Old fire hydrant anvil stand

[Pirateforlife]

Just looking for opinions and insights on turning this thing into an anvil stand. It's about 100lbs and the anvil is 130lbs. The hydrant is 20x11.25. The anvil is 9.25x6.5 at the base and 8" tall. It sits on top without overhanging. 

It sits about 2" too short for me as it is but nothing some blocks under it wouldn't fix. Long story short, I have a couple different ideas and a couple different directions I was thinking about going on making this a functional stand but I wanted to see if anybody had any ideas or opinions on it. Or any better ideas to use it for, other than a fountain/yard ornament. Thanks in advance. 

Also I read an article here somewhere that the shafts for these things are normally monel. But this one looks rusted so I doubt it. 

[Frosty]

That looks like it'll make a fine stand. My only question is about the anvil height as mounted. Securing the anvil is as easy as making angle iron clamps that bolt through the hydrant's bolt flange. EZ PZ. The anvil is made to be used on it's own feet, no need for a plate under it, hammer energy will conduct down the hydrant's body better without another contact point like a plate.

I'd cut and bolt it to a plate on the floor to widen the foot print for safety's sake. I'm not sure what I'd do with the outlets on the hydrant, that'd depend on how much of a trip hazard or toe buster they are as is. If the other bolt flange is large enough I'd turn the hydrant over to get the outlets off the ground but that would require covering the hydrant so things you drop don't disappear. Just so long as the anvil doesn't sit on it, it could be an old coffee can lid, it's just a rest for tools and to catch dropped stuff. Of course with the outlets on the bottom you can just reach in and get whatever you drop. Just be careful if it's hot!

The hydrant being cast iron will damp the ring from the anvil, it shouldn't need for sand, oil, silicone calk, etc.

I like it and would think of something to mount on it or put it in the yard for the dog if nothing better occurred to me.

Frosty The Lucky.

[Pirateforlife]

I 100% was thinking about filling it with sand and putting a plate under the anvil. Glad you said that. And yes I was going to go the angle iron route to attach. I suppose I'll play around with it and see which way the outlets work best. 

As for the height, from the floor to anvil face is 28" which is a tad too short for me. I put a 2x4 on the anvil, hit it with a hammer and the forward part of the depression was deeper than the back. 

[M3F]

I'd be concerned about a few things. If it's cast iron can it take the shock without cracking and what will it do for the ring? I don't know, maybe someone with more experience can answer that.

Like Frosty pointed out with the outlets they could be a trip hazard, but you also wouldn't want to have to bend forward at an awkward angle while forging because your not close enough to the anvil. 

Your most definitely going to drop things down the center hole. Punches, drifts, hot steel etc. so that's something to think about.

How to raise it to your level safely.

Lastly, as is, that is going to walk around your shop floor while forging. I like my stands immovable unless I want to move it. 

I think it would be a pretty neat stand if you can figure those things out.

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

It will make a unique stand for sure. Like Frosty said I would flip it so the widest part is on the ground, for better stability. To raise the anvil to your correct height a spacer of the right thickness would do it. I would cut the ring off of the top with a torch and bolt it where it was mounted to the main body, probably have to smooth it with an angle grinder where it was cut. Then if it wasn't big enough for the anvils feet, a plate bolted to that with angle iron to hold the anvil in would do it. I would definitely want the hose outlets up away from the floor and probably put the caps back on them. Another way to raise it up would be to put wood the right thickness under it to the floor, and a plate on top for the anvil. Another way would be to use angle iron without a plate and fill it with sand to solve the problem of things falling down inside.

As far as cast iron for a stand, there should not be any problems with that as all the major anvil makers cast stands of cast iron for their anvils.

Looking forward to see what you come up with.

Edited March 25, 2023 by Irondragon ForgeClay Works
add thought about the stand & cast iron.

[George N. M.]

Dear PFL, Arrgh!

I think if you combine the various comments and suggestions that it will make a fine anvil stand.  I agree that you shoul invert it and put the larger part on top.  Add enough wood on top to bring it up to the correct theight and then mount the anvil onto the wood or maybe a piece of heavy plywood on top to the wood spacers.  The wood should provide enough damping to prevent any risk of cracking in the hydrant body.  If you find that the whole thing has too high a center of gravity and feels "tippy" you could bolt a plate to the bottom to provide a wider base.

The only downside I see is local dogs rekeiving themselves on you anvil stand.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

[ThomasPowers]

Also power hammers have cast iron die supports.

[Pirateforlife]

Yeah the hydrant is plenty solid so I'm not truly worried about cracking. If it happened anywhere it would where the bolt hole are I suppose. By the way, both the top and bottom of the hydrant are 11.25" diameter. Perfectly matches the diagonal of my anvil. Definitely want to secure it to the floor somehow or at least stabilize it somehow just in case. 

I was also thinking about just removing the fittings for the outlets instead of putting the caps back on. That gives me another 1.5" clearance where they are. For me, they don't really seem to be in the way near the floor or the other way around. I've been fake smithing around it for about 15min brainstorming and haven't had any incidents.

All in all it will be an interesting project I think. Appreciate the feedback and the help. Keep it coming.