Was picking up some moisture filters for the compressor I rebuilt.
Finally saw the 15 lb cast iron anvil at HF ... they haven't had them in
stock.

Always wanted a place to bang metal w/o ruining my workbench.
So I clean this puppy off and try peening a piece of metal.. I start
seeing the metal's shape appear in the anvil. Looks like the anvil is
too soft.. Then I just hit the anvil with the ball peen and it dents.

Any of you know if this is propper, or too soft???


--
Jeff

"woodchucker" wrote in message
...

Was picking up some moisture filters for the compressor I rebuilt.
Finally saw the 15 lb cast iron anvil at HF ... they haven't had them in
stock.

Always wanted a place to bang metal w/o ruining my workbench.
So I clean this puppy off and try peening a piece of metal.. I start
seeing the metal's shape appear in the anvil. Looks like the anvil is
too soft.. Then I just hit the anvil with the ball peen and it dents.

Any of you know if this is propper, or too soft???


--
Jeff

Jeff... I would return it. No anvil I have ever had would do that. Of course
you know where it was made. Mine were made in the U.S.A. WW

On 6/3/2013 9:02 PM, woodchucker wrote:
Was picking up some moisture filters for the compressor I rebuilt.
Finally saw the 15 lb cast iron anvil at HF ... they haven't had them in
stock.

Always wanted a place to bang metal w/o ruining my workbench.
So I clean this puppy off and try peening a piece of metal.. I start
seeing the metal's shape appear in the anvil. Looks like the anvil is
too soft.. Then I just hit the anvil with the ball peen and it dents.

Any of you know if this is propper, or too soft???


Chinese anvil may equate to having a high lead contentg

When you hit it with peening head of the hammer, does it go "Piiiiing"
or is it more like a "thud" or "squosh" LOL!

Seriously, I think MOST anvils will take a beating and show very little
wear. I have one of the type of "all purpose" (for want of a better
word) vices that will hold pipe and damn near anything else and also
functions as a half-assed anvil. It of American manufacture and about
30 years old and wasn't an el cheapo when I bought it. I can leave a
mark on it when I get to banging away. My father also had such a combo
vice, a Sears Craftsman (from back in the 40's, before Sears changed the
spelling to Crapsman) and it, too, was getting marked up.

woodchucker wrote:
Was picking up some moisture filters for the compressor I rebuilt.
Finally saw the 15 lb cast iron anvil at HF ... they haven't had them
in stock.

Always wanted a place to bang metal w/o ruining my workbench.
So I clean this puppy off and try peening a piece of metal.. I start
seeing the metal's shape appear in the anvil. Looks like the anvil is
too soft.. Then I just hit the anvil with the ball peen and it dents.

Any of you know if this is propper, or too soft???

Don't know Jeff - I work some pretty thick steel over just a saw horse with
a 2x4 top. If I have to heat it too hot then I work it over something
better - my vise, or something else that is appropriate. But - I've
certainly peened very heaviy on my HF vise anvil end with no similar sorts
of problems. I would not have believed that the anvil on my vise was of any
special material, or even that it would be better than what you bought - but
who knows? I'll say this - I have beat the **** out of steel on that anvil
and have never seen any distortion or malformation. Maybe they have changed
the materials since I bought mine.

I guess my comments don't really help your question much - sorry. Just
saying that I do not have a similar problem witha completely different
product... oh hell... go figure...

--

-Mike-

On 6/3/2013 10:29 PM, WW wrote:


"woodchucker" wrote in message
...

Was picking up some moisture filters for the compressor I rebuilt.
Finally saw the 15 lb cast iron anvil at HF ... they haven't had them in
stock.

Always wanted a place to bang metal w/o ruining my workbench.
So I clean this puppy off and try peening a piece of metal.. I start
seeing the metal's shape appear in the anvil. Looks like the anvil is
too soft.. Then I just hit the anvil with the ball peen and it dents.

Any of you know if this is propper, or too soft???


Yea, the price of the American made Anvil's is way more than I can
afford... They are so expensive.

But that answers that.... it's a Cheap piece of ****..

well good enough for protecting my bench, but obviously not for real
anvil work, shaping or anything...

