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Help needed to secure anvil


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Hey guys, first time poster, sorry if in wrong category.

I've bough this small anvil for 15€ but I can't figure out how to secure it as it has a spike on the base. I've done some research and found nothing  like it, any help will be appreciated. 

IMG-20190129-WA0003.jpg

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25 minutes ago, marcusb said:

Drill an underside hole into a large block of wood with a ships auger and pound it into that.

That's what I initially thought but since the spike is quite thick I feared it would split the wood. How wide do you reccon I should drill the hole? 

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Depends on what sort of bits you have. I know myself I'd personally end up doing it the hard way, because I know there are far more experienced people here that know the tricks. But I would check my bit lengths and sizes, match up sizes to the taper of the spike, and drill holes accordingly. Use the narrowest, longest bit for the first hole, then "ream" that with the next widest, stopping before you get as deep (mark the bit with tape to know where to stop), rinse & repeat. Then I'd fill the cavity and the face of the stump where the anvil will sit with silicone or construction adhesive, set the anvil in and hammer it down in place. Let cure, and you should be good.

But like I said, I'm sure someone else here has an easier way of doing it.

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Oh so you're saying to literally make a negative of the spike on the stump and THEN glue it and hammer it into place. Thought I would be a smaller hole to pressure fit, that's where I based my fear of splitting the stump. Thanks for the tips

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You do want the hole smaller so there is a pressure fit as you say. Obviously you don't want to take a 1" bit all the way down.

Measure your spike. I'd say you want to start at .5" - 1" from the tip. How wide is it? Do you have a bit a little narrower than that, that will reach that far? If so, you can do it in steps starting from the point up. If not, you might have to start at the surface, and work your way down, as drilling out the stump will make more room for the drill to fit in.

Do you have a log to practice on? Or an additional stump in case this gets pooched? Then I wouldn't sweat getting it right the first time. If not, then you want to be more careful.

This will reduce the chance you'll split the wood, by drilling that "pilot hole". You'll just need to be careful when you hammer that spike in that you don't get too aggressive with it. And if the wood does split, while not ideal, you could probably forge yourself a few bands to wrap around the stump and hold it in place, just like what Thomas has in his pictures. Of course, I'd more than likely go overboard and do three or four, because my brain is wired like that. "Hey, one's good, but how about eleven?!" Yeah... I know I have issues.

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I don't glue mine in in fact I was just making an interchangeable stake anvil to fit it:

2122703111_stakeanvilette2(2).jpg.82403d37c5b7ca87b521fe396a6a579c.jpg

A tight fit is nice; choosing a stump of a wood type that does not split easily makes a big difference. Elm was traditional, or gum, or whatever local wood folks give you for free as "it's unsplitable!"

I would measure the length of your spike and drill the smallest diameter the entire length then mark off the spike in say inches and measure it at each one and place a bit of masking tape on your drill bit to indicate the depth to stop at and work your way up.

For a nice taper in the wood in a smithing way, forge a duplicate taper in mild steel and drill your holes a bit undersize and burn to fit using your forged taper tool---I suggest practicing a bit with that method as people tend to over burn when they are starting out...

The same when just doing drilling, leaving it a bit proud of the surface and let it work itself down with use. If you oversize the hole you can always glue in an insert.

Note that banding works on dry seasoned wood, else the bands will fall off as the wood drys and shrinks.

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Nice anvil. 

What the others said on step drilling the hole. Make the hole undersized. 

Personally I would Not use silicone or adhesive with it. It should be fine with a friction fit. 

Might go without saying, but I'll say it, use a block of wood between the hammer and anvil to tap it in. 

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Quick update on the restoration. Still got the nooks and crannies to take care of but coming along nicely. Edges are in mint condition. The brand is Ferfor, maybe someone know anything about it? 

Also, Thanks a lot for all the tips, luckily I have a lot of wood at my disposal (live in Madeira Island, 60%is trees) so I'll have a few trial and errors and update you when I can. 

20190130_184927.jpg

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