yard in the middle of the day... Will you notice your yard getting brighter? Or is the sun rather bright, and overpowers your incandescent light source as if it isn't there?
It was the middle of the day, right at the door of my shop, and through a camera. You will never be able to determine the temperature of steel by looking at it in those conditions.
Observe: th-cam.com/video/gm2OwG9jTp0/w-d-xo.html
You clearly used it wrong. It's a decorative anvil. Hence the trendy blue color. For that modern workshop look in case your neighbours visit
I thought it was for hunting coyotes
I would have thought an anvil made of melted down nuclear reactor parts would be more resilient.
Yes, depleted uranium would make a wonderful anvil! You just have to get all your forging done before you come down with cancer or have babies.
Best part is that you don't need a forge, the radiation will heat your metal for you as you're working it ;)
Harbor F’s stuff is not intended for “professional” use. It is, at best, for the occasional user, one time use, or something to get by on until the next best thing comes along. It’s often judged by the wrong standards, it is what it is.
Same can be said about the drunk fat ugly girls at the bar at closing time.
Do you have any tips on using that Chicago electric 125 flux core
You seem to make great welds with it
Then you haven't seen great welds before
Bill Greathouse The welds he’s making with that unit which is the same model that I own are way better than what I’m currently doing with the same thing
What would it take to get a slab of steel from the scrap yard and weld it to the top of the anvil. The old fashioned way. Nearly all the old cast iron anvils had a slab of steel welded on top.
There is no such thing as "the old cast iron anvils with a welded steel face". Old anvils were not grey cast iron of unknown carbon content, and the cost of welding tool steel to a block of cast iron would outweigh the cost of making a cast steel anvil or a wrought anvil with a forge-welded face.
dope video man... i have a small HF anvil that was gifted to me a few days ago... been hammering some silver on it... already had to finish the surface twice... picked up a 10" railroad track today... i'm so glad i picked it up instead of the bigger anvil at HF... a lot of negative comments here... i make videos too... everyone's a pro at everything these days... LMAO...
Maybe not a Pro. This ASO was what I started on. Bit of advice. You will get so used to the dead thud working on cast iron that the first thing that will happen when you get to hammer on a tool steel anvil is to jerk your head back before you cross peen your forehead!
Apparently you are striking the anvil rather than the workpiece or you are "tapping" between strikes. That's in quotes because you're actually hammering on the anvil trying to bounce the hammer back up.
Good anvils don't have to have amazing rebound.
If you're grinder savvy you can shape a piece of track into a really nice anvil
I actually have been using my harbor freight anvil for several months... no, it's not the best, but I haven't had any issues
Michael Cason this guy is trying to make a profit I’d be making swords for me and my friends it’s just an ok anvil it’s like the “great value” version doesn’t mean it as trash as this guy says
If you have no idea what you are doing, then this anvil would be even more dangerous. It's not about what you think you can get by with for a personal project vs professional work, it's about a tool that no one should buy because it won't just dent, but also chip and possibly crack and break apart which is very dangerous.
I honestly just wish there were more of a smooth gradient in price for anvils. The 55lb Horror Fright anvil is 60 bucks, but the 70lb anvil you showed was 260ish. For a lot of people, 260 is a portion of their income that could see them homelss. :( would be nice to see maybe like a 45-50lb anvil for 100 bucks or so, even if its a block of cast iron with a 1/2" hardend steel slab bolted to the top and ground smooth.
I was honestly looking at biting the bullet and getting the horror fright anvil, but that pitting, just from setting down the hammer, that's a huge turnoff.
I was honestly expecting to see the anvil fall over on you from the stand. I'm thinking of getting into this for free time, but I have a piece of railroad. What would be a good way to bolt ot down to something, or? I also have a huge piece of I beam I thought about using.
The I-beam would not be a good option. If you have a railroad rail, then you have a better anvil than this one.
There are a few ways to anchor a railroad rail to a stand. If you have a stump, then you can use lag bolts or nails or even railroad spikes. With a metallic stand you can fabricate different types of clamping devices. But with either one, I think it is best to cut or drill a few anchor points for a bolt or lag bolt to go through and hold onto the anvil.
I couldn't drill through mine because it is too hard, but i got around that by cutting/grinding notches into the sides on the base which I can fit a bolt through.
@DragonHide94 Great video sir. I have a older HF 65 lb. cast anvil that I bought about 16 years ago. The base or foot of mine looks more like a traditional anvil same shape otherwise. I have made some modifications to it over the years. I reshaped the horn and beefed it up by splitting a piece of schedule 40 steam pipe and forming it to the horn and welding it on. I also welded 1/2 in. steel plates to the top and base to as well as putting a pritchel hole in it off to side of my Hardy hole. And made my anvil stand of 4 X 16 in. Douglas fir joists I cut up and through bolted together. I noticed your stand looked a little tipsy when you were striking. Has it ever tipped over?
Hasn't tipped yet. The pad I poured isn't very flat so that's most of the rocking I experience.
Certainly not shocked by the results by any means. And, mind you, I haven't exactly seen HF marketing this to actual smiths of any kind - rightfully so(err, 'not so'...?) of course.
But, we all know what this really is though, right? It's the same as most of the bigger, heavier stuff in HF - it's extremely [affordable...] equipment that a farmer can run out and pick up real quick on short notice to fix a problem. This is meant for a farm shop, to put something on when you need to beat the shit outta it. Or for a metallic work surface, breaking sheet metal on the edges, or shaping sheet metal on the horn.
