I made a Guillotine Tool over the weekend using some 1-1/2" square tubing and 3/8" plate.  My anvil has the hardy hole in the horn so I had to notch the back side to get it to fit. The tool is made to accept 1/2" x 1-1/2" cold rolled stock.  Haven't had a chance to cut dies yet, can't wait to give it a try.

If I were to make another one, I'd consider making it so the dies could be placed either in line, or at 90 degrees to the frame.  The tubing is nice because it's a slip fit, but the interior welded seam would need some attention to get the second orientation to work out.

 

Rockstar, that is an awesome idea. I like the idea of turning the dies for different operations.

Consider building the Guillotine Tool at 45 degrees. It opens up different possibilities.

Might also consider a longer post so you can turn it around and have it sit on the face if you find yourself wanting to work larger stock. 

This is a picture of an adjustable guillotine. Made by my buddy, the late John Kosirnik.

Michael, Glenn,  your replies got me thinking that maybe a rotating socket with detents or lockable stations would take that idea a little further?

Foxfire,  it's hard to see, but the hardy post is just behind the tubing.  I would have needed to mount the post 2" further back from the dies to get it on the anvil face.  If I ever get another anvil with a 1" hardy, it might have made the tool too long to fit crossways on the anvil.

My anvil has a 1" horse shoe turning hole in the heel.  I was considering grinding the corners on my hardy post so it would fit there.  But then I'd need to figure out some way to keep the tool from rotating.

I specifically avoided making it with a bottom plate so I could keep the weight down, and make the dies easier to remove in case they got stuck.  It's a trade off because the dies will fall out when I remove the tool from the anvil.  If it's a problem, I can always add a little plate later.

NoName,  That's a nice tool that definitely has some great features.  It looks like it'd be quick into action with a minimum of resistance to a hammer blow.

I set the dies at 45* and can address them from more than just two orientations. However were I to make another I'd offset the shank so the dies were over the sweet spot and angled so the dies were half an inch back from the edge for more range in the vertical .

Frosty The Lucky.

Why not have it turned the other way, so you're hammering over the anvil's center of mass?

My hardie hole is about an inch out from the step.  I'd need to create a doglegged plate to get the hardy shank at the lower level of the horn.  While you're right that it would gain me the center of mass of my particular anvil, it would prevent me from being able to use the tool in multiple orientations.  It would also prevent me from using it in other anvils, swage blocks, or vices. 

As it sits, I can orient the tool in any of the four sides of my hardy.

The center of an anvil's mass has edges on both sides. Having the guillotine dies on the edge allows you to address it at angles the face blocks if it's centered. Also a guillotine tool is a momentum lens that focuses the hammer's energy on a small area and multiplies the effect. If you're going to be hitting the guillotine hard enough to make having it centered over the anvil's center of mass a factor you'll probably want to make one for that purpose.

The heaviest hammer I use on my guillotine is a 3lb. and I don't HIT it hard, a couple few reasonably good smacks does the job.

There are no rules saying one tool has to do everything and guillotine tools are really easy to make. One with 45* dies in a C frame is more work and finickier but it's still a pretty darned basic shop skills project.

Frosty The Lucky.