Marc1

i must disagree with both Thomas and your interpretation of what is art. Both are a popular misconception that art is somehow vane, and the realm of either the unhinged or the financial independent that makes art as a form of self entertainment, or ... even worse, that it is financially unsustainable. I much more prefer to see the difference between art and craft according to the effect the product has on the viewer. If it entices emotions it is art, if it has a purpose and such purpose is attractive to fulfill a need, then it is craft. Sure, some overlapping purposes as always, but I doubt art can be defined according to the desire of the author. "I am going to make art now" does not seem to be credible in my view. I just hung a door and made a great job of it, and I declared ... - This is art! No one around me seemed to agree somehow...

Return it, it's no good. With online purchases, the return fright is the risk you take. No real way around it unless you can drive to their depot. I remember buying a powerhead for an outboard motor and they sent me the wrong model. had to pay $300 shipping to return it and then bought from another supplier. Things we do

If it wasn't for folks obsession with anvil hardness and 'rebound', not to mention shape, more novice would consider building an anvil using just a chunk of mild steel, or even a thick 2 or 3" plate laying flat on a solid stand like a striking anvil. So rather than talking about crumbling useless decrepit museum pieces, we would then be talking about how to make a square hole for the hardy for example. And tools for the hardy ... all good beginners projects. Surely better than a piece of rail, be it horizontal vertical or tied in a knot with a working surface you need to find with a magnifying glass

We only really die, when we are forgotten. I hope you can finish building your vice Dave. Godspeed!

They make for good anvils allegedly. Never tried myself. As for testing the steel, I would say it has been tested by the forklift and if they did not bend, they must be good enough for improvised anvil.

So what's the outcome Barry?

Hilo ... the first night after the new moon ... Hi-Lo forklift ... Hello = Moin

That is easily solved. Find a large PVC drain pipe that can fit the anvil complete with two caps. Glue one cap, place the anvil inside, fill with argon and close the other end. Your time capsule is complete. Write on it ... to be opened in 100 years. As a secondary consideration. If you hammer on the pipe containing the anvil, will the mass of the pipe be added to the mass of the anvil and allow to work on it ... mm ... don't answer that

BLD ... we had some lively discussion on this subject and it proved to be a sensitive issue, don't ask me why, I don't know. The problem with your question is ... that it is the wrong question. Consider the definition of mass from Wiki Mass is both a property of a physical body and a measure of its resistance to acceleration when a net force is applied. The object's mass also determines the strength of its gravitational attraction to other bodies. With only that in mind, if you weld the anvil to the steel stand or if you bolt it or even if you glue it with caulking compound, yes, the anvil+stand mass is one unit and will have more inertia if you try to push it to set it in motion, then if each object is separate. The problem is that the anvil is there to make your forging process possible using a hammer and placing your work between them and making your hammer collide with work and anvil. In the case of collisions, objects behave different according to the material they are made of, their density, the speed and mass of the objects colliding and a few more things to consider. The stand in this case is a secondary object that participates in the collision but not as if it was one unit. To determine by how much is not a simple task and the illustration by Glenn with the anvil welded to a ship, gives you the idea that when the stand may contribute in a minor way, using an infinitely large stand does not make much of a difference. It would be much cheaper to make a 100Kg anvil welded to a 200Kg stand and sell it as a 300Kg anvil. Does not work that way. Any seam, crack separation,division, change of density or material will make the unit not a unit when it comes to behaviour in a collision. An example would be to strike a piece of cast iron and another that has a crack. Yes, a properly bolted or welded stand would add stability to your anvil. No one likes to weld to an anvil because they are usually 100 years old or more and we tend to treat them better than we would a tool that is still in production. New anvils are expensive and for the same reason no one would think of welding anything to it.

Peter Wright as far as I can tell. Pounds not stones ... ... yet to see an anvil weight in stones, but you never know. We still use stones for body weight. Drives one crazy. I am 12 stones

Wind instruments are soldered with 60/40 lead tin solder and a small gas torch, plenty of videos on you tube.

