SFC Snuffy Posted September 19, 2017 Share Posted September 19, 2017 On Tuesdays (one of my days off), I go over to my friend's house to forge, and I'm generally gone for about 6 hours. My three-year-old son has been pining to smith with me ever since I started about 8 months ago. We watch YouTube videos and look at tool catalogs (he's inordinately fond of power hammers) together. He's recently started "smithing" in the backyard while I'm gone, both on forge days and while I'm at work... this has consisted mostly of him breaking firepit bricks in the backyard and smashing pieces of charcoal to smithereens. So... I thought I'd make him a proper anvil. I started with a blueprint: And built it out of stacked-up pieces of standard 2x4. I filled in some of the gaps, glued and sanded it down... Painted it with a rattle-can "hammered metal" finish... And called it good. As his skill level increases, I can give it a proper hardy and make hardy tools to fit. Given the amount of glue and scr3ews holding it together, he's unlikely to do more than ding it up, but that's easy enough to remedy. Here's a pic of the happy recipient hammering away on some modeling clay: Next up, I'll make him a proper cross-pein to replace the Melissa & Doug claw hammer he's using. Thanks for looking! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Cochran Posted September 19, 2017 Share Posted September 19, 2017 I've thought about doing that myself. I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who had that idea (my wife kinda thought I was a little crazy when I mentioned it lol). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C-1ToolSteel Posted September 19, 2017 Share Posted September 19, 2017 Nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted September 19, 2017 Share Posted September 19, 2017 When we had Thanksgiving with the kids and grandkids I brought a forge for the adults and several small (couple of pounds at most) steel anvils and let the kids forge no lead plumbing solder on them a goodly distance but in sight of the adult play area. One of my kids was given a small metalshop made steel anvil for her 0th birthday by some of our friends... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tubalcain2 Posted September 19, 2017 Share Posted September 19, 2017 Cute! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Ling Posted September 19, 2017 Share Posted September 19, 2017 That's a dandy little thing. Ive thought of making one that resembles like a 700lb one of wood and put it outside my shop to fool visitors....And then Ide go and pick it up and lift it over my head and really fool 'em. Littleblacksmith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4elements Posted September 19, 2017 Share Posted September 19, 2017 Little blacksmith, put a steel plate on the bottom and set it on an electro magnet, you will be able to lift it when power is off but turn it on after and challenge the visitors to try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted September 19, 2017 Share Posted September 19, 2017 Very cool. You can show him how to do damascus with different color layers of clay. No telling what kind of pattern development he'll come up with. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dylan Sawicki Posted September 19, 2017 Share Posted September 19, 2017 That's cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John in Oly, WA Posted September 19, 2017 Share Posted September 19, 2017 What a great idea! Looks like you have one happy camper...er, blacksmith there. Is that an Armitage "Knot"hole anvil, or a "pine"dinghaus? or maybe a "Fir"sher? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C-1ToolSteel Posted September 19, 2017 Share Posted September 19, 2017 Check and see if it has the "best scrap" logo! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFC Snuffy Posted September 20, 2017 Author Share Posted September 20, 2017 Thanks for all the kind words, folks. I was reluctant to share this as it isn't really a smithing project, but I'm glad I did. Frosty, that's a great idea with the damascus. We'll have to watch a few more videos first, but I'm quite sure he'd be willing to give it a go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted September 20, 2017 Share Posted September 20, 2017 Oh you're wrong there Snuffy, this is as blacksmith related as it gets. We talk about modeling with clay all the time and you started your boy off with clay on an anvil. That is as real an anvil as it gets, he's beating something on it. That IS an anvil. He's building eye hand and other motor skills while learning to move plastic material with a hammer. What a hoot it'll be to bring him to a club meeting when he's a tween and he has better hammer control and understanding of how to make steel do what he wants than the adults. You're a good Dad he's a lucky boy. Raise him to take care of himself and work for what he wants, you'll never be sorry. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pupmaster Posted September 20, 2017 Share Posted September 20, 2017 Very cool. You can show him how to do damascus with different color layers of clay. No telling what kind of pattern development he'll come up with. Frosty The Lucky. Frosty, didn't your mom ever tell you "NOT TO MIX THE PLAYDOUGH!!!!!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobS Posted September 27, 2017 Share Posted September 27, 2017 Thats a fine ASO. But a "real" wood anvil wood be made from Iron Wood. Neat idea for the kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lou L Posted September 28, 2017 Share Posted September 28, 2017 This is a great idea for my kids as well. I have dad envy! My seven year old daughter and four year old son like to watch blacksmithing videos with me and ask to work in the shop all the time. My son has already set his first weld on a tiny ring we made this summer. I blame his anemic hammer and tiny arms for the fact the weld has a cold shut! It has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that I did most of it. Fear not, he was armored head to toe! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted September 28, 2017 Share Posted September 28, 2017 Ive thought of making one that resembles like a 700lb one of wood and put it outside my shop to fool visitors....And then Ide go and pick it up and lift it over my head and really fool 'em. Littleblacksmith That would be a good trick LB. I have a replica of my Armitage anvil carved from Styrofoam. Has the hardie and pritchell and a coat of matt black. Visitors are stunned when you pick it up by the horn with one outstretched hand. All adds to the fun of demos. And Snuffy, that wooden anvil is a work of art in itself. Your little boy will have a wonderful time with that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted September 28, 2017 Share Posted September 28, 2017 At Quad-State they have had the sheet metal anvils, foam anvils, balsa wood sledges and traffic cones cut off and painted to look like cast iron cone mandrels...jokers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted September 29, 2017 Share Posted September 29, 2017 Frosty, didn't your mom ever tell you "NOT TO MIX THE PLAYDOUGH!!!!!" No but she used to say, "Stop EATING the Playdough." I don't think she ever tasted it, though she did give up telling me to stop. Mmmmmmm Playdough. At Quad-State they have had the sheet metal anvils, foam anvils, balsa wood sledges and traffic cones cut off and painted to look like cast iron cone mandrels...jokers! Did Roger Degner bring his "Peter Wrong?" Darn earwax! Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted September 29, 2017 Share Posted September 29, 2017 Yes it's made the trip to Q-S (IIRC) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted September 29, 2017 Share Posted September 29, 2017 I figured it had, it's pretty close to Roger's home grounds. It's a fun toy. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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