What it isn't is a high end tool, a skilled tradesman's tool, let alone an 'artisans'.
What it is is a big cast iron problem solver, for doing on what needs done, a surface upon which various parts, tools, raw materials are beaten on(I swear there's a masturbation joke here...).
Not a bad product by HF(when used the way that probably 97% of customers use it as described above); rather, those that are wanting to perform craftsman/artisan/[insert snobby artsy fartsy word or phrase of preference] style work - wannabe 'Forged in Fire'ers("...but, deep down inside - aren't we all?!") - need to stop being cheapskates if they want greater than cheapskate level quality, that's the real lesson here!
Great video, I have always wondered how rough those things were. Was about as expected though, a big ol' piece of fabricating iron, but certainly not a nice piece of forging steel. I bet all those farmers and ranch hands are happy with it though, lol
Yes we are! =)
looks like you have a hard on for harbor frieght judging by your welder and grinder..
I enjoyed your video. But that hammer is way too big for a 50 pound anvil. Rule of 50-1. No wonder your getting dents right away.
Peterbiltknifeguy 2 I guess that means I should have some massive dents in my railroad rail anvil from my 4lb hammer then... But surface damage, deformation, and dents have nothing to do with hammer weight relative to anvil weight. It has everything to do with surface are of impact point and the hardness of both interacting objects. If I had a 3"x3"x1/2" hardened steel plate that weighs 2lbs bolted to a stump and took a swing at it with my 4 pounder, I would not make a mark on the plate. Anvil:Hammer ratios have nothing to do with damaging an anvil, these ratios are about one mass being able to move a different mass. A 3lbs hammer can move a 30lbs anvil at least several inches with each strike. But a 300 lbs anvil? It may not move at all. But if that 300lbs anvil were made of the same cast iron as this harbor freight doorstop, it would dent just as badly with the same size hammer if not more because it won't move around and bounce like this one was.
I'm not crying or whining about anything. I'm being logical and rational about a product I paid money for, while also logically debunking a misconception about anvil weight relative to hammer weight. I have dropped a 1 inch ball bearing from 12 inches above the surface and even that left small dents despite being a ratio of over 100:1 and only using gravity to accelerate the "hammer" over a very short distance. This anvil could weigh 10'000 pounds and it would still dent under exactly the same use.
I thought hammer was too big as well. Preference I guess
I'd like to ask you about the vise in the video. Does it rotate and swivel? Do you like it? If so, what's the make and model number? Thank you.
It is an Irwin Record, and I believe it is the 5inch machinist vise. For a blacksmith or for heavy use, I have found the rotating jaws to be somewhat annoying. Even when the set screw is cranked down and the jaws are tight, they will rotate when hammering on a workpiece. I would recommend the 6 inch fixed vise instead.
+DragonHide94 Thank you for your thoughts.
You're welcome.
There are different types of cast iron. Do you know whether other types of cast iron would have the same problems?
Most cast iron is grey cast iron. That's what this is, but most other types are not going to make a good anvil either.
Cast Ductile Iron is the only one I know of and it is used by TFS in their anvils. The main difference is a nodularizing element is added such as magnesium which causes the excess carbon to form spherical nodules rather than graphite flakes. This makes it tougher and stronger, while also allowing to actually be heat treated.
But a Ductile iron anvil is just as expensive as a cast tool steel of forged steel anvil.
I actually have this exact NC anvil and I can recommend it. Of course, being a new factory anvil it will need some dressing but that isn't a big problem. Just be aware threat the horn is a little soft and debuts rather easily. The face is amazing though.
This is a pretty great video. Unfortunately I already purchased one of those anvils. But I’m still happy with it because it helps me start learning how to blacksmith relatively cheaply. I know railroad track anvils are better for similar price but the amount that I’d pay in shipping wouldn’t make them worth it for me. I look at the harbor freight anvil as a stepping stone to better my skill before moving on to better tools that I wouldn’t want to mess up.
Sharp Works I got lucky and when we moved in to our new house in the basement was a railroad tracks anvil
We needed six anvils for open forge meets and chose the (~$60, 55-lb) Harbor Freight anvils. Why? Price, primarily, but partly weight -- for portability. A comparable weight high-quality anvil would be roughly 6 times the price. But also because these anvils would be used primarily by newbies -- who can't be trusted with an expensive anvil.
The HF anvils really ARE laughably bad. "Anvil-shaped objects" is one description. The face is so soft that it can be cut with a file (NOT a good sign).
But this and other defects can be ameliorated by the use of hardy tools. Get a length of 7/8" square stock -- which fits the hardy hole of this anvil -- and weld it on to whatever you need. Take a 4" square plate of decent steel, weld on a hardy stem, and you have a forging surface for those time when you need a good, true, flat surface with square edges, or edges rounded to your purpose.
Bottom line: Not a bad anvil for a newbie. Not worth considering for anyone trying to make money off the craft.
I'm looking to get into blacksmithing, would it be a safe bet to make an anvil-like substitute or what is the best beginner anvil. Thanks!
I know it's crap, but could anything be done to fix it? Would welding say a piece of 3/4" to 1" thick hardened steel to the top it work or would simply hardfacing it with a welder help??
