May 5, 200917 yr This big anvils not vary trditional and im not sure of a good way to mount it? Base is 13" by 28". Thought of makeing a concrete form maybe and taper the bottom out? Or just a big stump. :confused:
May 6, 200917 yr Go with the big stump, or a heavy angle iron stand. Concrete won't take the shock and vibration.
May 6, 200917 yr I'd bolt together some pressure treated 4x4's and set it end on them. A couple of iron bands around will make a solid base when you tie your anvil down. Wood makes a better base than concrete. The problem with stumps is that they are rarely around when you need them. Another problem is that they are not always be right size for you.
May 7, 200917 yr Author Weighed this monster today 400# wow guess i guessed wrong thought it was around 200#?? never tried to pick it up thats what they made tractors for;)
May 7, 200917 yr very nice looking anvil i like it I'd also go for wood and bold the anvill down to it. it will take a way lots of ringing and shock. DC
May 7, 200917 yr Out that the Fine Arts Metals building here at NM Tech we found a large tree crotch cutting that turned upside down made a lovely stump for the bridge anvil---theough there has been suggestions to make it anatomically correct... If I was going to build one I would use 4x4" stock vertically with 2x8-12" on the ends to "box it in"
May 8, 200917 yr Really beautiful.. where did you find that bridge anvil? Are you gonna media blast the rust and debris off the bottom. I bet if you cleaned it up some it would be incredible!
May 10, 200917 yr Author Thinkin bout paintin it not sure yet? Got it at work gettin the face milled down flat. By the time i got all the big grooves out it was realy wavy. Guna use it for knife making so i need it fairly flat. That big face is guna work out nice for my knives:)
May 10, 200917 yr I think I speak for most of us when I say you've definitely got an anvil to be jealous of. If it were me, I would media blast the faces and bottom with glass beads or better yet, walnut shells. Then I would build a really solid steel stand for it made of 4x3x3/8's rectangular tubing or even 3x3x3/8's sq tubing with a 1.5-2" piece of plate that is a little bigger then the footing. This wan you can even device some sort of clamping mechanism for it in order to hold it down. Or you could just glue it using the sikha (sp?) adhesive they sell here. Looks like it's in quite good shape so you'll be loving that anvil.
May 10, 200917 yr Does anyone know or have access to the history of bridge anvils? What was their original use or fabrication purpose? When did they come into production?
May 10, 200917 yr Author Dont no how old this thing is but I dont think its cast iron it might be wrought iron but I dont know for sure but it didnt grind like cast and the fillings off it turned my whole driveway orange. Done alot of grindin out there and never had that happen??
May 11, 200917 yr Generally speaking, the longer the sparks, the softer the steel. The more sharp they are (like a 4'th of july sparkler) the harder the steel. When you say "turned my whole driveway orange" are we to assume that oxide and debris came off when you went to grind it? Follow Glens advice, start using it and then later you can decide if you want to clean it up/grind on it.
May 11, 200917 yr Avadon; they seem to have been fairly commonly used in the old oil patch for repointing cable tool drill bits and as such tend to be found in very poor condition. I have one bought in OK, I knew another one in OK (5 generation smith in Stroud who had flipped it over and used the smoother base to flatten plow points on) and had a retired friend who's father used them back in the 1930's in PA repointing cable tool bits. I also found one out here in NM associated with an old cable tool rig---it's currently "stored in use" at the NM Tech Fine Arts Metals building. The one he has is by far the cleanest one I have seen!
May 11, 200917 yr According to Richard Postman in his Book Anvils in America, yours is an Oil Field Anvil due to its low design, probably made of Malleable or semi steel. The Taller ones are Bridge or Railroad Anvils and were mostly Cast Iron and the arch was used for bending things an ordinary anvil would be able to, and they were generally in the 700 lb range.
May 11, 200917 yr a fellow had new ones at quadstate last year cast out of ( i believe ) S7 tool steel and it weighed 500 lbs. A very nice anvil if you are in need of a bridge anvil. Mike Tanner
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