I've pretty much decided to do a sandbox stand for my new 288 lb anvil and I'm trying to think of the easiest way to make the box and it popped into my head that I could use an outdoor trash can, fill it with sand, and be done. I haven't seen this done before which makes me wonder if there's a reason for that since it seems like such a quick and easy solution.

Plastic?   Steel?

3 minutes ago, ThomasPowers said:

Plastic?   Steel?

I was thinking plastic so I could easily cut it down to the right height, though if I happened to find a steel one that was ~28 inches tall id think that would be a good option too.

 

If you can find one that fits the base of your anvil, then it might work? But dimensional lumber stood on end would be much better and much safer.  I would be worried about the sides splitting after repeated impacts (that is a lot of weight for your average garbage can), or trouble keeping the anvil level. Wherever you are hitting is likely to displace sand and cause that side to sink lower.

It just doesn't seem to be the most stable stand IMHO which could lead to a dangerous situation should it start to tip or walk around inside your sandbox. Most of the straight sided garbage cans I can think of (you do not want one that is narrower at the base than it is at the top) are round. Which, depending on what the diameter is, might limit the amount of access you have while standing in front of it.

That's a good point, I didn't think about the risk of the can splitting, they definitely aren't designed for that amount of force being applied on them. 

Not to mention hot steel and plastic!   Out here plastic has a limited life due to the ferocious UV,  I've had 5 gallon buckets fall apart in shreds after just a couple of years exposure.

After rethinking the trashcan plan I went back to my original plan and build a wood box for the sand. I used 3/4 plywood for the bottom and sides with 4x4s in the corners for strength. Everything screwed and glued together with construction adhesive and steel angle supports. It's strong xx xxxx, ugly but strong. I'll give the adhesive a day to cure before fill it with sand. 

Edited April 20, 20215 yr by Mod30
Language

Paint it!   A shipping crate labeled ACME would be appropriate!

I'm thinking ill char the wood and put a matt clear finish on it, I've never been a good painter. 

I'm still no Carpenter but the char makes it look a lot better 

The 4x4s were a bit of overkill but overkilled is a properly blacksmitherly build. Still not to late to apply an Acme label you know.

It's looking good, it'll look better with your beautiful lady holding court on her throne.

Frosty The Lucky.

You're probably right, even empty it's already heavy, but it seemed to be the easiest way to get a really solid box. I could have used 2x2s in the corners but I was worried considering the weight of both the sand and the anvil itself. I already had the plywood and the construction adhesive so I figured why not go a little overkill. 

Do you have any suggestions on how to lift the anvil once I get to that stage? the best option I've thought up so far is a chain hoist but I'm not super confident in the strength of my rafters in my little prebuilt shed workshop.

 

Edited April 20, 20215 yr by Mod30
Remove excessive quote.

I like this plan much better, very nice.

How to lift your anvil? The best way is to ask your minions to do it for you.. If that's not an option, bribe family members with cold beverages!

If you concerned about the strength of the rafters, use a long pipe to bridge several rafters. Of course if you can barrow an engine hoist that would work...

I used to pick up my 275 lb anvil. It hasn't been that many years, but I now I have more sense and fewer muscles. I use cribbing to lift it now.  I use a 1" square bar in the hardy hole to tilt it and add the next piece. See the description in the linked thread. 

 

Any time you use a chain hoist or other device to raise a weight, the roof or above attachment point needs to be sufficiently strong to hold the weight, and then some.

If you crib up from the floor up, only the cribbing needs to be strong and of a construction that will support the weight.  If in doubt, use more, heavier, stronger, etc cribbing.  Small increments of lift, with lots of cribbing is the key.

I have two 2X6 lengths that are notched on one end to fit from the bottom of the rafters to the floor. They act as reinforcement and easy to move when I use a hoist. The heaviest I have used them for was when I moved the Star Power hammer out of my truck and into the forge. 

It's only 288lbs. call it 300. That's not really that much but you can put a spreader between a couple rafters on each side to spread the load and be golden. A 2" x 6" on edge should be more than enough, we used to pull V8 engines on a spreader between 3 roof trusses. 

A tripod and lever is another method but less safe and dropping that much weight WILL cause damage to whatever she lands on, say the concrete floor. Won't do more than scuff some rust off her though.

Frosty The Lucky.

In my 1920's wood framed detached garage in Ohio; I would use a set of lally columns and some angle iron sized to fit the wooden cross piece for the roof.  Lifted my 469# Fisher with that.

Levers, cribbing and rollers I consider mandatory shop tools that folks often forget to stock up on. (I once loaded a Champion #1 powerhammer into my pickup that way by my self!)

It's been a few days, i got the sand in and packed down tight. It took 340 pounds of sand to get to the level i think i want and I've got another bag of sand so i can bury the feet once she's in place. Got a friend coming after work to help get her in place. 

If you tie a heavy piece of wood (heavy enough to support the weight of the anvil) to the top of the anvil, You on one end of the wood and your buddy on the other end, the lift weight is shared (half the weight of the anvil) for each person.

For heavier projects, tie a heavy piece of wood (heavy enough to support the weight of the anvil) to the top of the anvil.  You can then rest the end of the wood and anvil on cribbing and use the wood as a lever to lift the anvil a little bit.  Crib under the anvil, slide the wood to the other side, rest it on cribbing and lift again.  Go slow with lots of cribbing for support.

Took a week but it's done! I'm gonna play with the height a bit before adding sand to cover the feet. 

This anvil is an absolute pleasure to use, finally having something this solid and at an appropriate height is a game changer. 

The height of the anvil can be changed or adjusted by tipping the end of the anvil and adding or removing sand.

As described elsewhere, use a piece of wood sheeting, and observe the dents or impressions left in the wood by the hammer, to fine tune to the proper anvil height for YOU.

Did the sand covering the feet of the anvil help reduce the ring of the anvil?

That's a good idea with the wood, I'll have to try that. 

I haven't burried the feet yet as I'm still working on getting the height right, but so far just being on the sand has quieted it down a ton. Honestly my forge is louder then my anvil.