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A collection of improvised anvils

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One of my very first projects was making 4 of these and...

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Was fun and still using that stand 4 years later. Hollow out the bottom just a little to prevent wobble. 

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Pure looks. It was my first anvil and I didn't know how loud it wasn't.  :-)

Look like anvil with a little bit of kink  :lol:

  • 2 months later...

Here’s my third improvised anvil, 4.5” square by 5” tall and about 28 pounds:


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I ground three edges to 1/8” radius, the fourth is 1/4” radius on one end and 1/2” on the other (roughly.) I had a 3/8” plate with two 3/4” holes so I filed one square to hold tools.

The stand was cobbled together from cedar fence post off cuts (also 4.5” square) and other scrap wood.  It should hold long enough to figure out if I like this arrangement then I’ll build a better one. I haven’t had a chance to forge on it yet but when I tap it with a hammer it is far quieter than my chunk of rail so I might be able to use it without annoying my wife or neighbors…

Hey, that's my hammer!

  • 7 months later...

Finished the tripod for an improvised anvil, a 6" diameter by 4" high. Useful when I need sharper corners and as a light travelling anvil. The legs are 1.5" square tubes, filled with sand. The feet are pre-pierced so I will be able to stake it down if the ground requires it.

The underside of the anvil was uneven, so I built the stand accordingly. Since I had an old half-empty tube of acrylic filler, I used that instead of silicon.

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Nice anvil and well built stand. Cross braces on the legs would make it about indestructible but the welds and design look good. 

Thanks Daswulf. I decided cross brace would be overkill, since this is for fairly light work. I also felt that they might get in the way. And I can always add them later if I change my mind!

Tried it out this morning. Works well, although it is a bit on the low side for me, but that's ok for the work I will be doing on it.

  • 2 weeks later...

Nice. Are those handles permanently fastened in that position, or do they go somewhere else on the stand when it's being moved around?

No, on the other side of the stand. I have another steel plate with 2 holes to hold the handles in a vertical position when in use. I have 2 holes in the side of the stand to place the handles into when moving this unit. If u look closely u can see the holes in the I beam. I have another image somewhere..

Looks like the go through the holes at the top of the I-beam…

I like that setup. Two things I would change: have one side of the anvil flush to the stand to allow for longer 90bends, and weld a couple loops on to hold you hands. 
 

How loud is it? Is the anvil have good rebound on it? Good use of a big I-beam.

Keep it fun,

David

Typing at the same time…

Uh David: "and weld a couple loops on to hold you hands." I gotta say you and I have very different ideas of holding hands! 

Nice looking anvil and stand, good use of grizzly screen for a hammer rack. I agree about moving it closer to an edge so you can work down the side farther and make longer bends. Maybe flush with the flange face of the stand. 

Lots of good potential in your set up. all round, Fuji Forge.

Frosty The Lucky.

Oops, should’ve been “handles,” not the only typo though… Got in a hurry after I saw you were responding and didn’t do my normal proofing. At least it wasn’t too juicy of a straight line!

Yeah, it could've been a juicier slip but what the hey I'll take what I can get. :D

Frosty The Lucky.

Thanks for the design upgrades, I’ll use it and c where best to place some handles.

Frosty on a side note:

I used your frosty design torches, which I am very pleased with. I also made a homemade 2 torch gas forge. I’ll post video of it working in time…

 

Thanks again for your comments and design upgrades…

On 9/1/2017 at 1:13 PM, Charles R. Stevens said:

#10 the lowly rail anvil properly orintated

I count that as the eleventh photo, so one of those photos didn't get mentioned.

A 10" x 12" piece of 2" plate from the drops section of a local steel supplier, 69 pounds for $59. It will double as a portable anvil and swage block. The stand is mostly drops from the same place and holds the block with any edge up, or flat across the rails. I took it to a friend's house for a few hours of forging and nothing on the stand moved so I can start working on the block next. 

I'll add a couple of fullers to the top and radius the edges. Then a couple of swages in the side. Eventually some tool holders on the stand for the hammer, tongs, and some punches. 

 2x10x12blockonstandreduced.thumb.jpg.8ee5f97ca1ddf69c81b13277198c64c4.jpg 

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