Hodge pudge Anvil

[Philip Davies]

Now, kindly do not troll me for my welding, but I have had a lot of practice this week. I couldn’t think of any use.for the clunky bits of steel I had been given, and while the potential was there, an offer of the components and design, free, to Facebook blacksmiths found no takers. “Too good to throw away”, so set about sticking them together.
(Most of the week has been taken up with joinery, a countertop in ash to replace the stained and damaged veneered one in our living room.)
The welder only allows 4 or 5 rods at a time. I shaped the horn a few weeks back. It is a 70mm dia shaft.

This is too heavy for me to lift. The face is gauge plate, 1/2” thick. I have not attempted to harden. I can remove it by undoing two screws and cutting 4 tacks, so it’s a consumable, if you like.

[Frank S]

I won't beat you up on your welds, in face I may even commend you on them. Not even every guy or gal who does nothing but weld throughout their careers makes every weld look perfect, and never let them tell you otherwise. You were obviously using a machine of limited capacity and duty cycle so to even contemplate having to lay enough filler material to hold the thick pieces of metal together is in itself commendable, you have enough blacksmithing experience as evidence of many of your previous forged tools to understand the requirement of needing a significant amount of heat in order for eth welds to make a proper bond. I've known welders who have laid beads that looked perfect on the surface but they were just that on the surface, and could very nearly be chipped free like chipping off the flux, while others not so pretty couldn't be broken with a sledge hammer.
Now to comment on your anvil. depending on how it will be used there often is no need to harden the face of it even substances such as sand stone have been used as anvils, the surface needs only to be more substantial than the more malleable materials being formed on it.
Being a hodge podge of collected materials to form a collected homogenous mass into the shape of something resembling what many consider an anvil to look like while becoming a useful tool is another added plus.
So all in all I find nothing wrong with your anvil and I like its unique appearance

[LMMasterMariner]

Great idea for scrap metal use. Looks like this anvil is ready for a lot of torture. There is nothing wrong with your welds. Much better than mine.

Cheers
LMMasterMariner

[WmRMeyers]

Now, kindly do not troll me for my welding, but I have had a lot of practice this week. I couldn’t think of any use.for the clunky bits of steel I had been given, and while the potential was there, an offer of the components and design, free, to Facebook blacksmiths found no takers. “Too good to throw away”, so set about sticking them together.
(Most of the week has been taken up with joinery, a countertop in ash to replace the stained and damaged veneered one in our living room.)
The welder only allows 4 or 5 rods at a time. I shaped the horn a few weeks back. It is a 70mm dia shaft.

This is too heavy for me to lift. The face is gauge plate, 1/2” thick. I have not attempted to harden. I can remove it by undoing two screws and cutting 4 tacks, so it’s a consumable, if you like.

While I'm pretty sure I could have found other things to do with the metal you used to make this anvil, I have an anvil. 128lb London-pattern my dad bought for $5 when I was a teenager. I traded a 1911 with an Ace Conversion Kit for it when I was 30. You do what you have to do when you need an anvil. I've also got my dad's welder, an ancient Craftsman that he owned when I was a little kid. I could make better welds with it. If I could weld. I think I'm getting to the point where I can start learning to weld again. I have stuck a few things together, and used the sledge hammer to test the welds. They held. They sure didn't look any better than yours. I'm not gonna mess with you about that, either. For what you had, and what you need, I think you've done fine! If you ever find the anvil you want, you can always break this one back down into stock, or use it as boat anchor, or whatever seems appropriate at the time. Hang it over your front door to discourage critics, maybe. If it meets your needs for now, and didn't cost but a little time and a few pieces of weld rod, I'd call it good! If anyone else has another opinion, well, you know what they say about opinions. Like rectums, everyone has one, and most of them stink!

Bill

[Philip Davies]

Thank you all most kindly!

[Paul Alciatore]

Looks great to me.

And the welds are better than I can do. Perhaps I also should collect some scraps and get some practice welding.

[bwpigeon]

Love your ingenuity, powered by the mother of invention. I own a manufacturing, fabrication, welding business. So yes I can strike an arc. Not all welds need to be showcase welds. Better if they really do hold all of the parts together that they are suppose to. Yours should do that. If not do a little grinding and reweld it. Great job, never stifle the creative juices that run within. Go dig through your scrap pile and invent(build)something useful.

[DIYer]

Thanks Philip Davies! We've added your Anvil to our Anvils category,
as well as to your builder page: Philip Davies's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:

Anvil by Philip Davies

tags: anvil

[Jon]

Congratulations Philip Davies - your Hodge Podge Anvil is the Homemade Tool of the Week!

Great use of scrap; this is the spirit of homemade tools right here.

Some more good builds from this week:

Waste Oil Forge by Mr.DK DIY
Low Profile Carriage Lock by Christophe Mineau
Glass DRO Cross Slide Mount by Christophe Mineau
Center Finder by orioncons36
Sanding Plane by RCTURKA
Belt Grinder by GBWM
Circular Saw Crosscut Jig by Keith William Knull
Table Saw Vertical Cutting Jig by Junkyard
Parts Cooler by Frank S
Motorized Wheelbarrow by Kwandotechnic
Spot Face Cutter by Frank S
Assorted Woodworking Tools by Junkyard


Philip Davies - you'll be receiving a $25 online gift card, in your choice of Amazon, PayPal, or bitcoin. Please PM me your current email address and gift card choice and I'll get it sent over right away.

This is your 4th Homemade Tool of the Week win. Here are all of your Homemade Tool of the Week winning tools. Congrats again

Scorps by Philip Davies

tags: wood, scraper

Woodturning Chucks by Philip Davies

tags: chuck

Flatter by Philip Davies

tags: flatter

Anvil by Philip Davies

tags: anvil

[Christophe Mineau]

Great Phil, I like it, and the best of it is if any bond would come to fail, well, just a little bit if more welding and good to go.
Congrats, well deserved !
Christophe