I'll search around on the internet see what I can find a small one for...

Thanks.

--
Jeff

"woodchucker" wrote in message
...

Was picking up some moisture filters for the compressor I rebuilt.
Finally saw the 15 lb cast iron anvil at HF ... they haven't had them in
stock.

Always wanted a place to bang metal w/o ruining my workbench.
So I clean this puppy off and try peening a piece of metal.. I start
seeing the metal's shape appear in the anvil. Looks like the anvil is
too soft.. Then I just hit the anvil with the ball peen and it dents.

Any of you know if this is propper, or too soft???
================================================== ===============
It is quite normal for a cast iron anvil. Cast iron is way to soft for an
anvil. They make them that way because they are cheap. If you keep using it,
chances are that chunks will start falling off. I have seen the entire horn
break off.
Good anvils are made of cast steel and are hardened.

On Mon, 03 Jun 2013 22:02:51 -0400, woodchucker
Always wanted a place to bang metal w/o ruining my workbench.
So I clean this puppy off and try peening a piece of metal.. I start
seeing the metal's shape appear in the anvil. Looks like the anvil is
too soft.. Then I just hit the anvil with the ball peen and it dents.

If you decide to try another anvil, you might consider one of these.
I've got one and it seems pretty solid. It's only 7 lbs, but it might
meet your needs.
http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/pag...=1,43456,43465

On Mon, 03 Jun 2013 22:02:51 -0400, woodchucker wrote:

Was picking up some moisture filters for the compressor I rebuilt.
Finally saw the 15 lb cast iron anvil at HF ... they haven't had them in
stock.

Always wanted a place to bang metal w/o ruining my workbench.
So I clean this puppy off and try peening a piece of metal.. I start
seeing the metal's shape appear in the anvil. Looks like the anvil is
too soft.. Then I just hit the anvil with the ball peen and it dents.

Any of you know if this is propper, or too soft???

All cast iron anvils are junk, made to sell and not use.

A good supplier of anvils is Texas farrier supply, they still have
decent anvils, althouth a little pricy. Expect to pay $4 to $5 a lb
for a good anvil.

Basilisk

On 6/3/2013 10:02 PM, woodchucker wrote:
Was picking up some moisture filters for the compressor I rebuilt.
Finally saw the 15 lb cast iron anvil at HF ... they haven't had them in
stock.

Always wanted a place to bang metal w/o ruining my workbench.
So I clean this puppy off and try peening a piece of metal.. I start
seeing the metal's shape appear in the anvil. Looks like the anvil is
too soft.. Then I just hit the anvil with the ball peen and it dents.

Any of you know if this is propper, or too soft???


When Dad took down my grandfather's blacksmith shop, he brought several
pieces including an anvil back to our house. We had that anvil in our
garage for many years. We found many uses for it, including setting off
rolls of caps. It never dented.

On 6/4/2013 11:59 AM, phorbin wrote:
In article ,
says...
Was picking up some moisture filters for the compressor I rebuilt.
Finally saw the 15 lb cast iron anvil at HF ... they haven't had them in
stock.

Always wanted a place to bang metal w/o ruining my workbench.
So I clean this puppy off and try peening a piece of metal.. I start
seeing the metal's shape appear in the anvil. Looks like the anvil is
too soft.. Then I just hit the anvil with the ball peen and it dents.

Any of you know if this is propper, or too soft???

Too soft.

If you don't need much, find a piece of rail (found mine while wandering
along the RR tracks).

Here's an example...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0r_1SPBgwQ

and another take on the subject

http://www.anvilfire.com/FAQs/RR-rail_anvils.htm


http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...rrqmz9j00&NR=1

In article ,
says...
Was picking up some moisture filters for the compressor I rebuilt.
Finally saw the 15 lb cast iron anvil at HF ... they haven't had them in
stock.

Always wanted a place to bang metal w/o ruining my workbench.
So I clean this puppy off and try peening a piece of metal.. I start
seeing the metal's shape appear in the anvil. Looks like the anvil is
too soft.. Then I just hit the anvil with the ball peen and it dents.

