Stands stands stands!

[TWISTEDWILLOW]

Thanks for tip! My swage block is a little longer on one side as well, 

I plan on building the brackets to allow for slack anyways, because the stand will eventually be used with different sized blocks, 

it won’t be snug so I figured I’d just make some wedges with handles that I can stick in there to stop it from wobbling, 

At any rate it will be nice to get it off the ground, kneeling down to use it is getting old, 

[TWISTEDWILLOW]

Finally got around to cutting two sections off the big pipe, their cut at 24” inches, so depending on which anvil I set in there they’ll be knuckle up to wrist hight

gonna weld some plates on the bottom this week, and run into town to the concrete place an see if I can’t talk em outta some sand to fill em with,

 

[JHCC]

Take them some bottle openers for trade/thank you gifts!

[TWISTEDWILLOW]

That’s a good idea,

ain’t much a six pack of brown soda pop can’t get ya! 

bottle openers would sweeten the deal lol

[Frosty]

Even if a couple stands worth of sand isn't worth the paperwork and they just point you at the pile a couple bottle openers is cheap PR and you never know when you'll need gravel. 

Nice stand bye the bye.

Frosty The Lucky.

[TWISTEDWILLOW]

thanks Jerry, I can’t wait to throw a couple anvils on them an try em out! I’ve been meaning to do this for awhile now, It will finally get the shop up to three stations
 

[TWISTEDWILLOW]

Well I was going to town to pay bills this morning so I threw a couple barrels an a shovel in the truck, 

I was gonna swing in an get some sand but the entry way had huge ruts in the mud from the concrete trucks, an I already got stuck once this weekend so I passed em up, im gonna give it another day or two to dry up some more, 

side note… ya would think a concrete company might have a paved driveway? Or at least hard packed gravel drive!
Just sayin lol

[JHCC]

As long as their trucks can get through, I'm sure they'd rather put the gravel where someone's going to pay them for it!

(See "Shoemaker's children go barefoot.")

[TWISTEDWILLOW]

Lol good point John!

[TWISTEDWILLOW]

I got a plate welded on one of the sand stands today an got it moved out to the smithy, also cleaned up the cut a little so there’s no jagged edges,

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

Why not fill it with the native clay you have around there? When it's dried out should work just as well as sand.

[swedefiddle]

Compactus Clay, wasn't he a Boxer?  LOL

Neil

[Goods]

Any concerns with the sand getting saturated with water and rusting out the stand, considering it’s an outdoor site? (Side note, I was looking at the photos thinking “nice setup… just needs a roof to keep the rain/sun off… what about rain in the stand…” It’s funny how the mind works!)

Keep it fun,

David

[TWISTEDWILLOW]

Irondragon, I had thought of that,

Goods,

I thought of water retention, so I just tacked it on at four sides an left some big gaps to allow for drainage out the bottom,

it’s 3/8” walled so I imagine I’ll get a few years use before it rusts out, 

An yes I need to put a lean to up, one of these days,

Rain is an issue but sun not so much, it stays pretty shady in there between the elm tree the Osage orange tree and the giant ancient wisteria, 

I’ve got the sheet metal, I’ve been meaning to go get some old steel chicken house trusses and do that but it’s one of those get around to it’s lol

[JHCC]

13 hours ago, Irondragon ForgeClay Works said:

fill it with the native clay

 

9 hours ago, Goods said:

concerns with the sand getting saturated with water and rusting out the sand

Clay is going to hold onto any water that gets inside much better than sand will. Sharp sand (made from crushed rock, as opposed to naturally formed by erosion) also tends to pack down very solidly, while dried clay wants to split apart. 

[TWISTEDWILLOW]

I was afraid if I used clay it would compact into a giant brick an then bake in the sun this summer!  it might make it hard to adjust the height of an anvil, 

so I figured I’d just stick with sand from the concrete place….. if I can get in there without sinking to my windshield! Lol

[Frosty]

With some drainage holes sand won't hold onto water at the top. You might consider undercoating the base of your anvil if rust is a concern. A tarp or old BBQ cover should keep the worst off. 

Get of your car out before it gets to the windshield.

Frosty The Lucky.

[JHCC]

Reminds me of an old Vermont joke about "mud season":

One day, my cousin Carl was heading down the road during mud season, when he saw a hat moving along just above the ground. Taking it up, he was surprised to find his brother Albert underneath, up to his chin in mud. "Albert," says Carl, "you are in trouble." "That I am not," Albert replied, "for I still have my horse under me."

[TWISTEDWILLOW]

2 hours ago, Frosty said:

You might consider undercoating the base of your anvil if rust is a concern

Rust isn’t a concern… most everything I own is rusty! Lol

the plate I welded on the bottom is 3/8” also, so I’m not concerned, the whole thing is heavy enough walled it shouldn’t rust out anytime soon….

But if it does I’ll just make another one! Lol

[arkie]

8 hours ago, TWISTEDWILLOW said:

..... and do that but it’s one of those get around to it’s lol

Billy, I believe they call those "roundtuits".

Congrats on hosting the BOA hammer-in.  You've taken to BOA in an admirable way.  The old club needs more of that.

[TWISTEDWILLOW]

Thanks arkie! I wish you could come too!

[Frosty]

I wish I could too!

Frosty The Lucky.

[TWISTEDWILLOW]

We’ll come on down then Jerry! 

this morning my had to run some errands and I noticed they fixed the driveway into the concrete place, 

so I wipped in an walked around till I found the office, an I stepped in an asked about buying some sand and the guy was like “how much do ya need” I said I brought two 20 gallon cattle feed tubs and he said “that’s all you want?” An pointed me to a mountain of sand and said I could have what spilled off, 

so I pulled on through the place and shoveled up my buckets full an got outta there before I got runned down by a wheel loader with tires bigger than my 3/4 ton pickup! Lol

ill run back by sometime an bring the guys a gift, I didn’t think to bring anything today because I didn’t know if I can get in there or not, 

one of my barrels cracked on me riding around in the truck but I didn’t loose any, it stayed in the truck

[Frosty]

Ayup, that's been my experience with gravel pits and small amounts. Sand needs something stronger than a plastic tub on a dry road. Vibration WILL compact it and the only direction it can go is out through the tub.

If you wet it it wont compact like that, I don't think it'd take more than 2-3 gal. to wet a tub full enough. 

A little PR gifting would be a good thing, you betcha.

Frosty The Lucky.

[TWISTEDWILLOW]

I ended up getting a little more sand than I needed, it took 3/4 of a 20 gallon tub to fill the first sand stand, 

I took one of the loudest ringin anvils I had laying around an set it in the stand and gave it some taps, an all I gotta say is WOW! It made a way noticeable difference in sound! 

On a completely different note I was thinking of using one of the sand stands for a portable rig and now that’s definitely not happenin, that 3/8” walled pipe was heavy enough by itself but you load it down with sand and it ain’t movin lol, 

I’ll defiantly go back with some goodies for those guys, I wanna stay on their hood side, never know if Max might wanna sand box one day!