Scrambler82 Posted June 27, 2017 Share Posted June 27, 2017 I finally started my new Anvil Stand, my existing one is about six inches too low and i wanted to upgrade. I read about Anvil Stand, wood vs metal, and decided it was my way to work with wood because there was a lot of it just laying around Building Sites, so wood won out. I may after using this one for a while decide it is time for a Steel Stand but for now wood it is ! This is a run down on how i did it based on a Thread by Stash/Steve. Cost, not sure: Wood was free, all the screws I used were left overs from the house remodel, I purchased is the Adhesive, the Threaded Rod w/Nuts, Flats and Locks and the Angle Iron for the Router Table. So this is my kind of project… Free or Almost Free Is For Me ! Leveling My Wooden Anvil Stand New picture finished block here (Not available at posting time) ! My thanks to Steve, aka Stash, for posting the method he used, it got me going; the Thread Name, “Leveling an Anvil Stand My Way”, located at: "https://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/51404-flattening-a-stump-sinatra-style/" ! I have been working on a new stand for my PW Anvil that I purchased two years ago and gathering dimensional lumber, from different Building Site including my own remodeling for awhile, and started thinking about how I was going to start the project. One thing, "I over-think everything", ok two things... "Everything takes me far longer to do than it should and I usually need most everything in place before I can even start a project" ! I picked up enough Dimensional Lumber to start my project, “My Wooden Anvil Stand”, I needed to keep Peter Wright happy and I needed to add six inches to my existing stand ! Tools Used to Mill the Bottom and Top of “My Wooden Anvil Stand”: 1) Saw Horse – qty. 2, I used the HD plastic units, I thought these might be a little shaky but once I added the wooden shelf they stood tall and firm. Wooden or Metal Units will work too ! 2) Router – I used a one-horse power unit I had in the cabinet, it worked well, (left over from my fathers tools, so he sort of helped out). 3) Router Table – Home Made from two pieces of angle iron sized for the spacing between the SH and 3/8” Plywood for a platform to mount the Router to the angle iron. The 3/8” Plywood Table, I made it just wide enough for the width of the Router’s bottom plate and long enough to allow for bolting it to the angle iron ! 4) The Lower Shelf – I used two pieces of ¾” Plywood cut to length that fit my table and used 2x4s to secure the shelf in place and in-between the SH to make the shelf more secure, see Figure 1. 5) Levels, qty. 2, a four foot and a two foot, the four foot was used to get a plumb on the sides in reference to the shelf and to find the highs and lows of the work surface; the two foot was a checking device for plumb and the checking of level of the milled surface after milling. 6) A dead blow Hammer – used to align the block. 7) Basic Tools for assembly, i.e. Hammer, Screw Gun and Hand Screw Driver, Drill, Drill Bits, Wrenches sized for your work. How I started out: I needed a level spot to build from and was thinking my garage floor should be level enough, I took a four foot level and a known six foot straight bar to check, seemed level, should be able to get the wood glued together and flat or at least close enough; that's a big step for me people... "Close enough" ! Cut the wood to length and marked the hole locations using the bottom of the boards and the center of the boards as a datum, (At this point I marker the boards for bottom). Made sense so all of the holes would be close to a good position for alignment. What’s that called in industry today… “Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing”. The next step was to drill the marked holes for the 1/2" Threaded Rod through bolts, a 5/8” hole would allow for adjustments of the pieces when aligning and making sure the boards are square to each other. Since the threaded rods are only being used to hold the boards together and would have large flat washers, lock washers, and nuts on each rod, using oversized holes to aligning the board seemed Iike a good idea. Got the threaded Rods, nuts, flats and locks, from Lowes, they even have a Hardware Package with nuts, flats and locks, needed for a two rod setup, x3 for me, let's get started. Laid out the boards, spread the construction adhesive, I chose a slower setting adhesive made by Loctite, to give me time to spread the adhesive, align the wood and tighten things up. At this time the nuts were just snugged up, not too tight yet, banged the boards with the dead blow hammer to make sure they were all sitting flat on the floor. Aligned the pieced on the sides, tightened the nuts and added clamps, all done right... WRONG ! After drying, the stand wobbled worse than if I didn't even try to square it up during the gluing and clamping process, what to do next ! Wait for it… Drum Roll Please ! In the Thread by Stash, "https://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/51404-flattening-a-stump-sinatra-style/", “Leveling an Anvil Stand My Way”... Stash, the OP, posted a method he used with a Home Made Stand and Router to level his Anvil Stand, a Tree Stump ! Thanks to Steve and his write up with pictures I attempted his posted method and it turned out very well, a level stand, so I would say that it worked and it is where we were headed, so that is good ! I thought Stash's method was as good as any, if my base was solid, it should work but the results I got… a level block, was far easier than I ever expected ! The Router/Miller Method: Home Made Miller - (HMM), Figure 1 This is what I did, similar to Steve’s method but with the tools and hardware I had available to work with ! Took two Saw Horses (SH) placed side by side with the tops parallel to each other. Made a reinforced lower shelf with two pieces of 