The Royal Armouries Museum (Tower of London Museum) has a resident blacksmith who uses an o/a torch to both forge and heat-treat. I recommend getting some firebricks to hold some of the heat in.
Many of us use oxy/propane instead of AO for heating parts that don't fit in the forge for whatever reason, or for a quick source of heat. I suggest you get a rosebud tip for this purpose. It's a lot better than either a #5 welding tip or the cutting torch for this purpose.
BUT---- you'd be amazed at the amount of heat that even a small coal or gas forge provides compared to the OA. Yes, the temp is high, but the "Watts" aren't. The whole reason I got into blacksmithing years ago was that I couldn't get enough heat to bend a couple of tractor front end loader brackets with the OA torch, using the cutting tip cranked up as high as I could get it. So, I got a little "rivet" or farrier's forge and had NO problem heating the 1/2" X 3" brackets to an orange heat for bending.
There a many styles of homemade gas forges around. One is called the "bean can" forge, for instance. I think it's really a 3 pound coffee can with blanket insulation and a home made burner. The list is endless. Almost anything will work to hold some of the heat in. All depends on how big/heavy a piece you want to heat. You can check this homemade forge on my website at:
Go to the bottom of the page and click on the two pages of Gas Forge Plans.
Hundreds of these have been built over the years. They just plain WORK! You can truly forge weld in it, whereas some of the designs you will see may or may not. It will complement your anvil well and not take up a lot of room.
If you ask the same question at anvilfire.com, you will get dozens of other answers, but pay NO attention to any of them. I am the only person who is right about this!!!
A pile of loose firebricks and the burner like the picture I mailed you will see you through. I have also seen folks use one of those HF weed burners and a pile of firebrick with more or less ok results.
"Ignoramus16911" > I do not really have space or wish to have a yeat another big thing
Nice anvil!
Yep, it's expensive! and it has a tendency to burn if held in one place too long. I used to know a welder/fabricator that kept his grandfather's anvil in the back of his shop and used a torch when he needed to do a bit of blacksmithing, but this was once in a while and was not a regular thing or he would have installed a forge.
I have a question, why would you own a $1500 anvil and have enough money to use a torch for a forge and then want a chinese hammer? You got me :)
Usenet does NOT need improving!!!!! Screw that notion! I am not interested in censorship in any form. I will put up with the kooks and trolls to get an honest post occasionally. I need no one to decide what is politically correct for me. Screw that notion!!!!!!
I tried to measure its rebound, by dropping a 1" diameter bearing ball on its face.
My best attempt at measuring ended up estimating the rebound at 90%.
I did some investigation. It appears to be made of cast low carbon steel. It is cast because there is a vertical parting line under the heel and under the horn, where the mold halves meet. I took my center punch and easily punched a little dimple, it was consistent with being a mild steel.
On top of this anvil, there is a tool steel plate forge welded to the top.
I could not figure out the maker of this anvil. I bought a book ANVILS IN AMERICA, read it entirely, and still could not ID it.
I bought it from the Rock Island Arsenal (US military). The only identifying mark on it is a letter V that protrudes from the body casting.
The anvil came with the cast base and wooden support.
That's how I visualize myself also, doing blacksmithing only occasionally, at best.
This hammer is one of those things that works quite well. I am not going to argue too much.
I am surprised that you said that it is a $1,500 anvil, as I paid less for it, but then it was a military auction.
This in and of itself does not guarantee an item is cast. Some drop forged items will also show a clear parting line and I think a 300 lb. piece with a simple, symetrical shape is well within the limits of the process. However, you are likely right that it is cast. The simplest way to weld a tool steel face onto a cast anvil is to put the tool steel into the mold when it is cast...sorry, I don't know if it gets preheated or not, I imagine it would be. --Glenn Lyford
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