Put wheels on it

[Katerine]

3 hours ago, JHCC said:

An arrangement like the retractable wheels on an old-fashioned typewriter table (remember those?) might be interesting. 

Those are a little before my time (I was the last class at my high school to learn typing on typewriters), but thank goodness for search engines with image view!  

...I've never seen one in person, but I love the mechanics of it!  I'm saving that concept for future reference.  

[Katerine]

Frosty:  It doesn’t make sense yet, but that’s just because I can’t visualize it yet.  (I never was good at word problems in algebra class...aced geometry, though.  I always joke about how that’s why I’m an artist/craftsperson instead of a writer/journalist.  Pictures good, words...bah.   )  I’m sitting down tonight or tomorrow with my sketchbook and see if I can work out what you’re describing.  :thumbsup:    

I’m only ruling out handtrucks because it’s over 100 lbs.  That stupid leg of mine makes the rules change when I get above that weight.  Under 100 and I can control it...over that and control becomes a fragile illusion.  Things I learned trying to schlep firewood.

As an aside and why I’m in this predicament:  I picked the 165 lb anvil (instead of the one step lighter 80 lb) because that’s what we used in the class I took and because I figured...if I only had one anvil, better to get the one that can accommodate the widest range of projects.  Also, it was bundled into an equipment kit at my local blacksmith supplier so I got a discount getting a basic shop setup.  If any new-to-smithing people are seeing this...pick the 80-pounder.    Or at least know your lifting threshold and remember that when you pick out your equipment!

Edited March 3, 2019 by Katerine

[Frosty]

5 hours ago, Katerine said:

Frosty:  It doesn’t make sense yet, but that’s just because I can’t visualize it yet.

I'm not surprised, I was winging it on the fly, the idea needed more thought and sketches. I'm killing myself trying to figure out Draftsight 2D Cadd, it's so loaded with bells and whistles I can't draw a floor plan. I trouble shoot concepts on paper but I don't have a scanner or useful cadd program or I'd draw some pics and present more sensible ideas.

What I described is flawed on a couple points. I'll do better and see if I can get it drawn and online to post. 

What kind of anvil stand do you have or want? I'll come up with something you don't have to build the anvil stand to fit, the dolly thingy should fit what YOU: have, need, want. By dolly I'm envisioning one similar to what you tow cars with. Rear wheels on a dolly and the wrecker lifts the front.  

I'll bang my head on this and get back. I move my anvils around with an engine hoist and it makes me sweep the floor to get it to roll. 

Frosty The Lucky.

 

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

Might want to check out piano dollies. I have a set of four with three wheels on each that I use to move heavy stuff in the garage.

[MC Hammer]

I used an antique barrel cart when I was moving my anvil in and out of the garage.  A couple of ratchet straps and it wheels right out.  I was wheeling out a 179 pound anvil and nothing out there on the market could handle that weight without bending the axle in the two-wheel market without spending more than I spent on the anvil.

If I might suggest something, just pick a spot that you can afford to permanently lose the space and leave it there.  With your back and leg issues I think you'd be better off leaving it in one place.  Sacrifice the space in order to care for your situation with your back.  I think you'll build something only to find you get tired of moving it out and back all the time and end up doing what I suggest anyways.  Sometimes the simplest solution is the best in these situations.  Good luck!

[Frosty]

Katerine: I'm not coming up with a version of what I described earlier that isn't more hassle than it's worth. 

What kind of anvil stand are you making, buying, ? 

I have a couple much better ideas but the type of stand makes a difference. 

Frosty The Lucky.

[Ray B]

New member here, been quietly reading up on do's and don'ts, but this thread caught my interest.

Though it appears the OP hasn't been back since their last comment, I thought I'd add my idea to the mix.

If you make(made) a tripod stand, here's an idea for putting removable casters on it. (Technically would work for a 4 legged stand too

Mount a short horizontal shaft (1/2"-3/4" diameter) to two decent sized fixed casters, and one locking swivel. (Locking swivel, not swivel with brakes)
 the shaft needs to be parallel to wheel's axle, forward of fore/aft center line.
The shaft needs to extend to opposite sides of the two fixed casters (one right, the other left) Either side for the swivel caster.
On all three shafts, add a 1/4" hex socket head cap screw to the side of the shaft at the end furthest from caster, to act as a locking key.
The shaft needs to be long enough to allow the socket head screw to pass through the C channel sides.
Just forward of the shaft, mount a square(or hex) socket in the same plane as the shaft, but flush with the opposite side of the caster.

Now add a piece of C channel with a keyhole (drill, then add narrow slot with file) through the parallel sides, mount them to to the three legs with the holes through the C channel parallel to ground, but perpendicular to fore/aft to accept the short shaft on the casters. The keyway needs to be lined up so the caster assemblies can slide in/out when anvil stand is on the ground
 you'll want to set their height so when the caster goes over center, the legs are high enough, to clear the ground. You'll also need to add pads to the three legs for the caster assemblies to rest on.

