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Old timer at the flea market said to preheat my anvil in the sun, thought he was joking
Ran into this guy selling used hammers outside of Columbus last month. He watched me set up and said 'you're gonna crack that billet if you don't let your anvil bake for an hour first.' I laughed it off, figured a hunk of steel is a hunk of steel. Tried a forge weld on a cold morning and sure enough, chips flew off the face. Next day I left the anvil out in direct sun for about 90 minutes before I started, and the difference was night and day. Less thermal shock on my hits, cleaner folds. Anyone else ever bother warming their anvil before heavy work, or is this just an old wives' tale that actually holds up?
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nguyen.morgan1mo ago
Hell, I've cracked worse stuff just warming up my coffee mug.
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river9521mo ago
Man, I gotta say that tracks with something my buddy Mike told me once. He does blade work up in Michigan and swore his anvil had to sit by the wood stove for a couple hours before winter forging, otherwise he'd get these tiny stress cracks near the hardy hole. I thought he was full of it until I watched him tap a cold anvil with a hammer one morning and heard that sharp ping versus the dull thunk after it warmed up. He said it's like your hands, you wouldn't jump straight into heavy work without warming up your muscles first. Said the steel's gotta let its internal stress settle out a bit. I still don't do it every time, but when the temps drop, I'll set mine in the sun or near a heater if I'm being picky about a weld. You think that old timer charges extra for advice like that or just throws it in with the hammer sale?
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