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Naturally an anvil needs to sit on a sturdy base and I didn't just want to settle for the old tree stump solution. I wanted something epic, preferably medieval looking with a mix of charred wood and bare steel.
So I started off with a 100x100x2400 timber post that I cut in 4 and glued together to create the 200x200x600 blank to work from. I used a power planer to get the sides relatively flush without completely ruining it's rugged looks, and also threw a bevel on the edges while I was at it. I traced the anvil's footprint and used my router to drop it by about 10mm so that the anvil sat nice and snug and couldn't slide around. I also used the router to create 2x 25x3mm channels around the base, 150mm from the top and bottom ends.
Once I was happy with the shape and size, I used a blowtorch to char the exterior and really bring out the wood grain, followed by a quick Scotchbrite scuffing to blend it nicely. I sealed the charred base with two layers of boiled Linseed oil.
Finally, I created the 2x metal straps that fit snugly in the channels I had milled, welded the ends and drove 16x 45mm coach screws through it to bring it all together. Overall, I'm super happy with the outcome. The last step will be to add the tool holder to the top and secure the anvil with some brackets that I'm yet to make
PS: Below you will see the welds I did where the ends of the flatbar met. I welded this in place because the strap sits in a channel and could not be fitted over otherwise. I did these with a little Ozito gasless MIG I bought last week: The new one, where the feed and voltage are both adjustable rather than just the feed rate. It works like a charm 
Happy building!
Operation forge has landed!
Furthermore, I needed a nice big wire brush for knocking slag off the heated stock and grabbed this Trojan jobbie from the local tool shop.
It wasn't exactly matching the scene, so I altered it slightly (at the cost of Trojan's great warranty of course, but worth it)
Hi @MartiPedia
Thank you so much for that update on your anvil project. Excellent alteration on the wire brush, it now looks the part and blends in very well with your anvil. The forge looks fantastic, it must have been a lot of fun operating it and heating up the steel.
Eric
I'm keen to learn more about your forge. Details please.
Hi @Noyade
Let me tag @MartiPedia to make them aware of your question. Looking at the forge set-up, it looks to be gas-operated and made of a heat resistant ceramic. I am curious though if that internal heat is kept in or is transferred to the outside body of the forge.
Eric
Ah yes let me give you all the details. It's really quite a remarkable piece of equipment.
I'll preface the what follows by saying that I tend to do a LOT of research before committing to purchases like the forge. I considered everything available locally, their country of origin, prices, sizes, warranties, you name it. I decided on this specific forge because it's a well known brand, used by enthusiasts internationally and it's REALLY cheap considering what you get in the package while being pretty reasonable quality.
The forge is a dual burner oval forge produced by a company named Devil Forge who is based in Lithuania. If you're familiar with BigStackD's channel on YouTube (Perth based), you'll know that he's a massive supporter of Devil Forge and also offers some discount codes and information on their products. They were running a 25% discount promotion on eBay so I ended up getting the forge for just over $200, including shipping from Lithuania to Melbourne which took exactly 3 days. This blew my mind. Also, #AfterPay.
The kit was very well packaged and included the following:
- The forge, fitted with a 1" lining of Kaowool (ceramic refractory wool)
- 2x connected 80,000 BTU propane forge burners
- A long section of gas pipe
- A high pressure propane regulator with hose clamps and the required fittings
- 1 1/2 fire bricks that go inside the forge
- A pair of leather gloves for handling hot stuff
- A pair of tongs to handle work going into and out of the forge
- A 300g bag of refractory cement that gets painted onto the refractory wool prior to first use (This prolongs the life of the wool and prevents little pieces from wearing off over time)
- Two spare pieces of refractory wool to block up any gaps around the burners going into the top of the forge
- An page with instructions
Assembly is a breeze, with the most difficult part being the painting of the actual refractory cement and having to wait a day or two for it to dry before firing the forge for the first time. Fire it too early, and you risk weakening the final finish.
The burners operate between 0.1-0.16 Mpa / 14-23 Psi and are guaranteed to bring steel up to welding temperatures or 1400 degrees celsius. They can also be operated independently for smaller items by means of an isolation valve on the manifold that connects them. Both burners have chokes at the top that allow you to control the gas / air mixture independently as well. This is key as without this feature, the burners can't be optimised to reach said welding temperatures.
Using a $9 baggie of vermiculite, I have successfully used the forge to anneal an old punch I had laying around and intend on making a knife from. It's really killer value for money. I'm looking forward to purchasing a smelting forge from the same company.
And all this because someone sold a cheap anvil on Facebook. Look at how far this rabbit hole has gone 
Hi @MartiPedia
Truly the rabbit hole has no end in sight. Thank you so much for posting the details of your forge. I'm sure @Noyade and our members will find the information useful. Unfortunately, I don't have a legitimate excuse to get one for myself. However, your idea of getting a smelter just opens up so many avenues for metalwork. I can just imagine all those aluminium beer cans being melted down and turned into fishing weights.
Again, thank you for sharing information about your forge.
Eric
Thanks @EricL! And to get back to your question, the forge does heat up on the outside to a temperature I'd compare to that of a car's exhaust after a long drive, but nowhere near the internal temperatures.
Apart from the surface temp, the 6" golden flames spewing from its open ends heat the garage up in a jiffy, even on these cold Melbourne nights Unfortunately it also saps the available oxygen in mere minutes, so, fair warning, use in WELL ventilated areas or you'll be sleeping on the garage floor in no time.
Well @Noyade, the old rusted punch I found in a field behind my house became a knife this weekend. It still needs a handle and sheath, but you get the idea. I wanted as much as possible of the raw scorched and beaten steel to remain visible as a reminder of it's origin and journey, but still wanted a decent edge. I'm aware that the grind leaves something to be desired, but I did that freehand on a humble Ryobi belt / disc sander so its as good as it get😂
It's my very first try ever at blacksmithing, and while the end result is average, I've learnt so much about the tools I have, and those I need 😬
