OK, my new anvil is a 70lb block of tool steel from the local yard, un-hardened. I have an oak log 51" in length sunk into the ground so 27" or so is above ground. Would you lay the steel on the stump ( or sink it) so it's a 10" x 5" work area or sink half the length into the stump for a 5x5 working area?
Thanks in advance!

OK, my new anvil is a 70lb block of tool steel from the local yard, un-hardened. I have an oak log 51" in length sunk into the ground so 27" or so is above ground. Would you lay the steel on the stump ( or sink it) so it's a 10" x 5" work area or sink half the length into the stump for a 5x5 working area?
Thanks in advance!

I'd say it depends on what you want to do with it.
If you plan on doing a lot of blade work, I would be tempted to lay it on its side so you can work the full length of knife blades.
If you're planning on going more general smithing work and are looking for maximum rebound effect and efficiency, then placing it on its end will put more mass under your hammer.
Either way, good luck with it.
Cheers.

Both. Set up your stump so you can stand the block either way. I would say for most of what you do on end will work and be most efficient, but occasionally you may want to lay it on the sides. You can radius different corners to different radii for different things. I wouldn't do all the mods right away I would do them as you find a need. You may find you want to grind a slight hollow on one side to help you straighten bars, or you may find that is not helpful for what you are doing.

i would personally choose to put it on its end as it will give more rebound and it will give more height (my stump stump alone is 22" with a 12" anvil on top and it is still about 3" of the optimum height for me personally).harden the face as well.

An old friend of mine used a 16# sledge hammer head let into a stump for a knife anvil for a long time before he got a "real" anvil. After he got his real anvil he started missing his handy little 16# sledge hammer head anvil for his small tasks so he rolled it back out on the floor and continued using it for his less than huge projects. I think you'll find the 5"x5" work area will be nice for most of what you want to accomplish. It's more the depth of the anvil that counts than the area of the anvil. That's one of the problems with a RR anvil, lots of area but not much mass under the hammer unless you stand it on end. :blink:

I hope came home, that is a nice anvil size.

Phil

Remember, other than for straightening, which you can do on something else, only the area under the hammer is required to forge.

Provided the anvil is bigger than the face of your hammer what more do you need? -Actually quite a lot for some functions but just hammering on steel you don't need a big area. The more steel under the hammer the better so I would put it on end.