3/4" plywood and some 2x4s to hold the shelf together and in place. See Figure 1 Figure 1 Home Made Milling Machine, crude but it worked out ok ! The HMM wasn’t going to have the height needed between the top of the work piece and the top of the SH, ¾” strips of wood were added to the tops of the SH to add the height needed, see Figure 1. Simple, straight forward, and gained extra height for Router adjustments and movement of the Slide Table. Figure 2 - Router Table with angle iron and plywood. Place the block of wood, The Anvil Stand, on the lower reinforced shelf, plumb the sides straight up, shimmed as needed. There was only one shim needed, it might move around and change the height pattern setup so it was secured using Builder’s Tape. I felt the block was heavy enough to stay put but I was worried the shims might vibrate loose and move. NOTE: If your stand/block is a lite-weight… secure it to something, if mine moved I would drive some screws up through the wooded shelf but the block held fast. Figure 3 shows the block in the HMM Next the part of the block being milled needed to be checked for high and low points and the surface marked. The low spot will be the starting and ending point; the high spot is to determining the amount you need to cut the block to make it close to level. To do this a known straight solid edge was used, a four foot level across the SH Top Edge. Measurements were made from the bottom of the straight edge to the block and by marking it down you can determine where it needs milling first. Once the low and the high spots are found, the difference between the lowest low and the highest high points was determined, the first cut was approximately one-third of the difference, it could be less, this is your call. The Rrouter was set for the first cut and started the process of moving the router back and forth on the block of wood, proceeding slowly, 3/8” cut widths across the block (half of my bit) and cutting from the same side each time, in the same direction. Figure 4 - The starting of the milling process. You can see the center screw on the router is where the cutting is taking place, almost half done. Luckily I only had to take a small amount off each side so you can see the cuts are small in depth and width. After the first three complete cuts to the whole surface, the bottom of the stand, which is facing up, had a reasonably flat surface. NOTE: The amount I cut was the difference between the low spot and the high spot plus a little more just to make sure the surface was level ! Figure 5 showing completed first surface The Block was flipped 180 degrees or putting the other side that needs cutting up ! In my case it was the top of the stand that was going to be milled next. Getting started on the new end of the block by checking the plumb of the block, shimming if needed, the block should be close to plumb without shims. I found the level bubble was within the level lines, and as it turned out it was off the same amount the SH were off, so I'm good to go ! NOTE: Make sure the Base that the piece sits on, and the Table Sliding Surface, is level/parallel to each other, or close to it ! The next step was repeating Steps 5 and 6, ref: low and high spot, locations and differences in height and then Steps 7 and 8, ref: Routing and Checking. Figure 6, Anvil Stand finished end. As it turns out it was a time consuming process, setting up the Milling Stand but ended up being easier than I thought to get it done, and I am a very happy metal bender with the results. In case the question is asked… “Using the belt sander method didn't work for me, sand here… better, sand there... uneven again”. I used a straight edge to find the lows and highs but once I started sanding I lost the points that needed sanding. The Router / SH / Milling Table, worked and worked well. Figure 7 Completed Center Core of “My New Wooden Anvil Stand”. I hope anyone reading this Thread can understand the process. Steve’s Posted Method worked and worked well enough to get me an Anvil Stand Core that is as close to level as I will ever get. I suggest anyone wanting a wooden, level stand and with the correct tooling and level of expertise, to give it a try ! Thanks for reading my write up, it is a long one ! Any comments are appreciated and expected ! Scrambler82 / GrevB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted June 27, 2017 Share Posted June 27, 2017 Very nice! When I did mine I used a piece of good sized I beam lying on the floor on it's side to line up the vertical boards on and then clamped them with pipe clamps and used an electrician's long drillbit to drill my holes for my bolts, (used ones from the wooden posted guardrails Also several electrical pole bolts as they both show up at my local scrapyard on a regular basis) Yours is much prettier! Mine are oak; they were the floorboards from a scrapped horse trailer and were "weathered" but also free. I even took the worst piece I had and used it for one that looks "rustic" to an extreme---but it meant that all my current using anvils are on stands! I'm lucky that my forging shop has a dirt floor so wobbly is dealt with by picking up the anvil and setting it back onto the stand with force! When they go on the road the floors are usually pretty bad and so wedges are used. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrambler82 Posted June 27, 2017 Author Share Posted June 27, 2017 Thanks Thomas, I was wondering abou the pictures actually posting, I could see them but I wasn't sure otherwise. thougt abou drilling the through holes afterwards but I didn't have a bit that size and I worried about the bit going off at an angle. I figured, since the through bolts were to secure the block together, if he holes were large enough they would allow alignment... and I thought the alignment was pretty good going into the clamping stage. I put together a two piece wooden bean stand for my 100 lb Vulcan, I will be using it most of he time sitting down so is only 21" tall. IF I attemp anoher wooden sand I may uy he required bit and have a go at drillin through the whip thing. Thanks . