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Show me your anvil stands


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Here are some pictures of the stand that I am building for my new anvil. 

The outline of the base on 1-1/4 plate

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The base on the legs which are 4x4x1/2 tube cut at a 10 degree miter diagonally 

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test fit of the anvil 

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The foot print of the legs is about 16" by 22" 

I am not sure if that is quite large enough to be super stable and am thinking about cutting new legs at a different degree to spread the footprint. Any one have any input?

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I think a little more spread would be prudent (more stability). I also like a little shelf around the anvil base, as opposed to cut outs to match the anvil foot. They come in really handy to set a hammer or punches & chisel's on while working with them (personal preference though). Would be easy to add them with lighter plate to match the base welded on.

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IFC, thats  why the shelves that move on the stand.  Handy, can move them out of the way and easy to make larger or smaller replacements as well as tong holders, flux, coolant, etc, etc. 

Old Crew,  Looks great. I might go just a little wider in the feet.  keep in mind you will want to put your foot there (in the middle) when working at the anvil sometimes. 

The thing I like about the tripod stand is how open under the anvil is.  The part I dislike is the instability of the 3 legs. 

it was funny looking at your stand with the anvil next to it. The anvil is taller. :)

If you are going to put a full sheet under it. and then leave the center section open I wouldn't worry about where your foot can go. 

The reason I mention the foot thing is I found years ago that my shoes would be worn on the toes and at the end of a long forging day my toes would be sore.  I then started paying attention as to the reason why and noticed that I slide my foot up the stump and smeared the toe of my shoe and foot down the same area day in and day out. Kind of a weird thing but noticed when I made a stand I could move my foot into that space I no longer did that.. I now find it uncomfortable when I go somewhere and the base is to wide and I can not put my foot where it naturally wants to be. 

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IFC and JLP

I appreciate the input 

After I got back from church I cut new legs at 15 degrees (like a friend suggested which i initially cut a test out of 2 "tube and rejected) nothing like not listening to good advise and having to pay the price of your own stubbornness . Any who   15degrees is much better    The spread is now 18x23 with the anvil height at 31-3/4 with no feet

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IFC

All along I have planned on 2 swinging shelves or rather I shelf and 1 hammer rack which can swing out of the way if you need to use that part of the anvil.

JLP

you make good progress today?

By the way I will have feet not a plate  I just have been mocking it up on the plate.

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Yup, thats better..     For shelves,  I used 1"sq X 1/8" wall and used 3/4" round for the pins. I made the stands so they are centered at either side of the stand if need be for catching drift driven through the hardie hole or pritchel hole.  the shelfs I want to sorta be a friction fit. That way they won't move on their own. 

You planning on putting in center gussets for legs to bottom plate of anvil. Some Church window gussets could be kinda cool looking.

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Based upon advise from someone with vastly more experience. I recut the legs to drop the height and got the basic stand almost done.

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3/4 x 2-1/2 band to encase the anvil base to contain the sand or silicone which I will bed the anvil in. 1-1/4 top plate and feet.

Filled the legs with fine sand and put an x-brace under the plate. I would hate to hit the anvil so hard that i made the top plate deflect ! :blink: and it keeps the legs from splaying.

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on the stand

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other side

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Great design. great stand.   Looks like you will have a nice and heavy stand.   Do you have a bender for the heavier flat sections? 

 

Does it rock at all on the floor?  On my old 4 leg stand I used to keep a few pieces of sheet metal around to slip under a foot or I would move it so it would catch in all for legs just on the cement. 
Its funny but my Wooden stump rocked and I had figured out he sweet spot so each time I moved it for a distance thing. i'd just move it back to the sweet spot. 

I had someone over today to help with building construction and he has taken an interest in smithing after watching me at a demo this past fall.  He and his brothers make coil springs for a living so he has some understanding of metals. 

Anyhow, we worked on getting the builds squared up some and then I showed him the last carving hatchet which he watched me forge at the fall meet. As we were on the way over there he asked about the 3 blue anvils and so I uncovered the peddinghaus 275lbs and the next thing I knew he pulled a ball bearing from his pocket..  Was so cool. Great guy asked if it was ok to doing a ball bearing test. 

He tested the Peddinghaus, the Fisher,  1 of the 3 school anvils, the Refflinghaus, and my vintage Hay budden before the bearing headed south into the foliage. 

just looked at the photos again. That really is a great setup. Nicely done. 

I wanted to mention on the old anvils that were inset they would take sand, or clinker crushed up and sprinkle the fines around the end of the feet. This way as the smith worked the vibration would pack in and basically lock the anvil to the stand. 

Cutlers anvils also used this method and sometimes would use wooden wedges to good merit when freshly setup till the scale filled in the area. 

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1 hour ago, jlpservicesinc said:

Do you have a bender for the heavier flat sections? 

I am trying to learn a new way of doing things. Doing things blacksmith style!   So this morning when I couldn't sleep at 3:30 I went to the shop and decided to channel my inner blacksmith and and hot formed the radius.   HEAT  then  BEAT    Im sure my neighbors loved that

Although I tend to be antisocial   I don't think ?? they heard me??   1 neighbor is half deaf and the other is a truck driver used to sleeping in his truck while it is running.

If they did hear me beating at 4:00 am ?   Sorry i am jerk     can I blame  it or my asbyergergers or my ADD ?

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They will rotate with horn and heel work. I was referring to the nice stand Old Crew built and his mention of hold-downs. With that nice border he made all the way around the base It wont turn on the the stand. Now if he starts having someone sledge on the horns it would start rocking.

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Had to, going to miss it, cut down the biggest tree on our lot. If you would like a big ole stump for an anvil, please come and pick one out. If you see your future “anvil stand” in this pile, shoot me a pm. 20 min south west of A2.

     N.N.F.

  Beautiful, Manchester, Michigan.

 

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