Why does nobody talk about forge welding temps dropping with different anvils?

I switched from a beat up 100 pound anvil to a 150 pound Fisher last month and my welds started falling apart at the same heat I always used. Turns out the mass difference was pulling heat way faster out of the billet. Has anyone else had to crank up their forge by 50-75 degrees when moving to a heavier anvil?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_margaret12d ago

That's a solid observation about the mass pulling heat. I read somewhere that a heavier anvil acts like a big heat sink, so you're literally losing 50-75 degrees from the billet faster than before.

valh3212d ago

Heavier anvil? More like a heat thief. Had to crank my forge up 80 degrees when I swapped to a 200 pounder. Felt like I was fighting the thing for every weld. Ended up keeping a hot brick next to my anvil just to slow the suck.