Anvil Guy

What a great picture!

my 2 cents:
check out riley's setup here in this thread, basically the same concept with the same recommendations.
http://www.iforgeiro...-i-set-this-up/

you may run into some difficulty mounting sticks of track 12" or less in a 5 gal because they are so short, the more length you are able to embed in the concrete the more stable it will be.

with reference to your setup in the OP you will run into some difficulty if you need to make it shorter than you originally poured the concrete because the sidewalls of your typical 5 gal have a taper to them, getting narrower from top to bottom, so the concrete will bind when you try and set it lower.

if you plan to make it very short (with kids in mind, how tall are we calling kids anyway?) you might need to cut the rim down to protect knuckles.

stick something solid(read: bricks, large rocks, pavers) under the end of the track to transfer the impact through the sand without cracking the sides, however if it is indeed intended for children you could probably just set it in a concrete filled paint can (if you can find one that can fit the rail) and raise/lower by shimming with bricks.

as for concrete, you could do it with most bagged foundation and post mixes, make sure you are picking up enough volume for the amount that you are planning to fill. home depot has a 60lb quickcrete for 2.77$ which should do the job, leave it to set per the mix to develop strength
http://www.homedepot...51#.UHjs9q6OiRo

good luck, hope this helps without being too ramble-y

depends on what you are going to use the end of the track for.
try t that way with wet sand on top of the plywood plug around the standing track to see if it will do what you need it to do

What is the minimum length of RR track that I can stand on end in a 5 gallon bucket? I have a few smaller pieces (12" and under) that I would like to stand on end in a 5 gallon bucket with concrete.

Here is what I was thinking with the smaller pieces. Add some sand or gravel to fill the bucket with and then add a plywood disc to whatever height I need and the stand the rail on end and add the concrete. Will this work?

Also, what type of concrete should I use? How much rail should stick above the rim of the bucket?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Here is the stand I made for my 450# Nimba. The shelf on the right pivots or is removed easily.

As you probably know, this will be like finding a needle in a hay stack and a very tough find. Best of luck to you...

Looks more like a pig to me. LOL!!!!

Nice stack! :lol:

Great score for $60. Now go beat the crud out of it!

And unfortunately human memory is a slender reed to base things on. I have personally seen a lot of "family anvils" that dated quite differently from when they were "supposed" to.

Add sand to where it is just below level with the rim of the can. It should kill the ring of the anvil. You can then use the sand to hold punches etc by putting them point down into the sand for safety. Be real careful about the rim of the can being a pinch point.

Long heel and horn, somewhat narrow face I would go with Trenton, but Hay Budden is another possibility. Neither of these brands are cast however, both are forged (well, the base may be cast steel, and welded at the waist, the horn and heel are forged out.)

If that is an obvious mold parting line on the cutting plate and horn, that funny white line, you may have a cast copy based on a Trenton or Hay Budden. I presume this line is why you said "cast iron" (also the lack of pritchel holes.) Many of these copies come out of Mexico, and occasionally they are good steel and good anvils.

Phil

I thought this anvil was cast iron but after I set it on the new anvil stand it has a fairly good ring to it. It weighs between 200-300 lbs. Any ideas? I'll try and take some better pictures tomorrow.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Welcome home John, welcome home.

Glad to see that you have a strong interest. Plenty of good info to be gleaned here. Post pictures when you can.

Mark <><

Hi all,

My name is John and I'm just getting started in blacksmithing. I always knew at some point that I would setup a small shop and I'm at a point in my life where the time is now. I spent many years in the Hardware/Tool business and I've always had an interest in all types of tools, knives, gadgets, etc... Lately I've really gotten bit by the anvil bug. I already owned two and I just found out that one is a 165 lb Hay-Budden that I bought a few years ago for $60. I probably need help identifying the other one which is between 200-300 lbs.

Anyway, for now I'll just try to learn as much as I can from this fantastic forum.

Thanks for having me here.

John

Here are my anvil stands:

http://s131.photobucket.com/albums/p306/Smelp/Shop/?action=view&current=JohnsAnvil3.jpg

http://s131.photobucket.com/albums/p306/Smelp/Shop/?action=view&current=Anvil002.jpg

Wow, she is a real beauty. Congratulations!