rlbaker Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 Built our new shop two years back and "dry fit" equipment in different arrangements to facilitate the perfect work flow. In old shop had previously mounted my main anvil on a 18"soni-tube formed concrete base.Stout pieces of angle with epoxied all-thread held it to the slab. Did same in new shop but while installing thought I would add a thick layer of silicon caulking between bottom of base and slab in addition to epoxied bolts to further give me the best connection. Today,two years later, when I decided to move anvil to new location I realized I made a mistake using the siliicon , cant get it to budge. Hooked gantry to anvil and tried pounding wedges under base while pulling up with chain hoist, nothing doing. Shifted to hydraulic jack wedged under horn, nothing doing. I guess I will break out the jackhammer with a scaling chisel type bit and see what happens though I'm pretty sure I'll just bust up the bottom of the base and have to toss it. I think I'll go back to a stump base. My power hammer is on a bed of 6x6's and I also laid down a bed of silicon under them, makes me wonder how tenaciousy they are stuck down to the slab, though at least with them I could slide a long demolition blade on sawzall under the sleepers and pry them up one at a time. At the time I wasn't sure what sort of a bond I would get between the two faces of concrete,now I know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pulsepushthepopulace Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 liquid nitrogen... freeze it... makes it brittle... then try your wedges again... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfootnampa Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 The silicon can easily be cut! Do not use a blunt instrument! Sharpened putty knife might do it. I have cut cabinet fasteners that way. For the silicon SHARP is the key. Lots of force it will just bend and stretch but a sharp edge will cut your anvil loose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John McPherson Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 Next time, put a layer of wax paper or plastic wrap between the anvil and the caulk. Trim to base when cured. Still requires some sort of mechanical fasteners, but it deadens the sound, and allows eventual removal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tubularfab Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 Could you use a very small diameter cable to saw through the silicone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulKrzysz Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 Use a yellow exacto knife with the disposable blades. Like other have sead it needs to be sharps. The blades are sharp and very thin, so they can get in between the steel and concrete. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanBrassaw Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 I laid my Trenton down in caulk the first time I mounted it, and it came off with almost no effort. The secret was not cleaning, dusting, wire brushing, degreasing, or in any way presenting a clean metal surface for the silicone to bond to! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aljeter Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 I laid my Trenton down in caulk the first time I mounted it, and it came off with almost no effort. The secret was not cleaning, dusting, wire brushing, degreasing, or in any way presenting a clean metal surface for the silicone to bond to! That is funny! Like others have said the silicon needs to be cut not pulled apart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rlbaker Posted February 14, 2013 Author Share Posted February 14, 2013 The problem isn't the caulk between the anvil and top of concrete base, it is the caulk between bottom of base and the slab. The slab was new and clean and dead flat, anvil base weighs several hundred lbs, anvil weighs 300 lbs so collectively there has been maybe 700lbs pressing one smooth concrete surface to another smooth concrete surface for two years. Combine that to the surface area of an 18" diameter base and it is really stuck together, thats a lot of stuck surface area to pull apart and the fit is so close the layer of caulk is maybe the thickness of a piece of paper. It just occurred to me that maybe I can take lemons and make lemonade and after fabbing an adapter bracket I can leave the base where it is and use it for one of my swage blocks or another leg vise!! Actually I've been thinking I needed to mount another leg vise for quite some time now so this is the perfect opportunity, now I'm glad I didnt go crazy with the jackhammer yesterday. Thanks to everyone for any and all feedback on this issue, sometimes all one needs is the passage of a little time to get the solution to a perceived problem and turn it into a nonproblem.Bob. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dale M. Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 Could you use a very small diameter cable to saw through the silicone? This would be my first choice for solution... Dale Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stromam Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 The problem isn't the caulk between the anvil and top of concrete base, it is the caulk between bottom of base and the slab. The slab was new and clean and dead flat, anvil base weighs several hundred lbs, anvil weighs 300 lbs so collectively there has been maybe 700lbs pressing one smooth concrete surface to another smooth concrete surface for two years. Combine that to the surface area of an 18" diameter base and it is really stuck together, thats a lot of stuck surface area to pull apart and the fit is so close the layer of caulk is maybe the thickness of a piece of paper. It just occurred to me that maybe I can take lemons and make lemonade and after fabbing an adapter bracket I can leave the base where it is and use it for one of my swage blocks or another leg vise!! Actually I've been thinking I needed to mount another leg vise for quite some time now so this is the perfect opportunity, now I'm glad I didnt go crazy with the jackhammer yesterday. Thanks to everyone for any and all feedback on this issue, sometimes all one needs is the passage of a little time to get the solution to a perceived problem and turn it into a nonproblem.Bob. I like this solution the best. Why destroy the best mount you've got? Just re-purpose it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C.D. Mitchell Posted February 15, 2013 Share Posted February 15, 2013 The part of me that doesn't like feeling defeated would have a hard time walking away from that one. After not being able to move it, I probably would have grabbed a sledge or jackhammer and busted it apart rather than letting a block of concrete get the best of me. I guess that's why patience often leads to better decisions, nice job figuring how to re-use it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted February 16, 2013 Share Posted February 16, 2013 Just put some pressure on it sideways and take a wire saw to the caulking. Using a cable is the same basic idea but you can buy wire saws at sporting goods stores, hardware stores or nurseries. These are the saws with a ring at each end you tie to a cord and throw over a tree limb so you can cut it without having to climb a ladder. Just don't stand under the limb unless someone is videoing! Putting side pressure on your anvil will keep it from pinning the saw as the caulking is cut. Once in a ways slip a couple wedges in the cut to do the same. You don't want enough side pressure it'll fall over as the caulking starts to give way. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.