Stump anvil modifications

[WoodFireMetal]

I recently acquired a neat stump anvil, as well as a tiny one whose horn would probably fit a jewelry ring. The larger one was welded to a thick pipe and tractor hub and I’ve just sliced through the weld and discovered a lot less stake than I expected to. I wanted to strip the paint and drive it into a stump to be able to take it to outreach demo programs for the museums I belong to.  Are the stake ends always this short? Or did I just screw myself over by breaking it off its existing base?  It’s only 4” long, though very thick. 

Also...is a sanding disc on an angle grinder ok to strip the paint? I tried a small wire wheel on my drill and it wasn’t as thorough as I’d hoped it would be. Tough paint job. 

[WoodFireMetal]

I went ahead and used a 80 grit flap disc on the anvil and lightly dressed the edges and face, to some extent. As much as I would love a perfectly flat top, I didn’t want to remove much metal.  Got most of the blue paint off, but it’s still buried in the pits.  I also took a grinding disc and got as much of the old weld off the shoulder and flattened it, as best I could.  Is there anything further I can or should do? Is this enough of a stake to hold it tight in a stump? Should I pre-drill and chisel square a hole to make it less lightly to split open the stump? 

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

I think the stake is long enough to hold fine. Drill the hole a little undersized and drive the stake in for a tight fit. I wouldn't chisel it square the stake will take care of that and hold tighter. Another way to mount it would be to put a plate (like a Pexto plate) on the stump with the hole cut to fit the base of the stake.

[ThomasPowers]

Spike is fine; adjust the height of the anvil face by changing the thickness of the stump it sits in . 

I started mine stump's hole by drilling a round hole undersized and then forging a slightly undersized duplicate of the stake and used that to burn the hole to fit. Again slightly undersized is good as the char will wear off with use.