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stash Posted June 27, 2017 Share Posted June 27, 2017 Good looking stand, my friend. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted June 27, 2017 Share Posted June 27, 2017 I drilled my holes pretty much with no clearance, I had to tap the bolts to get them to go through---but not sledge them (good as old oak in this single digit humidity area often works like Aluminium!) This was more due to having the bit to hand. I like to pick up this sort of stuff when I find it cheap at the fleamarket or yardsale. One other thing: I did not glue the boards. I figured these large bolts would do the job and I can always take it apart and rework them. I did try to have the end boards an inch or more taller than the inside ones to hold the anvils movement fore and aft---had to trim a couple of them to get them to fit. (As these are travel anvils for teaching they get lifted off the stands for transportation fairly often.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrambler82 Posted June 28, 2017 Author Share Posted June 28, 2017 4 hours ago, Stash said: Good looking stand, my friend. Steve Thks Steve, your method worked out well; I don't think my block would be as level without it. Any more ideas up your sleeves ? LoL ! 4 hours ago, ThomasPowers said: I drilled my holes pretty much with no clearance, I had to tap the bolts to get them to go through---but not sledge them (good as old oak in this single digit humidity area often works like Aluminium!) This was more due to having the bit to hand. I like to pick up this sort of stuff when I find it cheap at the fleamarket or yardsale. One other thing: I did not glue the boards. I figured these large bolts would do the job and I can always take it apart and rework them. I did try to have the end boards an inch or more taller than the inside ones to hold the anvils movement fore and aft---had to trim a couple of them to get them to fit. (As these are travel anvils for teaching they get lifted off the stands for transportation fairly often.) Thomas, I was more comfortable with the larger holes, my problem arose... I think, from tightening unevenly. With the shape I didn't watch the outside edges, too much pressure and it caused the edges to bow and in turn twist the block but we will never really know, we can only use a different method next time, if there is one ! Didn't even think about not gluing, never thought there should be a reason to disassembly the stand, I guess it would sit better ! I like the idea of the end pieces being higher, helps to keep things in place but I wanted to get a top plate of steel, as thick as possible, within limits... and weld on some tool holders made out of pipe or I could use a heavy bar stock and be a blacksmith and make some hoops. This stand and anvil will stay put, in the new barn to stay, right now... it is sitting flat on the floor even moving it around. The company that did my floor/foundation work for the barn did a very good job, floor is as close perfect, more than I expected. Hope all is well with you, later Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted June 28, 2017 Share Posted June 28, 2017 I'm just Fate's Plaything. After over 6 months not allowed to drive I get a clean bill of health from the Epilepsy Clinic and OK to resume driving and the *first* trip I make the car bursts it's radiator; I leave the car where it died (Luckily my church was along my route) and get up early to change the flat on my pickup to use it and it's dead too...can you hear the snickering? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrambler82 Posted June 28, 2017 Author Share Posted June 28, 2017 TP, you have to wonder who is throwing the switches ! We were at the end of the latest remodel, phase II of III, the county throws in the monkey wrench... "You need another 5000gal fire water tank",. WHAT... 10k later, it's almost done and wham bam the well head pump take the deep six, needs replacing... Another 3k ! These aren't life and death but the idea is the same. Keep the chin up, God Bless ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted June 28, 2017 Share Posted June 28, 2017 "5000gal fire water tank" isn't that the swimming pool? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrambler82 Posted June 28, 2017 Author Share Posted June 28, 2017 Ya right, we have 10k gal fire water and not whisky and 3500 residential water... ! Can't climb in ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrambler82 Posted August 27, 2017 Author Share Posted August 27, 2017 All I need to do is three things to finish up: 1) Add 2-6", 2x2 receivers under the horn area of the new stand. 2) Add Tool Rack, undetermined shape or size, under Tail Area of the new stand will be bolted on but maybe welded if I find bolting is a problem. 3) Clamp the Anvil down, again unknown method, thinking some 2.5" Angle with 1/4" wall, something from the scrape bin AGAIN ! The old stand is there for reference in height, I increased the height, one reason is for working lever, the second reason is from reading here on the site where it was suggest to to keep the height around knuckle to wrist height; right off the top of my head I do not know the actual amount so I won't post it until I remeasure to make sure. The wooden part of the New Stand was decent weight but I could move it around without too much trouble, once the top and bottom plates got put in place I decided to use the tractor to move the stand in place and then once quick movement to get the Anvil moved to her new home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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