The question isn't actually whether or not it can be fixed. The real question is whether it is cost effective to fix it. Welding tool steel is difficult. The rapid heating and cooling causes the steel to harden which stresses the metal and the weld which causes the weld to fail. Carbon content is the thing which makes it harder, so multiply the carbon content by 2-7 times and you get cast iron and it's inherent problems. It is soft, and can't be hardened, but it is also very brittle. Welding cast iron requires a lot of skill to do so properly and tools that are capable of welding it.
If you can weld cast iron then the next question is about your facing material. If you use plate steel, how much will that cost? How will you machine or cut a Hardy hole into the plate if it is hardened? If you decide to use hard facing electrodes, how much will that cost?
Then we ask about consumables. How will you preheat the anvil? Will you use a propane burner and if so how much fuel will you use? If you weld a plate to the face, how much electricity and and welding consumables, and time will you use? If you are using hard facing electrodes, how much do those cost and how much more time are you going to spend covering the whole face with welds, grinding out the gaps, and refacing it, all before having to dress it again before using it?
The simplest option is taking the anvil to a welding or fabrication shop and having them do it. But I imagine they will charge you at least 1-2 hours of shoptime on top of materials which is at least $150-250 which makes this anvil $210-310 and only the main face has been fixed. The horn is still useless and prone to breaking off and the feet/mounting holes are in the same boat.
Can you fix it? Yes. But is it worth it to fix it? Hell no, it isn't.
As a kid, in the 1950s, I grew up on a ranch along the Colorado River. My mom would take my older brother and me to Buena Park, CA to visit grandma. We'd go to Knott's Berry Farm (there was no Disneyland yet) and always managed to stop by the knife maker and watch him make knives out of worn out files. The process fascinated me...
Back when Knott's had a stand on the corner Of Beach Av ( ? been a long time) selling fresh fruit and preserves . First time I rode my bike from Pomona to the beach in '61 it was still there . And buffalo on the ranch near Newport .
Aebe mac Gill
If you go in the old main entrance (by the chicken restaurant) you'll see the Eucalyptus just north of the entrance has a fork that none of the other trees have. My grandfather, who owned the property back around 1910, planted the trees as a windbreak. My dad was plowing the field and tied the horse to the tree and sat down to eat his lunch. While he was away, the horse chewed off the top of the tree. It developed two trunks. I don't suppose the trees are still there after over 100 years.
Dad leased some of the property to Walter and Cordelia Knott, to grow what was called a "Truck Farm." Mr. Boysen, a mutual friend, had developed a new berry plant and wanted Walter to plant a few bushes. He didn't have an official name for his "invention" so Walter said, "Call them Boysenberries!" Dad said Boysen kind of scoffed but registered the name anyway. If you do a search for Anaheim, or Orange County, and Sam Coughran (my dad) you should find something of interest. You might try William Henry Coughran, my grandpa.
My mom was Miss Halloween, or Miss Orange County, or something like that, around 1935, or so (Margaret Inskeep).
Holds my 26 foot pontoon perfectly still on rough water no complaints her 10 stars
cause a 90 pound bag of sakrete is too inexpensive
Go to a metal scrap yard or find pieces of train track you can have sawed down to length . Take 2 pieces of train rail and weld them wheel side to wheel side with a good penetrating welding rod .
I have 2 old German anvils which are both aprox. 200 pounds each . Old anvils will usually cost about 1 $ per pound at an auction .
A guy can make a train track anvil which weighs 75 pounds for an easy $25 bucks or free depending on what machines and welders he has . Anything less than 75 pounds is a waste of time . Cast iron for an anvil is a joke . Your cast iron anvil is moving around like a $20 hooker . Make a table from scrap oak and fill it full of 200 pounds of cement .
Thanks for your video .
If you have found old anvils for $1/pound, then you are by far the exception rather than the rule. The stand wobbles because I didn't pay enough attention to the legs on the rear to ensure that they had a wide enough stance. It has since been improved, but remember that I did not intend to use it as my main anvil. It needed to be shorter than normal (striking anvil height) and easy to move due to my limited shop space.
Thanks for your reply and ATB .
Where are you buying those old anvils for a dollar a pound? I'd like to have a couple of that price. Around here s*** you can't touch them hardly for under $10 a pound
I got lots of railway track and a steel junk yard.. was thinking of a 3 piece anvil.. 2 flat down and one center flat up .. bolt both ends ,weld and fill with lead
Just a few uncertainties, rod? 6010,7010 or 7018
Is the base of track the same as the rail and should I put a 4010 top on or tool steel or something different?
Thanks for any opinions
I'm not quite sure from your explanation how you have the pieces oriented, but I will say that a railroad rail is pretty good for an anvil with the rail side (where the train would contact it) as the anvil face. I can also say that as far as I am aware, railroad rail is monosteel of 1055 or equivalent steel, or even 5160 for new production rail (At least, that's what I've heard).
As for welding, I'm not very experienced with welding, nor am I even "knowledgeable" from an internet or TH-cam commando perspective.
@@DragonHide94 I have 2 sides with railway side up and a peice in the middle with the flat bottom facing me like a anvil
And I've welded things on track with wire feed and it breaks like cast , I'm thinking it cooled to fast or just not enough heat
I've used my rail way but I'm looking for a flat without grinding it down .. short cuts lol
@@DragonHide94 thanks for the reply
I'm very new to Blacksmithing, would there be any way to attach a harder piece of steel to the anvil to make it more usable?
Yes, but it will not be cost effective.
