Anvil alternatives that work: rail, a forklift tine, or a block of 4140
Difficultyeasy
Cost$20 to $80
A real 100 lb anvil is $500 to $1,000 used right now. You do not need one to start. Options, in order of how good they are:
- A block of steel standing on end. A 4x4x8" chunk of 4140 or even mild steel from a scrapyard, $20 to $50. Mass under the hammer is what matters, and a block on end puts all of it there.
- A forklift tine. Hardened, heavy, has a nice flat and a bend you can use as a horn. $40 to $80 at a scrapyard.
- Railroad track. Everyone's first anvil. Stand it on end for forging, use it on its side for the flat. Lighter than it looks.
Mount it on a stump or a sand-filled steel stand at wrist height, chain or strap it down, and go.
#anvil#blacksmithing#beginner#scrapyard
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Small addition: wear eye protection for the part where you pry it. Learned that one the hard way.
Bookmarking. I have exactly this problem and was about to pay someone.
The embedded video is clearer than the official service manual, which is a little embarrassing for the manufacturer.
Nice. What did the whole thing end up costing you?
This is the kind of post that makes this place worth it.