mslisaj Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 I wanted to start this new thread under this topic as I am kind of changing the subject. For all the men that gave me such good advice on buying my first anvil and what to look for I thank you. But for the last two weeks it's been sitting on the floor and I have been using it there but it needed a real stand of it's own. When I bought the anvil it came with the "stump" that he probably had been sitting on for the last 10 years or longer. it was too low at 18" and the top wasn't level. I have spent the last two weeks looking at options and I just got lost in the confusion as to what to do. So yesterday I had this idea or raising the stump I had and leveling and squaring it up. So that is what I did. I just happened to have four 4X4's that were 15" long left over from another project and when I laid them together and put the stump on them my height was about perfect. Well, I am a metalsmith and not much of a carpenter so I didn't have a belt sander but I had my big grinder and I had a brand new course grinding disk that I put on it. Then I went to work grinding this stump down to make it level and square. I used a big level as my straight edge too. I ground down one end and then flipped it over and went after the other side. When I was done and put it on the blocks it was the absolute perfect height for me. With the anvil the surface is exactly 30 1/2" high. Next I screwed the blocks together with some very interesting, kind of expensive wood screws that came with their own star drive tool bit. They were 5/16" X 5 1/8" long so I had plenty of bite. Then I used six more screws to screw this block base to the bottom of my stump. Then I placed my anvil on top and was very pleased BUT the anvil had a little rock to it. NO GOOD!! So I worked for about 90 minutes with the grinder leveling out the top and fitting the anvil to the stump so it was absolutely solid. I then made base clamps to bolt down the anvil and round wooden index plates to go in the indentations in the side of the anvil base. I used another gentleman's idea and took my torch and kind of "antiqued" everything so make it look kind of it's age. The anvil seems to be working perfectly. Rebound is like it was on the floor and the only difference I can tell is the loud ring is less and moderated now. But I am ready to heat some metal and give it a try when I finish my little Buffalo Forge. Here is the link to the original thread of how I found and the purchase process of this Henry Wright.'?do=embed' frameborder='0' data-embedContent>> Thanks for all the advice and I hope you like my project. Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 Nice job Lisa. It isn't workable on this modification but a good way to get a block to stop rocking is to grind or sand a shallow depression in the center. Using the 4x4s to bring it up to height takes that off the table but sounds like you have it under control. You are SOOOOO going to fit right in here, blacksmiths are problem solvers and you are one for sure. Well done. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matto Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 Looks good and to use a 7 " grinder to sand down a stump, adapt and overcome!! Use what you got to get the job done, but get the job done! Really looks good. If you ever have a permanent spot for it you still have good meat on the 4x4s to bolt it down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arftist Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 Good job. That was a lot of work, but will pay good dividends. Also, very glad to see the guard still on the grinder. I bring my own grinder where ever I go since so seldom do grinders have the guards still intact. It is almost never in the way, and if it is I take it off, but them promptly replace it. One accessory you may want to consider for your big grinder is a rubber backing pad which can hold sanding disks. The hard wheel takes you only so far in finishing. Flap wheels work well but are very expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mslisaj Posted April 11, 2014 Author Share Posted April 11, 2014 Thank you gentlemen for the comments and compliments. I worked really hard to get it rock steady as I no way wanted a rocker anywhere with this set up. Any pro blacksmith would be happy to use this and have no complaints. As I collect hammers and tools I will be building a rack system to go around the stump to hold it. So it's a work in progress. Great idea about grinding the center out to get it flat. I knew that trick but then again I wanted full support and contact. I just took the time needed to get it perfectly flat and not have to shim out the unevenness. On the grinder guard, all my grinders and saws have all the original guards in place. On the big grinder in the picture I have used that machine for over 25 years and never once had a need to take that guard off. I do think what would happen if a wheel or blade failed and flew apart. This equipment is designed to eat steel and wood and can do a lot of damage to something soft like flesh. Besides the older I get the more respect I have for this stuff On