Complaining about the harbor freight anvil... Then uses harbor freight welder and grinder.... Lol
Some of their tools are better than other.
DragonHide94 true but it's still funny
Than other what?
They have many tools that are absolutely worth the money, then some which fall a little short, and then some which just fail. I'm not sure which category this anvil falls within, but it's not in the first category.
Right, some of their hammers work fairly well. ;-)
I was kinda hoping you were going to give the harbor freight anvil a green light as long as you dress the face, horn, edge, etc. I'm poor but totally willing to dress the anvil. Instead you SHOWED why it's not worth even its super low price point. Thank you! I guess I'll just keep saving. Cheers!
Evolution Glitch I was hoping I would give it a green light as well! And for the same reasons you were hoping for!
H.F's old 100# anvil was of much better quality ( not much better but better than the boat anchor you bought) I have had mine for 7 or 8 years and it does what I need it to.
Evolution Glitch i have a 25 pound grizzly anvil cemented into a 5 gallon bucket it works great cost me 45 bucks total for anvil bucket and concreat
Any large chunk of mild steel will do. 2 inch thick by 4-5 inch wide rectangular bar makes a good striking anvil. 2-3 inch thick plate would be good. It you can find an off cut in a scrapyard or a drop from a local machine shop/fabrication shop of 3 inch diameter round or square bar or larger (maybe 4 or 6 inch square) that could work as a post anvil, stump anvil, or block anvil. The main use of an anvil is accomplished by the face directly over waist. If you can replicate that center of mass and make it so it doesn't move during use, you will have a good anvil. But use mild steel as a minimum, anything softer is too soft and will readily deform during use.
Otherwise, the heaviest gauge of railroad rail you can find will also do quite well. use an angle grinder to flatten the face and dress the anvil, and use a grinding disk to cut bolt notches into the base for mounting to a stand or stump. Here's a clip of my main anvil in use (railroad rail with welded steel stand).
th-cam.com/video/s3j5xOJSoqU/w-d-xo.html
I added a hardened face to my harbor freight anvil and have never had a problem with it in everyday use !! Just build your own anvil if you want a good unit or add a hardened face to your harbor freight unit it will last a lifetime !!! I have been a Field and Industrial Service tech and Electronics tech for over 40 years most of you do not have a clue !!!
Nothing like putting lipstick on a pig. The hardened surface on a soft base like iron will cause a failure in the hardened plate once the underlying iron becomes too soft. One day that plate will explode when you hit it. Then we will see how knows what. Those who claim to be knowledgeable are never quite what they claim to be. Im just a dumb country boy.
My question is....why not just use the hardened plate?
Rick is more correct than you are, because you apparently don't know that cast iron is not iron, nor are you aware that forge welding a tool steel face to a low carbon steel or wrought iron body has been a common practice for at least several centuries.
The difference in this case is not the softness of the body but rather the brittleness of the body. Grey cast iron is not good for making anvils, nor any part of one due to how delicate it is in regards to impact, stress, and micro fracturing. If any part of a modified cast iron anvil fails, it will be the welds (cast iron is a bitch to weld) or the cast iron itself, and it will not be the steel face.
@@jmbstudio6873
"Then we will see how knows what."
It's spelled "who"
Would it be possible to either weld or bolt a hardened steel plate on top of the face?????
smith folk would it be possible to quench the entire striking surface of the anvil for better performance or am I fooling myself?
Grey cast iron cannot be hardened.
@@DragonHide94 well shit thanks man
The equivalent to Harbor Freight here in the uk is Machine Mart, they sell the same sort of crap.
I don't need a Harbor Freight anvil anyhow but I need a good 20 foot pole. Is it fiberglass? I have a nice antique 10 foot pole that works well for not touching most things but sometimes I feel a need to maintain a greater distance between myself and the object I am not touching. It's a safety issue.
On second thought I suppose I could not touch it twice with the 10 footer and achieve the same effect as the 20 foot pole. Let me know what you think in the comments below.
I heard of a girl once named Bumadeen Sclevage that had spots all over her body from guys touching her with ten-foot poles.
I think I know her. I had the wrong kind of a pole back then. It wasn't fiberglass and was a lot shorter than 10 foot. I'm am supporting a medical clinic now. The doctor is happy anyhow. Love is blind! If you ain't going in to it, you will be sooner or later!
Papaw this is hilarious
tecknicly the ten ft. pole is a radi so you have a diameter of 20ft. of not tuching distance.
what the hell happened to my spellcheck?
I hope this is not inappropriate touching
I don’t know why I watched and enjoyed this video. I have no need for an anvil. I don’t do anything with tools. I couldn’t build a box if I wanted to. My wife built barn doors and got rid of the blinds for our sliding glass doors. She does plumbing. I watch tv. She is handy.
Could just put a harder metal plate over the striking surface?
Do you think welding a piece of 1” or so he’s treated high carbon plate on the face would make it usable?
Yes, but the cost of the plate and heat treating the plate, welding the plate to the anvil, as well as the tools, consumables, and time required to do so pushes the anvil well into the $150-200 price range and still does nothing to make the horn more useful or the feet more durable (the feet are known to break off).
If you want to do that, go for it. I just think there are better options, especially when you start talking about modifications.
Thanks for the tip! I was considering buying a Harbour Freight, but I'll just stick with my rail road anvil. Great vid!!
Ha ...that stand is CRAP.