 Using a lever with a square (or hex) stub sticking out the side (would look like a breaker bar with permanent cheater installed you can cam the casters under the anvil one at a time, as long as the casters only lift it up an inch or so, your center of gravity won't shift much at all. (If you're concerned about it, rotating the socket 90° would allow you to make the lever T shaped on one end to allow both fixed casters to be lifted at once)

Any questions, just ask, any critiques, fire away 0.0

 

Ray

[JHCC]

Welcome to IFI, Ray! If you haven’t yet (although your comment indicates you probably have), READ THIS FIRST!!!

For the visual learners among us, do you have a photo of such a setup?

[Ray B]

Truth be told, I hadn't read the "read this first" post until just before I hit send

Of course, as long as one pays attention while reading a ton of post here, you can dodge the gotchas

As for photo, or diagram, no, I tried a quick Google to see if I could find something similar to what I was thinking of, but it was late, and my Google Fu had already gone to bed

will poke around this morning, see if I can come up with something, if not, I'll try and sketch something up.

 

 

^my usual go to for expletives in person and online is to use bleep, shazbot, Do'h, *;$&*+##%, and the like, my understanding is using those here in lieu of undesirable language is child friendly, if not, I'll be happy to refrain.

Please refrain as it will get the attention of the mods.

 

[Gazz]

I used to have a heavy steel table with three castors on it to allow it to be moved easily.  Two of the castors were mounted outboard at one end and did not touch the floor when the table was at rest or in position for use.  The third castor was on the other end of the table and was mounted to a jack screw that was turned by a crank.  To move the table, you would crank the third castor down until it raised the end of the table so that the two outboard castors were contacting the floor.  The concept is similar to the one previously posted by Glenn but no pipes were required.  This could be a good way to go provided you have a welder and a flat floor.  Changing the type/sizes of the castors could make it usable on a rough surface as well.

[Frosty]

Welcome aboard Ray, glad to have you. We'd love to see drawings and pics of your caster set up. A number have been posted, some gooder than others but all workable. I didn't plan ahead to make built in casters or eve a hand truck very workable with my tripod anvil stands. My bad, not complaining. . . usually. At home I use one of the BEST garage sale finds yet, the engine hoist for large moves. Mostly I can move it by hand by sliding or rotating it around one foot. It's a PITA but I don't usually move it very far in the shop, mostly change orientation depending on the current project.

Remember, we LOVE pics. 

Frosty The Lucky.

[Ray B]

Gazz

As an experiment, I did a mockup with a couple pieces of wood, with the legs 3' apart, and a 3" wheel with it's axle center 2" from one leg, I'd have to lift the other side 5" to get a 1/4" clearance.

The further the wheel's centerline was from the leg, the less distance it'd need to be raised for a given clearance.

I've seen that design recommended here, but to me it seems like it would require the top heavy anvil to be tilted so much that it's center of mass was dangerously close to the two fixed casters but after the mockup, I'm less inclined (bonus pun) to think it'd be prone to tipping over.

And if the wheel assemblies were removable, it wouldn't be a trip/stub hazard.

Frosty, the idea popped in my head last night as I was reading the thread, as soon as I can I'll try and draw something legible (or come back and fess up to it's impossibility  )

For the record, Rube Goldberg is my hero 

 

 

 

[Les L]

Ray B, if you’re anvil is oriented with the heel/horn with one of them centered between the two legs and the other over the remaining leg you won’t have any trouble. Place your wheels on the two back legs and lift from the single leg 

[Ray B]

Frosty, this is what I was thinking

Originally I was envisioning it with the castor pivoting under each leg, but after drawing it, while outboard would give more stability, I might be inclined to put the pad the castor sat on inboard of the leg to limit the trip hazard.

[Jspool]

This setup has worked great for me for quite a few years now. I picked it up at an auction so have no idea how old it is.

[basher]

my current forge anvil along with a swage block  is on 4 castors no problem at all. not even locking castors....but its a reasonably big anvil and a swage block so has a lot of inertia.

 

[tanglediver]

Jspool, that is pretty cool! Reminds me of a gun carriage.

[jlawson]

Old thread, but it sparked an idea... my drill press / table saw / etc woodworking do-it-all has a set of retractable casters on either end that might be suited to the task.  Not gonna link to the commercial website, but if you google "mark V retractable casters" you can take a look at what I'm talking about - there should be a way to DIY something similar on an anvil stand.

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

The Mark V retractable casters are fine on concrete (wheels are small) if you need to traverse rough or soft terrain larger wheels are a must.

[bluerooster]

On 3/2/2019 at 7:23 PM, Katerine said:

Frosty:  It doesn’t make sense yet, but that’s just because I can’t visualize it yet. 

Picture removable wheels for moving helicopters on the ground.  It doesn't have to be that fancy, you can use what you have on hand. use 3, one as a castor.