andgott Posted April 25, 2010 Posted April 25, 2010 I FINALLY got my 130 Lb Arm & Hammer on a block! It has been patiently waiting in a corner of the garage for months now while I decided what kind of block to put it on. I need it to be portable- Since it lives in my studio area when I'm not using it, and I wheel it out when I need it. I suppose I could have gone with a tree stump, but leveling them is such a pain... I found some drawings on the Anvilfire page of a block made from 2 x 12's, and it looked like it would be ideal. So, I built one. It works VERY well. The way it is constructed with the 'offset' in the 2x's and straps at the top makes it a little wider, therefore a little more stable. That also makes some convenient storage 'holes' for hammers, hardies, etc. The two end boards are longer, and help to hold the anvil in place. Once I wedged it in to the block (with the angle stock), it was very solid- and not going anywhere. I strapped it down, too- Just to be sure. This anvil had a pretty loud ring to it- I didn't mind it too much, but it drove my wife crazy (not a very long drive, mind you ). But, when strapped down firmly in this block, it is a LOT quieter. I am actually amazed at how silent it is! I mounted this one so the face is a little above my knuckle level- Which seems to be where I am most comfortable working. It's nice to have one mounted at MY height rather than the ones that I use at the shop that are used by many people, and therefore at a 'generic' height that I find way too high for comfort... I've still got to mount my Mousehole- I think I'll make the stand for that one a touch taller, for when I do detailed work. -Andrew Quote
Bentiron1946 Posted April 25, 2010 Posted April 25, 2010 Be Careful about driving the wife nuts, it ain't fun when the wife is nuts! Been there done that. Now that is a right nice looking anvil block the way you staggered the wood stock, good idea there. :P Quote
pkrankow Posted April 26, 2010 Posted April 26, 2010 If she still has a negative opinion of the noise, just get a chain and wrap the waist. I use a landscaping chain, goes around 3-4 times if think, helps a lot on my Trenton. Nice block. Phil Quote
Paul42` Posted April 26, 2010 Posted April 26, 2010 Phil... Does one wrap the anvil or one's wife with the chain? Andrew... Like the stand - looks sharp! Quote
pkrankow Posted April 26, 2010 Posted April 26, 2010 I'll leave that up to you, but I wrap my anvil's waist. Phil Quote
Dodge Posted April 26, 2010 Posted April 26, 2010 That is one nice looking stand and with the off set boards and strapping, I'm sure it will be very functional! Good job, Andrew!! Quote
andgott Posted April 26, 2010 Author Posted April 26, 2010 Phil... Does one wrap the anvil or one's wife with the chain? Phew- Thanks for the clarification here- I ALMOST made a mistake. The chain goes on the ANVIL... Ooops. Actually, there is almost no ring now. Besides- she 'steals' about 1/2 of what I make most of the time anyway, so she can't complain :) Quote
ThomasPowers Posted April 26, 2010 Posted April 26, 2010 The rule is "Never date anyone crazier than you are". So if he is a blacksmith and his wife is only half crazy---well lets just say he's still got a lot of room there to continue dating her... Quote
pkrankow Posted April 26, 2010 Posted April 26, 2010 Also remember that you can't reason with crazy. Phil Quote
andgott Posted April 27, 2010 Author Posted April 27, 2010 Yes- It is important to keep the spouse sane & happy if you want to enjoy this hobby... I've found that a constant stream of trinkets from the forge helps out a lot She is, after all, the one that went to get these anvils for me- They came up on Craigslist while I was at sea- and I had to send her after them with a check :) Quote
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