Where can I find a large piece of steel?

[Chris Barry]

I want to get a fairly large piece of steel to serve as an anvil. Does anyone know where I can find, buy or otherwise acquire a large piece of steel?

Alternatively where can I find a reasonably priced anvil still in workable condition, if this isn't some sort of holy grail?

I live in south Manchester if this is any help.


:)

[PS_Bond]

Start phoning scrap yards... Look for something along the lines of a 4" square piece of steel - even mild will do - about as tall as the height of your knuckles above the ground. Set it in a bucket of concrete, and you have a bladesmithing anvil. Not my idea; I think this was Tim Lively's.

Anvils come up on EBay now and again - I wouldn't touch one without being able to inspect it first. Mine is about 3cwt (i.e. overkill for me, but has a nice bounce) and cost me just under £200 in adequate condition. I might do the 4" square thing as well... :)

[Martyn]

Scavanged (free - ish):
Piece of old railway track.

New:
http://www.lakesforge.co.uk/cat14_1.htm

Used:
http://www.rondean.co.uk/tooling/anvil.htm

[Chris Barry]

Thanks for the ideas :)

Where can I find the number for a scrap yard ? Are they listed in a phone book or yellow pages?

The prices for those anvils are scary :yikes:

I was wondering if I should ask these people for prices on steel www.steelexpress.co.uk. Any suggestions apart from mild steel that will make a good anvil?

[Colin KC]

http://search.yell.com/search/DoSearch?screen=VAL&state=MID&location=MANCHESTER&broaderLocation=LANCASHIRE%7CNORTH+WEST+ENGLAND%7C ENGLAND%7CUNITED+KINGDOM&targetName=&businessType=SCRAP+METAL+MERCHANTS&alpha=18+3f8c991&ahpla=16+3f8c991&mqs=ix