Anvil Stand designs thoughts...

[Ulric]

I've got squat for welding exp & materials for welding a stand, but plenty of wood.

With that in mind, Im thinking of two designs possibilities.

Both are a rectangular 'box' of 2x12's, filled with concrete.

1 design, involves sinking a 3" pipe 2-3' in the ground, approx 15" above ground. Bolts/anchors can be sunk into the top (of the concrete) to be used to anchor the anvil down.
Properly done this should make a relatively stable base and allow the anvil to the snugged down fairly tight... if I need to take the anvile somewhere it'd be a matter of removing the nuts from the anchor, lifting the anvil and then lifting the 'box' from the core.

Alternative to using the anchor/bolts up top....is run a pair of smaller pipes through the box sides, to tie to as anchors. Again, if it's done right, it should be possible to loosen the anchors, pull the two pipes out and lift the box off the core, if I need to take it somewhere.

The central pipe functions as reinforcement to a degree, an provides stability as well as an anchor to the ground.
Based on rough (inner) dimensions of 12x9x20, it gives me a rough final weight around 250#+

[Ramsberg]

Ulric,

My experience with bolting down anvils is that the vibration of the hammering loosens the nuts constantly, I was using 1" threaded rods to bolt the anvil to two brake drums from a semi that I had welded together. None of the above worked all that greatly.

The best all around anvil stand that I have used was a tree stump with the anvil held down with L shaped spikes, forged of course. The best of the best would be to have a log buried at least as much into the ground as is exposed. Then to use the anvil somewhere else, just have a "mobile" stump and un-spike the anvil from the main stump.

Concrete isn't a bad idea, but really hard packed sand inside the same box would also give you the ability to adjust the height of the anvil stand, the box would of course need to be a bit more sturdy in that case.

I hope that some of these ideas are of some use.

Caleb Ramsby

[thecelticforge]

I'd go with banding it down to the wood with crossed strips of steel. Once it is banded down you can tighten it with pieces of wood. It also will help to silence the anvil.

[arftist]

I was told that "the" way to mount an anvil is to find an elm tree, cut it above the first fork, bury with the fork down, in a hole six feet deep, with gravel under it, then mount the anvil on top. Haven't seen this method used to my knowlege, just mentioning for those who may be capable of doing so. My method is to find a stout round of white oak (doesn't rot, strong and hard, locust would also work well), make a good base of 3/8 plate with flatbar welded to it to lag bolt into the stump. I make straps of 1/2x 1 1/2 bar, which I bend around the anvil and lag into the top of the stump. I make them a little short so the lags can be tight. This makes a heavey, stable base that doesn't move in use and is good indoors or out.

[Ulric]

Have a lot of wood to convert to charcoal, but stand quality was/is hardy. Lot of pine, most the oak tends to rot out the center before the trees fall.

Roamed around the 'pasture' a bit, and found a log that's large enough, has minimal splits and no rot. So I'll probably be trying this first, it's a rough 13-15" diameter.

[clinton]

You must want that log pretty bad, using a hand saw? I can't rember the last time I saw anyone use a hand saw to cut a board, much less a log (LOL)
I prefer a tripod myself but there is a way to use a stump here is the link to prep it
http://www.blksmth.com/Anvi_base_preparation.htm

[Ulric]

You must want that log pretty bad, using a hand saw? I can't rember the last time I saw anyone use a hand saw to cut a board, much less a log (LOL)
I prefer a tripod myself but there is a way to use a stump here is the link to prep it
http://www.blksmth.com/Anvi_base_preparation.htm

Didn't have a chainsaw available at the time, only took 45 minutes to saw that sucker. I figure if our ancestors did it, I could at least do it once...and for a 'hand saw' it's pretty darn big. :-)

[EWCTool]

I want to make an anvil stand out of old railroad ties. I can get them for pretty cheap near me. I want them because I figure they won’t rot very quickly, and I could bolt a couple together to support the anvil. Then bury them below the frost line to make sure that it is stable. Do you think that this would work?

[RBrown]

Find a tree growing the right size for an anvil stand cut tree with trunk at right size to put anvil on and build shop around it.
Im only half way joking i have one in my shop lol.

[VaughnT]

Pressure-treated pine 6x6's from the lumber yard. Cut to the proper length and bolted together, they do well especially if you put a layer of silicone caulk between the anvil and the wood.

[Conrad Hodson]

I want to make an anvil stand out of old railroad ties. I can get them for pretty cheap near me. I want them because I figure they won’t rot very quickly, and I could bolt a couple together to support the anvil. Then bury them below the frost line to make sure that it is stable. Do you think that this would work?

Should work well enough. I assume the ties aren't already half rotten--it would be worth the trouble to scrounge or even buy sound ones.

My own main anvil is mounted much this way, though I used a four-foot section of the largest size of utility pole, which is 16 inch diameter and heavily creosoted. I dug a hole in my smithy about three feet deep, and then poured gravel in and tamped it until I had the proper height for the anvil base.

The results surprised me. Three blows were doing what had needed four blows before, compared to various sit-on-the-ground stumps and stands. Given that the anvil weighs 350 pounds, I wouldn't have thought the base would make so much difference--but it does. The creosote has kept rot and termites and carpenter ants at bay for over twenty years now. (I do have a roof that keeps the ground dry, though our water table comes within a few inches of the surface during our winter rainy season.)

The one thing with the ties is that I wouldn't spare the bolts. You don't want one shifting past the other, since the whole point of all that digging is to reduce the amount of "give" in the system.

Conrad Hodson

[BlackSmithBear]

I'm using a stump with my 120# Trenton,fastened down with a forged clamp on two ends of the anvil Lag bolted into the stump.

I copied this hold down from the one in the historic shop I work in.

[chyancarrek]

for a 'hand saw' it's pretty darn big. :-)

Looks like the short cousin to a Misery Whip - you can quick-cut a lot o' wood with one if you keep it sharp!