David Meale I didn't pay enough attention to the rear legs when welding them to the base and now they're too close together (not enough stability), but that really is the only problem it has. Fairly big problem but the only problem.
David Meale lets see your stand.
Matches the anvil
I'm fairly certain the stand has nothing to do with how shitty the anvil is. I doubt it was made to be the best stand in the world, simply made for a 13 minute video to show people how bad harbor freight anvils are.
+xXxchipperchopperxXx It's definitely not the best stand, but you're right. What I observed was unrelated to the stand and likely would have been worse if the stand and anvil were not moving at all.
We don’t have HB in the U.K., but from what I’ve seen on YT it seems a very mixed bag. I don’t know if you mentioned the price? How does it compared to the £500+ you'd pay for a decent 150lb smithies anvil? Is it value for its price point?
No. It's crap regardless of the price you pay, or how much a real anvil would be by comparison.
I guess my question would be how difficult would it be to self hard face the working surfaces of that anvil? Or, would that be more expensive than just buying a better anvil?
I have a feeling that hard facing it, or welding a plate onto it would cost enough in time and money, along with needing a powerful enough welder and the tooling to preheat it, it would end up being more cost effective to buy a better anvil. I also don't know how much a professional would charge to hard face it or weld a plate onto it, but I would assume $100 minimum.
Great video, thanks for the heads up. I was look at getting one. Now I'll buy an old/used one off Craigslist
Gosh, the amount of work that goes into simply getting it ready to use only to find out it's crap. So not worth it. Thanks.
Brought a tear to my eye as I know my 70 Chevelle was melted down to make that anvil! Thanks China Freight
Thanks for proving what I thought. What welder is that you were using, 125 or possibly the 175 ?
It get the job done .
It was the basic Harbor Freight 90 amp flux core welder.
DragonHide94
That is a surprise as I've heard so much about those not having enough power to weld much of any thing and you have to move up to the 125 amp or higher. I would have to have a wire welder to mess around with in my piddling in my old age.
Do you have any feed problems with the wire ?
Thanks so much for the reply.
It's supposed to weld up to 1/8 inch stock, and it seems to do that fairly well. There was a time I thought I was having feeding issues, but I was using an extension cord and the welder was basically sputtering and made a very rough weld. Without the extension cord and plugged directly into an outlet (the best would be a dedicated breaker which I don't have) it seemed to be back to normal.
I've forged five blades on the same anvil during winter months. During the summer I use it as an anchor for my sailboat and havent had many complaints either way.
here is what i did to my HF anvil. i welded old lawnmower blades to the top of it and then used a belt sander to make it flat. now i have a proper dent proof anvil.since you like to make cutting things why not try your hand at making a machete out of a lawnmower blade.
If I'm being honest, I haven't had the best luck with forging lawnmower blades. Generally they are thin enough and so wide that they fold over too easily and stress the center section of the steel. Maybe someday I will, but I'll also need a few lawnmower blades to find their way into my hands...
J D good idea.😀
i have a few and i havent tried using them yet because 1. i dont have the time, 2. i dont have coal for my brake drum "coal pit", and 3. i have no anvil yet. but i do go to a forge council every once in a while, ive made a knife and a machete out of a big old piece of half inch rebar, and im currently working on a 3 foot sword, im workin my way up the ranks at the moment, im mainly a melee specialist in weaponry, kinda recreational i guess, but its a fun hobby, i could probably buy a HF anvil and do the same thing you did, i would just need to fill in the holes and probably broach one for a hardy tool, i have one that has pointy spikes instead of a straight edge so i could probably use that for something.
Used lawn mower blades can have cracks that you will not find until after you start using your anvil , or any tools made from such a blade .
@@aebemacgill never seen a cracked lawnmower blade and i have been straightening them and sharpening them for 40 years. i straighten them with no heat whatsoever. if they were cracked wouldn't it show up when i welded them or sanded them? i guess they could get work hardened like train rails but not from cutting grass. anyway i am still using the anvil with no dents and no cracks. if you think the lawnmower blades are not tough try drilling a hole in one.i have seen the ends break off from hitting rocks in the country from when the glaciers came through but not a shattered type crack.
That's a good anvil you're just using it wrong everybody knows Harbor Freight tools are acme tools rebranded. This anvil is clearly meant to drop on road runners.
Were your tests meant to simulate overkill or misuse/abuse? You can't hammer cold steel on something then say it's bad because you've dented it. These harbor freight anvils are just fine for when you need to bend something back into place or fix one of your other tools that just needs a little percussive maintenance. The only time they're horrible is when you're trying to do something on them that they're not really meant for. If you want to use one instead of buying a real anvil then weld something harder to the face.
Normal use. The work piece was hot enough but as I have explained at least 5 times now, the ambient sunlight where I set this anvil makes it look cold. It was not. But it's not just the work piece, it was also setting the hammer down on the anvil or tapping the anvil between strikes that cause the most deformation. That is entirely normal use only made worse by hot steel at a full orange heat denting the surface. If you are going to modify the face by welding mild steel or tool steel to the face, you might as well put that time, energy, and money toward a real anvil like the NC standard anvil. It's a 70 lbs cast steel anvil for $270.
DragonHide94 there's a big difference between $60ish and $270. If a person doesn't have the $300+ after state taxes(NC) and shipping then the hf anvil with a steel plate will do just fine. These anvils still aren't meant for this kind of work, they're just something hard to put on your bench or table so you're not hammering other metal on a wood top.
