Cross Pein Posted August 18, 2010 Share Posted August 18, 2010 A co-worker asked me today if I would consider lending my anvil for a musical performance by someone he knows. He sent me an email with a couple of links to what she has in mind. With this one, I may consider it, provided the percussionist promises to only strike the table - not the face or out on the horn. It would be cool to have a video of my anvil in concert! The second link was far more disturbing. If this is what she has in mind, no way with my old PW! What do you guys think? Would you do it? I need to get more information from the artist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted August 18, 2010 Share Posted August 18, 2010 I would consider it, but using a steel anvil may be better than a wrought iron anvil for several reasons. The tone *should* be more even and predictable, and less risk of damage to the anvil from the face separating are the first two. Specify that the hammer faces be softer than the anvil face, this should have no effect on the sound. It can also be done without removing the handles from the hammers by simply wrapping the handle and eye in a wet rag and heating to a softer temper. For the purpose of the music the hammers will likely never need redressed. The artists were all using very restrained or checked blows. A lot more show in the swing than power. The second video with the striking hammers you can see that they are pulling the head slow, and using a smaller head hammer. Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Salvati Posted August 18, 2010 Share Posted August 18, 2010 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim McCoy Posted August 18, 2010 Share Posted August 18, 2010 Blacksmith workers of the world unite!! Zowieeee - gotta love it. Donate a beater and turn'em loose :lol: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfootnampa Posted August 18, 2010 Share Posted August 18, 2010 Watch that video of Sam's... see the girl on the right hand anvil, left side? She is striking with her hammer corner!!! NO WAY DUDE!!! They need their own anvil! If you give em a loaner I'll hear the moaning from here... when they bring it back!! BTW notice that the anvil in the anvil chorus video is a farriers anvil. They like the thin heels and still pound pretty hard on them so they are generally all steel anvils... even so I bet they left a few dents in that one. Notice that the hammer to anvil weight ratio was WAY out of whack? I would only let those guys pound on my little chinese ASO! Even then only if they brought their own hammers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monstermetal Posted August 18, 2010 Share Posted August 18, 2010 They should have given that one girl a 6 lb hammer instead of a 10lber.... she didnt look like she was having as much fun as the rest of them.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monstermetal Posted August 18, 2010 Share Posted August 18, 2010 I watched all three videos..... there is no way I am lending them anything Id rather lend one to someone doing an anvil shoot! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete46 Posted August 18, 2010 Share Posted August 18, 2010 Anvil Shooters? Where? Somebody get a rope! :angry: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 18, 2010 Share Posted August 18, 2010 In those videos the strikers were dead on rught over the sweet spot. I would not trust a poorly trained striker with a sledge in the same room as one of my small anvils. What about giving them brass hammers? Emmert Studebaker of SOFA used to tap out "shave and a haircut, 2 bits" on the anvil with a small ballpeen and I watched and practiced so I can do it in his memory. (And at least the rock video they were actually hitting hot metal! and at least one person was wearing safety glasses at the grinder...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youngdylan Posted August 18, 2010 Share Posted August 18, 2010 Of all the awful music they could have chose, they chose one by Queen ......F.F.S. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cross Pein Posted August 20, 2010 Author Share Posted August 20, 2010 Thanks for all your advice. I was seriously considering it, with the proper controls in place. As it turns out, when she learned how much the anvil weighs - it is only a 100 pounder! - about 150 to 175 with the stump - she changed her mind. I guess she wasn't very serious in the first place. I liked the brass hammer idea, Thomas, that one sounded safe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fciron Posted August 20, 2010 Share Posted August 20, 2010 Sorry, it didn't go through. I lent an anvil along with a soft steel hammer for a performance by a local high school orchestra and they were quite pleased. No harm done to the anvil. I think I may have a video somewhere; they sent it to me, don't know if I saved it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted August 20, 2010 Share Posted August 20, 2010 The following will show beating an anvil is not necessary to make it sing. THE BLACKSMITH SONG (1942), another Spike Jones novelty tune, deals with World War II-era shortages, as a village blacksmith returns to prosperity, thanks to wartime tire rationing. (Note that the patriotic and ration-conscious "horse" accepts only one lump of sugar instead of two.) When glass meets sledge hammer the results are well..smashing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted August 20, 2010 Share Posted August 20, 2010 Blacksmith at the Biltmore House in Asheville NC Playing a Song on the Anvil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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