Any of you know if this is propper, or too soft???

Too soft.

If you don't need much, find a piece of rail (found mine while wandering
along the RR tracks).

Here's an example...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0r_1SPBgwQ

and another take on the subject

http://www.anvilfire.com/FAQs/RR-rail_anvils.htm

On Monday, June 3, 2013 9:02:51 PM UTC-5, woodchucker wrote:
Then I just hit the anvil with the ball peen and it dents. Any of you know if this is propper, or too soft??? -- Jeff

Or yer hammer's too hard. Get a HF hammer.

Sonny

On Tue, 4 Jun 2013 11:59:36 -0500, phorbin wrote:
If you don't need much, find a piece of rail (found mine while wandering
along the RR tracks).

I've got a foot long piece of rail handed down from my father. Of
course, it's not an anvil shape for manipulating metal, but it's fine
if you need something solid under a hammer and your project.

In article ,
woodchucker wrote:
Was picking up some moisture filters for the compressor I rebuilt.
Finally saw the 15 lb cast iron anvil at HF ... they haven't had them in
stock.

Always wanted a place to bang metal w/o ruining my workbench.
So I clean this puppy off and try peening a piece of metal.. I start
seeing the metal's shape appear in the anvil. Looks like the anvil is
too soft.. Then I just hit the anvil with the ball peen and it dents.

Any of you know if this is propper, or too soft???


--
Jeff

A proper anvil is made of steel, not cast iron. In some metal-working
groups, cast iron anvils are referred to as "anvil-shaped objects." I
wouldn't say they are completely useless, but they will not last or
be as useable as a steel anvil. In the 15 lb range, you can make a pretty
good anvil out of a piece of railroad rail. Making one would be a good
exersize for one of the Harbor Freight angle grinders, which actually are
a good value.

--
There is always an easy solution to every human problem -- neat,
plausible, and wrong." (H L Mencken)

Larry W. - Baltimore Maryland - lwasserm(a)sdf. lonestar. org

On 6/4/2013 6:52 AM, wrote:
On Mon, 03 Jun 2013 22:02:51 -0400, woodchucker
Always wanted a place to bang metal w/o ruining my workbench.
So I clean this puppy off and try peening a piece of metal.. I start
seeing the metal's shape appear in the anvil. Looks like the anvil is
too soft.. Then I just hit the anvil with the ball peen and it dents.

If you decide to try another anvil, you might consider one of these.
I've got one and it seems pretty solid. It's only 7 lbs, but it might
meet your needs.
http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/pag...=1,43456,43465

That might be the ticket... thanks.

--
Jeff

As everybody has said, it is too soft. You can weld a piece of steel to it or
lay on something like Stellate then grind down flat. My anvil had a hard face
welded on (about 160 years ago) when it was made, and a buddy has an anvil a
local welding shop hard faced for him. It can be done, but in my opinion you're
better off buying a good one to start. Having said that, know that you can do a
_lot_ of smithing just using a thick, flat hunk of steel on a st;ump.

Take a look at the resources available at the Artist Blacksmiths of North
America site. Maybe someone local to you with a used anvil for sale.

http://www.abana.org/affiliates/index.shtml

Check out Centaur Forge. They've gotten a chunk or two of my money a few times.
Never been disappointed.

http://www.centaurforge.com/default.asp

Anvils are still found in the wild, but if in any kind of decent shape will
start at $2 a pound (gloatable price), and quickly go to the $3-4 range for a
nice one. Trick is to find one at a flea on the last day that the seller
doesn't want to haul back home.

HTH.
Regards,
Roy

On Mon, 03 Jun 2013 22:02:51 -0400, woodchucker wrote:

Was picking up some moisture filters for the compressor I rebuilt.
Finally saw the 15 lb cast iron anvil at HF ... they haven't had them in
stock.

Always wanted a place to bang metal w/o ruining my workbench.
So I clean this puppy off and try peening a piece of metal.. I start
seeing the metal's shape appear in the anvil. Looks like the anvil is
too soft.. Then I just hit the anvil with the ball peen and it dents.

Any of you know if this is propper, or too soft???