Material for english wheel anvils

Smi_tty · Mar 9, 2021

I’m currently in the middle of building an English wheel from scratch. I am ready to build the lower anvils for the machine, and need to select the correct type of steel.

I would like to machine the anvils, then have them heat treated and hardened by a shop herd in town.. This will allow me to run the anvils over mig welds without damaging the anvils and nicking them.

My steel supplier has mild 1018 cold rolled bar. Can this be machined and hardened easily?

If not, what do you suggest I use l for steel, that isn’t a pain to machine on my small lathe, and can easily be hardened after machining?

dkmc · Mar 9, 2021

You're asking for everything but you're not going to get it. Pick one, easily machined on a small lathe, or easy to harden. Low carbon steel can be case hardened, and high carbon steel can be hardened with fewer steps, but machining it on a 'small lathe' might not be much fun. Then you need to specify how hard you want the pieces.

Ray Behner · Mar 9, 2021

There's a heap of companies out there that sell all sorts of EW dies.....cheap

Gordon Heaton · Mar 9, 2021

1018 will not harden without added carbon, as in case-hardening mentioned by dkmc above. Depending on how small your lathe is, you can cut O-1 and 4140 if you are patient. O-1 is about the easiest to harden and is probably cheaper than 4XXX steel in most areas. You need to have a good finish on your part if you don't intend to grind after hardening. A pro heat-treat shop can use a vacuum furnace or other means to yield a pretty good finish if they had one to start with. Any flaw in your parts will be embossed into your work.

crossthread · Mar 9, 2021

You can't make them and get them heat treated for what you can buy them for.

Smi_tty · Mar 9, 2021

I actually didm’t know that you could get a set for under 200 bucks.

If it comes to it, I will just machine them out of 1018. It all depends on how much it is going yo cost to get a set shipped up here.

Anyone have any other sets they would recommend? I’m aware of Hoosier’s, but they are out of my price range currently.

Ray Behner · Mar 9, 2021

Smi_tty said:
I actually didm’t know that you could get a set for under 200 bucks.

If it comes to it, I will just machine them out of 1018. It all depends on how much it is going yo cost to get a set shipped up here.

Anyone have any other sets they would recommend? I’m aware of Hoosier’s, but they are out of my price range currently.

search english wheel dies.

Phil in Montana · Mar 9, 2021

Use 8620, or 4130...4140...Phil

kustomizer · Mar 9, 2021

This is a better forum for these questions, there are folks working on projects like yours there every day.

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1 Jaw Chuck (Chuck Evans) · Mar 9, 2021

Just thinking out loud but how about Stressproof (1144) ?

Easy to machine, and no heat treat needed. Or how about 4142 ?

Chuck
Burbank, CA

kustomizer · Mar 9, 2021

If he wants to run over welds they likely should be pretty hard and not just on the surface.

I see he is over on the all metal shaping forum too.

dkmc · Mar 9, 2021

I had no idea a complete set was that cheap......wow.

crossthread said:
You can't make them and get them heat treated for what you can buy them for.

View attachment 316002

Milland · Mar 9, 2021

If the OP wants to run over MIG beads (E70S or similar?) without damage, he's going to need anvils in the mid-high 50's hardness range. If the Jegs are hardened, it might be only 4140PH level (no more than 30's), and those I'd bet would mark up pretty soon.

My opinion, of course. If others have done this and it's NBD, I'd like to hear it.

kustomizer · Mar 9, 2021

I have 2 dozen anvils for mine and only a few that I run on anything other than new smooth sheet, but like any tool, you have some bits for hard rough stuff and others for shiny new, after those welds are worked a bit you can use the good ones.

rogertoolmaker · Mar 9, 2021

Steel selection for bottom rolls

Ray Behner said:
search english wheel dies.

Your receiving expert advice and seem to be rejecting the advice. SAE1018 is not the material for this job if you would like good tools. You will not be happy with the long term results of the tooling. It has been suggested using O1 tool steel. Purchasing the bottom wheels seems to be your best choice unless you want to do the job yourself for a learning experience.

Roger

kustomizer · Mar 9, 2021

I am a firm believer in doing a thing simply because you want to and you don't have to justify it to anyone, however doing something just to be cheap and easy is a whole nuther thing.

Smi_tty · Mar 10, 2021

I’m all for learning new things, and building stuff. I will check with my steel supplier tomorrow and see what else he can get a hold of for me.

Thank you all for the great responses and info.

dian · Mar 10, 2021

i would talk to your heat treater. he will know what to use thats available and maybe point you to some leftovers locally.

DDoug · Mar 10, 2021

Smi_tty said:
I’m currently in the middle of building an English wheel from scratch. I am ready to build the lower anvils for the machine, and need to select the correct type of steel.

I would like to machine the anvils, then have them heat treated and hardened by a shop herd in town.. This will allow me to run the anvils over mig welds without damaging the anvils and nicking them.

My steel supplier has mild 1018 cold rolled bar. Can this be machined and hardened easily?

If not, what do you suggest I use l for steel, that isn’t a pain to machine on my small lathe, and can easily be hardened after machining?

Use "Track Rollers".....

Milland · Mar 10, 2021

digger doug said:
Use "Track Rollers".....

I bet the right size cam follower bearing would work well, the outer race is thick enough you could get some decent curvatures on them before risking failure.

Just would need a good lathe and CBN (or ceramic) tooling to cut them.

Material for english wheel anvils

Plastic

Diamond

Diamond

Titanium

Titanium

Plastic

Diamond

Stainless

Diamond

Cast Iron

Diamond

Diamond

Diamond

Diamond

Cast Iron

Diamond

Plastic

Titanium

Diamond

Diamond

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