Anvil is used in metalworking, and metal can be placed on it to be shaped with a hammer. During the forging process, the workpiece is placed on the anvil, and the workpiece gets shaped when you strike the hammer on it. Anvil tool has a plane surface where an object or workpiece is placed. Anvil is mostly made of cast steel or forged. The tools that come under the category of metalworking, such as farming tools, knife blades, chains, brackets, etc. can be shaped by using anvils. Essentially, any metal tool that needs to be shaped can be done on anvils.
For What Purpose Anvil Tool is Used?
Anvil is used to give shape to a metal object or tool, and it can be done when a metal object is placed on an anvil and a hammer is struck on an object to give it a shape. Forging uses various techniques, such as shrinking, bending, forge welding, and punching. There are various the best blacksmith anvils available in the market, and you can choose according to your requirements.
For beginners, the anvil is the tool that is used to curve, shape, and flatten metal objects. Before diving into the details of the anvil, it is essential to know its parts. Have a closer at the following section to know what are anvils used for along with the different functions of each part of the anvil:
The Horn
The horn is a curved piece, which is located in the front of the anvil. This piece allows the blacksmith to hammer the metal to give it a different shape. The metal object can get the perfect shape, based on how and what horn part they hold the object on when they are hammering.
The Step
The step is a plane area that comes next to the horn and below the face. The step is used as a cutting area, and its edge is used to cut a piece when hammering it. However, if you frequently use it, then it can be easily damaged.
The Face
The main and large part of an anvil tool set is the face where the hammering on the object takes place. It has rounded edges so that it can be prevented from cutting the object that is being hammered. The face holds both the horn and the step.
The Hardy Hole
The hardy hole is a square hole that allows you to attach different types of tools to the anvil tools. It can be used for bending material.
The Pritchel Hole
The anvil has a small and round hole on it, which is known as a pritchel hole. Same to the hardy hole, the pritchel hole is used to help in punching holes via the metal that is being forged.
If you are looking to buy the best blacksmith anvil as a trade, then it is important for you to know about each part of an anvil so you can use it more efficiently.
How to Use Anvil for Blacksmithing?
Now, you know what are anvils for, it’s time to know how to use them for blacksmithing. The blacksmithing process involves predefined techniques. Take a look at the below section to know how to do blacksmithing by using an anvil:
- The first step is to choose a material before you start the forging process. As blacksmithing is a process of forging iron alloys, you are not restricted to choosing wrought iron, but you can also choose steel and cast iron.
- You can choose low-quality steel metal pieces that could be 10 to 30 mm long.
- You can start from soft steel to forge.
- To know the appropriate temperature, you can keep the cold end grabbed in a plier or tong and heat another end. You need to heat the material properly. Don’t heat the metal till it starts melting.
- On the heated material, you can blow the hammer. You may or may not utilize an anvil. This is done to test your forging strokes.
- In the striking and shaping process, you begin the blacksmithing process using an anvil tool set. In this step, the blacksmith gives shape to a workpiece.
- In the last step, the step and the horn are used effectively.
Many people ask a question, why a metalworker taps the anvil after a few hammer blows? This is done to relax their arms and maintain the rhythm while checking the workpiece. Tapping is also done to reduce strain on the blacksmith’s arm and make the hammer jump back. However, make sure to use the anvil carefully and prevent yourself from harm.
Final Thoughts
Anvils are shaped in a way that each part has its own purpose and helps metalworkers shape a metal. Each part of the anvil has already been described in the blog along with its uses. Make sure to buy anvil tools of high quality to use for the long term.
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