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I Forge Iron

A collection of improvised anvils


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Thanks for everyone’s insight. It seems like it’d be too much trouble to attempt to harden my mystery metal. 

Now I thought I’d show the stand that I made. In the first picture I started with (3) 10’ 2x4s, (4) 8’ 4x4s, a 6’ piece of 1” wide steel, a box of 3” screws, (24) 4” lag screws, and a coulple tubes of liquid nails. 

Next I cut (12) 20” long pieces of 2x4, (4) 28” long pieces of 2x4, (12) 28” long pieces of 4x4, and (4) 18” pieces of steel. 

I glued and screwed together the 20” long pieces of 2x4s. This is what my metal will directly sit on. 

I knocked a quick 45 degree cut on the top of each piece of 28” 2x4s and 4x4s. These are places around my 20” tall block to make a pocket for my steel to be supported laterally and make a wide base. 

Glued, counter sunk and predrilled for the lag screws to hold everything together. 

Finally I added corner 4x4s and bent the steel to bolt it all together. I may add another steel band on it in the future. 

Now all I have to do is add some wheels to it so I can move it around. 

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I'm not really sure what it is but I recently found this at the scrap yard for less than $10 US. I have used it once and started a coal rake it works pretty well. It looks like a top hat the way I use it but the hole on the other side is threaded and about 1 inch in diameter. It has a decent ring and about 70% rebound. It's not much but its what is getting me started. I'm planning on using rail spikes to anchor it to the stand once I finish it. What do you guys think it is?

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3 hours ago, KC-130J said:

Now all I have to do is add some wheels to it so I can move it around

   Wheels, may be the a weak link? Adding a round base may help it roll, when tipped at an angle.

    N.N.F.                   Beautiful, Manchester, Michigan. USA 

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A threaded stud would work, tread it in the anvil and drill a slightly undersized hole to drive the pin into

as to wheels, mount them in the side so the weight rests not on them but the stump, tilt the stump back on the wheels to move. Think of it as a utility dolly or appliance truck. 

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On 3/18/2018 at 9:24 PM, Charles R. Stevens said:

as to wheels, mount them in the side so the weight rests not on them but the stump, tilt the stump back on the wheels to move. Think of it as a utility dolly or appliance truck. 

That’s exactly what I was imagining. Since my utility dolly is presently being used as my oxy/acetylene dolly I was just going to add some wheels to one side and about 1/2” off the ground.  Then all I have to do is tip it back onto the wheels and I’m not dragging 275 lbs of wood and metal around on the ground. 

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They don’t even meet to be off the ground, just not under the stump. If you are using fixed dolly wheels (as a posed to the casters) then set up the stump and anvil, position the wheels on the ground “behind” the stump and attach them. If you are using somthing with an axle like alliance solids use then of corse you mount them a bit difrent but the wheels still touch. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well here's my contribution. however, a couple weeks ago i redid the stand and shortened it up. I too like 3 inches of the 3 boards and removed that chunk of RR Tie under the rail. it now sits on a huge 5/8" plate I screwed to the bottom of the boards. the height is much better and my hammer blows are better. this stand was too tall. that track alone is 2.5 feet long. 

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However, I'm in the process of making a new anvil. My little bro brought some more rail steel. bunch of plates from a switch track i think. and a couple 2 inch thick bricks about 14" long and 5 inches wide. He contracts and does a lot of work with a guy that does gymnasium bleachers and stuff. these bricks are the weights from the gym bleachers that retract. they're not high carbon but i did some like work on one and it doesn't deform to my regular work so I'm making an ASO that is made for 5/8" thick steel plates and a couple 2 inch thick pieces. I'm planning on a Leaf spring for the face soon as I get a torch to cut one out of an old camper my Little Bro has. as well I want to get a 3"-4" piece of Round steal to make the horn from. leaning more 4". I'll also make the face a little short to give me a Step at the end of the anvil at the base of the horn, like a traditional London pattern.

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On 3/18/2018 at 4:26 PM, Jay.bro said:

touché sir I was assuming it would've been frosty or tp that said this

We let John point out things like this as an example of how obvious it is. :P

Frosty The Lucky.

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  • 1 month later...

Well I have some things, the revamped anvil stand for my vertical track. And the ASO under construction.
 

so first is the revamped stand. I may screw a 2x4 to the bottom and redrill the holding bolt hole. because as you can tell I may have made it a little too short. I'm unable to use my Mini Horn. and I could have used it for the S hook I made and some other work I did. 

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Next is the new "anvil" I started welding together.it's made of a bunch of 5/8" steel plate I think was part of a switch track assembly. I cut them in sections that matched my "base" which is the bracket that rails sit on. The full welding is not done but it's holding nicely. the 2 thick chunks are weights from collapsible bleaches. the rebound is not amazing but it's mostly mild steel anyways. regardless it's good at moving metal. a little touch-up work along with a horn and I'll have a servicable anvil until I can afford a real one later on.

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now about the Horn, I was thinking of a method to better secure it to the anvil. When I assemble small models for table top war games I will use a method called pinning. I'm thinking of using a pin about 1.5 inches in length to help support the horn since it will take a bit of a beating.

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3 minutes ago, Charles R. Stevens said:

it refers to an anvil shaped object

More specifically, something that’s supposed to be an anvil but isn’t, such as the cheap cast iron “anvils” one finds at discount hardware chain stores. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Swamp fox, the reason to add yours to mine is that mine was pinned to make the information easier to find. You have exelent anvils and you dang sure had the right Idea. We need to spread the word that you can get started in this hobbie affordable with just a bit of imagination. As what we do, like cooking is half art and half science a bit of imagination is a requirement.

As you can clearly see the post has acquired a life of its own, lol.

 

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