Also to anybody that wants to get into smithing for cheap there's a guy on eBay that sells railroad track for $1/lb and he cuts them to fit in a flat rate box. IIRC his name was Igor.
If you are planning to weld a steel plate to the top of a cast iron anvil (meaning you have a welder capable of welding something this thick, can properly prepare it and preheat it and anneal it after, and have the time to do it. As well as consumables like fuel for heating, welding electrodes and shielding gas, grinding disks for prepping and then cleaning the welds...) or pay someone to do it, you're already going to be at least half way to a $300 anvil.
DragonHide94 it can be a diy for less, still a far stretch from 300
So you have at least a $500 welder, you have a propane burner or a large enough fire pit to pile coals up around it for preheating as well as a way to manipulate it after heating, you have grinders and abrasives to chamfer and prep the weld area, you have at least $5-10 of welding electrodes and/or shielding gas, you have a dedicated 220v power source in a location where it is safe to weld and forge, you have the knowledge and skills to weld cast iron, you have a steel plate anywhere from $10-50 depending on the thickness and alloy....
My point is, if you have all those tools, if you have the means of welding modifying this anvil, I believe you would be better off saving a bit more and buying something far more durable, far better made, and even heavier. Something a lot of people overlook when they suggest welding a plate to the face is the you haven't improved the horn or the base. The horn is still just as soft and brittle, and the feet are in even more danger. I cannot recommend this anvil considering how soft it is and the likelihood that it could break. If it breaks, you are out $60 (not including what you put into modifying it) which could have gone toward a better tool.
How much more does the CAST STEEL anvil than the CAST IRON ANVIL?
Is not that a little like comparing apples and oranges?
Cast iron is quite a bit softer than
Cast STEEL
How much more "what" does a cast steel anvil than a cast iron? I don't know what you are asking.
I would also like to point out that the "apples to oranges, vs apples to apples" comparison is not legitimate because they are all fruit. Comparing apples to bulldogs or quarks to drinking goblets is a better representation of comparing two incomparable things. I don't mean that to discredit your opinion or comment, I just want you and everyone to have better tools with which to argue your point.
I you were to hit a good anvil with the sharp side of an hatchet, would the edge of the hatchet suffer more or the anvil?
Most likely the edged tool because of how thin it is compared to a thick, wide, well supported material. However, it has a lot to do with the hardness of both interacting objects: if the anvil is very hard and the axe is soft, the anvil will likely survive without much of a scratch while the axe leaves with a massively deformed and rolled edge. If the axe is hard and the anvil is soft, then the anvil will have a scar while the axe will survive or have a chipped edge based on it's geometry and heat treatment. If they are both hard, they will probably both experience damage, but the axe will suffer more.
And none of that has anything to do with a good or bad anvil.
5:44 How fast my boss wished I worked.
I don't think that was a very fair test. Most of the pounding was done on almost cold steel, way below forging temp.
Only to your eyes in bright conditions, through a camera, through compression and the internet, and on a monitor. It was a full heat.
When it comes to the target consumer for their items, its perfect. Someone who is learning, or wont use a tool but 2 or 3 times a year. I honestly think its rediculious to review these as a professional, and just say its crap. If youre learning, youre not going to drop 1k or more for the tools. Harbor freight is great for beginers in just about everything. You get what you pay for. If youre new to welding and cant spend 700 on a machine for professionals, go for it. I love harbor freight. They have given me a chance to learn things I never imagined, at a fair price.
For forging at least, sometimes it's better to just get a chunk of scrap steel or railroad if you can find it. I am the person that's learning on a budget but I've found that it can be cheaper and sometimes better to just use a piece of scrap. This anvil would work for learning but so would a piece of round stock
I can't tell if you keep hitting it cold or if it's the camera lighting. thanks for advice. I won't get that now.
I tend to work steel down into colder heats than I should, but this was poor lighting through a camera, so it was still at a medium to low forging heat, but still a forging heat nonetheless. The anvil shouldn't deform from such use.
I'm glad the video helped.
I'm probably missing something but couldn't you hear treat the surface or weld on a better steel for the surface?
Cast iron cannot be heat treated because it has far too much carbon. Welding cast iron is difficult and time consuming because it has too much carbon. A tool steel plate for the surface would likely cost more than the anvil, especially if you consider the cost of cutting/machining a Hardie hole into it and heat treating the top plate. It would also only fix the face, leaving the rest of the anvil just as soft and brittle as before. It's not worth the cost.
@@DragonHide94 thank you for clearing that up for me
Guess the best you could say is that its anvil shaped.
Yeah-what they sell as anvils are nothing more than ASOs--Anvil Shaped Objects
I watched the whole video. I really enjoyed it, thanks man.
I believe it is a cast steel anvil, not cast iron, which would shatter.
TheMicroTrak It is not cast steel for a number of reasons, not the least of which are the words "Rugged Cast Iron Anvil" all over the title and product description. I'm also not sure which you meant, but, cast iron is likely to shatter, cast steel may shatter and chip, but only if it is hardened. And of the two, cast steel can be hardened.
Depends on the alloy of the cast iron
Christopher newton said: "Depends on the alloy of the cast iron " SIGH. Iron is an element. There is nothing mixed or alloyed with it. It is "Fe" on the Periodic Table of Elements. If you alloy anything with it, you have made some sort of Steel. That is the definition of "steel." Iron alloyed with some other elements. Commonly used elements alloyed with Iron to make various steels are Carbon, Molybdenum, and Chrome.
