The anvil is a heavy piece of wrought iron (Figure 49), faced with steel and having four legs. It has a pointed horn on one end, an overhanging tail on the other end and a flat top. In the tail there is a square hole called the "hardie" hole and a round one called the "spud" hole.
Tongs, with handles about one foot long and jaws suitable for holding the work, are used. To secure a firm grip on the work, the jaws may be heated red hot and hammered into shape over the piece to be held, thus giving a properly formed jaw. Jaws should touch the work along their entire length.
The set hammer is a hammer, one end of whose head is square and flat, and from this face the head tapers evenly to the other face. The large face is about 1-1/4 inches square.
The flatter is a hammer having one face of its head flat and about 2-1/2 inches square.
Swages are hammers having specially formed faces for finishing rounds, squares, hexagons, ovals, tapers, etc.
Fullers are hammers having a rounded face, long in one direction. They are used for spreading metal in one direction only.
The hardy is a form of chisel with a short, square shank which may be set into the hardie hole for cutting off hot bars.
Operations.--Blacksmithing consists of bending, drawing or upsetting with the various hammers, or in punching holes.
Bending is done over the square corners of the anvil if square cornered bends are desired, or over the horn of the anvil if rounding bends, eyes, hooks, etc., are wanted.