Here is my latest anvil. A toolmakers anvil of some kind. Not sure of the weight , it should be here next week.

 I am making up some tooling today for another anvil similar to this  that i now have as my workshop anvil.

Absolutely gorgeous!  I would love to have something like that.  Can't even imagine how useful it could be once you get it set up for a specific task.

How does it work? Was it made like that or was it modified later?

Taker, the dovetails in the top accept all manner of different tools just like the dovetails on a power hammer.  Depending on what you're doing, you could set it up so you never have to move an inch because everything's right there in hammer range.

Those are made like that to accept an unlimited variety of tooling. Think of the difference like a London pattern anvil = box end wrench and one of these like a socket set.

If I'm not mistaken the dovetailed dies are secured with a slip and wedge like power hammer dies.

That is just a S-W-E-E-T score Owen, congratulations.

Frosty The Lucky.

Edited July 9, 201510 yr by Frosty

noticing the mini-hardy holes on the side makes me wonder if it was a task that involved punching holes of differing sizes too.

Oh yeah. When I think about that anvil type I envision combination tools, closed dies, punches, shears, etc. that mount in two dovetails, one top one bottom tool. OR the top tool(s?) fit the small square holes in the sides. Heck, I'd drill and thread holes so I could mount tooling on the sides.

It's enough to get the creative juices flowing isn't it?

Frosty The Lucky.

Reminds me of the drop forging dies in the Gransfor Bruks ax making video:  take the blank and drop it into the next die every whomp whomp whomp when you run out of dies it's ready for finishing.

Can you feel my envy crackling across the electronic aether?

Nice score, glad to see it go to a loving home, unlike the last one!

That's the dog's ....

Definite envy here

Wasn't there a guy on here trying to fab/machine an anvil somewhat similar, dovetails and all?  "If you want to hear a new idea, read an old book" or find an old anvil.

Grant Sarver and his Omnianvil.  He wasn't trying, he did.  

Grant was marketing his Omnianvil and tooling. The things wouldn't be that hard to make but they're equipment for a production shop rather than a duffer hobbyist like I am. I'd love to have one but I'd no where near work it like it should be.

Frosty The Lucky.

Any idea what they were making with it Owen? What sort of shop did it come from?

The grooves around the end of the little bick irons are like the ones on the chain makers olivers for supporting / shaping up the link welds.

Alan

I've seen similar bicks used for shaping the loops on scissors.

Shears in particular have that concave formation on the loops.

Hard to describe. Tailors' shears.