[TheForge] Top of a broken anvil?

[xlch58 at swbell.net]

Peter Fels & Phoebe Palmer wrote:
> Hi Andy;
> More steel or good cast iron with the maximum mass directly under the 
> hammer and the best possible fit up: Minimum # of horizontal cold 
> laps/joints, too please.
> If you were going to use it for embossing or some other use where a 
> dead blow is better, then lead is the right material.
> I sound positive, but i'm only guessing as usual...pf
>
Unless he can make a full penetration weld ( that would be a hellava v 
and a lot of rod) then most of the mass you are adding in the base won't 
count for diddly. If it isn't contiguous mass, then it does not respond 
the same. The only point of adding noncontiguous mass to the anvil is to 
anchor it so that it does not bounce around, but it does not add to the 
blow like a true solid anvil will. Try banging on an anvil that the face 
has separated on.  That is the point of the concrete on the knife makers 
anvil.  Lots of contiguous steel directly under the hammer blow where it 
can reflect the stress waves back to the work in a number of high speed 
secondary impacts with each hammer stroke, and the mass of the concrete 
to steady the anvil and keep it from bouncing around.  Really a neat 
idea.  As far as lead goes, I think it is excellent to bed the anvil and 
help keep it from bouncing around. I also think that it won't make one 
whit of difference to the hammer action because of the reasons I have 
cited above.  The only problem with lead is that it is not as easy to 
come by as it once was.  I don't like concrete as it is not that heavy, 
and it does not hold up to impact very well.   You might make a credible 
base from cast aluminum and bolt it all together ( one company used to 
have an anvil called a futura that was exactly that, as steel face and 
horn with a cast aluminum base).  I think whoever suggested welding a 
couple of long spike to it and driving it into a large stump had the 
right idea.  Simple, quick and if you don't like it, you can try 
something else later.  My guess is if you do it, you will find a half 
dozen things about the setup you really like.  And if you hate it, torch 
off the spikes and try again.

Charles