So I have a lot of splitting , drifting and fullering to do with hand tools. The problem is the anvil in the shop I'm working in is sized for somebody much taller than I am and I cant lower his anvil. So I am faced with the problem of having to find a way to hold the piece of steal in place While I use the hand tools. Any idea?

Here're a couple: Make a platform to stand on that raises you to a comfortable height. Or use hold fasts. Find a teenager who wants to "apprentice" and put him/er to work. Perhaps make tooling to hold your top tools while you strike. Perhaps make an Oliver attachment.

Frosty The Lucky.

A holdfast will keep the iron from jumping around. Here's one that's pretty  easy to make:

Get a piece of chain, Motorcycle chain is ideal, but any non galvanized chain will work.

Attach one end to the anvil base on the far side of the anvil.

Drape the chain over the anvil and hang  a heavy weight to the free end of the chain.

To use it, you just slip the hot iron under the chain.  You should allow some extra chain in case you have to adjust it. Maybe even attach some kind of handle to make lifting the chain easier.  You can use an S hook to attach the heavy weight to the chain so it will be adjustable, a nice touch bun not absolutely required

 

Lower him & then he'll want to lower his anvil. Dur. 

I made one of these works great for small stuff. 

http://youtu.be/zMIA3_cKC-o

Here are a photo the one I made.

 

I just welded a piece of square stock that fit my hardie hole to the side of a pair of vice grips.  I then welded the edge of a big washer to the tightening screw so I have more leverage to tighten it easier.  Works well.  Ed

 

I weld something to all of the screws on my vice grips. Most things can be tightened with just the screw and you don't even have to worry about squeezing the handles.

Dickb the old window weights work good for that.  Another way  to use the chain is to make a pedal or a sturup to stand on.

I still think the time proven bent rod hold down is the best, just a few inches of mild steel bar, no welding, no machining, and surely should be one of any blacksmiths early projects if an anvil hole is available for it's use, certainly before starting to split materials!

No hole, then go for a chain type.........

As dickb suggested, a chain works great.  I used a roller chain from some logging equipment.  Regular link chain doesn't lay as flat as the bike chains.  Motorcycle chains are great too, but with the proliferation of belt drives, the motorcycle chains are getting harder to find.  I also use a hold down that sticks in the prichel hole. (I think I have posted these pictures before).

 

Here is  hold down that takes pretty much no work to make and I liked more than any other I have used.  Take a stand or saw horse that is the same height as your anvil plus the thickness of the steel you are working (roughly)   and place it a couple of feet from your anvil.  If using a sawhorse shims and some nails or screws are your friend here.  Then take a piece of heavy square or rectangular bar and lay it across between the anvil and stand,  hang a heavy weight (40-50lb) from the bar.    The closer you can hang the weight as a percentage of the length of the bar the more it holds.  If you want to get fancy you can forge a v or bend in the end of the bar you are using to clamp. 

To use the hold down you just lift the bar and set it on your work it is less prone to vibrating loose than the J shaped types of hold down and it is really fast to set as you are just setting the bar down not hammering screwing or stepping into a stirrup. 

In most shops you could make up this hold down in 5-10 minutes and it will work with any anvil.  I saw hold down illustrated in some newsletter or magazine, I forget where but it is really handy.

Sorry It took me so long it has been a busy Christmas season, but I wanted to thank all of  you for the suggestion. I will be out in the shop trying some out tomorrow.

Greetings Vend/ all.

I have posted this before but I though a refresh was in order.  A simple set up for holding a part on the anvil or for edge work. Easy to make and handy..  Have s great new year. 

Forge on and make beautiful things

Jim

I built a chain hold down. It rocks!  That thing of a hold down in the hardy has been retired. 

Mine: