Made a new anvil stand for my 280 pound Fisher yesterday.


The general idea!


The parts.....or at least most of them!


One leg on!


Me making a cheescake!


One leg on and the bracing for the other two!


The stand....just need the pieces on the edge to hold the anvil on.




The stand on a piece of realy rusty metal!


Finished! The stand is very stable, does not get in the way at all and is pretty light.

The base is 1/8" plate supported by 1x1x1/4" angle iron. The legs are two inch pipe, 1/4" wall, filled with sand and the feet on the legs are just some scrap 3 inch channel.

I will probably weld a tool rack and shelf on the front.

Thoughts???

Sturdy enough. I would clean the rust off the parts to get better welds.

All around nice work,hope you don`t mind a few minor suggestions.
If it was mine I would probably grind back those shin barking sharp corners but then again you`re probably more graceful and have better eyesight than I do seeing as how you`re about 1/3 my age.
Old duffers like me usually get hung up on every sharp corner in a fifty foot radius so I round every one I find.

If you look around at some of the pics of other anvil stands you can find additions like shelves/racks that will clip onto the edges of your anvil retaining strips and can be placed on any side of the anvil that is convenient.
I think Pep also posted an ingenious removable, articulated arm that not only held one of these shelves/racks but also served as an adjustable work support.Beats trying to hold the work between your knees while having a top tool on one hand and a hammer in the other.

I also like Brian`s tip on holes in the feet and incorporated it my stand.Staking the stand down to the ground really does make a difference.
We all know bolting a stand to the shop floor makes a big difference too if the anvil doesn`t get moved at all.

I really like having it set up so one leg is the middle of the side---allows you to belly up to the anvil ; or stand sideways to it and work. However; I would have not used channel foot grabbers on the bottom of the legs!

Good suggestions, all! I finished out the welds on the lip edge and then welded on a shelf, and tool racks on three sides, leaving the normal working side open.....then I came in and read all the posts! LOL I don't suppose I'm the sharpest hardie in the shop! Anyway, The racks work good and the shelf is handy! I like the idea of the swinging shelf that can become a stock holder/third arm. I'll have to look into that!

It is going to be an awfully big challenge bolting the anvil stand to gravel!
I'm not sure if I am going to put cement in my shop but I don't think I am. If I do, and I find a spot where the anvil always stays, I'll bolt it!

Thomas:
I enjoy your criticism greatly! I hesitated about the channel feet, but my steel yard was out of these handy little disks of 1/8" plate that they usually have. So I went with the channel! It actually isn't in the way. Before I welded them on, I moved them around to see where the best, out-of-th-way spot would be.
Thank you all for your thoughts and suggestions!

One more thing I did today was to cut a piece of metal that runs under the anvil stand and bolts to each of the bolt ears on the anvil. There is a piece of angle under the anvil which gives this bolting bar a spring affect and fastenes the anvil very securely to the stand!


What I made to be the working side!


The far side! Notice the hammer!

I'm painting red as that is the color I have chosen for my shop! Kinda goes with the Fiery Furnace part!

Nifty, I like it. Ive been pretty happy with my three legged metal stand for my anvil. Mines red tooooo. the first color i reached for in the shop.

Glad to see you've lured to weld, Great skill.

I have been really happy to see all your post over the last year or so. I remember seeing you in Eddy Rainys shop some time ago with Olcmolgee Guild. I wish you the best with your family and hope to see a great deal more work and learning from you!

Mackenzie Martin

Oh so you were at that meeting at Eddy's!? Unfortunately that was the only meeting I ever made before we moved up here to Ky! I'd hate to see the leaf I demonstrated now! LOL!

I think I like the red! Turned out nicely!
I'm repairing an old forge too so I'll try to fire it up tomorrow, mount the anvil and get some pics of both!



I'll get some better pictures tomorrow too!
I like the idea of the tool rack that forms the third arm and I may try to do that once I get things organized/set up in my shop!

Complete and finished!




Close up of corners, welds, and tool racks.


The spring bolting system that runs under the stand to each of the anvil's bolt ears.


Does it look short to y'all? I built it to the knuckle height so commonly recommended, but I am actually used to using it a good 4-6 inches higher. I used it today and it felt a little awkward but I suppose I shall become ucustomed to it.

I was worried about stability because the stand only weighs 40 pounds or so and the anvil weighs 280. I was particularly worried about instability to the front righ or left. So I tested both of those areas.



I weigh 120 pounds so as long as I don't excede that on the horn or heel it's not tipping over. A great comfort! Oh and I am not hanging on the chain.....just ballancing. ALL my weight was on the tip of the horn.


Just for fun! :lol:

Knuckle height is a great one when you are using top tools and a striker. You may want to raise it if it's just you and a hammer! One method is to slip 1" wood under it until your back doesn't hurt after a long day and your hammer marks are still good!

Very nice work and creativity, but wouldnt an oak stump work just as well?.......Good job!

quick and simple adjustment would be to drill two holes in each foot pad, then you could slip a little 2by4 block or a 4by4 block under each foot and screw them in place. if ya decide you want it lower you simply unscrew the wood blocks. I would definitely give it a try, i find knuckle height way to low for me, you don't want to bend over all day, your back will have a fit, and you'll never hit vary hard if youre leaned way over!

I like wrist high. Since I work on a gravel drive I dig down a bit till I am comfy. I like lower for striking. Again on a gravel drive I can build up a bit.

No problem to raise the anvil then build a low step platform for certain tasks.

Phil

An oak stump works well, but weighs about twice as much and doesn't allow you to get as close to the anvil. Not a biggy......I've used one for the last 5 years....still do!

Yes wrist high is nice. At JCC Folk School this past week I worked 10 hour days for about a week at wrist high and didn't have any back trouble!

So.....I'm going to slide some 2x4 blocks under that channel and see if that's better.

Next project for new shop.......new forge with side draft hood! Got the metal for the legs, hood, base, and firepot......need to scrounge for leg supports, third arm, tuyere, and clinker breaker.

Thanks for the comments!

]Dave, when ya drill holed for the blocks. Add an extra hole. Make up 3 giant rebar nails. makes a good gravel/dirt anchor.
Ken

LOL Good idea.....exept for the part where I'm about 6 inches above solid limestone! LOL Is a 6 inch nail considered giant in this case?

Seriously though, I may try that as there are some holes in the limestone so maybe my anvil will be on top of one of the holes.

We drove a full 8' ground rod in the ground all of the way without hitting rock not 50 feet away from where they busted 500 pound chunks out by the dozen! Wierd!

I was going to comment on your not leaving tabs to bole thru the anvils built in lugs on the base plate, then noticed you ran a strap underneath it to do so. Wouldn't it have been a stronger build to have bolted anvil direct to the bottom plate? Did you have a reason for not doing that?
Bear

I'm cutting with a 4 inch disk grinder so it is easier to cut straight lines across plate instead of trying to cut ears. I wanted to keep the stand as small as possible so that's why I didn't allow extra on the side to bolt to. Finally the strap is stronger than welding ears under the bolt ears on the anvil. That's my thought on the matter, do you agree? Please criticise my reasoning! :D