the rubber backing pad and sanding disk. I had that stuff out on the bench but have only used it on my air grinder and it would not fit this machine. I was going to go out and buy the necessary stuff but I just got lazy and decided to try what I had and make it work. I had to be careful as the disk that I used would but in and for the finish work I had to keep it moving and use more of the flat wheel. But again I got the job done. If I had to do it again I would definitely get the correct "sanding" pad for it. So there you go gentlemen, I am so happy to have this all together and now just finish the forge and I'll be heating metal real soon. Just found a 2 pound rounding hammer and I feel like a blacksmith now. Thanks again, Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 Very nice fix. The extra width of the base will only make the whole thing more stable, and that's a good thing! You can kill the ringing of the anvil (on the order of 70% reduction or better) by bedding the anvil in some silicone caulk. Just lift it up, squeeze a tube of caulk under it, and set it back down. I'm not sure exactly what it's doing, but it's really nice to not have to deal with that church bell ringing any more! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mslisaj Posted April 11, 2014 Author Share Posted April 11, 2014 On the ring........... The only place this has a REAL ring is out on the heal. Over the base and the horn is more of a very nice clang. It rang like a bell sitting on the floor but I think it being bolted down like it is deadened the "bell". But I appreciate the advice and thank you for your comment. Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 Ayup, the heel's going to ring more than the rest though the horn comes in a close second. The heal is thin so the hard steel face plate is a larger fraction of the whole and being thin it will resonate more easily and more loudly. you ought to hear my Soderfors on a wood stand, ear plugs and muffs and it'll make your ears ring after a missed blow. The trick to control anvil noise is to stop the resonance. As suggested, bedding the anvil in silicone or similar will deaden overall ring. I found wool felt works really well as bedding noise control but dirt under it helped considerably. All that ramble aside, your loud zone is the heal and that's hard to deaden well. Winding a chain around the waist will help but sticking a magnet under the heal is about as effective as I know about. A magnet is going to absorb the shock wave generated by impact and return it to the anvil However it'll be out of a different frequency than the anvil so they will damp out. this is how they work, same with a chain though the mechanics of a chain is a little different the effect is the same they damp the vibration. The magnet's size and make up makes a difference. If you were to use the little rubber fridge magnets you're not going to get much if any sound reduction, I use my welding magnets and they help. The best I have though is one I picked up at a garage sale intended to be screwed to a wall for a hanger or a stick for fishing nails, etc. off the ground. It's strong and more importantly for sound damping has a metal shell. This one's pretty effective. The most effective sound damping for my anvils are the steel stands but the heels still want a magnet or they're loud. The Trenten is reduced to okay clanking but the Soderfors is bearably with hearing protection. That doesn't sound like much but it's a HUGE improvement. My Soderfors dangerously LOUD ring is why I'm not an anvil tapper, I try to NEVER hit an anvil with a bare hammer. I don't need it to keep time and as far as I'm concerned it's no use and actually damages my hammers. Little flat spot dings maybe but I still have to dress them for every missed blow. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mslisaj Posted April 22, 2014 Author Share Posted April 22, 2014 Here are some pictures and additions to my anvil stand. I finally got the tool holder build and I have all my blacksmith tools here with the anvil. I think it's a very workable set up. Comments and suggestions are always welcome. Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted April 22, 2014 Share Posted April 22, 2014 Not bad at all Darlin but you want to hang your tongs on or near the forge, that's where you'll need them most. It's not uncommon to need one pair of tongs to get the work out of the fire and a different set to hold it at the anvil. I prefer keeping my tools closest to where I need them. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mslisaj Posted April 22, 2014 Author Share Posted April 22, 2014 Thanks Frosty. Well my anvil and Forge are kind of close together when I work. But at least they are all off the floor and look like they belong there. I just wish my father was alive to see it as I know he would be very pleased and proud. I'm always on the lookout for more tools. I'm going to go out and get a cross peen hammer and I think I will be set there. But tongs are hard to find. The gentlemen that sold me all you see there, minus the hammers was very fair with the pricing and wonderful to deal with. He also showed me how to use the nail too that is on the stump too. As soon as I get the drafting details worked out on my forge I'm going to start to really work with it and have fun. That is what it's all about for me anyway. I have no idea what to make other then the little exercises that Mike-HR gave me to work on and that will keep me busy for quite awhile. Thanks again Frosty. Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Everything Mac Posted April 22, 2014 Share Posted April 22, 2014 Looks like a good stand there Lisa! Nice one. I have a big magnet on the side of my Peter wright, I couldn't get it to stick well under the horn because of the size. (Didn't fit the curve too well) but it was handy when you accidentally dropped a punch through the hardy hole as it would stay in place! Anyway I hang a large bit of chain over the very tip of my horn ;) as I don't use the tip often and when I do it's no hassle to just push it back slightly. All the best Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mslisaj Posted April 22, 2014 Author Share Posted April 22, 2014 Fabulous Idea. If I had a real ringer I would take this idea. But my anvil, for what ever reason is decent to use and does not have an obnoxious ring. If I work on the heal it will ring but again it's not a problem. So for now I am going to get my forge working better and going to start working some hot metal. Thanks so much for your comments Andy. :-) Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted April 22, 2014 Share Posted April 22, 2014 Arranging your work space is a personal matter, hanging what where is going to go where you like. Suggestions and opinions aren't writ. Cross pein hammers are almost as common as ball peins, around here they're more common than single jack sledges, just keeping your eyes open and telling everybody will soon have you floating in cross peins. Tongs can be a PITA to find but they're one of the better learning projects, lots of basic techniques and you're gong to need a few. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mslisaj Posted April 22, 2014 Author Share Posted April 22, 2014 As soon as I work out the details of venting a flue on my forge I'm going to google some youtube instructions and see how to build tongs. That would be fun too and I do need more. You can never have too many tongs......................... :rolleyes: Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bikecopXXX Posted April 22, 2014 Share Posted April 22, 2014 . I used another gentleman's idea ... no no no, once you use the idea once it becomes YOUR idea. <_< Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bikecopXXX Posted April 22, 2014 Share Posted April 22, 2014 . I used another gentleman's idea ... no no no, once you use the idea once it becomes YOUR idea. <_< Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted April 22, 2014 Share Posted April 22, 2014 As soon as I work out the details of venting a flue on my forge I'm going to google some youtube instructions and see how to build tongs. That would be fun too and I do need more. You can never have too many tongs......................... :rolleyes: Lisa I don't know about too many but I have seen more than a guy needs. The Metalmangler must have WAY more than 100 on his shop wall. He can make a pair (and does) faster than he can find the pair he needs. That might be a bit more than enough. <wink> Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mslisaj Posted April 22, 2014 Author Share Posted April 22, 2014 Well Frosty, your response made me smile. I hope to learn the skills to make a pair of tongs or two. To have the facility and equipment to build a set of tongs for what you need and the talent to do it will be nice to work on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Everything Mac Posted April 22, 2014 Share Posted April 22, 2014 I thoroughly and wholeheartedly recommend the books by Mark Aspery. I recently made a set of tongs using his step by step instructions and the process was much easier. They aren't cheap but they're worth their weight in gold. All the best Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted February 11, 2015 Share Posted February 11, 2015 Good job, lovely lady. Your going to make us men look bad, lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mslisaj Posted February 11, 2015 Author Share Posted February 11, 2015 Thanks Scrambler82 and Charles R. Stevens. It's always and on going project. I probably will have to post some more pictures as I have added more tools and hammers and while this is just a hobby for me it's fun to get the fire going and practice my hammering techniques. I haven't moved beyond making screwdriver blades and punches I enjoy the practice and it's fun for me to think I put all this together. I promise more pictures. Best Regards, Lisa :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted February 11, 2015 Share Posted February 11, 2015 Lisa Lets see those screw drivers and punches! As Frosty is fond of saying, "we love pictures" tools, projects, dogs, cats, grand kids, even the pet ginipig... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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