Making an anvil-part 2

[1aretea]

Its been a few weeks since I posted and I have made an anvil. I wont go into the details yet as I want to post pictures with it sitting on top of an Oak stump. I'm in Florida and I have an Oak stump, not to old and has some cracks from when it was recently cut. I have striped off the bark and it looks good. My anvil will be indoors (weld shop) and I want to presevre the wood. I will also wrap some flat stock around the top and bottom to pervent further cracking. What type of oil should I use, Linseed, Tung oil, etc.?

[SJeane]

i have read several reviews and everyone i read prefer Tung oil. no first hand experience though

[Dodge]

I'm not a wood worker per say and I know that there are many on here that will most likely contribute. So they can correct me if I'm wrong but you probably won't need to worry about a preservative if it is as you say, "not too old." It will take many months if not a year(?) or more to dry. And in the mean time, there will be some shrinkage. I'm not sure how much in oak and it depends on really, how old it is. When it is time for a preservative, If it is truly for a working stump, I would not spend the cash on expensive tung oil. Linseed oil would suffice. Motor oil would even work If you make it to too purty, you'll be askeered to use it
BTW, Looking forward to seeing your anvil. Is it CNC cut??

Edited March 18, 2009 by Dodge
inserted missing pronoun

[Frosty]

You'll want to let it season completely before oiling it. If you want to rush seasoning you can submerge it in flowing water for a few months or boil it for a couple days. Wouldn't the neighbors be surprised at what's in YOUR crab boil?

I'm not actually suggesting you boil it but it will work.

I don't know if it's available in your area but here in the far north you can buy log oil for reasonable and it works nicely. One of the Deck sealers would probably work very well too.

My old spruce block is soaked with new motor oil cut with a little diesel. I don't suggest the diesel, it stunk for years. Turpentine or thinner would unquestionably smell and work better.

Frosty

[1aretea]

No its not CNC cut, I cut it with a Carbon Arc gouging torch.

[Dave Budd]

if it's indoors I doubt you will have any problem with your oak log rotting or otherwise degrading until you are a very old man! I've never bothered treating any of my oak stumps that are used for various things around my workshop and they are more solid 5 years on than when freshly cut (no I don't ever find nice seasoned wood!). Unless you have bugs where you are that like ot eat oak in a hurry?

[chrisfrick]

The motor oil idea is probably the best/most economical--I've got several hammers that are about 20 years old that I only use for mechanic stuff--a couple of ball peens and a small sledge that have a "custom treated" motor oil finish on the handles (work on the underside of any old car/truck, grab hammer, beat on something for a little bit, repeat process until the entire handle is a nice dark color)--and that's *used* motor oil. Much better to use new, if possible. Before applying, I'd let that stump dry out for *at least* a year, 2 if possible, before treating with anything. (of course you could get crazy and spray on something like spar varnish, but that takes about 2 days to fully dry properly).

[David Einhorn]

According to the Ordnance Manual 1863 it takes about one year per inch of thickness for wood such as oak to dry. Literature on oak wheel hubs suggest first peeling off the bark from tree sections/logs/chunks to prevent rotting, and then to drill a hole of sufficient size in the center of the wood from one side of the end to the other to reduce/prevent cracking as it dries.

Also according to the Ordnance Manual, once the wood block has air cured, submerge for 2 weeks in a mixture of 50/50 linseed oil and turpentine.

Edited March 19, 2009 by UnicornForge

[Rob Browne]

When we cut trees for slabbing later we paint the end grain to slow the loss of moisture from the ends. This stops the shrinkage at the ends from progressing too quickly and reduces, not eliminates, end cracking.

If the stump was going to be used indoors I would only paint/lacquer the ends and let nature take its course. It will dry out and surely not rot till long after we are all gone. Besides, it will end up black like all the other things in your shop :)

Edited March 20, 2009 by rmcpb

[Bentiron1946]

I would not recommend motor oil on any wooden tool handle. My neighbor has worked on cars since he was a child and and as a result of a life long contact with motor oil he has cancer on his hands, fore arms, feet, and many other places where oil soaked clothing and tool handles were in constant contact with his skin. He is constantly having these tumors removed. The trucking company he worked for now only lets work boots be worn a certain length of time before they are discarded, employees must wear rubber gloves, nitrile or latex when working with objects coated in oil or oil residue. They got all kinds of rules in his old shop now that several men in their sixties and seventies have developed cancers of various type linked to motor oil. So I don't think I will be soaking any of my hammer handles or stumps in motor oil.(Man do I sound canky, sorry about that.)

[Chad J]

I agree with the above, just seal the ends with whatever as long as its water proof. That allows the tree or stump to dry through the face which is slower and reduces checking (or cracks). I was always told a good rule of thumb was 1" a year, but that was slabs... dont recall anything about stumps would imagine the theory being the same.

[Rob Browne]

A stump with sealed ends will take a LONG time to fully dry out.

[Dodge]

my understanding of posible carcinogens from motor oil is primarily due to the chemicals it picks up from use. ie used engine oil picks up crud from the wear of metals as well as the process of an internal combustion engine such as carbon and such from burnt fuels. That being said, I would rather used new motor oil but there are hazards there as well. While the hammers I use to do automotive work have a saturation of what ever happened to be dripping But I always tried to make it a practice to wipe off any excess residue rather that deliberately coat the handles

[mike-hr]

Once a year in August, when the humdity is down, I mix up a batch of Linseed oil/turpentine,60/40 ratio. I paint the tops of all hammers and set tools, and pour the remainder on my anvil stump. I don't know if it helps the stump or not, I guess the thing I wanted to say is, don't sweat that stuff, start using the anvil! I've seen a lot of folks so infatuated with getting their tooling correct, they lose track of the big picture, and forget to start making stuff. I have a very good friend that spends all morning every saturday going to yard sales, looking for blacksmith tools. I keep telling him that if he would spend every saturday morning forging his own tools, he would have what he wants, own more skills, and save a lot of gas money. (sigh)

[Dave Leppo]

I mounted my Peter Wright to a Pin oak block that was about 18x18x24. It was sawed green and I put some linseed oil on it - about two coats, I think - and started using it. It developed some small splits as it dried (the first year), but they never bothered me, and haven't really gotten much bigger in the last year. I strapped the anvil down with some 14 gage sheet metal strips.

My new (1870's) Fisher I have sitting on an oak log that's HOLLOW - about 30%. I shoveled some stone dust and coal ash into the hollow to help hold the log in place. The anvil is over 200 lbs, so I’m not worried about having the base be heavy. The only treatment I did was to strip the bark (where beetles like to hide) and add some borax to the filling in the hollow to deter termites (dirt floor in shop). I’m more worried about the insects than splitting or checking; this log has been dead for a while. A hollow is lighter and easier to move, providing that there’s enough wood left to support the anvil. When I decide that I like the location and orientation of this Fisher, I will strap it down with some 11 gage strips, like the PW.

[jimbob]

I took Hofi's lead and got some mineral oil at wally world around a dollar a bottle. a lot cheaper than motor oil. a little goes a long way ...