Stump Prep. for new Anvil Stand

[Tractorshaft]

Gents,

Living in the "Elm City" (New Haven Connecticut) or close enough to smell it from here I have ready access to American Elm, of which I am going to use a stump to make a traditional anvil stand. Using an old technique taught to me by a friend who turns burls on a wood lathe, I de-barked the stump and let it dry out enough that it started to split a little around the sides. You then put it in a trashcan or any other watertight receptacle and put 100% anti-freeze (Ethelyene Glycol) in a couple of inches deep and keep it that way for a day or so. It will readily absorb the anti-freeze and unlike water, the anti-freeze causes a cellular change in the wood that will not dry out. The beauty of this process is that as the stump does dry out it will not split! Its amazing but true, now Elm is harder than Japanese arithmetic and generally resistant to splits but it will split, especially a de-barked piece. When one end has soaked a day in then solution, flip it end for end and give the other end equal time. Let it dry for a couple of weeks out in the yard with a couple of pieces of wood under it so air circulates, the stump will "Dry" out beautifully without waxing , shellacking or painting the ends. You may route it for the base of your anvil and rest confident that it will stay stable for many years. My friend when he was ready to turn bowls or vases would dry the wood out in the microwave, a big one and be danged if it did not remain stable throughout the entire process, turning, sanding and finishing. A pic is worth a thousand words so here goes...

Stump Long Term Anti-Split Protection "101"



See the small split forming on the edge if you look closely, when I flip it end for end and add some more anti-freeze this thing will swell up like a fat ladies ankles after eating a box of saltines.

Enjoy

Jerry

[ironsmith]

Thanks for the info man , that will come in handy for sure!:lol:

[Frank Turley]

Square it up to the same size as the anvil base. 2¢

[arftist]

Good post freind. Thanks.

[MattBower]

I once read somewhere that soaking hammer helves in antifreeze (after the head is mounted) will help keep them from shrinking, causing the head to get loose. I tried it on one of my hammers. I'm not sure if it worked, because I've forgotten which hammer it was. :lol:

[Tractorshaft]

I once read somewhere that soaking hammer helves in antifreeze (after the head is mounted) will help keep them from shrinking, causing the head to get loose. I tried it on one of my hammers. I'm not sure if it worked, because I've forgotten which hammer it was.

Hi Matt,

I use BLO (Boiled Linseed Oil) in a double boiler setup. I sand the handle of the loose tool a couple of inches up from the bottom of the head so it can soak in better. I also sand the top of the head where the wedges are. If you soak a loose one in warm to hot linseed or Tung Oil it will swell and stay swollen. I did a an old wooden handled sledge as a test with the warm BLO and left it out in the yard for over a year, rain, snow, hot or cold. It was still on there when I checked it out less than two weeks ago, I literally had to drill it out to replace it. The exterior looked a bit "Weathered" but less than a 1/16th under the weathered hickory was oily, hard Alabama hickory that appeared to be well preserved and wholly intact. I am glad you mentioned the alternative though, I do like the idea of the anti-freeze on the loose heads too. Its more watery consistency may allow even greater penetrative powers! You could be onto something here!

I will give it a test! I know the anti-freeze also keeps the bugs out of stumps that attract them without additional pesticides or hassles. Just keep the pets away from the bucket when soaking it, it "Piazan" as they say in Tuscaloosa

Jerry