On the other hand, any merchant can say his product is "Cast Iron" even though it is steel, and 999 out of 1000 people will let them slide on the misuse of the word "Iron" because most people don't know, or care about the difference. Him saying it and folks ignoring it doesn't make it so.
Islander 113 there are different grades of cast iron Islander. Go to the American Foundry Society for more information as to how wrong your statement is
christopher newton said: "Go to the American Foundry Society for more information as to how wrong your statement is" SIGH. I didn't make one false or erroneous remark so you can't point to anything I said that was wrong. The AFS using the wrong word habitually doesn't make them correct. It makes them part of the problem.
Thank you. Good info. How good is a railroad track anvil? I have a piece that I plan on shaping and adding a piece of leaf spring to the top.
I heard wielding a flat piece of "good" steel to the surface of one of these anvils makes them useable.... is this true? can we get a video of this?
You're not gonna get a video of that from me, because it requires a powerful welder running on 240v power, preheating of the "anvil" as well as reheating after welding the plate, and the cost of the tool steel face, consumables, and time which could easily total $200 for the project not including the original cost of the anvil. It's not worth it when the only thing it fixes is the face. The horn is still unusable and likely to break off and the base hasn't been modified either. The feet are the most at risk of breaking off, but most people don't think about them and how important they are.
The seas were angry that day my friends
Decided to watch a video about Harbor Freight anvil....
Instead watched you take 8 minutes of video to clean it
I'm willing to guess that you shouldn't have to do that
Once tried to start a forge in my back hard without my mum knowing considering I was 12 and when she saw me I got the biggest back hand of my life I strait whent from one side o the carport to the other clutching my head.
That's funny. My parent's would have either said, "Be careful, you might hurt yourself." or "Wait, I'll show you how it's done."
Just go to your local machine shop and ask about heavy plate or rod. Often times they will have heavy duty pieces that just get scrapped due to an error in the milling process but they will work wonders for an anvil. I am currently working on a 300lb striking anvil made from an industrial press plate. Cost a grand total of 80 bucks for the press plate.
Another plus with anvil shaped objects is you can make whatever you want and don't have to go with what you are given.
Give a local machine shop a shot.
We have the same anvils in the UK and they are normally advertised "not for hot forging" great video mate, I've heat treated a few cheap axes with good results and had thought about getting one of these and attempting hardening, are they definitely iron or just a low grade steel?
+Turbo Conquering Mega Eagle They are definitely cast iron. And just to clarify, cast iron is not pure iron, but an alloy with greater than 2% carbon.
Just wondering if you'd tested it, there is a video of someone hardfacing one of these that made me think it might not have been iron because it's bastard to get a weld to stick to.
Did you see the water jet channel where they cut one of these in half and found a massive pocket of bondo plugging up a void?
I meant to say iron doesn't take a weld too easily but the anvil did
I have a steel Russian harbor freight anvil that is odd shaped but rings like a bell.
Chinese is a no go. If you find a Russian 50kg anvil it is actually nice.
The Chinese anvils make a great starter base to work from , add a hardened face to the anvil and if you knew anything about working with steel you would know that !!!!
The body and horn could still crack or split, not to mention the feet can break off if mounting to a stump.
And don't insult ANYONE in the comments of my videos. It completely invalidates your opinion. "If you knew anything about working with steel..." You would know that this kind of cheap cast iron is very brittle and everyone working with one is taking a chance of it breaking, with or without a steel plate welded to it. And if you are settling for a $50 anvil, you likely won't have a welder capable of welding a 1/2 inch plate on to the anvil.
*chip*...ping!!....right to the propane tanks
Been using my nc big face anvil for a full year now and it's awsome!
shepards forge ..NC anvil.. Jealous I love that one..Maybe one day I'll get it.
Lindsey Zacek they really arnt all that,expensive and I've done some projects I really should have used a bigger anvil for and it stood up to the task. If you get a chance grab one. Got mine off amazon if you are interested.
What do u expect for 60 bucks and a coupon to go with it
While I am not a fan of Harbor Freight, I would like to ask why you used so little heat on your steel?
I didn't.
th-cam.com/video/gm2OwG9jTp0/w-d-xo.html
I thought the video answered the question quite well sure the stand wasnt great but who cares the video was about if the harbor freight anvil was junk ... it is. As for the anvil suggestion I thought it was nice . Most people say o you shouldnt buy this and never offer any alternatives. I thought the anvil you suggested was a nice looking anvil and I will be looking at that manufacturers offerings. Thank you
You're Welcome, and thank you as well. There aren't too many anvil manufacturers anymore, and most people don't talk about them. If you do and up getting an NC Anvil, or any others, let me know what you think of it!
Agreed Jack! Heck I bet if the stand was more solid, it would have been even more to the anvil's demise. haha! Glad I found this video though. Almost picked this up the other day, but I'll stick with starting out with a good ole piece of track I got from CL. Until then I will be in search of an ASO of decent steel quality. Funny to think back in the day these cast iron anvils were all they had to work on until they figured out the hardened steel plate.
I'm not quite sure what you mean by "back in the day", but cast iron anvil are more or less a modern innovation. Old anvils were wrought iron, wrought with a steel face, or all steel. Back then, they were more often forged rather than straight up cast, painted, and shipped out. Wrought anvil are far better than cast iron due to their rebound and durability (cast iron doesn't play well with cracks and fractures), but they develop "sway" with use. That's where the face starts to dip down where its used most.
