j.w.s. Posted December 1, 2015 Share Posted December 1, 2015 Here was today's project - drawing inspiration from the floor based Japanese anvils. Still need to dress up the edges and harden the face, but the hard part is done. I took a 5"x5"x11" block of A2 (85lbs) and built this stand around it. I just wanted an extra anvil around the shop for teaching classes plus, a nice object lesson for anyone who visits the shop and brings up the inevitable "where to find an anvil" conversation. The primary point of this is that you don't need a horn or a heel to have something that's effective - and you don't need to spend an arm and a leg.. My total cost was around $105 for everything including the new box of screws I had to buy because I couldn't find the one at the shop. J Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jumbojak Posted December 1, 2015 Share Posted December 1, 2015 That's pretty much what I have now, minus the stand. Thoughts have been a brewing in my head about an effective way to secure mine and I like your design. My plan was to make a sleeve out of angle iron to attach the legs to and apply a layer of clay on the bottom to deaden any bounce. What's the total weight of your setup? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j.w.s. Posted December 1, 2015 Author Share Posted December 1, 2015 I just cut the 4x4s to receive the 5x5 block and to keep it at the height I wanted. The anvil has about 0.1875" play all around and just shimmer snug with some scrap pine. If I had to guess on the weight I'd say it's about 150lbs total. J Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted December 2, 2015 Share Posted December 2, 2015 Nice work! It even looks aesthetically pleasing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSW Posted December 2, 2015 Share Posted December 2, 2015 Nice. I may copy that pict and send it to a guy I know who's been trying to figure out how to mount his block "anvil" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j.w.s. Posted December 2, 2015 Author Share Posted December 2, 2015 23 minutes ago, Daswulf said: Nice work! It even looks aesthetically pleasing. Can't hit an ugly anvil.. Lol.. Plus the better it looks the more it adds to the illusion that it's meant to be what it is. J Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickOHH Posted December 2, 2015 Share Posted December 2, 2015 Nice stand, good idea, nice and simple, have to test it out on my next coal run won't be long now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bud in PA Posted December 2, 2015 Share Posted December 2, 2015 I wish I would have seen that before I bought my anvil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted December 2, 2015 Share Posted December 2, 2015 Haha, well I'm sure it will serve its function flawlessly. Tricking the picky youngsters that have to use an " anvil". Well it's an anvil because you made it one. Good job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donnie Posted December 2, 2015 Share Posted December 2, 2015 Nice anvil. I too, use a block anvil. I love simplicity. Could be due to my simple mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j.w.s. Posted December 2, 2015 Author Share Posted December 2, 2015 46 minutes ago, Bud in PA said: I wish I would have seen that before I bought my anvil. I had a choice today between a nice Hay Buden for $440 or a block of A2 for $85.. Had the cash in my pocket and chose to get creative and save a few dollars.. I've already got a Soderfors in the shop, a Fisher and a nice stake anvil.. This just seemed right to me. J Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickOHH Posted December 2, 2015 Share Posted December 2, 2015 I want to be there when you harden it too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thats Hot... Posted December 2, 2015 Share Posted December 2, 2015 Nice work, I am new here and I am at awe at the way you guys fab up things. I am still trying to think of a nice stand for my HB anvil. 4x4's of a stump. I have a stump but so far said stump is not working out as I Hoped... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j.w.s. Posted December 2, 2015 Author Share Posted December 2, 2015 Just a quick run of it this morning.. Seems to be working fine. This was just a scrap end of a san mai billet I had lying around the shop.. Drew it out from 4" to 6.5". My only complaint is that the stand tends to rotate slightly but that's easily fixed with an anchor bolt or two. J Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thats Hot... Posted December 2, 2015 Share Posted December 2, 2015 Nice.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted December 2, 2015 Share Posted December 2, 2015 I gave a 4x4x8" chunk of steel to a lad at my church wanting to learn to smith. I'm going to have to send a link to this so he can see how it's done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j.w.s. Posted December 2, 2015 Author Share Posted December 2, 2015 Here's a shot of the cross section in case someone wants to copy my design. J Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted December 2, 2015 Share Posted December 2, 2015 If I find a nice hunk of anvil like that I would love to copy that design. I think the only thing I'd do differently would be to drill the wood and use lag bolts. Just preference, nothing wrong with yours at all. I already have 2 anvils but one like that would be nice to work on for sure. Thank you for sharing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted December 2, 2015 Share Posted December 2, 2015 since I have a bunch of old guard rail and telephone pole hardware, (I tend to pick it up at the scrapyard my local electrical coop uses), I'll probably advise him to bolt through the longer "holding" uprights and use them as a clamp on the anvil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j.w.s. Posted December 2, 2015 Author Share Posted December 2, 2015 This ones together from the inside out using those spiked joint plates. J Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrDarkNebulah Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 I have a very similar anvil, except it is a cylinder. Any advice on a stand for it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jumbojak Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 1 hour ago, MrDarkNebulah said: I have a very similar anvil, except it is a cylinder. Any advice on a stand for it? If you have access to a router and a large enough piece of timber you could trace the anvil on a piece of scrap, cut a circular hole, check for fit, and then use the router to remove a lip that fits your anvil almost perfectly into the timber. the same could be done by hand with a drill and chisels but it would be a long, tedious process with a lot of opportunity to accumulate error. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smoggy Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 Nice job on the anvil stand, simplicity of design and functionally, spot on! Jumbojak, I recessed by block anvils into tree stumps with the drill/chisel method, not as laborious as one may think. Provided you only go to a sufficient depth and no more, in my case 2" max, and they sit nice and snug. (and that eucalyptus stump I used is like bell metal once seasoned, I'll be using more for dishing stumps) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted December 5, 2015 Share Posted December 5, 2015 For a cylinder make your stand hold it either upright or on it's side so you can use it for drawing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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