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COMMUNITY : THE FORGE


Got An Anvil, W00T!... Now What

I was given a 2ft hunk of I beam for my bday (yesterday). Now what? I've got loads rebar, a nice steel bar pinched from a printer, this slab of steel 6inX1.5inX1/4in, and a big charcoal bbq pit. Any ideas for projects or on firing up the pit to get it hot enough? And how much fuel? Thanks!

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18
royalestel says: Dec 15, 2007. 12:05 PM
How about getting a second chunk of I-beam, and sealing the two together with peanut butter and gunpowder. Then see how high you can blow the sucker! (It's a classic gunpowder game.)
6
Kryptonite in reply to royalestelOct 30, 2009. 3:59 AM
I don't get it. Sounds fun.
22
KentsOkay (author) in reply to royalestelDec 15, 2007. 3:12 PM
Umm... no, I kinda need the piece i have....
18
royalestel in reply to KentsOkayDec 15, 2007. 7:03 PM
Oh, it wouldn't destroy the anvils at all. Just blows one high in the sky and then it drops down with a thud (don't stand near the anvil when setting it off).
Austringer in reply to royalestelDec 16, 2007. 11:38 PM
For this to work I think you need the cavity in the bottom of your anvil from where they forged the base. My Fischer is much flatter on the bottom than a forged anvil. The guy I learned from was there when someone did this and the weld between the body and the base of the anvil broke. The body fell over onto the ground and the base went on to nearly kill someone. (Missed by about three feet, or so he says.)
5
Patrik in reply to AustringerDec 16, 2007. 11:50 PM
Heh - I just had to see this. Here's a video I found:

http://www.veoh.com/videos/v1470852BbcgRfKj

Given how high that anvil flew into the air - can you imagine what would have happened if something had gone wrong, and it went sideways?
1
1spartan95 in reply to PatrikOct 19, 2009. 3:02 PM
 lol
18
royalestel in reply to PatrikDec 17, 2007. 9:02 AM
Heh. Makes me laugh every time.
Austringer in reply to PatrikDec 17, 2007. 5:53 AM
It looks like they milled that first one (the one with the plexiglass or whatever on the bottom) out or something to give it more of a kick, but yeah, that's pretty much it. The angle of the force equals the angle of the reaction thing pretty much keeps if from going sideways, but in the case I mentioned, a lot of the force went one way early on and well....
texasratt12 says: Oct 29, 2009. 6:49 PM
Load it with gunpowder and launch it into the air lol
Austringer says: Dec 16, 2007. 11:30 PM
Google "break drum forge". I've seen some nice stuff come out of these and they aren't that hard to build.
2
jtobako says: Dec 14, 2007. 5:22 PM
Get a chunk of steel pipe and a hairdryer or other small fan (or air compressor, if you can turn down the volume) so you can push some air under your charcoal. A couple of CLAY bricks are useful for limiting the size of your fire (cement and some ordinary rocks have a tendency to snap, crackle and pop-throwing bits of shrapnel and fire around when heated). Some people like a big fire, some small. Scrap wood works, but has to be loaded in time to create a bed of charcoal that does the heating of the metal.

Keep a bucket of water handy. If it's plastic, expect to melt threw the side at least once with the hot metal. Keep it clean so that you can cool burns that you WILL get.

The I-beam will be noisy, and may tend to bend out of shape if you don't keep the hammering in the middle (over the web/center bar).

Take a look at iForge for ideas on what to make, but first find out what you can do : ) Hammer the rebar into a knife or something. Knife shapes are simple(ish) and you can easily see what you are working toward and how the metal starts moving when you hit it.
22
KentsOkay (author) in reply to jtobakoDec 15, 2007. 7:35 AM
OK thanks, woulda leaf blower work? It's rather low powered.
2
jtobako in reply to KentsOkayDec 15, 2007. 10:22 AM
A leaf blower is too big-unless you want to chase burning embers across the yard : ) Even the hairdryer is too big, but it's easy to not use some or most of the air. I use a tiny sliver (less than 1 inch uncovered) of a 6 inch blower or a 4 inch computer fan slowed down with a speed control at my teacher's big forge.
26
LinuxH4x0r says: Dec 14, 2007. 4:56 PM
Happy birthday! Sorry I don't have any ideas at the moment.
22
KentsOkay (author) says: Dec 14, 2007. 4:25 PM
*cough*bump*cough*
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