I am no grinder expert, but that machine looks very well made. You have a lathe and a mill to make that?

This has turned into who proposes the most outlandish idea ... I say the best is to place the anvil in a vacuum chamber. The chamber is to have a pressure switch that sounds an alarm in case of loss of vacuum.

Bingo! Ted, no need to get angry over this. It is not a case of adding up mass, it is not intuitive and it does not really matter after all. All you want is for you anvil to make your hammer blow work. If there is no continuity in the density of an object or if it is made with two different materials, the object will behave differently in a collision. The case of an anvil floating on sand, and the same anvil bolted to a stump of equal mass, yet behaving in a similar fashion, should tell the story. To find a value that takes into account the contribution of the stand as a secondary object in a collision requires a lot of mumbo jumbo and would have a number of variables, and surely it is not a matter of adding up like you do when you load a lorry. Oh ... and "puerile" was my big word of the day Peace man, keep on posting your work. I do like the concrete stumps and I was the one who told you it will work. It may not add much mass to the anvil, but it works as a great stand.

It would be pointless to revisit the topic, but telling others they "don't understand" is rather puerile and so is the comparison with the load of an aircraft. There are many other factors involving the behaviour of objects in a collision, not only gravity. But I have said this already more than once and it's getting rather boring. I thought you were joking when you included the slab in your evaluations. Obviously I was mistaken.

I agree with Das and Marcus, paint the sides and I add, grease the face. And more important ... cover with canvas. Oh ... I said that already?

And don't forget the concrete slab, that adds mass too

You missed out on buying an expensive door stopper. If you were willing to pay $350 for a 100 lb anvil, buy a new farrier anvil and you have a usable tool without having to scavenge. You will have it delivered to your door.

Anvil hoarder ... we have one in Western Australia. Where is home for you? I don't like that anvil. You can do the same on a similar size cube or prism block of steel. Check you local steel merchant. Unless it is truly 1700 and you place value on that, minus the milling.

Another cheap alternative to industrial products ... although a touch smelly ... is fish oil. Any hardware store would have some. We have "White Knight Rust Guard" a rather pompous name for fish oil

Any oil in a rag given the right conditions can oxidise, increase it's temperature and burn. Wrapping an anvil in oily rags is unlikely to be the right condition for combustion, yet most likely the most unsightly and inefficient way to protect the poor anvil from rust. There are dozens of commercial products used in the automotive parts and machinery storage called "temporary rust prevention spray" or words to that effect. All of them attempt to place a temporary barrier film between the atmospheric oxygen and the steel. Having said that, it begs the question why not paint. After all, anvil manufacturers paint the anvil all around save the face and cone ... actually seen new anvils with the cone painted. The face would stay rust free with a generous coat of automotive grease and the lot covered with a canvas tight around the waist. One of my anvils lives under a roof with no walls and all I do for rust prevention is throw a canvas over it and hold it in place with a bungee cord strap down thingy. No rust ... and the same goes for the vice.

It is hard to have an opinion on a tool when i don't know what you do with it. "Rebound" is overrated and maybe you can just use it as it is. Clearly it was repaired, it is one of those anvils you should stay clear of, but too late now. Don't like the stand either, it is probably very loud. Of course you can sell it and chase another one in better shape. Try using it, may be it is OK for what you do.

Self contained air hammer first choice Utility hammer if you have a very large compressor, otherwise see above. The rest is just toying around. IMO of course

Laizhou Hengying Trade Co. makes this anvils, both the italian pattern, the london pattern they call "American", also the horrid squashed horn ASO sold in all hardware stores and numerous other items of interest. This anvils are not necessarily bad. All it requires is a buyer with expertise to go to China and oversee the cast since it can vary a lot.

When I was a kid ... aged 12 or so, and we 3 boys always looked to find some form of entertainment on our family farm, I decided that building a little house made of sticks and mud was the best idea. My little brother, now an eye surgeon, joined me in the build. My elder brother, now a professor in architecture, decided that making himself a sword with a bit of bamboo was the way to go. I found his choice always rather embarrassing even at that short age. I have not changed my mind.