stuarthesmith Posted April 6, 2016 Share Posted April 6, 2016 I got tired of the old stump, so I went to a tree surgeon member of my guild. He milled, planed, and polished a sycamore 20x20x24 stump for my 700 pound Hay Budden. A 300 pound block of wood! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Ling Posted April 6, 2016 Share Posted April 6, 2016 that's big!!!!! the anvil and the stump! Littleblacksmith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted April 6, 2016 Share Posted April 6, 2016 love the dice effect though opposite sides should add to 7 in the most common format for them in the USA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted April 6, 2016 Share Posted April 6, 2016 Nice stand and plenty of room for a cup of coffee or a beer. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SReynolds Posted April 8, 2016 Share Posted April 8, 2016 You all know better than to mix beer and hot Iron work. Especially when wielding a hammer and tongs. Stick with the coffee. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JME1149 Posted April 8, 2016 Share Posted April 8, 2016 yep, the falling slag will keep the coffee warm. Nice new stump, didn't realize sycamore would make for a good stand Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lazarus Posted April 8, 2016 Share Posted April 8, 2016 Sycamore has interlocking grain, which makes it difficult to split. Flat-sawn boards are prone to twist. But, as a big block, sycamore is a very good wooden base. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowland Posted April 8, 2016 Share Posted April 8, 2016 American sycamore must be different to ours here in the UK Because I cut it down regular for the Woodburner and it splits a dream when dry Nice stand looks good and stable Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stash Posted April 8, 2016 Share Posted April 8, 2016 American sycamore is botanically speaking 'Platanus occidentalis'. It is also known as American planetree or buttonball. Across the big pond, what you call sycamore is 'Acer pseudoplatanus'- sycamore maple or planetree maple. Just for fun, the hybrid of the American and oriental planetrees is 'Platanus x acerfolia', known as the London plane tree. So you have the plane tree with maple-like leaves, and you have the false planetree maple. Gotta love the nomenclature people. When they get bored, look out. Steve Plant geek Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted April 8, 2016 Share Posted April 8, 2016 3 hours ago, Stash said: American sycamore is botanically speaking 'Platanus occidentalis'. It is also known as American planetree or buttonball. Across the big pond, what you call sycamore is 'Acer pseudoplatanus'- sycamore maple or planetree maple. Just for fun, the hybrid of the American and oriental planetrees is 'Platanus x acerfolia', known as the London plane tree. So you have the plane tree with maple-like leaves, and you have the false planetree maple. Gotta love the nomenclature people. When they get bored, look out. Steve Plant geek Good GOLLY I LOVE this forum! So, next time I'm in the Myrtle forests of the PAC NW mulling over what piece of wood I'd like to buy. Are there any visual cues in the bark, end grain and or cut too help indicate chatoyancy of the grain? Geek on brother I'm ready for it! Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SReynolds Posted April 9, 2016 Share Posted April 9, 2016 Here in Ohio area we make 'em outta the original stuff employed by smiths; Elm. Cuz it won't split as it dries out. So sez Alexander Weygers and I'm told per this forum he is "the man". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted April 9, 2016 Share Posted April 9, 2016 Unless we go with steel, of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SReynolds Posted April 9, 2016 Share Posted April 9, 2016 There is a pic in the blacksmith book of actual smiths from "back when" aka "in the day" which shows an anvil mounted on a piece of pipe about the same footprint as the anvil it's self. If you can locate that book it has quite a few pictures of smiths when they made stuff for a living; serving society. It as also contains facts of what they made from what and how much they charged. "To Draw Upset and Weld" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swedefiddle Posted April 9, 2016 Share Posted April 9, 2016 Good Morning, The BEST Anvil Stump material in the World, Is the one you have. Whatever it is!! It works best if it is partially Pink, with Pokem-Dots. Gotta love the Burned Horseshoes, Hexcuse Mee, This is a Non-Smokin' Harea. Old Timbers, end grain; New Timbers, end grain; Stolen Wood (Old Pallets); Whatever you have on Hand or Foot. I t works way better than diggin' a hole to stand in. Perspective is Humbling. I've got a Bigger Anvil Hole than You Dew!! Knot a Whole lot Different from Kindergarten!! Ain't life GRAND!! Neil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted April 9, 2016 Share Posted April 9, 2016 You may want to mix up some copper sulfate and soak the end of the stump in it to discourage any bugs.beetles or insects. You can figure on some weight loss as the stump dries out. Banding the stump helps to keep the stump from splitting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SReynolds Posted April 9, 2016 Share Posted April 9, 2016 I have had to band the oak but the elm has never even so much as hinted a crack/split. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrambler82 Posted April 9, 2016 Share Posted April 9, 2016 Impressive block of wood ! Why did you use the block on its side ? Would think the grain structure would hold up better in compression when stood on end ! Novice asking for knowledge ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
notownkid Posted April 9, 2016 Share Posted April 9, 2016 4 hours ago, SReynolds said: elm has never even so much as hinted a crack/split back in the Dutch Elm Decease days we had dead elms all over the place and no matter how long they set you could not split the stupid stumps, we would use 3-4 wedges and pound and pound. About the only way was cut it length wise with a chainsaw. But I took some logs to a mill and had 3" planks cut used them for horse stall floors, 25 yrs before I had to replace a single plank. Had to cut to length with chainsaw skilsaw would overheat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SReynolds Posted April 9, 2016 Share Posted April 9, 2016 Affirmative. The book says Elm. I believes it too! I only burn small dead elm. Cuz you can't split it. My huge chuck 'o white oak began splitting the first year. Had to make a band. Not one of them decorative types either with the hand made nails. No sir. The real thing. Two, 1.5" x1/8" thick steel bands overlapping ends and tension bolt. Drawing tension on the bolts time to time. I can't see a band ,nailed to the block, holding it tight when it dries and cracks. I poured linseed oil on top of it and into the cracks. Then painted the OD with the oil. Several times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted April 9, 2016 Share Posted April 9, 2016 27 minutes ago, SReynolds said: The book says Elm. I believes it too! I only burn small dead elm. Cuz you can't split it. The trick to splitting elm is to remember that fibers grow in reversing spiral layers up the trunk. If you chop perpendicular to the growth rings, it's impossible, but if you chop parallel to the rings, you can work your way in from the edges to the middle. 27 minutes ago, SReynolds said: I poured linseed oil on top of it and into the cracks. Then painted the OD with the oil. Several times. Sealing the outside will certainly slow drying and minimize cracking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Coke Posted April 9, 2016 Share Posted April 9, 2016 Greetings Steuart, Very nice home for your beautiful anvil but you should consider a drewel catch pan for those that you show it to . It for sure would keep your floor drier .. LOL Forge on and make beautiful things Envious Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
notownkid Posted April 9, 2016 Share Posted April 9, 2016 I saw an entire elm tree split into small pieces in about 30 sec. We were trying to install a 2 way radio tower on top of a Mtn. in VT and at the exact spot it needed to be was this huge very dead elm tree. We tried a bunch of guys to get to cut it and finally got a local contractor who had some dynamite. he put a few sticks around the base at ground level and we all hid way down the hill when he touched that off it looked like a rocket ship leaving and when it was stage 2 time it blew into 2 million pieces and rained down on our trucks, broke windshields and dented every roof and another dead elm near by just fell over! He only charged for the one! That is one nice looking anvil and stump it will serve you forever. At a half ton it isn't moving anywhere when you are working it. Good score. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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