anvil

[gote]

 

This anvil weighs around 250 pounds and is of "north Swedish" type. It was worn down in the middle and I want to be able to straighten bits and pieces with precision. Thus I had a mechanical workshop skim the surface by about 1/8. I know that this is supposed to be very bad but this is not an old London style anvil with a steel plate welded to a wrought (or cast) iron body. It is solid cast steel.  I have used it som time now and there is not a dent in the new suface. The hardy hole is on the square horn side. On the round horn side is a round hole. I use the round horn more so I have it to the right. The horn to the right allows me more freedom to move without having to bend over the anvil. The hot cut comes to my left and there is thus less risk that I hurt myself. (I remove it when not in use anyway.)

There is a considerable amount of chipping around the hardy hole. I have decided not to do anything about it. I have no welding expert near and I am afraid of loosing the temper. It is quite easy to heat a piece of square tubing and beat it into the hole to ge a perfect fit. This tube can be welded to any anvil tool that I want to use. The chipped area will accomodate the weld and by using an intermediate plate I can have the fuller or whatever sitting closer to the center of the anvil - thus getting more "body" below the tool.

The anvil stands on a stump of butternut. I had to fell the tree to get more light into the garden anyway. Before, I had always used someone elses anvil so height was beyond my control. I first followed advice and put it at knuckle height. The result was a near disaster for my back. I then used the "hit the board" method and the anvil came up more than three inches. The method has been described by Glenn, Frosty and others but I invented it on my own before reading about it. The present stump has beem planed flat and the footprint of the anvil has been cut down (by router) about 1/4 to prevent it from walking. I have no further fixing. A #250 anvil is not easily pushed off the stump. It has a nice ring but is not very loud unless I hit a horn with nothing in between. I think that the chunky body makes it less like a tuning fork than the London pattern. There are people who would say that my stump has too large footprint. I disagree. The way I stand and hold my hammer it is never in the way for my toes. The stump footprint may be more important if the horn is to the left.  

 

[VaughnT]

Beautiful anvil!  I've seen a lot of that style with the depression around the hardy hole actually cast or machined in.  I have no idea why they do it unless they think it would stop chipping.  I've never had a problem with chipping around the hardy hole, but who can say what goes on in the mind of a machinist at an anvil factory?!?

She'll be sure to produce a lot of quality work for you.  Happy forging!

[Frosty]

She's a beautiful anvil Gote, beautiful. Is there a maker's name on it? I cringe when I hear someone wanting to grind the face flat but a cast Swedish steel anvil is more likely to destroy machine cutters than be damaged. A flat face is over rated, a little experience and you'll find an end grain wood block and a whocker work much better for straightening your work. A "whocker" is a wooden mallet, I make mine from yard sale baseball bats, a bat, board, tree branch, etc. you use to whock bent work to straighten it without actually forging it, preserving corners, textures and such.

The hardy hole was made like that. I'd just use it, trying to compensate for something that's supposed to be that way is more likely to cause problems than solve imagined ones.

The size and shape of a stand needs to fit YOU not someone else. My old spruce block stand was wider than yours and I morticed my Soderfors in to the top of the feet. Not that it needed to be that deep, it's just where I stopped routing. My new stands are steel frames they really damp the ring. If you've ever struck a Soderfors you know what I mean by deafening ring.

Frosty The Lucky.

[ausfire]

That recess around the hardy hole would be a fine thing if you make hardy tools by welding on a square shaft. It would accommodate the weld bead nicely.

[David Einhorn]

Iron has the tendency when hit to spring partway back.  Some anvils are deliberately made with a tiny bit of sway so as, and with the intent, to allow for that spring back of the iron during straightening.  Basically, by hitting the metal slightly into that sway with practice, it will spring back to straight rather than spring back to still being slightly bent as it would if the anvil's face was dead flat. 

In my humble opinion, that anvil is in absolutely excellent condition, thus giving evidence of the skill and knowledge of the smiths who have used it before you. 

[gote]

Sure, I am very happy with her. The guy who sold it had three for sale  and was surprised at my choice. I used a light hammer to test rebound. He did not realize that this was the best one.

Yes Frosty, the cutter did take some beating but the result was beautiful.

The way I work, a flat surface is the best. Especially since the surface is the ruler with which I control the result.

For straightening a twisted piece I use a wooden block and a (home made) carpenter's mallet.

No there is no marking whatsoever. I have looked and looked.

Yes Ausfire that is what I meant.

The hardy hole is about 30 mm not quite square and very slightly tapering. My bought hotcut has a 25mm shank so I took a piece of 30mm square tubing heated it and hit it down into the hole. It became loose of course when cooler. I then cut it so it would be lower than the anvil surface, ground the shank to a thight fit and hammered tube onto it. The result was excellent. The play (or should I say shake) at the edge is less than a quarter of a mm but it will not stick the least in the hole at all. It will, however, only fit one way since the hole is not a perfect square. I can recommend the procedure.

Göte

[Kjell Are Stokkeland]

Looks like you have a Nice anvil there  its like i have seen that type before  do you have a ny info bout it? Is it a søderfors anvil ? I have trues to find out more abrupte mine all i find on it is made 1914 and the number 47 on it.

Edited April 11, 2016 by Kjell Are Stokkeland
Got more pictures inn. .

[Kjell Are Stokkeland]

Sorry it should say from 1913. . I type wong.  .

[gote]

Well yours is obviously a Norrlandsstäd i.e. North Swedish type. Where are you by the way? Norge? No I do not know who made mine It could be Söderfors or Kohlswa or Bofors or or. Ther has been several Swedish (and I assume Norwegian) steel foundries that made anvils in the past 150 years.

[Kjell Are Stokkeland]

Ah I see. . Im from norway yes. Ah the stores those anvils could tell. . I think your anvil is bigger than mine mine are just 70 kilos. .

[Frosty]

26 minutes ago, Kjell Are Stokkeland said:

Ah I see. . Im from norway yes. Ah the stores those anvils could tell. . I think your anvil is bigger than mine mine are just 70 kilos. .

Welcome aboard Kjell, glad to have you. Please let me know if I got your name wrong. If you'll put your general location in the header you might be surprised how many Iforge members live within visiting distance.

You guys in the Scandinavian countries just kill me with how easy it is to find such fine cast Swedish steel anvils. I have a 125lb. Soderfors, Sorceress #5 and I'd dearly LOVE a heavier one for a shop anvil. A double bic would be sweetness indeed.

I don't think I could bring myself to do anything to either of those fine old ladies but make a stand and put them to work.

Frosty The Lucky.

[gote]

It is not that easy to find an anvil here Frosty but those that we find, are usually of that type. It is popular among blacksmiths. The three closest shops here use them exclusively.

This shape seems to be more silent than the London pattern, there is a substantial amout of steel under the holes and the "sweet spot" stretches nearly all the way between the horns. They are also very easy to move since a rope will go down one hole and up the other. Any hoist will keep them level when lifted. 

Yes Kjell, mine weighs in at 110 kg. nearly 250 pounds.

[Frosty]

The thick body wouldn't ring like the tall thin body and long thin horn and tails on the London patterns. I'd sure like to have the performance without the brutally loud ring. Oh well, small enough price to pay.

Frosty The Lucky.