Oh, okay. I understand now. I thought cast was superior. Thanks for clearing that up. But would you recommend my piece of track over this? It's about 11 inches long and old and well rolled over on one edge, which I am not complaining about, cause I kind of like that' if I don't intend on grinding a horn shape on the end. I must ask, if you have the time; What type of steel in your opinion that I could come across easily is a good one to use for an ASO?
I guess I shouldn't ask for ASOs exactly, but a decent steel or something I can keep my eye out for that will get me by until I find something better than the piece of track.
Why is this video recommended?
I have never used an anvil, never will.
3 LEGS BAD NEWS
Dave Frey three legs will not rock on a surface. It will always stay flat. Sit on a three legged stool..vs a four leg one. I promise you the four leg will not sit flat...
Chris Bridges -- did you see the Tom Sellek commerical where he sits on a three legged stool? ( I used to teach new pool players the inportance of a three position stance (Both feet on the floor and hand on the table ensuring stability.)
So... I should drive on only 3 wheels?
Same as working on a boat, you always keep 3 points of contact for stability
@RICH82AIRBORNE oak stand with steel straps. round or square. maybe a triangular solid oak stand ? like a prism on end.
From watching smithing videos and Forged In Fire, I get the idea that you can always use that soft cast iron of the HF anvil as a spine of a knife. Quite a few knives actually. But i am definetly no expert.
Need to drag out the anvil we have around here and start doing those things History Channel said not to try at home.
Have a feeling i'll be learning with wood/coal and an old BBQ pit. We have an abundance of these nasty trees called Trees Of Heaven, oh gosh they stink, but we don't cook with it or burn it for warmth. Side tracked...
Any tips for starting out like that?
Cast iron is soft and extremely brittle, no part of a knife should ever be made out of cast iron.
@@DragonHide94
Thanks for the tip!
Maybe a stupid question, but is there a way to harden the cheap anvil?
Cast iron cannot be hardened successfully. A steel of tool steel plate can be welded to the face, but it would be very expensive to do so.
I used to work at a Chase Pitkins in Rochester and I can tell you numerous horror stories about Harbor Freight! There is a reason their junk is so cheap; It's cheap junk! Their portable electric drills were junk and down right dangerous, their table saws were worse, their hammers and pry bars broke when you used them! Just a lot of imported junk!
They have a lot of good stuff. The pro line of hand tools have a REAL lifetime warranty. It breaks you take it back and get a new one.
I worked at Chase Pitkin, lifetime warranties are a joke. When your job depends upon your tools, you can't tolerate a tool breaking when you're 20 miles from a store and you need to get the job done yesterday. The contractors who shopped at our store wanted dependable tools that did the job day after day. Home users have no such requirements, and bought on price only, and brought back crappy tools made in China and India.
Plenty of HF tools go toe to toe with the overpriced brands like snapon.
John, no argument here. I would like you to show me some sort of paper or video proof on this
Look up "real tool reviews" on youtube. He has a few videos showcasing the quality of a FEW HF tools. The breaker bar for instancel
Still better than my concrete driveway for straightening nails...lol
piece of old railway track is better than this and harder :)
@@frankrydzinski2103 ... Agree! But I don't have any of those
Russ F go to any scrap yard and you can get a heavier piece of rr than this anvil for much cheaper
@@JustinTopp ... Thanks. Great idea.
It's cheap for a reason, people!
I'm just starting to get in to Knife making and do you think this would this work for a beginner to learn on for a little while??
It could, but because a knife maker tends to work mostly with high carbon/tool steels, it would be even more important to have a harder Anvil face as the blades being forged are tougher and harder to move and shape while at heat. That means it will dent and deform the face even more. Those dents will leave marks in your workpiece which will have to be ground or filed out.
A knife maker who forges knives really doesn't need a "traditional" anvil, and can make do rather effectively with a block anvil or stump anvil. Not to be confused with "stake anvils", a stump Anvil is as simple as a long bar of steel buried in the ground like a post. Railroad rail can be used as such when turned up on it's end. The working surface is not very large but it has a lot of mass below it. Otherwise a railroad rail with the top of the rail ground flat will work. And any heavy block of steel will do nicely as well.
If you can find off cuts of heavy plate (2-4 inches thick) or heavy bar at least 3 inch round or square (2"x4" rectangular bar is good) you can fashion a useful anvil from that and it will be a bit harder and a lot tougher than cast iron.
Find a scrap yard and call ahead to see what stuff they will actually part with (my local scrapper hoards the good stuff like several hundred feet of RR Rail) and how much they charge.
Thanks for the advice
What are the holes fit in a anvil my anvil doesn’t but it is from harbor freight but smaller than yours
The square hole in an anvil's face is known as the Hardie or Hardy hole. It is used mainly for holding tooling such as a cutting hardie which is the most common tool and is sometimes know simply as a hardie, but swaging tools, spring swages, fullers, guillotine tools and more are also used. It can also be used for punching and drifting holes through stock.
Another hole you may find is called a Pritchel hole and is the smaller round hole found on most anvils along with the hardie hole. The Pritchel hole is used for punching through stock, but can also be used for a tool called a holdfast which is used to clamp a workpiece to the anvil so both hands are free to perform more advanced operations or for chisel and punch work.