setting an anvil in dirt floor

[urnesBeast]

Wanted to share what I have done, and get some advice since I am half way through the project.

I have a #335 Euro anvil and am setting up my new smithy. It has a dirt floor. After a while using the smithy, I figured out a good orientation and location for the anvil.

I acquired a tree trunk of the right diameter, fresh fallen ash, 8 ft long. The trunk forks about midway.

I have dug a hole 57 inches deep, about 1.5 feet wider than needed. The whole is elongated so I can slide the trunk (fork down) into the hole and as it slides down it should be easy to get into a vertical orientation. Frost line is 4 feet here. So I am already 10 inches deeper, and could go deeper if needed.

I painted the forked end of the trunk to stop checking.

The smithy is has a slope down and away on one side, but is down slope from the road. So far in digging it seems like dry sandy clay after one foot of rocky nastyness (it was a horse barn before)

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The rest of the plan is to cut to the right length, chainsaw off the bark (if this is not needed, I would like to know) I would then use boiled linseed oil to preserve it. Likely mixing it with coal dust too. I plan to put some kind of taper on the above ground bit so I can have a band that gets tightened by hammering down. I think it would be easier to just put a band it and nail it to the stump. If this would be sufficient, I will do that.

I was going to back fill the hole with gravel, any rocks I found in excvation. I am hoping this will keep any possible water away from the trunk. The clay san is nice to walk on, so I am glad to just use it to cover my floor with instead of hiding it in the hole again.

I would set the anvil on top with silicone or caulk or something. If needed strap it down, but the silicone on my current stand is plenty.

Ideas?

[Glenn]

Dig down below the bottom of the wood for a bit of a dry well to collect any water and keep it away from the wood.

One consideration, to split wood you hit it on the bottom end (where you intend to put your anvil). I would definitely make a couple of metal bands on the log, one at the top and one down a bit, to hold the log together. Use flat bar and weld a piece of angle iron to each end with a gap between the tow ends. A bolt can be used to squeeze the ring against the log. As to treating the wood, look to the old time methods, as they worked.

Pack the gravel against the log except for the last 6 inches or so and build that up with rammed clay to shed water.

[Fosterob]

You need to put gevel and/or small rocks in the bottom of your hole so the end grain of your stump stays as dry as possible. moisture is absorbed mostly through the end grain. Like Glenn said a dry well.
Do this anytime wood is buried in the ground, like fence posts etc.
Rob

[rustyshackleford]

Should be an interesting endeavour! I wouldn't bother linseeding; charring the end of a post before setting it in the ground was standard procedure, you may consider dumping some fine charcoal in the bottom, though you're talking about setting it at a level deeper than bugs like. Gravel would be prudent though, as would a band, but I would wait until you have a little shrinkage. Debarking will allow the wood to dry more effectively, and helps keep bugs off. Pics pics pics :)

[urnesBeast]

I like the idea of not linseeding if people think is is not needed.

I have seen ZERO evidence of water or life in this soil/sand.

I would rather not debark this thing if it is unneeded.

I have already painted the buried ends, but I could charm them instead, especially if I cut them off because this is too long.

Gravel/coal at the bottom is easy. I will be gravel back filling a lot of this.

[thecelticforge]

About the only thing I can think of to add is you may wish to put a piece of plywood on top of the stump with shims underneath. I know I can't cut straight with a chain saw.

[Dave Hammer]

The reason to take bark off is to avoid the holding or sapping of moisture. Moisture will facilitate the rotting of the trunk. Ground will always have some moisture in it. Your anvil base will last longer if you take the bark off.

[pkrankow]

Debark and paint with something, shellac or linseed. Paint the end grain well, and the exposed sides to a depth of about a foot below grade. This will encourage even drying of the log and prevent checking and splitting.

Phil

[fciron]

I can see that debarking is a messy chore, but think about how much work it would be to replace the whole thing. It's a couple hours work that could save you days down the line if it mean the difference between replacing this stump someday or leaving it as a problem for future generations.

[clinton]

When you get it set you can use a router to level the top then cut in the shape of your anvil so it sits in there real nice. Here is a link showing how to do it
http://www.blksmth.com/Anvi_base_preparation.htm

[thingmaker3]

Debarking is needed. Bacteria, as well as any insects, will get into the under-bark if the bark is not taken off. Then the wood will be loose inside the outer bark.

[Stash]

I would definitely debark- I've found ash to be particularly desireable to powder post beetles. Before backfilling might be an idea to apply a borax wash and let it dry.

