Skitzboy
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Posts posted by Skitzboy
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Ah its just butterflies, we all get them starting a new skills set, especially if we're hoping to make a dime off it. You'll do fine, you have realistic expectations, a good handle on basic business and a paycheck coming in already.
I do this largely because I like playing with fire and hitting things with hammers. Being able to use humankind's two oldest tools, fire and something to hit with and bend the most recognizable symbol of strength durability and permanence on earth to our will is soul deep satisfying. I think maybe we're on the same page eh? Being able to take other people's trash and sell it back to them to their delight is icing on the cake. Probably the truest form of compliment is paying someone for their efforts.
I have steel stands under both my main anvils now and really like them better than the wood blocks. First and foremost they're really quietened them down. The Trenton is a loud anvil on a wood stand but nothing compared to the Soderfors, that one had me wearing both ear plugs and muffs, any missed blow was damagingly loud. Now they're both decent, miss a blow and they're still loud but it's a clank rather than a ring. A steel stand has a different resonant frequency than the anvils so as the shock wave jumps the gap they self damp, no ring. It's like ringing a triangle and leaving the striker in contact, clank buzz, no ring.
I wouldn't put sand or anything in the legs, it won't quieten them any more and a heavy stand is of limited use. I just made an angle iron frame the feet sets into and hammer and tong racks that wedge between the rim and anvil foot to keep it in place. Turns out the self damping action keeps the anvil from bouncing anyway so I don't know if wedging it in helps.
Frosty The Lucky.
I really like your stand what size material did you use for that 1/4' on the angle or a little bigger? the legs look to me like 2x3 or 2x4 1/4" rectangular tubing. yeah I think we are on the same page. Where is meadow lakes Alaska? I lived in Palmer, Hilltop, Anchorage, Ninilchick, Kodiak and Ketchikan when I was younger. I actually joined the Marines in Alaska. I flew from Ketchikan to Anchorage for MEPS then when I got out I returned to Anchorage. I lived in Alaska for 13 years total. I still have cousins there and my sis and her boyfriend guide up there.
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Nice Trenton, by the S/N its approx 1902. Mount it good, with the thin heel a long horn it will probably have quite the ring to it!
Frozen Forge, thank you for the dating on my Trenton. I knew it was close to turn of the century and for a 113 year old anvil it looked and sounded to be in great condition. Just setting it on my wood work bench to go over every inch of the face with a hammer to test for dead spots it had a very pleasant ring. I am excited to get it mounted.
Frosty, you're welcome! and you are quite right I have a line of items I am selling but I want to do a bit of value added work with hand forging various parts and items. I have tinkered with "kind of" forging in the last couple months. I hammered some bottle openers out of half horseshoes and other items using my oxy-acetylene set a 3# hand sledge and an old andiron that was made from a piece of train rail. I have read a blacksmithing primer and the backyard blacksmith cover to cover and reread the chapters I felt I didn't fully take in. I planned this addition for a couple of months and now I am in the process of implementing it. I am a bit scared of the financial cost of doing it but since I am already in the shop welding out items for customers anyways I will get to practice a lot more when I am waiting on orders or hit a slow period. I plan on doing some small items for my wife to take to farmers market as well.
I like re-purposing items used in the equine world after they have ended their duty cycle into unique new useable items. I find working with steel to be relaxing, almost cathartic. I like taking something hard and turning it into a useable item that people want in their homes. I have a full blown wood shop as well. I could open a cabinet shop but I like the fact that unlike wood if a measurement is read wrong you can add a bit more to it and not lose your piece because of a slight miscalculation. The shear fact of the matter is it is fun playing with fire and making something that is near unbreakable bend to my will! Does it help as therapy, i think that any person needs a hobby. One that makes them feel relaxed, that they can focus energy into and produce something that is of use to someone. If it art, music, or underwater basket weaving, it doesn't matter as long as you take pleasure in it and yes a bit of pride in accomplishing it. so short answer yes.
So the question i put out to everyone what would the best style of stand be for this anvil? I would like to make the stand somewhat portable. My thought was welding one out of square tubing and an angle iron base. Fill the square tubing legs with sand, cap them, then weld the legs to an angle iron base. On the angle iron base welding ears for mounting a bolted on cross bar to go over the feet of the anvil. I thought of using 1/4" steel on it and using the sand to add mass to the base. other option is I go out and cut a 21" slab of a ponderosa pine or other similar local tree. I don't know anywhere around me that has any downed cotton wood. Thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.
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Welcome aboard Skitzboy, glad to have you. If you'll put your general location in the header you might be surprised how many of the IFI gang live within visiting distance.
A 5 burner Majestic is a really big forge. What do you plan on forging?
Frosty The Lucky.
I actually got the larger forge so that I can anneal farrier rasps with it as well. I use them in making tack and misc horse themed items. Each burner has its own valve so I can actually fire 1,2,3,4 or 5 burners depending on what is needed I can fit about 9 rasp per side tangs out in it. Im 100% service connected disabled (Marine Corps) and spend about 1-3 days a week in salt lake city at the VA hospital and then I usually weld in my shop the days I am home (Bigfork, Montana) fabricating anything from lawn ornaments, saddle racks, Salt Block Holders, Bottle openers, Saddle pad holders, Horse trailer swing out tack items, and household western themed items.I plan to start adding hand forged items and hand forged parts to existing designs that I fabricate to distinguish and differentiate myself from others that fabricate similar items.
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Just got a majestic forge 5 burner artisan last week and found my "new" 95# Trenton anvil today. Got a stand built for my forge yesterday. now I have to build one for my anvil probably tomorrow and then pound some steel friday. I paid $375 for the Trenton and I think I got a good deal on it.
If anyone has an AIA book that can date this anvil for me it would be appreciated. Serial number is A33800
Show me your anvil
in Anvils, Swage Blocks, and Mandrels
Posted
What is the construction detail of the anvil stand? Simple frame? Plywood wrapped then the tongue and groove added to the sides or metal box? Sand filled?