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I Forge Iron

First improvised anvil...any constructive criticism before assembly?


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Pretty self explanatory...borrowed heavily (entirely?) from...

 

...and here...

Thanks Charles R. Stevens.

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Nothing is attached yet,  bottom metal plate is 3/8",  will be cut to fit.  Top plate will be fitted but not cut.  Maybe fill most of those spike holes,  use one for a hardy,  and maybe drill a pritchel hole above that diagonal cut out in the stand.

Thanks in advance,   MOe

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I'm assuming the bottom plate is because you're worried about the rail busting up the wood it sits on?. I would be worried about your shins with that current plate with sharp corners however. Looks like a really bad time if you catch yourself on one of those. The latch plate on the top portion may be the same but at stomach level. Looks less sharp but a corner is a corner. If you have access to an angle grinder with a cutoff wheel the bottom plate looks easy enough to cut to the size of the base. I'd suggest under-sizing it to make sure you don't cut your pants on a metal edge and can work around the anvil without having to constantly watch your ankles. The top plate you may want to just grind a radius into the corners, if it's tough steel like it looks cutting it wouldn't be a good time investment i'd say.  

 

Egg on my face, just read more carefully and see you're planning on cutting the bottom plate. I'd still suggest radius'ing the top plate corners and under sizing the bottom plate. The rail anvil itself looks really nice!

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I'm not sure the bottom plate will provide any advantage, except to increase the noise level... More knowledgeable members can certainly correct me if I'm wrong.

Thanks.  That's something I would like to avoid.  I have some rubber truck mudflap...maybe I'll use some between the two pieces.

 

I'm assuming the bottom plate is because you're worried about the rail busting up the wood it sits on?. I would be worried about your shins with that current plate with sharp corners however. Looks like a really bad time if you catch yourself on one of those. The latch plate on the top portion may be the same but at stomach level. Looks less sharp but a corner is a corner. If you have access to an angle grinder with a cutoff wheel the bottom plate looks easy enough to cut to the size of the base. I'd suggest under-sizing it to make sure you don't cut your pants on a metal edge and can work around the anvil without having to constantly watch your ankles. The top plate you may want to just grind a radius into the corners, if it's tough steel like it looks cutting it wouldn't be a good time investment i'd say.  

 

Egg on my face, just read more carefully and see you're planning on cutting the bottom plate. I'd still suggest radius'ing the top plate corners and under sizing the bottom plate. The rail anvil itself looks really nice!

Thanks,  I'll do that.

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I think a really good idea would be drilling/tapping a length of roundbar or hexbar. tapped longer than the exposed thread but not through. Then just thread it on, hex bar could be tightened, and you've got some solid handles. That is insanely easy for someone with a good lathe setup, but not so much without though. 

Edit: I think pre-tapped hexbar can be bought pretty easily and cut to size. I'm spoiled that i can order stock at work, so i'm not up on what's available regularly in store. 

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I left a couple standing proud at the top of my  artificial stump to act as handles for moving it.  But I agree that trimming the lower ones will make them less a catch your clothing hazard.

As heavy as this is,  I'm seriously considering finding some old tall-style rear wheels off discarded push mower and adding them like a oxy- acetylene cart...off the ground until it's leaned back.

 

Careful with those threaded rods. I'd either counter bore them into the wood to get them out of the way or get some acorn nuts.

Good idea...I'll do that.

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  • 2 weeks later...
 

Trim off whatever isn't directly under the rail,  and you won't have to worry about hot metal falling on the rubber. 

Good idea.  Done. Thanks.

 

Looking good to me. If it were me, I would round off the corners of the top plate. Reason being I'm a bit of a klutz (ask my wife) and tend to bump into anything sticking out, which usually leaves me bruised or & bleeding.:P

Also done.  Thanks.

 

Me too so I encourage them to mount the horn at crotch level for the betterment of the species. :ph34r:

Nice build on the anvil, well done.

Frosty The Lucky.

Thanks.  Now to learn what to do with it. :)

 

Thanks to all for the advice.

So...what did I learn?  Free don't necessarily equal free.  The wood was free, the rail was free and the plates were free,  but between hardware,  cutting discs,  grinding discs and flap wheels,  there's every bit of a C-note in there.

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