Steve

[Glenn]

I ask Irnsrgn and got this reply

They usually fired, (charred) the part (upto 6 ft) that was buried. When Jim Hills Paint and Glass bought my Uncles old shop, which he purchased from another smith. They dug down 6 feet below the floor and still couldn't get it out, so they just chainsawed it off and filled in the hole, The stump was surrounded by a foot of gravel and sand and the wood was in excellent shape yet. Their are still several Stave Churches existing from ancient times that the staves (buried log ends) of the walls are still in excellent shape in Europe. Jr.

[rustyshackleford]

You don't have to debark the whole thing, but do at least a 3-5" strip down the side top to bottom

[Mainely,Bob]

Here`s what I know from sawing and drying hardwood.
Take all the bark off.The bark attracts insects and is the first part of the tree to rot and becomes a sponge to hold moisture close to the sapwood(outer layer of wood)which will rot more quickly than the heartwood in the center of the tree.
Soak the endgrain with some sort of sealer(wax emulsion is what the pros use) or it will crack excessively.
Expect at least one big crack to run from the center to the OD in one place with ash and several smaller cracks as it drys.That`s the function of the bands some people wrap theses stumps with,they keep the splits from opening up wide.

Don`t know what`s available near you but up here ash would be a less that optimum choice for this.I`d look for a type of wood that was stable,has interlocking grain and was rot resistant.
White oak(not red oak),locust and catalpa would be good choices.

[peacock]

Locust will last for sure I have post in the ground that my grandfather put in and he died in 1925. Also some that I helped my Dad put in (locust) we have tried to remove one and can,t get it out. Dad would build a fire put the log on it when fresh cut the heat would cause the sap to boil which would loosen the bark so it could be pealed off easily. We then put tar on the end grain in the ground and another band of tar about 1 foot wide statring at ground level down Dad said it keeps the water and bugs out. Some of these have a 1/2 mile of fence stretched on them. Been in the ground outside for 50 plus years and still solid

[urnesBeast]

So, I played with this more today.

I had dug down five feet. I then took various and asundry rocks and delicately threw them in the hole. It is now a 4 foot deep hole, with a foot of rocks in the bottom.

I cut the split part of the trunk to an appropriate height.

I tried to shave the bark off with a chainsaw. This was not particularly efficient. I tried a rasp. That was labor intensive, but was working. Looking for a good angle grinder blade for it.

I got out the torch, that got the bark smouldering. That might be enough. How much smouldering is enough?

Doug

[urnesBeast]

You don't have to debark the whole thing, but do at least a 3-5" strip down the side top to bottom

From the storm, there is already a debarked strip like that. Why is just a strip good enough?

[pkrankow]

Got a draw knife?

Phil

[pip]

where do you live? where i live the freeze line is 4 inches.

[rustyshackleford]

From the storm, there is already a debarked strip like that. Why is just a strip good enough?

Ah, then you're golden. That's all it takes for the wood to 'breathe' and dry out properly is all! :)

[irnsrgn]

any bark at all left will deteriorate and either let the wood slip inside the stump or draw moisture and bugs. Its easy to debark, just girdle the log every foot with a hatchet to sever the bark into sections then use a bark spud,( A tool with a covex cutting edge about 3 to 4 inches wide welded to a 1/2 or 3/4 inch pipe handle and start it under a section that has been girdled and pry the bark up, go all the way around the log and it will just fall off.

Fireing(charring) the bottom portion about an inch deep in an open fire, dries the wood, seals it and kills any insects present. If a job is worth doing, do it right the first time.

[ThomasPowers]

WHERE ARE YOU AT?

Down here termites will be a much bigger problem than rot.

When I lived in NJ ash would easily debark using a barking spud.

As the bark ages/wears it will supply a wonderful spark catcher---remove it!

For my shop anvil I have a large old mine timber that will be buried---dry, creosoted---IIRC it's about 1x2x4 *feet*. Finding large wood except for cottonwood is hard out here.

[thecelticforge]

Lucky me, I used a large cypress log that I painted down with a boric acid solution.

[urnesBeast]

WHERE ARE YOU AT?

Down here termites will be a much bigger problem than rot.

When I lived in NJ ash would easily debark using a barking spud.

As the bark ages/wears it will supply a wonderful spark catcher---remove it!

For my shop anvil I have a large old mine timber that will be buried---dry, creosoted---IIRC it's about 1x2x4 *feet*. Finding large wood except for cottonwood is hard out here.

I am in Boston. Frost line is about 4 feet. This inside a well insulated building.